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A traditional Thanksgiving dinner is the one meal of the year where nobody wants surprises, and honestly, I think that is the whole charm of it. People want the burnished turkey, the gravy boat going round twice, the stuffing with crisp edges and a pie that wobbles slightly when you cut it.
So I’ve pulled together every recipe from my own kitchen that earns a place on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner table: 21 of them, from the bird to the morning after muffins. Each one links to the full recipe, and further down you’ll find a menu for eight and a make-ahead timeline, so Thursday feels like a feast rather than a fire drill.
In short, the 21 recipes cover the turkey, ham and gravy, four stuffing and potato dishes, four vegetable sides, four breads, four desserts and two dishes for the night before and the morning after. The roast turkey takes 4 hours 20 minutes and serves 12, and the quickest dishes, turkey gravy and air fryer broccoli, take 15 minutes each.
Quick Breakdown
What Goes on a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu?
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu covers six bases: roast turkey, gravy and stuffing, potatoes, a green vegetable, bread, and pie. Every family has its own non-negotiables, of course, but if you cook one dish from each line below, you have a complete meal.
- The centrepiece: a roast turkey, with a glazed ham for bigger crowds or for anyone who would rather skip poultry.
- Gravy and stuffing: the two things people heap on first and argue about most.
- Potatoes: mashed, scalloped or stuffed, and ideally more than one.
- Something green: green bean casserole is the tradition; a quick vegetable alongside keeps things fresh.
- Bread: soft rolls, biscuits or a skillet of cornbread to mop up the gravy.
- Pie and a crumble: pecan, sweet potato or pumpkin, with something fruity for balance.
The Turkey, Ham and Gravy
1. Roast Turkey
This roast turkey, a 12 to 14 lb bird roasted at 325°F, is the one I make every single year, and it has never let me down. Seasoned butter goes under the skin rather than on top, so the breast bastes itself from the inside and stays juicy without any brining buckets taking over the fridge. The skin comes out deep bronze and crackly.
2. Honey Glazed Ham
Whenever I’m feeding more than ten, this honey glazed ham sits next to the turkey. It is already cooked, so you are really just warming it through and painting on a glossy glaze of honey, brown sugar, Dijon and butter until it turns sticky and lacquered. Leftover slices make the best sandwiches on Friday.
Get the Honey Glazed Ham recipe →
3. Turkey Gravy
Gravy is the glue of the whole plate, and this one takes fifteen minutes while the bird rests. I whisk a spoonful of flour into the roasting tray drippings, then pour in warm stock slowly. Because the stock is warm, it stays silky and lump free, which is the bit most people dread.
If your bird gives off a lot of fat, a fat separator lets you keep all the tasty juices and pour away the extra grease before the flour goes in.
Stuffing and Potato Sides
4. Bread Stuffing
My stuffing is baked in its own dish rather than inside the bird, so you get a soft, savoury middle and a crisp golden lid. Buttery onion and celery, poultry seasoning and stock are all it needs. In fact, the real secret is properly dry bread, so I cube the loaf the night before and leave it out.
Get the Bread Stuffing recipe →
5. Buttery Mashed Potatoes
There is no feast without a big bowl of mash, and this is the light, fluffy kind rather than the gluey kind. I mash by hand and add warm cream, never cold, because cold dairy makes hot potato seize. A generous knob of butter melting on top is not optional in my house.
Get the Buttery Mashed Potatoes recipe →
6. Scalloped Potatoes Without Cheese
If you want a second potato dish that feels a bit special, these scalloped potatoes without cheese are it. Thin slices bake slowly in a cream sauce with garlic and a little smoked paprika, so they turn tender and golden at the edges. There is no cheese at all, which means it never goes greasy or splits in the oven.
Get the Scalloped Potatoes Without Cheese recipe →
7. French Onion Stuffed Potatoes
These are what happens when French onion soup meets a jacket potato. The filling is mashed potato folded with slow caramelised onions, a splash of sherry and nutty Gruyère, piled back into the skins and baked until bubbling. They look impressive, yet they are the easiest make-ahead side on this list.
Get the French Onion Stuffed Potatoes recipe →
Green Vegetables and Casseroles
8. Fresh Green Bean Casserole
This is the familiar creamy casserole everyone grew up with, rebuilt with fresh blanched beans instead of tinned. So the beans keep a little snap under the creamy mushroom sauce, and the crispy fried onions go on in two stages for maximum crunch. It is pure nostalgia, just brighter.
Get the Fresh Green Bean Casserole recipe →
9. Garlic Butter Green Beans
Next to all that richness, a plate of bright, crisp-tender beans feels like a breath of fresh air. They are blanched for three or four minutes, then tossed in sizzling garlic butter right before serving. I like having both these and the casserole on the table; one creamy, one fresh.
Get the Garlic Butter Green Beans recipe →
10. Baked Mac and Cheese
In plenty of homes, especially across the South, baked mac and cheese is as essential as the turkey itself. Elbow macaroni goes into a sauce of sharp cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack, then a buttered crumb crust bakes on top until it shatters under the spoon. The children will head straight for it, and so will I.
Get the Baked Mac and Cheese recipe →
11. Air Fryer Broccoli
Oven space is the real bottleneck on the big day, so this 15 minute air fryer broccoli is my sneaky extra. The florets crisp and char in the air fryer while the oven is busy with the bird, and they need nothing more than oil, salt and pepper. A squeeze of lemon at the end wakes them right up.
Get the Air Fryer Broccoli recipe →
Rolls, Biscuits and Cornbread
12. Soft Dinner Rolls
Warm, buttery rolls are the first thing to vanish from my table, every year without fail. This dough is enriched with milk, egg and butter, and you can make it in the bread machine or by hand. Brush the tops with melted butter as they come out and listen for the happy sighs.
Get the Soft Dinner Rolls recipe →
13. Sourdough Dinner Rolls
If you keep a starter, these sourdough dinner rolls are well worth the slow rise. Milk, butter and a little honey make them soft and gently sweet, while the sourdough gives a subtle tang that cuts through rich gravy beautifully. I mix them the night before and let them rise while I sleep.
Get the Sourdough Dinner Rolls recipe →
14. Skillet Cornbread
Cornbread baked in a screaming hot cast iron pan has edges so crisp they almost crackle, with a soft, tender middle. It needs plain milk rather than buttermilk, so there is no special shopping. Better yet, leftovers make a cracking cornbread stuffing for anyone who wants a second variety.
Get the Skillet Cornbread recipe →
15. Easy Homemade Biscuits
For those who are firmly on team biscuit, this is my simple, flaky version. Cold butter is rubbed into the flour and brought together with yogurt or buttermilk, which keeps them tender and slightly tangy. They are brilliant split and spread with butter, and even better with leftover turkey and cranberry the next day.
Get the Easy Homemade Biscuits recipe →
Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Desserts
No traditional Thanksgiving dinner ends without pie, so here are my four favourites: pecan pie, sweet potato pie, pumpkin dump cake and, for anyone who still has room, a fruity apple crisp.
16. Easy Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is the dessert I’d fight for, and this one is gloriously simple. The filling is mixed in one bowl and poured straight into an unbaked crust, so there is no blind baking. It bakes until the centre just wobbles, then sets into a glossy, gooey caramel layer under toasted nuts.
Get the Easy Pecan Pie recipe →
I like baking pies in a 9 inch glass pie dish, because you can lift it up and check that the bottom of the crust has turned golden.
17. Sweet Potato Pie
Silky, gently spiced and a little lighter than pumpkin, sweet potato pie deserves far more love than it gets. The filling is roasted sweet potato whisked with butter, eggs, evaporated milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Meanwhile, the kitchen smells like every cosy autumn afternoon you have ever had.
Get the Sweet Potato Pie recipe →
18. Pumpkin Dump Cake
This is pumpkin pie for people who would rather not make pastry. A spiced pumpkin custard goes in the dish, dry cake mix and melted butter go on top, and the oven does the rest. You get a soft, custardy base under a crisp, buttery crust, with no mixer and no fuss.
Get the Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe →
19. Apple Crisp
After all those rich pies, a fruity, tart apple crisp is a welcome sight. Sliced apples tossed in cinnamon sugar bake under a buttery oat crumble until the juices bubble up at the edges. Serve it warm with cream or ice cream, and keep the leftovers for breakfast; I won’t tell.
For the Night Before and the Morning After
20. Pumpkin Chili
When the family arrives on Wednesday evening, nobody wants a fancy dinner, so I put a pot of this on. It is a thick, savoury beef chili where the pumpkin puree does the thickening, made with just six ingredients in one pot. It keeps everyone fed while you get on with the pies.
Get the Pumpkin Chili recipe →
21. Pumpkin Muffins
Thanksgiving morning is busy, so these soft, spiced muffins are my answer to breakfast. They are mixed in one bowl with seven ingredients and no mixer, and the house smells wonderful while they bake. Then everyone can grab one and stay out of the kitchen.
Get the Pumpkin Muffins recipe →
All 21 Thanksgiving Recipes at a Glance
Here is the whole menu in one table, so you can see at a glance how long each dish takes and how many it serves before you plan the oven. Times and servings come from the recipe cards.
| Recipe | Course | Total time | Serves or makes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roast Turkey | Main or gravy | 4 hr 20 min | 12 |
| Honey Glazed Ham | Main or gravy | 1 hr 5 min | 9 |
| Turkey Gravy | Main or gravy | 15 min | 5 |
| Bread Stuffing | Stuffing or potatoes | 55 min | 7 |
| Buttery Mashed Potatoes | Stuffing or potatoes | 30 min | 4 |
| Scalloped Potatoes Without Cheese | Stuffing or potatoes | 1 hr 15 min | 7 |
| French Onion Stuffed Potatoes | Stuffing or potatoes | 1 hr 15 min | 4 potatoes |
| Fresh Green Bean Casserole | Vegetable side | 48 min | 6 |
| Garlic Butter Green Beans | Vegetable side | 20 min | 5 |
| Baked Mac and Cheese | Vegetable side | 45 min | 6 |
| Air Fryer Broccoli | Vegetable side | 15 min | 4 |
| Soft Dinner Rolls | Bread | 2 hr 42 min | 12 rolls |
| Sourdough Dinner Rolls | Bread | 10 hr | 12 rolls |
| Skillet Cornbread | Bread | 32 min | 8 slices |
| Easy Homemade Biscuits | Bread | About 30 min | 4 |
| Easy Pecan Pie | Dessert | 3 hr 5 min | 8 slices |
| Sweet Potato Pie | Dessert | About 1 hr 25 min | 8 slices |
| Pumpkin Dump Cake | Dessert | 1 hr 5 min | 12 |
| Apple Crisp | Dessert | 1 hr | 8 |
| Pumpkin Chili | Night before or morning after | 45 min | 6 |
| Pumpkin Muffins | Night before or morning after | 30 min | 12 muffins |
How to Plan Your Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
The trick to a relaxed traditional Thanksgiving dinner is doing almost everything before Thursday. Here is the menu I would cook for eight, followed by the timeline I actually follow.
A Menu for Eight
- Main: roast turkey with turkey gravy (a 12 to 14 lb bird leaves plenty for sandwiches).
- Sides: bread stuffing, a double batch of buttery mashed potatoes, fresh green bean casserole and garlic butter green beans.
- Bread: soft dinner rolls or skillet cornbread.
- Dessert: easy pecan pie and pumpkin dump cake, with whipped cream.
- For twelve or more: add the honey glazed ham, baked mac and cheese and scalloped potatoes.
Make-Ahead Timeline
- Four or five days before: move the frozen turkey into the fridge, allowing 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb.
- Monday: cube the bread for stuffing and leave it out to dry; write your oven schedule.
- Tuesday: shop for fresh produce and dairy, and assemble the French onion stuffed potatoes.
- Wednesday: bake the pies and dump cake, shape and chill the rolls, assemble the scalloped potatoes and blanch the green beans. Pumpkin chili for supper.
- Thursday morning: pumpkin muffins for breakfast, butter under the turkey skin, and the bird into the oven.
- While the turkey rests: make the gravy, bake the rolls and stuffing, and finish the beans.
Tips for a Calm Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
- Plan the oven, not just the menu. Write down every dish, its temperature and its time, then move anything you can to the hob, the air fryer or the day before.
- Let the turkey rest properly. Thirty minutes under foil is not wasted time; it is your window for gravy, rolls and reheating sides.
- Trust a thermometer. Timings are a guide, but the temperature tells you when the bird is really done.
- Mind the two-hour rule. These holiday home food safety tips are a good reminder to get the food back into the fridge within two hours of serving.
- Accept help. When a guest asks what to bring, hand them a dessert or the rolls. After all, it is their holiday too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning and Portions
What are the most traditional Thanksgiving dishes?
The classics of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner are roast turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls or cornbread, and pumpkin or pecan pie. Sweet potato dishes and mac and cheese are traditional in many families too, especially in the South.
How much turkey do you need per person for Thanksgiving?
Allow roughly 1 to 1.5 lb of whole bird per person, because bones account for a good part of the weight. So a 12 to 14 lb turkey feeds around 10 to 12 people, with a little left over for sandwiches.
How many side dishes should you make for Thanksgiving dinner?
Four or five sides is plenty for eight people: stuffing, one or two potato dishes, a green vegetable and bread. However, for a bigger crowd it’s easier to add one more dish than to double everything.
Which Thanksgiving dishes can you make the day before?
Pies, dump cake, muffins, scalloped potatoes, stuffed potatoes, shaped rolls and blanched green beans can all be prepared the day before. That leaves just the turkey, gravy and a final bake for Thursday.
Which Thanksgiving recipes on this list are the quickest?
Turkey gravy and air fryer broccoli take 15 minutes each, garlic butter green beans take 20 minutes, and buttery mashed potatoes and pumpkin muffins take 30 minutes. Leaving the hob and air fryer dishes until the end keeps the oven free for the bird.
Leftovers and Food Safety
How long do Thanksgiving leftovers last in the fridge?
Three to four days. Cooked turkey, stuffing and gravy all keep that long in the fridge, as long as everything is chilled within two hours of serving. Freeze anything you won’t eat by then, and reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
What is the best way to reheat leftover turkey?
Wrap slices in foil and reheat them gently in a low oven until they reach 165°F (74°C), so they don’t dry out. This guide to reheating Thanksgiving leftovers explains how to use a thermometer so the meat stays juicy and safe.
Can you cook stuffing inside the turkey instead of baking it separately?
Yes, but I prefer baking it in its own dish. The stuffing gets a crisp top, the bird cooks faster and more evenly, and you don’t have to worry about the centre of the stuffing reaching a safe temperature. If you do stuff the bird, the stuffing must reach 165°F (74°C).
What temperature should a Thanksgiving turkey reach?
165°F (74°C), checked with a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh, away from the bone. The roast turkey here is roasted at 325°F and then rested for a full 30 minutes, which is when you make the gravy.
