A Classic Thanksgiving Menu With Make-Ahead Tips

Skip the stuffing? Not at this table. Eight holiday favorites, plus a plan to get ahead.Michael Graydon + Nikole HerriottThe editors at Bon Appétit take Thanksgiving very seriously. We are, in fact, in the business of furnishing readers with rigorously tested dishes destined for your family’s annual holiday table (and hopefully—eventually!—the treasured recipe box). What we’ve learned over the years is that—no matter how adventurous a cook might be 364 days of the year—when it comes to T-Day, most people don’t really budge from their traditional mainstays.People often crave a classic, tried-and-true holiday meal. Guests expect it. So we’re happy to share this menu of Thanksgiving favorites from our archives to get you to the Rockwellian holiday spread of your dreams. These are the dishes we wait all year for: roast turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, buttery rolls, and pumpkin pie. Plus a few tips for making elements ahead.TurkeyGravyMashed PotatoesGreen Bean CasseroleStuffingCranberry SauceRollsPumpkin PieMake-ahead prepVery Classic Dry-Brined Roast TurkeyYou’d be hard-pressed to conjure up a more quintessential bird than our 2017 covergirl. This whole-roasted, beautifully burnished Thanksgiving turkey gets a straightforward dry brine, keeping the white meat succulent and juicy.Make-Ahead GravyPhotograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni, gravy boats by Base CeramicsYou can’t beat Andy Baraghani’s make-ahead gravy, which you can prepare up to four days ahead. Reheat it with a bit of stock to revive that perfectly silky texture.BA’s Best Mashed PotatoesThis recipe, originally published as “Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes” in our 2017 Thanksgiving spread, includes its own list of not-to-miss tips for superior mashed potatoes. They’re so good, in fact, they retroactively earned the mantle of BA’s Best. Make sure you know where you’ve stashed the ricer (or food mill).BA’s Best Green Bean CasseroleMy colleague Chris Morocco probably didn’t expect his 2016 recipe to become the gold standard for green bean casserole. Yet it’s held that title year after year. No canned cream of mushroom soup here—the savory sauce is totally D.I.Y. The French’s Crispy Fried Onions, however, aren’t going anywhere.Simple-Is-Best StuffingThe people have spoken: Victoria Granof’s 2012 stuffing recipe gets virtually dog-eared every Thanksgiving. It’s minimalist but has everything you expect from stuffing (technically “dressing” as it’s cooked outside of the turkey in its own casserole dish), including the quintessential quartet of herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.Easiest Cranberry SaucePhotograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka MorrisMaking cranberry sauce is the first order of business on my Thanksgiving menu. I usually whip up a batch of Priya Krishna’s 2019 version the weekend before and feel an outsized sense of pride that I’ve managed to tick one thing off the long prep list. Her recipe is a great starting (or ending) point, but you can jazz it up with a cinnamon stick, star anise, or a few cranks of black pepper if you’d like. Or sub in brown sugar for white—the choice is yours!Parker House RollsPhoto by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart, Prop Styling by Gerri WilliamsTry not to fill up on these buttery treasures before The Big Meal. Originally published in the iconic Fannie Farmer Baking Book, we featured these as part of our 2012 Thanksgiving menu in print. You can bake them ahead of time, let them cool, and keep them in the freezer for reheating. Or, if you’re feeling a little adventurous, try their distant cousin, Salt Bread, for even more oohs and ahhs.BA’s Best Pumpkin PieIs it even Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? Rick Martinez’s 2016 rendition is as classic as they come, and it tastes even better the next day (if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers… come to think of it, maybe just plan on making two?).You don’t have to cook the whole menu on Thanksgiving morning. Here’s what you can get out of the way:Remember to account for oven space on Thanksgiving itself: The green bean casserole still needs baking, the stuffing needs its final uncovered bake, and the rolls need warming.Before joining Bon Appétit in 2022, Hana contributed recipes and articles for outlets including NYT Cooking and Food52, where she hosted and wrote the monthly video-article companion series Weeknight Wonders. Previously, Hana was the executive editor of Chowhound and a senior editor at Food52. After getting her master’s in journalism ... Read More