Change is constant when it comes to, well, everything. And while it’s certainly fun to try a new and exciting recipe every once in a while, having a recipe box full of tried and true favorites can be a real comfort. That’s especially true at Thanksgiving, when you’ve spent the past 364 days feeding yourself — and maybe others, too — and now you must feed a hungry crowd with dishes you only cook once a year. Needless to say, you want to be 100 percent sure of the outcome.
With that in mind, here are the foolproof recipes that New York Times Cooking readers turn to every Thanksgiving — the dishes that work in the kitchen and wow at the table.
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“This is the third year that I’ve made your roast turkey. I live in northern Britain, where we have to order our Thanksgiving turkey from a poultry farm weeks in advance, and my gas stove has an unpredictable flame. The conditions are not propitious. Yet every year my turkey is golden and succulent, crispy skin and juicy inside.”
What else is there to say? Melissa Clark’s recipe calls for a one- to three-day dry brine of salt, pepper, lemon zest, herbs and garlic, which means the inside stays moist while the outside crisps.
Recipe: Simple Roast Turkey
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Prop Stylist: Courtney de Wet.
“This is *the* stuffing recipe. I’ve made this every Thanksgiving for several years, and it’s always a hit! Easy to make ahead, easy to double and easy to make vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for chicken stock.”
Stuffing is arguably the best part of the meal, but Melissa Clark’s version — made with eggy brioche and chestnuts — is next-level good. If you’d like to bake it ahead, you can do so up to six hours in advance. Just before serving, reheat it in a 350-degree oven.
Recipe: Brioche Chestnut Stuffing
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“Followed the recipe exactly — preview for the holidays. Delicious. New Thanksgiving tradition.”
Eric Kim made 13 versions of the classic Thanksgiving dish before landing on this smart and convenient recipe. He calls for frozen green beans and store-bought fried onions, so you’re not spending your precious kitchen time trimming and frying.
Recipe: Green Bean Casserole
Credit…Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
“This has become my go-to sweet potato recipe for Thanksgiving; perfect for those who think traditional sweet potato casseroles are far too syrupy-sweet.”
Traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato dishes can skew unabashedly sweet, which is great if you’re into that. But if you’re not, and you still want the vegetable to be a part of your feast, enter this five-ingredient spicy-smoky dish from Julia Moskin. Thai curry paste and coconut milk add heat and nuttiness, which pair perfectly with the earthy, buttery sweet potatoes.
Recipe: Fiery Sweet Potatoes
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“I have been making these for several years, and they are consistently delicious! They work very well to make and freeze (before baking), and bake without thawing. They rise beautifully!”
Sam Sifton’s flaky and rich biscuits come together with just six pantry ingredients: flour, butter, salt, baking powder, milk and a touch of sugar. Make extra, so you can raid the fridge at midnight and stuff them with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.
Recipe: All-Purpose Biscuits
Credit…Evan Sung for The New York Times
“Make this for Thanksgiving. You’ll never make a pumpkin pie again.”
This ruby-red, tangy-sweet cranberry tart from David Tanis is a stunner — in looks as well as on the palate. To achieve the color in the photo, be sure to follow the directions to a T. And to save your sanity (and precious oven and stove space), prepare the crust and curd a day or two in advance.
Recipe: Cranberry Curd Tart
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
“I LOVE THIS DISH. We’ve made it three times, and each time it comes out wonderfully.”
J. Kenji López-Alt’s Hasselback potatoes are everything you want in a potato dish: Cheesy and creamy with crisp edges. He suggests using a mandoline to achieve perfectly shaped potato rounds for stacking, but if you don’t have one, use the slicing blade on your food processor.
Recipe: Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“Even though mine looked like a ‘Nailed It’ version of the picture above, this dish was a showstopping taste fest. This will be our vegetarian Thanksgiving centerpiece from now on!”
If you’re hosting a meatless Thanksgiving this year — or just want to provide an option for guests — you cannot go wrong with this reader favorite from Alexa Weibel. Assemble and refrigerate the dish up to one day before baking it.
Recipe: Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington
Credit…Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
“Superb. Didn’t change a thing. Made for Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it.”
With a texture somewhere between a blondie and cake, these sticky, sweet bars are a great alternative — or addition — to all of the pies on the table. Powdered ginger and a full tablespoon of fresh ginger add plenty of kick, while fresh cranberries provide happy little pops of brightness.
Recipe: Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread
Credit…Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
“I used this recipe again this year. I put fresh garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme mixed with melted butter under the skin before roasting. Delicious.”
Samin Nosrat can do no wrong, and this recipe is proof. A simple brine of buttermilk and salt leads to fall-apart, juicy meat, while the sugars result in golden-brown, burnished skin. The trickiest part is spatchcocking the turkey, but a little elbow grease will get you there.
Recipe: Buttermilk-Brined Roast Turkey
Credit…Craig Lee for The New York Times
“My wife adds cinnamon to the topping as well. It’s a must for every Thanksgiving!”
For those who like their sweet potato dishes on the sweeter side but draw the line at marshmallow topping, this casserole from Marian Burros might do the trick. Sweet potatoes mashed with brown sugar, orange juice, heavy cream, butter and vanilla are topped with a brown sugar and pecan crumble, so you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
Recipe: Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
“Spectacular. Have made it multiple times, occasionally substituting broccoli for brussels sprouts, experimenting with different mushrooms, etc. There’s just no way to go wrong — this is a five-star vegetarian recipe.”
Maybe you don’t like turkey, or maybe you’re serving a vegetarian crowd. Either way, this glorious savory pie from Alexa Weibel will make everyone happy. Store-bought puff pastry makes it far easier than its spectacular appearance implies.
Recipe: Baked Brie and Caramelized Vegetable Pie
Credit…Craig Lee for The New York Times
“Excellent dressing. Everyone thought it was wonderful. It had a delightful herb taste and perfect texture, not too dry nor too moist. A great balance of flavors. We’ll make this again next year, if not sooner.”
If you’re looking for the Norman Rockwell of Thanksgiving stuffings, this one from Sam Sifton will do. Packed with bread, celery, onions, apples, chestnuts, thyme and sage, it is simple to execute and sure to please.
Recipe: Thanksgiving Dressing
Credit…Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
“Thanks so much for this! The perfect amount of food for three people, all the flavors of Thanksgiving, and cleanup was really quick. We’ll do this again next year.”
Maybe it’s just you and your partner this year. Or maybe it’s just you, and you’d like to cook yourself a delightful feast whose leftovers won’t take over the refrigerator and freezer for the next week. Melissa Clark’s magic trick of a recipe gives you all of the classic flavors of a traditional spread, but is engineered so that it can be made using just one pot and one sheet pan.
Recipe: One-Pan, One-Pot Thanksgiving Dinner
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
“Best. Turkey. Ever. Rave reviews. The white meat was moist and tender and the dark was melt-in-your-mouth. Stupid simple and amazing results. Won’t go back to a wet brine ever again.”
Kim Severson’s recipe borrows a technique from Judy Rodgers, the chef from the Zuni Café in San Francisco, who had outstanding results salting chickens and then letting them chill for hours before roasting them. (Try that recipe here.)
Recipe: Dry-Brined Turkey
Credit…Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
“Big hit, I’ll make again for Thanksgiving.”
Lip-puckering in the absolute best way, these Technicolor layered bars from Genevieve Ko are an ideal finish to the Big Brown Meal. Bright and tangy, they cut through all of the richness.
Recipe: Cranberry Lemon Bars
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
“This has every delectable ingredient ever invented, so how could it be anything but amazing? It is!”
This rich vegetarian mushroom-Gruyère bread pudding from Susan Spungen makes an excellent holiday brunch or side dish. Set it up the night before, refrigerate it and then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking until bubbly and browned at the edges.
Recipe: Mushroom Bread Pudding
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Erika Joyce.
“Made this for my boyfriend as a tester for Thanksgiving, and we both agreed that this was the best pecan pie either of us have had 🤯”
Instead of the typical corn syrup, Melissa Clark uses a combination of maple syrup and honey for a deeply complex filling that still has that signature gooey center. It also has double the amount of pecans than most recipes, so it’s abundantly crunchy.
Recipe: Maple-Honey Pecan Pie
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“Have made this just as written — twice. It is well received by children and adults alike, even those who usually think sweet potato casserole is too sweet. A winner!”
This might look like your average sweet potato casserole, but it’s the layer of crunchy cornflakes beneath the soft marshmallows that really makes this Millie Peartree recipe something special.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole
Credit…Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
“It’s a great base that I’ve made for Thanksgiving and Christmas for many years. It freezes well, so I’ve often made a double batch at Thanksgiving and frozen half for Christmas, thawing in the fridge, then reheating and tweaking as needed day-of.”
No meat? No time? No problem. Melissa Clark’s vegan gravy features caramelized mushrooms and a dash of soy sauce, so it’s rich and complex enough for your meat-eating guests, too.
Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Make-Ahead Gravy
Credit…Craig Lee for The New York Times
“One of the best pies I have ever cooked! Absolutely delicious!!!”
Julia Reed’s recipe calls for a couple of tablespoons of bourbon and both light and dark corn syrup for a spectacularly nuanced take on the sometimes one-note, too-sweet pecan pie.
Recipe: Bourbon Pecan Pie
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“I’ve made this many times, as written, with homemade stock and fresh herbs … and it is a winner! It is one of my go-tos when I have leftover poultry.”
To some of us, Thanksgiving leftovers are the best part. In this cozy soup recipe, Cristiana N. de Carvalho makes use of all that extra turkey by turning it into a wholesome, belly-warming soup. A dash of cayenne and a strong squeeze of lemon makes it lively and bright.
Recipe: Turkey Barley Soup
Credit…Melina Hammer for The New York Times
“This is my husband’s favorite and I make it regularly for either Thanksgiving or Easter. It is excellent with ham.”
With the addition of classic Thanksgiving herbs like sage and rosemary, this Melissa Clark recipe is a savory take on the usual Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. Some readers made it with half sweet potatoes and half regular potatoes, with happy, balanced results.
Recipe: Sweet Potato and Gruyère Gratin
Credit…Jim Wilson for The New York Times
“This is one of the best desserts that I’ve ever made, and it’s easy to serve at a buffet. I have made it several times. I find that the ratio of chocolate to filling is better when the balls are smaller than indicated in the recipe.”
If you find Thanksgiving desserts to be too much after such a big meal, try serving a batch of these pecan pie truffles from Hannah Kaminsky alongside coffee and tea. They scratch that pecan pie itch in a lovely, not-gut-busting way.
Recipe: Pecan Pie Truffles
Credit…Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Amy Elise Wilson.
“Have made this for the past three Thanksgivings and can’t wait to make it again this year. My big question is why this is only ranked 4 stars?”
Alison Roman’s stuffing is an update on classic stuffing with the addition of garlic, leeks and a lot of celery. To achieve optimal texture, she suggests two trips to the oven: first, covered, to cook it through, and second, uncovered, to crisp the top.
Recipe: Buttered Stuffing With Celery and Leeks
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
“Will be my second time making this! It was a winner at Thanksgiving last year, and since Santamas day is all vegetarian, this seemed like a perfect show stopper! Ms. Claus sent an early gift to help cut down the time: a Cuisinart! Happy! Happy! Merry! Merry!”
Alexa Weibel is at it again with another gorgeous vegetarian main for your table that features the season’s best vegetables — potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and beets — bathed in a rich shallot cream sauce.
Recipe: Ombré Gratin
Credit…Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
“I have used this for the past four Thanksgivings and have no plans to stop. I use shallots for the onions. Adding the drippings from your roast is where the magic happens, transforming a ho-hum gravy into something scrumptious.”
No more making gravy under the watchful eye of hungry guests. This make-ahead gravy from Mark Bittman has been kicking around readers’ recipe boxes since 2007. Use the best stock — homemade or store-bought — you can get your hands on.
Recipe: Make-Ahead Gravy
“At our house, it’s a tradition to make turkey soup the day after Thanksgiving. If we go to someone else’s house for T-day, we ask for the carcass, and they’re always glad to give it away. This recipe is divine for an out-of-this-world soup.”
After a long day of cooking and eating, you might be tempted to just drop the turkey carcass into the trash and never think of it again. But don’t! Pop it into a plastic bag, refrigerate it or freeze it and then, once you’ve worked up the courage to enter the kitchen again, make a rich and delicious stock with this Mark Bittman recipe. It’s great in a lot of things including turkey soup, gumbo or birria.
Recipe: Roasted Turkey Stock
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