A guide to our classic Thanksgiving recipes

Roast turkey, easy gravy, green bean gratin, bright cranberry sauce, creamy potatoes and two kinds of stuffing (vegan or not) plus three stellar pies — these are all the classic Thanksgiving recipes you’ll ever need.

Nov. 9, 2022 6 AM PT

Year after year, we return to these timeless recipes as a Thanksgiving tradition. Rather than updated reinventions or new spins, these are modern classics. The techniques are straightforward, the ingredient lists kept as short as possible, and the recipes developed with one goal in mind: easy and delicious results.

The main event is, of course, the roast bird, and the recipe here is foolproof: moist and juicy turkey, no basting required. It’s accompanied by the simplest gravy to make ahead, or right before serving. And your choice of stuffing: Sourdough stuffing (designed to be vegan/vegetarian) is all about onions, celery and herbs, and cornbread dressing gets all its flavor from pork sausage and chile flakes. Both recipes are easily adaptable if you want to experiment with other flavors.

The star of the side dishes might be this cheesy green bean gratin. Sweet potato casserole with apples, honey and orange juice are topped with a simple homemade meringue (although marshmallows have a home atop the dish if that’s your inclination). And mashed potatoes don’t get any easier: Boil some old-fashioned russets, then mash them with plenty of buttermilk and butter.

These super soft, buttery rolls will be your new go-to. They’re basted in butter, topped with flaky sea salt and so soft you’ll never buy frozen rolls again. Homemade cranberry sauce requires just a 10-minute bubbling with some sugar, cinnamon and juice yields cranberries that are just sweet enough and perfumed with a hint of spice.

And for dessert? Thanksgiving is for pie, so here’s a no-fail recipe for the butteriest, crispiest crust (if you want to buy your crust, we support you 100%!).

Bake any of these three classic pies that will become your new standards: a pecan pie that cuts down on the sugar and adds browned butter, vanilla bean and a shot of lemon juice; pumpkin pie with lots of spices and an optional boozy whipped cream; and double-crust apple pie, which encases wedges of apples and cinnamon in a tender, flaky crust, which bakes into a bubbly, golden-brown masterpiece.