The 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.
Jump ahead
You’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.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni, gravy boats by Base Ceramics
