Every recipe here comes from the Passport Kitchen test kitchen and is organized the way the meal is served, from the first bite to the morning after. Pick a few dishes, tap Add to my menu, and the Menu Planner will scale each recipe to your guest count, build a cooking schedule that counts back from dinnertime, and combine everything into one shopping list.
Want the whole dinner planned? Start with our Thanksgiving Table menu and add anything from this list. Open the Thanksgiving menu in the Planner →
New to planning the big meal? Start with Thanksgiving Menu: What to Cook and Why It Works, settle the family debate with Dressing vs. Stuffing, or set the table the way Italian-American families do with Italian-American Thanksgiving: Antipasto to Turkey.
Starters & the Pasta Course
Italian Sausage Stuffed Long Hot Peppers
A South Philly and Jersey deli favorite: long hots filled with Italian sausage, provolone and Pecorino, baked until tender. Set them out while the turkey rests.
Shallot-Caper Butter Board with Smoked Salmon
A board of shallot-caper compound butter and smoked salmon with good bread. It takes minutes, can be made ahead and gives early guests something to gather around.
Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage
Italian-American families serve a pasta course before the turkey. This vegetarian lasagna keeps it autumnal, and it doubles as a main for guests who skip the bird.
The Turkey
Dry Brine Turkey
Salt it two to three days ahead and let the fridge do the work: seasoned meat, crisp skin, no bucket of brine. Step by step, with a timeline counting back from dinner.
Stuffing & Dressing
Classic Bread Stuffing (Chef’s Base Recipe)
One base recipe that works in the bird or in a baking dish, plus the difference between stuffing and dressing and the regional styles that grew from it.
New England Oyster Stuffing
One of the oldest Thanksgiving traditions in America, from the 1800s, when oysters were plentiful and cheap along the Atlantic coast.
Sides
Green Beans Almondine
Straight from the French bistro: slender beans blanched bright green, then tossed in brown butter with toasted almonds, shallot and lemon. The light side every heavy table needs.
Green Bean Casserole (Fresh or Pantry-Based)
Born in a Campbell Soup test kitchen in 1955 and on the table ever since. Make it from scratch with fresh beans, or the classic pantry way.
Embarrassingly Good Broccoli Casserole
Not glamorous, and nobody cares. A cheesy potluck casserole that disappears first.
Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Whole carrots roasted until tender, then finished with a honey glaze. The colors alone earn them a spot on the table.
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
On Southern tables, mac and cheese is a Thanksgiving side, not a kids’ dish. Creamy inside, browned on top.
Breads
Old-Fashioned Southern Cornbread
Cast iron, no sugar, the old way. Serve it warm with butter, or bake a day ahead and crumble it into cornbread dressing.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Grated frozen butter and a simple book fold give you tall biscuits with flaky layers, and they’re perfect for leftover turkey sandwiches.
Focaccia (Same-Day or Overnight)
Bake it the same day, or let the dough rest overnight in the fridge so it’s ready when you are. The bread basket for an Italian-American Thanksgiving.
Desserts
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Spiced pumpkin swirled through creamy cheesecake. It has to chill overnight, so it’s one less thing to do on the day.
Pumpkin Snacking Cake with Cheesecake Swirl
All the flavor of pumpkin pie with none of the crust. Bake it in one pan and cut it into squares for a crowd.
Apple Brown Betty
Apples layered with buttered crumbs, from American home kitchens where nothing was wasted. Serve it warm with ice cream.
Easy French Apple Cake
A rustic, buttery cake packed with apples. Simple to make, and it looks lovely on a holiday table.
Apple Tarte Tatin
The French upside-down apple tart: apples cooked in caramel under a pastry lid, then flipped onto a plate.
Apple Cider Donuts
The New England orchard favorite made at home. Good for dessert, and even better with coffee the next morning.
Something to Pour
Pouring wine? A light red like Cru Beaujolais or Oregon Pinot Noir and a dry or off-dry Riesling cover the whole table. For a pairing for every dish, from the turkey to the pie, see What Wine to Serve with Thanksgiving Dinner on Food and Wine Discoveries. For something without alcohol, try one of these:
Grapefruit Pear Rosemary Fizz
An alcohol-free drink with real depth, so non-drinkers get something special too.
Blood Orange Tonic
Bittersweet, bright and alcohol-free, and it’s easy to make by the pitcher.
The Morning After
Apple French Toast Casserole
Put it together the night before and bake it in the morning while the house is still full.
Made something from this list? Leave a comment below and tell us what’s always on your Thanksgiving table. We read every one, and your traditions help decide what we cook next.
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