Cooking a new recipe for Thanksgiving is a risk. An uncle might complain. An aunt might forbid it. The recipe could take longer than expected. Chaos ensues.
Straying from tradition can also feel emotionally loaded. But it’s worth it to try something new, especially if you’re a first-time host looking for your own version of Thanksgiving.
Here are our Food staff’s tried-and-true Thanksgiving keepers. With these recipes, you’re in good hands.
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Having two potato dishes is high priority, and I always make these two: the crispy-topped, cheesy Hasselback potatoes from J. Kenji López-Alt and the soft, airy, almost Robuchon-style mashed potatoes (passed through a ricer and mixed with as much butter and cream as they can possibly hold) from Kim Severson. TEJAL RAO
Recipe: Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.
Some years ago, Julia Moskin made a convincing case that every Thanksgiving plate needed a snappy respite. I’ve been making her adaptation of this quick and lemony brussels sprouts hash ever since. KIM SEVERSON
Recipe: Hashed Brussels Sprouts With Lemon
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Confession: I don’t like Thanksgiving dinner. I usually go out. But I do like having leftover turkey to tuck into sandwiches, gumbo and enchilada pie. This mostly hands-off slow-cooker turkey breast recipe from Sarah DiGregorio makes it easy and yields perfectly moist and succulent meat. MARGAUX LASKEY
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast With Lemon-Garlic Gravy
Credit…Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
I don’t do the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but I do make the traditional Thanksgiving desserts: a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake. The cheesecake is always this Basque cheesecake, which I make the day before and serve at room temperature. Last year I steeped pandan leaves in the heavy cream and added small drops of pandan extract for extra green, vanilla-scented oomph. My guests gently demanded the leftovers. MIA LEIMKUHLER
Recipe: Basque Cheesecake
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
We’re going out to Thanksgiving dinner with friends this year (luxury!), so while I won’t be cooking, I plan to whip up some Nonalcoholic Dirty Lemon Tonics to whet our appetites before we go. They’re a perfect balance of light and tangy with a hint of savory. They’ll be delicious! CAT BALDWIN
Recipe: Nonalcoholic Dirty Lemon Tonic
Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Pumpkin bread is a requirement on my Thanksgiving dinner plate. I really like when it soaks up some of the gravy — that salty-sweet combo is one of my favorite bites. SCOTT LOITSCH
Recipe: Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez-Hart.
I’ve been tasked with making empanadas for Thanksgiving since I was 12 or 13. These beef empanadas by Angela Dimayuga are perfect for making big batches (and for snacking on before dinner). GINA FERNANDEZ
Recipe: Beef Empanadas
Credit…Craig Lee for The New York Times
Some people might give a side eye to salads at Thanksgiving. But Julia Moskin’s lemon-garlic kale salad is always a hit. It’s the perfect tangy, green counterpoint to all of the brown stuff on the plate. Even my 8-year-old loves it. MARGAUX LASKEY
Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad
Credit…Evan Sung for The New York Times
I made David Tanis’s cranberry curd tart for good luck before my New York Times interview, and it hasn’t failed me since. Manifest your dreams! VAUGHN VREELAND
Recipe: Cranberry Curd Tart
Credit…Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Amy Elise Wilson.
This stuffing has become my go-to recipe for Thanksgiving, allowing me to take advantage of my love of leeks. An ex’s mom said it was the best stuffing she’d ever had. NOAH LEWIS
Recipe: Buttered Stuffing With Celery and Leeks
Credit…Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
My Thanksgiving crew is small — just me and my partner, and our dog begging for any table scraps — so I try to keep things easy and delicious. Samin Nosrat’s buttermilk-brined roast turkey breast takes any stress work out of the main. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT
Recipe: Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast
Credit…Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Our family matriarch died before I was old enough to get her recipe for sticky rice stuffing. The mochi rice stuffing adapted by Ligaya Mishan helped me recreate it, and then develop this streamlined version, savory with bacon and mushrooms. GENEVIEVE KO
Recipe: Crispy Ginger Sticky Rice
13. Fannie Farmer and Marion Cunningham’s Parker House Rolls
Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York Times
My grandmother made fresh rolls for every holiday meal. In recent years I’ve turned to this recipe, forming the dough into clovers, as my grandmother did. SARA BONISTEEL
Recipe: Fannie Farmer’s Parker House Rolls
Credit…Amber Fouts for The New York Times
Despite knowing that one of my uncles was the designated collard greens cook every Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house, I boldly (stupidly, let’s be honest) brought this recipe along one year. He questioned the inclusion of amber ale, but after one sip of the potlikker, he was sold. MARK JOSEPHSON
Recipe: Ale-Braised Collards with Ham
Credit…Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
I choose a different turkey recipe every year; my family said that Melissa Clark’s rosemary and citrus turkey is the best I’ve ever made. And if you haven’t had Millie Peartree’s Southern macaroni and cheese, adapted by Kiera Wright-Ruiz, I’m not sure you’ve really lived. EMILY WEINSTEIN
Recipe: Southern Macaroni and Cheese
Credit…Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
It’s tradition in our house to cap off the Thanksgiving celebration season — it’s not just one day! — by making Melissa Clark’s hot crab dip with chopped Gulf of Mexico oysters. BRETT ANDERSON
Recipe: Hot Crab and Oyster Dip
Credit…Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times
As a Thanksgiving traditionalist, I always had trouble accommodating my chocolate-loving husband who had no use for pumpkin pie, tolerated apple as long as it was well-caramelized, and could manage pecan. This marriage of chocolate and pumpkin studded with pecans was the answer; it satisfied him, me and our table full of feasters. Butter pecan ice cream alongside with a drizzle of chocolate sauce is appropriate gilding. FLORENCE FABRICANT
Recipe: Chocolate-Pumpkin Layer Cake
Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
My family is divided on having salad at Thanksgiving, but this hot-meets-cold option feels like a win — not just a compromise — for all parties involved. BECKY HUGHES
Recipe: Roasted and Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad
Credit…Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
A true 30-minute side that is deeply flavorful, these carrots are equally good straight out of the oven or at room temperature. They have just the right amount of nuance to stand out, but can still mingle with the rest of the Thanksgiving spread. ALEXA WEIBEL
Recipe: Five-Spice Roasted Carrots With Toasted Almonds
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Persimmons are in season around Thanksgiving, and my family tends to buy them in bulk. I discovered this recipe while searching for ways to use up a drawer full of them. The end result was so much better than I imagined it would be — the flavor is fruity and sweet, and the texture of the blended fruit makes it light and bouncy. ALLISON JIANG
Recipe: Persimmon Pudding
Credit…Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Kim Severson adapted this quick-and-dirty recipe for a 12-pound turkey, and it’s perfect for a smallish group. It makes the best and juiciest leftovers. JULIA MOSKIN
Recipe: Pulled Turkey With Jus
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
My daughter always requests mashed potatoes, and, after trying many different recipes, we found that this one from David Tanis was our favorite. The cheese is great, but the addition of an egg, which I’d never used before, makes the potatoes extra creamy and delicious. KIM GOUGENHEIM
Recipe: Vermont Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Credit…Karsten Moran for The New York Times
The Thanksgiving menu can easily turn into a whiteout of bland flavors and mushy textures, but David Tanis’s sprouts always bring mine to life with the zing of smoky chorizo and pimentón. PATRICK FARRELL
Recipe: Brussels Sprouts With Chorizo
Credit…Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Turns out, pumpkin pie is even better when made with fresh butternut squash purée. This one is our go-to, and it is divine. MELISSA CLARK
Recipe: Brandied Pumpkin Pie
Credit…Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
For my Chinese American family, no Thanksgiving is complete without an oversize tray of sticky rice. David Tanis’s take on this savory, comforting side is second only to my mother’s family recipe. For those who like a little kick, drizzle chile crisp right on top before serving. AMANDA CHOY
Recipe: Stir-Fried Sticky Rice
Credit…Craig Lee for The New York Times
A few years ago, I resolved to make my own rolls for Thanksgiving. I knew it would be extra work on top of an already busy day (week) of cooking. But everyone knows good bread is the secret to happiness, so I was deeply thrilled when they came out perfectly. Rolls are now the dish I’m most proud to serve, year after year. EMILY FLEISCHAKER
Recipe: Cloverleaf Rolls
Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York Times
There are many reasons to love Kim Severson, but high among them is her delicious recipe for roasted sweet potatoes with cranberry chutney. SAM SIFTON
Recipe: Sweet Potatoes With Cranberry Chutney
Credit…Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
I audition at least one new recipe every Thanksgiving, but one thing never budges from the menu: a bracingly refreshing apple and celery root salad that cuts through all the richness and makes the next bite of stuffing even better. This year, I’m going for Alexa Weibel’s version, with pomegranate seeds for even more crunch. ADINA STEIMAN
Recipe: Celery Salad With Apples and Blue Cheese
Credit…Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
I can’t wait to make this for myself and my sister in Providence, R.I., this year. It’ll make her little apartment smell entirely of warm, melty Gruyère. Also, I finally get to use my new mandoline. LEE MANANSALA
Recipe: Scalloped Potato Gratin
Credit…Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Sadly, I’m hopeless in the kitchen. But I can easily make this, and I often do. Melissa Clark always delivers, and this fantastic pumpkin bread is my go-to Thanksgiving sweet treat. ROSS LAING
Recipe: Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chip Streusel
Follow NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.