Find the best, easy, make-ahead classic Thanksgiving recipes for a stress-free holiday. We have everything from main dishes to desserts!
Whether it’s your first time hosting Thanksgiving or your 27th, these 40 no-fail, crowd-pleasing recipes will help you have a stress-free holiday, especially with make-ahead tips. We offer mains, appetizers, sides, desserts, and drinks, as well as some of our most popular classics, including homemade cranberry sauce, sausage stuffing, and the best turkey gravy. We also prepared scaled-down sheet pan holiday dinners for smaller gatherings. There’s a little something for everyone this holiday season, and there are recipes to make every year to add to your family traditions.
1
easy thanksgiving turkey
Finally, I’d like to share with you a really easy and delicious recipe! Following the instructions, my 14 pound bird finished in 2 hours and rested for 30 minutes. perfection. PS, the gravy link was a lifesaver!
-Lorraine
2
How to make the best turkey gravy
This is my first time making any kind of gravy. I made this for Thanksgiving with 13 people. Not only was it super easy, but it tasted great too. Everyone loved it. There was just enough juice to make a double batch. I’ll definitely keep this in my wheelhouse.
-Cindy
3
classic thanksgiving stuffing
This is truly the perfect Thanksgiving stuffing. It has all the flavors people would expect, is super easy to make, and I love using only fresh herbs. This will be my favorite.
-Cathy
4
buttermilk cornbread
Best cornbread ever!!! Ooh! Crispy skin and moist and soft inside. I liked it! When I took it out of the oven, it looked exactly like the photo.
-penny
5
apple cranberry pecan salad
A lovely, refreshing salad! Making candied pecans is worth the little extra effort.
-Elizabeth
6
cranberry orange sauce
I’ve been making this recipe for years and always double it. Make amazing cranberry bread with leftovers and freeze them!
-Kathleen
7
cornbread stuffing
We love stuffed cornbread, so this was the perfect gift for a friend.
-Eden
8
Easy dinner rolls in a frying pan
Oh, these are the most amazing, delicious rolls I’ve ever eaten. My husband couldn’t stop talking about these things. I will make it again for Christmas dinner.
-Erin
9
easy cream corn
This is so easy and delicious! I could drink the sauce alone. I bring this to Thanksgiving and big gatherings. I love you all!
-Meg
10
apple walnut sausage stuffing
I never make good stuffing. Last year, I decided to try making one from scratch. I’m very happy. I’ve never had a bad recipe from yours, so I thought this one must be good. I plan to go every year for Thanksgiving.
-Laura
11
roasted turkey breast
I made this as my first attempt at hosting Thanksgiving for my family and I’m so proud of how it turned out. It was probably the best Thanksgiving turkey I’ve ever had (even my husband said it was the best he’s ever had!). Please make this. immediately. Very good.
-Blonde Curly
12
Brussels sprouts gratin
Chunga is the only vegetable that I can eat and eat that makes me love it! These Brussels sprouts are so delicious that you can eat them forever. I plan on adding this dish to my holiday table. It’s very delicious. The combination of bacon, thyme, and nutmeg is exquisite!
-Robin
13
How to make perfect mashed potatoes
delicious! I’ve been making mashed potatoes for years, but I wanted something smoother, more tart, richer, and better. This one! I’ve made your recipe three times and it’s been perfect every time and all my guests have raved about it.
-Irene
14
sheet pan chicken and stuffing
This dish was really delicious. I’ve never made stuffed bread before because I’m scared of it getting soggy, but this recipe was so delicious that I’m so glad I tried it!
-Ankop
15
glazed carrots
These are great. Perfect for dinner parties and holiday meals. I cut up a large carrot and used dried rosemary and thyme, and although I didn’t use fresh herbs, it still turned out great.
-Emily
16
easy brown sugar ham
oh my god! This was definitely the best ham I’ve ever made! The only difference was that I used orange instead of pineapple (that was all I had). From now on, I’ll have no choice but to make ham with this.
-Nicole
17
sheet pan scalloped potatoes
I made this for my Easter meal and it was delicious. It was very easy and easy to clean. Nothing stuck to the pot. Everyone wanted the recipe.
-Jenny
18
Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
I made this on Thanksgiving morning. I used challah bread and it was very delicious. It’s soft, light and very delicious. I was worried that it wouldn’t be too moist, but it was just right. It’s super easy if you prepare it the night before!
-Emily
19
best classic deviled eggs
I love this recipe. This is my favorite with just a few changes to make it milder for younger people, like using white vinegar instead of ACV and yellow mustard instead of Dijon. I found that 1/8 teaspoon of salt for 6 eggs is optimal.
-Marie Claude
20
instant pot cranberry sauce
I always try recipes in advance and you never let me down so I made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow. It’s perfect! Thank you (again!) for such an easy yet impressive side dish.
-Mary
twenty one
baked macaroni and cheese
I made this for dinner and it was so delicious! ! It was very creamy and flavorful and the whole family loved it. I can’t wait to make it again!
-Eden
twenty two
Maple pecan nut baked brie
This was so amazing and decadent! It was the perfect Christmas appetizer. Everyone ate it up! I would definitely do it again.
-Julie
twenty three
winter pear salad
I made a winter pear salad and it was amazing! My husband said this was the best salad he’s ever had.
-Patty
twenty four
frying pan buttermilk biscuits
Yum A Licious! This was my first attempt at making buttermilk biscuits. I knew I couldn’t go wrong with one of Chungah’s recipes. Actually, I’m not a big fan of biscuits (until now). But my family loves it and my sons bought me a cast iron skillet for Christmas, so I decided to give it a try. These were, without a doubt, the best biscuits I have ever tasted.
-Karen
twenty five
butternut squash mac and cheese
The best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever tasted! Absolutely delicious.
-Cathy
26
pumpkin donut hole
oh. I don’t even like donuts (yes, I know I’m boring) and this was ridiculous! Everyone who has them has commented on how great they are. Save yourself and just make a double batch!!
-amber
27
sweet corn spoon bread
It’s literally the best cornbread on the planet. I’ve been using this recipe for several years now, and I’ve gotten requests to make it for family gatherings as well. Thank you for the amazingly delicious recipe!!
-Marine
28
garlic herb carrot
I made carrots for Easter and they were delicious! The whole family raved about it. I usually roast carrots, but I don’t roast them anymore. Thanks again for the great recipe!
-Jackie
29
creamy potato gratin
This was a huge hit at Thanksgiving dinner and easy to make. I made it in the afternoon and put it in the oven when I was ready to eat it in the evening. The leftovers were delicious just by heating them up in the microwave.
-Divya
30
easy cream spinach
Restaurant quality and super easy to make. delicious!
-Kim
31
slow cooker holiday ham
This is a very easy and delicious recipe. The ham was very moist and the orange zest and marmalade gave it a sweet spiciness. Just the two of us. Christmas dinner. Ham and eggs for breakfast. Ham and cheese for lunch. The bones serve as the base for bean soup. Thank you for the easy and fun recipe!
-Ossie
32
candied yam
I brought these to my office Thanksgiving. The sweet potatoes were delicious and everyone raved about them. I’m sharing the recipe now.
-Linda
33
jalapeno cornbread muffins
My husband and I loved this. He told me it was the best thing I’ve ever baked and that I should always follow the recipe. They are so addictive!
-Jade
34
Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Turkey and Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
This was everything you could want for a Thanksgiving meal without all the scary work. It was delicious and everyone liked it. I was happy because there was limited runway for the necessary preparations. Apparently it was easy to clean up as well. Great idea! thank you!
-Lori
35
Roasted sweet potato
This is the first recipe I tried from your website – I loved it!! I will definitely make it again and again. And I use the chicken or shrimp spice combo with the potatoes…but I made the meal with just the potatoes. Hmm!
-Cathy
36
slow cooker cream corn
I started making it three years ago, and every time I make it, it’s a big hit. Everyone asked me for the recipe. I’m a hairstylist and I always talk about this recipe so I print it out and keep it at my station. Literally, we all take pictures together. I often receive phone calls thanking me for sharing recipes. It’s mandatory.
-Marco
37
cranberry apple sangria
Delicious and very festive presentation! I will make it again. I mixed some of the sugar with maple syrup.
-Hannah
38
cinnamon pecan roasted butternut squash
I’ve been making this recipe for the past few years. It was so delicious that it has become my go-to butternut squash recipe!
-mat
39
sheet pan holiday dinner
Since then, I’ve made this recipe almost every month during the cooler months. I love that it can be made within 30 minutes for 2 or 6 people.
-Rebecca
40
crumbly pumpkin bread
This bread is really amazing! ! ! A keeper for sure. My family loves spice, so I followed the instructions and added a little more cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. I will make it often!
-Janet
