A Beginner's Guide to Making a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

My husband and I both love to cook, so every holiday meal is a discussion of who's cooking this time, with two exceptions: My husband always gets Easter (he's the master of every kind of lamb dish), and I get Thanksgiving. There's something about those predictable, traditional, comfort foods and the process of organizing the cooking for a beautifully coordinated Thanksgiving meal that really appeals to me. 

After many years of coordinating Thanksgiving dinners, I've developed a pretty foolproof system and a bunch of never-fail recipes. So if you are slightly intimidated by making your first (or your twenty-seventh) Thanksgiving meal, here is a walk-through of my preparations that you may find helpful!

1. The first thing to do is to put together your menu. Do you want sweet potatoes or squash? Green bean casserole or mashed turnips? Parker House rolls or croissants? Pumpkin pie, apple pie, or both? (Hint: The answer is always both.) Once you've decided what dishes you want to make, gather all your recipes. If you're willing to be flexible, you may want to start thumbing through recipes before you choose your menu. Here's what on my menu this year:

• Spatchcocked, dry brined turkey
• Mashed potatoes
• Gravy
• Crispy rosemary sweet potatoes
• Green peas
• Bread dressing
• Creamed onions
• Jellied cranberry sauce
• Crescent rolls
• Pumpkin pie
• Apple crisp

2. The next step for me is to write down a schedule for everything I need to prep and cook. Since I make a similar menu every year, it's usually just an issue of taking last year's schedule and tweaking it, based mainly on turkey size, what appetizers I'm making, what dishes guests are bringing, what time we'd like to sit down for dinner, and whether I'm making the potatoes in the crock pot, the Instant Pot, or on the stove top. Writing out a schedule will allow you to know ahead of time if you've got two dishes that need to be in the oven at the same time but at different temperatures, and give you a chance to figure out ahead of time how to make it work. Here's what my schedule looks like this year (I've eliminated the appetizers for the sake of simplicity):

The night before: Cut up stuffing bread, onions, celery; make pumpkin pie; make creamed onions; bake rolls; spatchcock and dry brine turkey

On Thanksgiving Day:

9:00am: Peel and slice potatoes & place in salted water in Instant Pot; prep sweet potatoes; make stuffing

11am: Preheat oven to 400

11:15am: Sweet potatoes in oven, covered

12:15pm: Sweet potatoes out; turn oven up to 450, sprinkle turkey with pepper and rub with oil & paprika

12:40pm: Turkey in oven

1:00pm: Make stuffing, slice cranberry sauce; start potatoes in Instant Pot

1:40pm: Make gravy; drain & mash potatoes, leave on keep warm

2:00pm: GUESTS ARRIVE; serve appetizers

2:10pm: Turkey out and rest under foil, heat peas, heat onions

2:20pm: Sweet potatoes, rolls & dressing in oven

2:30pm: Rolls & dressing out, check sweet potatoes; carve turkey

2:35pm: Check sweet potatoes if not done 

2:40pm: Sit down to dinner

3. Using your recipes as a guide, make a shopping list. Never assume you have an ingredient on hand without checking! More than once I've said to myself, "I have molasses in the cupboard" and then realized when I went to make the pie that I only had a tablespoon left. Make your life easier by grouping all the produce, refrigerated items, canned goods, etc. on your list. Don't forget to include beverages and beverage-related items, like cream for coffee or a type of soda preferred by your guests. This was my shopping list this year:

Turkey, 12-14 lbs

Yukon Gold potatoes, 5-lb bag

Sweet potatoes, 3 medium

Shallots, 2

White onion

Celery

Fresh rosemary

Jellied cranberry sauce, 2 cans

Canned pumpkin, 1 can

Evaporated milk (12-oz can)

Pearl onions, 2 jars

Turkey gravy mix, 2 packets

Frozen peas

Frozen pie crust

Vanilla ice cream

Crescent rolls grands, 2 cans

Cider

Stuffing bread, 2 loaves

4. Do any cooking and preparation ahead of time that you can. Chop vegetables for stuffing the night before; make pumpkin pie, creamed onions, or rolls a few days ahead; lay out your serving dishes and utensils with labels (I put post-its on everything; my husband laughs but it works!); set the table including the centerpiece. Run your dishwasher or hand-wash anything that's dirty the night before.

Now it's time to cook! There are lots of fancier and more complicated recipes for all these dishes, but if you're already nervous about cooking or coordination, it's best to start out simple. I've also suggested a few simpler options if you want to focus on your turkey this year, as well as some fancier choices if you're feeling more confident.

Spatchcocked Turkey

I used to get up at the crack of dawn to start my turkey. But then I discovered the joy of spatchcocking, which is simply cutting out the bird's backbone and spread-eagling it, much like butterflying a fat pork chop. (It sounds complicated, but it's really not.) This allows the heat from the oven to reach all around the bird and HUGELY reduces your cook time. It's hard to do if you have a bird that's much bigger than about 12 pounds, but I do it regularly with a 12-14 pound bird and it's always come out perfectly cooked, juicy, and delicious. Here's my method:

1.     Spatchcock your turkey. You can ask your butcher to do it, but it's not overly difficult to do it yourself, especially with a smaller bird. Here's a good video to walk you through the process. 

    Pro tips:

• A heavy pair of shears is more important than a sharp pair. Contrary to this video, I find that plain, straight-bladed kitchen shears work just fine. I just use an old pair so my good shears stay sharp.
• Standing on a stepstool so you can put your weight into it is a big help.
• It takes a surprising amount of force to break the breast bone, so really listen for that crack. If you're a small person, feel free to recruit a larger person to give you a hand with this step.

2. The night before you cook the turkey, pat it dry with paper towels and salt it generously with kosher salt. Place it on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and place in the refrigerator uncovered overnight. (You can leave it for as long as three days if you prefer.)

3. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and sprinkle it all over with freshly ground black pepper. In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon paprika (smoked paprika is especially delicious), and rub the turkey evenly with the mixture, all over. Place skin side up in the pan and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers at 165 degrees and the breast registers at 150 degrees. (A 14 lb. turkey takes only about 1.5 hrs; expect less time for a smaller bird.)

4. Remove from oven and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for about 20-30 minutes before carving. If you carve too soon, the juices won't have redistributed and they'll run all over the cutting board leaving you with a dry bird.

Pro tips:

• If you buy a frozen turkey, be sure to move it into the refrigerator 4-5 days before you cook it. Don't worry if there are still a few ice crystals in the center; once you spatchcock it and leave it in the fridge overnight it will thaw faster and be ready for cooking in the morning. 
• Tuck the tips of the bird's wings under the thighs, and check periodically while cooking to make sure they don't burn. You can cover them with little caps made out of foil if they start to get too dark. 
• Don't rely on those pop-up indicators that come with the turkey; it's worth investing in a quick-read thermometer and checking the actual temperature. 

Mashed Potatoes

There are as many ways to make mashed potatoes as there are people who eat mashed potatoes, but for Thanksgiving, I prefer simple, unadulterated potatoes, adding only milk (or half and half), butter, and salt and pepper, but you can add sour cream, garlic, cream cheese, parmesan, bacon, or anything else you like to fancy them up. Here's the basic recipe for 6 guests, easily doubled or tripled for additional guests (or generous leftovers):

6 or 7 Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk or half and half (use more or less to get desired consistency)

2-3 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Peel the potatoes and cut into ~1" chunks. Place in a large pot and cover with water, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2.     Bring the water to a boil and simmer potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender. The smaller the chunks, the faster they will cook. 
3.     Drain the water, add milk and butter, and mash until creamy. Add more milk if needed for desired consistency. (Potatoes will thicken as they stand.) Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Pro tips:

• The size of the chunks of potato is less important than all the chunks being the same size.
• The potato chunks can soak in the salted water for several hours or even overnight if you prefer to prepare them ahead of time.
• To keep warm until ready to serve, initially add a scant amount of milk, tightly cover the pot you cook and mash them in, then heat some additional milk and add it to the potatoes right before serving. You can also keep them warm in a crock pot or Instant Pot. (You can also cook the potatoes in either one.)  
• For a vegetarian/vegan/non-dairy version, substitute margarine for butter and vegetable stock for milk. Adding a bit of poultry seasoning helps the flavor as well. 
• If you accidentally add too much liquid, add a spoonful of instant potato flakes and mix well. If potatoes seem too dry when you're ready to serve, heat a small amount of milk and stir in.

Turkey Gravy

You can get all fancy and make your gravy from scratch using giblets and homemade stock and the whole nine yards, but honestly, I don't find it all that much better than making it from a mix and adding in a little of the drippings. So I make it easy for myself and use the little packets. Use a baster to suck up the juices from the pan under the turkey and substitute it for some of the water. And always make extra. You can never have too much gravy on Thanksgiving.

Crispy Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

If you want to simplify your menu, this is a great dish to replace with frozen squash, heated and blended with butter, salt, pepper, and a little dollop of molasses or a spoonful of brown sugar. But if you're willing to do one fancy-looking, slightly more labor-intensive (but still relatively easy) side dish, this is a good one to try. Even my non-vegetable-eating kids like this one. 

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary, or 1/2 tsp. fresh

3 lbs. (3-4 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

1 shallot, peeled and sliced thinly

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine melted butter, oil, and crushed rosemary in a small bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of butter-oil mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish or deep pie pan. Arrange potato slices vertically in the dish. Add a sliver of shallot between every few slices of potato. Brush or drizzle top with remaining butter-oil mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Cover dish with foil and roast for 1 hour, covered, until potatoes are tender. (If your potato slices are thick, you may need to increase cooking time). Increase oven heat to 450 degrees. Remove foil and roast another 10-15 minutes, until tops of potatoes are browned and crisp.

Pro tips:

• When selecting your sweet potatoes, look for potatoes that are long and cylindrical and about the same diameter. When you arrange the slices, use the slices that are most similar in size for the outside circle in the dish, then make a "coil" in the center going from largest to smallest of the remaining slices. 
• You can use a kitchen mandolin to slice the sweet potatoes extra thinly, just be careful not to let them burn during the final browning step. If slicing by hand, be sure to cut slices of a uniform thickness. The thinner the slices, the crispier the result. 
• If using fresh rosemary, save a few sprigs as a garnish when serving.
• You can cook the dish for the first hour the night before and refrigerate overnight, then allow to come to room temperature before cooking for the final 10-15 minutes at 450. You can also cook for the first hour before the turkey goes in and allow to set at room temperature for the 1-1/2 hours while the turkey cooks, then finish cooking at 450.

Green Peas

Another super-easy dish that can easily be substituted for a fancier green vegetable (green bean casserole?). But I like the simplicity of plain, sweet, green peas. Dump a bag of frozen peas into a microwave-safe dish, add a few tablespoons of water and a generous dash of salt, then microwave for 2-3 minutes and stir. Right before it's time to serve, microwave for 30-60 seconds until hot, transfer to serving dish, and top with a dollop of butter.

Bread Dressing

With a spatchcocked turkey, there's no cavity to stuff, so make dressing instead of stuffing. What's the difference? You bake it in a casserole dish instead of in the bird. That's the only difference! You can even add in some drippings to get that "cooked-in-the-bird flavor" without worrying that it'll increase the cooking time of your turkey. Plus, if you bake it outside the bird, it gets nice and crispy on the top. 

Like mashed potatoes, there are literally thousands of different recipes for dressing and stuffing, but start with a basic bread dressing, then make it your own by adding fresh herbs, crumbled sausage, cornbread, oysters, chestnuts, whatever you like. This is my family's recipe, which I love because you cook it on the stove top and if you don't have room in the oven, you can serve it as is without baking it further. We like lots of stuffing, so this is a double recipe, but it can be halved if you have a smaller crowd or non-stuffing fans. 

1 c butter

½ c. chopped onion (can use frozen, no need to thaw first)

1-1/2 c. celery, chopped

8 c bread cubes (~1 loaf of stuffing bread)

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning (can substitute thyme, marjoram, sage, savory, or any combination)

2/3 c milk

Melt butter in a large, deep skillet. Saute onion (~5 min). Add celery, bread, salt and pepper, and poultry seasoning. Mix and brown thoroughly. Add milk and mix until well-blended and warmed through.

May be served as is, stuffed and baked in the bird, or baked in a casserole dish for extra crispiness (I throw it in a 450 oven for 10-15 minutes). 

Pro tips:

• If you prefer a firmer stuffing, let the bread air dry for a few hours after you cube it.
• If you have fresh herbs on hand, toss some in with the dressing and garnish the serving dish with a few sprigs.
• For a vegetarian/vegan version, substitute margarine for butter and vegetable broth for milk.
• This dressing keeps well in the fridge and reheats very nicely, so it's a good dish to make the night (or even a few days) before to lighten your workload on Thanksgiving Day.

Creamed Onions

I love the simplest type of creamed onions, in a white sauce seasoned only with salt and pepper, but peas, bacon, paprika, herbs, and mustard are all popular additions. Start with the base below and then experiment to see what you like best. You can also cut this recipe in half if there aren't a lot of onion eaters on your guest list. 

2 jars pearl onions

3 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour

1 cup water

1-1/2 cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When completely melted, gradually whisk in the flour to make a thick paste (roux). Cook and stir until golden. Mix together water and milk. Add milk mixture slowly to the saucepan, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain onions, add to sauce, and heat until warmed through.  

Pro tips:

• Make sure to cook the roux until it begins to turn golden. This gives a richer flavor, instead of tasting like uncooked flour. 
• You can use the liquid from the onions instead of water to mix with the milk. You can also substitute half and half or heavy cream if you like a richer sauce.
• The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will get. If you decide it's too thick, simply add a bit more water and/or milk.
• This dish is a good one to make ahead of time and simply reheat before serving. It reheats well in the microwave if you're short on burners, just stir it a few times while heating. 

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

From a can. With the lines still on it. If you want to make some fancy cranberry relish from scratch, or if a guest wants to bring their fancy family recipe, go for it. But there had better also be a dish of canned jellied cranberry sauce on the table or I'm not coming. 

Crescent Rolls

I'm a pretty good baker, and many years I've made Parker House rolls, sourdough knots, or other fancy dinner rolls. But as much as they enjoy them, my family still requests Pillsbury crescent rolls from the blue can. So I save myself some work and bake these up the night before and just rewarm them right before we sit down at the table. Everyone wins.

Pumpkin Pie

I've tried a number of different pumpkin pie recipes, but I keep coming back to Old Faithful, the recipe on the back of the One-Pie pumpkin can. Fuss with the spices if you must, but this is a classic for a reason.

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon

scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 15-oz  can pumpkin or squash 

1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 12-oz can evaporated milk (or 1-1/2 cups milk)

2 tablespoons molasses

Prepared pie crust (homemade or frozen)

If using frozen pie crust, allow to thaw for 15 minutes while preheating oven to 450. Pierce bottom of crust (either thawed or fresh) with fork in several places and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Sift together sugar, cornstarch, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in pumpkin. On low speed with a hand mixer, beat in melted butter, eggs, milk, and molasses. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 50 additional minutes. Pie should "wobble" slightly in the center when done.

Serve pie warm or chilled, topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

Pro tips:

• To avoid the bottom of the crust bubbling up while pre-baking, be sure to pierce all the way down to the pan. You can also cover the pastry with foil and fill the pan with oven-safe marbles or pie weights. Check the crust partway through baking and poke down any areas that have bubbled up.
• This recipe makes too much filling for all but a VERY deep "deep crust" pan. I pour the excess into ramekins, set them in a square baking dish and fill the dish with hot water to a little below the level of the filling. Bake alongside the pie (baking time should be similar to the pie but check them in case it varies for you). Remove from the hot water bath immediately (a metal spatula works well) and allow to cool on a wire rack. My crust-hating daughter much prefers "pumpkin custard" to actual pumpkin pie.
• If using a lightweight or disposable pie plate, put the pie on a cookie sheet while baking to help support it.
• For a nice variation, use a graham cracker or gingersnap crust. 

Apple Crisp

I've made many different varieties of apple pie, apple crumble, and apple crisp, but which one does my husband love the best and request every Thanksgiving? The one from the red box. I use nice, firm, not too sweet apples and then just follow the directions on the box. I could spend hours baking a gorgeous apple pie, but if this is what my husband loves, this is what he gets. 

So I hope this helps some of my readers get brave and try their hand at making a turkey dinner this year! Don't be afraid to simplify, use convenience foods, or cut out dishes altogether. Do what works for you and your family. And if you gain some confidence and want to try something more complicated next time, go for it! As long as there's gravy, everyone will be happy.

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!!