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Here are my 12 most popular Thanksgiving recipes, sorted by course, plus a full Thanksgiving food list so you can build the whole dinner from one page. The four that readers come back to most every November are my Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole, Cake Mix Pumpkin Roll, Crockpot Turkey Breast, and Copycat Honey Baked Ham.
If you are planning the menu, start with how long to cook a turkey, pick two or three of my easy Thanksgiving side dishes, and save a few of my leftover turkey recipes for the weekend after.
A Note From Kasey
I’ve been sharing easy family recipes here since 2009, and Thanksgiving is the biggest cooking day of my year. This list is the 12 dishes you all search for and make the most each November, in the order you’d serve them, so you can jump straight to the course you need.
A lot of these lean on my favorite holiday shortcuts: the slow cooker, a box of cake mix, and make-ahead sides that free up the oven for the turkey.
- ✅ Hosting for the first time? Start with the Crockpot Turkey Breast. It cooks itself and keeps the oven free.
- ✅ Short on oven space? The Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole and the Cranberry Sauce stay off the oven rack, and the cranberry sauce can be made two days ahead.
- ✅ Want a dessert that looks fancy but isn’t? The Cake Mix Pumpkin Roll starts with a box of spice cake mix.
Table of Contents
Turkey and Ham
Turkey is the centerpiece, but plenty of families serve a ham next to it. These two are the mains readers make the most, and both stay out of the oven if you cook the turkey breast in the slow cooker.
1. Crockpot Turkey Breast
Say good-bye to dry turkey and hello to this juicy Crockpot Turkey Breast! The slow cooker does the work, which keeps your oven free for all of the sides, and it turns out tender every time. It is perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving or as a second turkey for a big crowd.
2. Honey Baked Ham
Not everyone wants turkey on Thanksgiving! This homemade honey baked ham is sweet, savory, and so easy to make, and it works as the main dish or as a second main next to the turkey. Looking for gravy? My easy turkey gravy is in the Thanksgiving food list below.
Stuffing, Potatoes and Casseroles
This is where most of the plate goes. Two of these come together in the slow cooker, and the cranberry sauce only takes 15 minutes on the stove.
3. Classic Sausage Stuffing
If you love savory sausage stuffing on Thanksgiving, this is the recipe you need to make. It is easy to prepare as a Thanksgiving side and has the perfect amount of herbs, spices, and tasty bread. Ditch the box mix stuffing and make this incredible recipe instead!
4. Sweet Potato Casserole
Every Thanksgiving table needs a sweet potato casserole. The rich, buttery sweet potato filling with a crunchy pecan praline topping is impossible to resist! It is a classic Thanksgiving side that I make every year.
5. Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are the perfect traditional Thanksgiving dinner side dish to serve with your Thanksgiving turkey. These homemade potatoes are nice and easy to make, and the fluffy, buttery taste is completely delicious. You are going to want seconds!
6. Green Bean Casserole
Don’t forget about the veggies on Thanksgiving! You need to have some type of vegetable on the table to make the meal complete. This slow cooker green bean casserole is sure to please even the pickiest eaters with its rich, creamy sauce and abundance of flavor.
7. 5 Ingredient Corn Casserole
If you have never tried this delicious corn casserole recipe, now is your chance. It is such an easy Thanksgiving side dish that will impress your guests and have them begging for the recipe. Surprisingly, it only takes 5 ingredients to make!
8. Cranberry Sauce
It isn’t Thanksgiving unless there is a bowl of cranberry sauce on the table. Don’t settle for the straight jar of sauce. You need to make this make ahead Thanksgiving recipe instead. Homemade cranberry sauce is a real game-changer and my 15 minute cranberry sauce recipe is the best.
Breads and Rolls
Something warm to soak up the gravy. The cornbread is a one-bowl batter, and the rolls can be baked the day before and warmed up right before dinner.
9. Cornbread
I just love freshly made cornbread on Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite side dishes and I always take at least a few pieces. This flawless recipe will make you fall in love with homemade cornbread too! Top it with some homemade cranberry sauce, and you will be in complete heaven.
10. Parker House Rolls
My homemade dinner rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving. They are delicious when served with butter or dipped in your turkey gravy without drippings. Make them ahead of time and then warm them up in the oven for a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
Pies and Desserts
Pie is a must, but it isn’t the only option. One of these starts with a box of cake mix, and you’ll find all of my Thanksgiving pies and no-pie desserts in the food list below.
11. Cake Mix Pumpkin Roll
If you want a pumpkin dessert that looks impressive but starts with a box of spice cake mix, make this Cake Mix Pumpkin Roll. It is light and moist, rolled up with cream cheese frosting, and easy to slice for a crowd. Want a classic pie too? My pumpkin pie is in the Thanksgiving food list below.
12. Chocolate Cream Pie
Not everyone wants pumpkin, and this easy Chocolate Cream Pie is the slice that disappears first at our table. The filling starts with instant pudding, so it comes together in minutes, sets up in the fridge while the turkey rests, and gets a cloud of whipped cream on top. Make it the day before and Thanksgiving dessert is done. Prefer apple? My homemade apple pie is in the food list below.
Thanksgiving Food List
Planning your menu? Here is my full Thanksgiving food list by course, from the turkey to the leftovers, so you can pick one or two dishes from each group and build your whole dinner.
Turkey and Main Dishes
- Roast turkey
- Crockpot turkey breast
- Air fryer turkey breast
- Turkey brine
- Honey baked ham
- How to cook a spiral ham (time and temp per pound)
Stuffing and Dressing
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
- Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
- Yam casserole
- Sweet potato souffle
- Hashbrown casserole
Vegetable Sides
- Slow cooker green bean casserole
- Cheesy mushroom and onion green bean casserole
- Scalloped corn
- Cauliflower au gratin
- Brussels sprout salad
- More ideas: make-ahead side dishes
Cranberries and Salads
Gravy
Breads and Rolls
Appetizers
Pies and Desserts
- Pumpkin pie
- Apple pie
- Chocolate cream pie
- Old-fashioned coconut pie
- No-bake pumpkin pie
- Pecan pie bars
- Chocolate pecan pie
- Sopapilla cheesecake bars
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes
- Cranberry cream cheese dessert
- More ideas: 25 easy pie recipes for Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving desserts that aren’t pie, and 33 easy pumpkin recipes
Leftovers
Thanksgiving Timing Tips
- Thaw the turkey early: A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 16-pound bird goes in the fridge the Sunday before. My turkey cooking guide has the times and temperatures.
- Make two things ahead: Cranberry sauce and pie both hold in the fridge for a couple of days, which clears the stove and oven on Thursday.
- Use the slow cooker: The turkey breast and the green bean casserole both cook in a Crockpot, so the oven is free for the sides and rolls.
- Plan the leftovers: Pick one leftover recipe from the list above and buy its extra ingredients with the rest of the groceries.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 12 dishes readers make the most from my site every November are turkey (I cook mine in the Crockpot), glazed ham, sausage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, corn casserole, cranberry sauce, cornbread, dinner rolls, a pumpkin dessert, and chocolate cream pie. All 12 are above, sorted by course.
A traditional Thanksgiving menu is a roast turkey with gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie. Pick one or two dishes from each group in the Thanksgiving food list above and you have a full menu.
Turkey is the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving tables. On my site the turkey recipe readers make the most is the Crockpot Turkey Breast, and a lot of families serve a glazed ham right next to it.
On my site it is the Paula Deen Sweet Potato Casserole, with its brown sugar and pecan topping. Mashed potatoes and green bean casserole are right behind it on most tables.
I love cooking turkey breast in the slow cooker. You can toss all of your ingredients into the Crockpot and walk away, giving you plenty of time to get everything else done for Thanksgiving. The slow cooker turkey turns out juicy, tender and ready for the Thanksgiving table.
More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes You Need to Try
Side Dishes
Sausage & Apple Stuffing
Uncategorized
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Side Dishes
Cornbread Dressing
Side Dishes
Honey Glazed Carrots
Which one are you making first this year? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for the recipes. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Vicki Jones, Tennyson Indiana
Thank you so much, Vicki! I hope you and your family in Tennyson had a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you try any of these this year, I’d love to hear which one was the favorite at your table. Happy holidays!