A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, Start to Finish

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a menu more than a single recipe — the turkey, the sides, the pies, all in a particular order. This Thanksgiving dinner menu walks through the classics course by course, so the spread is recognizable and complete without being more work than it needs to be.

The Main & the Sides

The center of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a roast turkey (brined, then roasted until the thigh reads 165°F). Around it: sage stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, turkey gravy from the pan drippings, fresh cranberry sauce, and the two casseroles — sweet potato and green bean. Round the table with bread or rolls and a bright vegetable to cut the richness.

To Start and to End

Open with light Thanksgiving appetizers — a charcuterie board or a simple dip — so no one fills up before the bird. Close with the pies: pumpkin, pecan, and apple are the traditional trio, served with whipped cream. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner menu earns its name by the range, not the difficulty — most of it is make-ahead.

The Order of the Day

Build the day around the turkey's oven time. Cranberry sauce and pies come first (days ahead), casseroles are assembled the day before, and the sides finish during the turkey's rest. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner comes together because the menu was designed to be made ahead — the tradition is in the timing as much as the food.