A Complete Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Cooking Timeline

Classic dry brine turkey – This is the meal’s centerpiece. Season the turkey with a flavorful dry brine and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours. During roasting, a butter-and-white-wine mixture keeps the meat flavorful while helping the skin turn beautifully golden.

For 10 people, choose a turkey weighing approximately 14 pounds.

Homemade gravy – Prepare this quick gravy while the turkey rests. Turkey pan drippings, stock, and cornstarch make a super smooth, flavorful gravy.

Easy slow cooker stuffing – Using the slow cooker is intentional. The stuffing still has the traditional bread, butter, onion, celery, and herb flavors everyone expects, but it doesn’t compete with the turkey or casseroles for precious oven space.

Grandma’s mashed potatoes – Prepare these shortly before dinner. Once mashed, keep them warm in a covered bowl set over gently simmering water.

Easy sweet potato casserole – The sweet potatoes, maple cream sauce, and pecan streusel provide the sweeter side everyone expects at Thanksgiving. You can assemble the casserole the day before and bake it after the turkey comes out of the oven.

Homemade green bean casserole – Fresh green beans and mushrooms make this a familiar casserole with far better flavor and texture. Assemble everything except the crispy shallot topping the day before, then bake it while the turkey rests.

Simple arugula and radicchio salad – This bright, peppery salad balances the richer dishes on the table. Toss 5 ounces of arugula and 1 cored, thinly sliced head of radicchio with enough lemon Parmesan vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. Finish with Parmesan shards just before serving.

Cranberry sauce – You can prepare this simple cranberry sauce up to a week ahead, making it one of the first items to check off the list.

Honey oat dinner rolls – These soft, slightly sweet rolls work well with every part of the meal. Bake them the day before, wrap them once fully cooled, and warm them briefly before serving.

Classic pumpkin pie – Pumpkin pie is the traditional ending this menu needs. Bake it the day before so it has plenty of time to cool and set.

For a second dessert, add either a classic apple pie or pecan pie. Either can be baked on Wednesday. Once cooled, the apple pie can remain at room temperature, while the pecan pie should be refrigerated until shortly before serving.

Finalize the guest count and menu.

Purchase or order the turkey.

Shop for pantry ingredients and produce that will last for a few days.

Purchase 2 quarts of turkey or chicken stock. The stuffing uses 4 cups, while the gravy needs at least 2 cups; additional stock helps supplement the pan drippings or adjust the consistency.

Check that you have a roasting pan, rack, instant-read thermometer, cheesecloth, butcher’s twine, 6-quart slow cooker, casserole dishes, and enough serving utensils.

Clear space in the refrigerator for the turkey and assembled casseroles.

Decide which serving dish will hold each recipe. Label the dishes with removable notes to make Thanksgiving Day much easier.

Place the frozen turkey on a rimmed baking sheet and begin thawing it in the refrigerator. Allow approximately 1 day of refrigerator thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey.

A 14-pound turkey will need about 4 days to thaw completely.

Make the cranberry sauce – Prepare the cranberry sauce, allow it to cool, and store it in the refrigerator. Serve chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed.

Make the vinaigrette – Prepare the lemon Parmesan vinaigrette and refrigerate it in an airtight jar. Shake or whisk it again before serving.

Dry the bread for the stuffing – Tear the bread into pieces and dry it as directed in the stuffing recipe. Once completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Prepare enough pie dough for two 9-inch pies. Divide it into two disks, wrap each one well, and refrigerate.

Finish shopping for fresh herbs, dairy products, green beans, mushrooms, arugula, Parmesan cheese, radicchio, and other items that are more perishable.

Set the table if you won’t need the room before Thanksgiving.

Wash and organize serving dishes and utensils.

Dry brine the turkey – Once the turkey is fully thawed, remove the neck and giblets and reserve them for another use, if desired. Apply the dry brine to the turkey and return it to the refrigerator uncovered.

Aim to do this approximately 24 hours before the turkey will go into the oven.

Bake the apple or pecan pie – Prepare and bake either the classic apple pie or pecan pie. The apple pie needs 4-6 hours to cool completely. Let the pecan pie cool, then refrigerate within 2 hours.

Assemble the sweet potato casserole – Prepare the sweet potato filling and transfer it to the casserole dish. Prepare the pecan streusel separately. Cover and refrigerate the filling, and store the streusel in an airtight container at room temperature.

Because it will be cold when it goes into the oven, plan to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time on Thanksgiving Day.

Assemble the green bean casserole – Blanch the green beans, prepare the mushroom sauce, and assemble the casserole. Cover and refrigerate it without baking or adding the crispy shallots.

Prepare the stuffing vegetables – Cook the onion and celery in butter as directed in the stuffing recipe. Cool and refrigerate them separately from the dried bread and stock.

Begin the dinner rolls – Prepare the dinner-roll dough and allow it to complete its first and second rises.

Bake the pumpkin pie – While the rolls rise, prepare and bake the pumpkin pie. Let it cool, then refrigerate it within 2 hours.

Bake the dinner rolls – Once the pumpkin pie is out of the oven and the rolls have doubled, bake them in the same 350°F oven. Cool them completely, cover tightly, and keep them at room temperature overnight.

Finish setting up

• Set the table.
• Place trivets where you’ll serve the hot casseroles.
• Put the correct serving utensil with each dish.
• Set out the roasting pan, thermometer, slow cooker, stockpot, fat separator, whisk, and gravy boat.
• Set out a large salad bowl and salad tongs.
• Empty the dishwasher and start Thanksgiving Day with a clean sink.

Assemble the stuffing – Combine the dried bread, cooked vegetables, herbs, chestnuts, egg, and stock. Transfer the stuffing to the slow cooker.

Easy slow cooker stuffing →

Start the slow cooker – Cook the stuffing on low for 5-6 hours. Once it’s cooked, switch the slow cooker to warm until dinner.

Begin preparing the turkey – Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare the butter and white wine basting liquid, arrange the vegetables in the roasting pan, fill the turkey cavity, truss the legs, and apply the soaked cheesecloth.

Classic dry brine turkey →

Put the turkey in the oven – Place the 14-pound turkey in the 425°F oven.

Lower the oven temperature – Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and baste the turkey. Continue following the recipe’s basting schedule, setting a timer every 30 minutes.

Prepare the crispy shallots – Fry the shallots for the green bean casserole. Drain them on paper towels, season them with salt, and set them aside at room temperature. Do not place them on the casserole until just before serving.

Homemade green bean casserole →

Begin the final turkey checks – Remove the cheesecloth during approximately the final 45 minutes of roasting. Continue basting and begin monitoring the internal temperature.

Prepare for the final cooking period

• Remove the sweet potato and green bean casseroles from the refrigerator.
• Set out the cranberry sauce.
• Put butter on the table for the rolls.
• Set out the serving platters and carving tools.
• Check the slow cooker stuffing and stir it gently if needed.

Start the mashed potatoes – Peel, cut, and cook the potatoes according to the recipe. Warm the milk while the potatoes cook.

Grandma’s mashed potatoes →

Remove the turkey – Remove the turkey when the breast reaches 160°F and the thighs reach 170°F.

Transfer it to a carving board and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest while the casseroles bake so carryover cooking can bring the meat to its final temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

After transferring the turkey to the carving board, strain the drippings into a fat separator or large measuring glass. Let the drippings rest for about 15 minutes, until the fat separates.

Classic dry brine turkey →

Bake the sweet potato casserole – Sprinkle the reserved pecan streusel over the cold casserole, then place it in the 350°F oven. It should need approximately 65-75 minutes because it was refrigerated overnight.

Easy sweet potato casserole →

Make the gravy – Use the separated turkey drippings, turkey stock, and cornstarch to prepare the gravy according to the recipe. Keep it warm over low heat, adding more stock if it becomes too thick.

Homemade gravy →

Bake the green bean casserole – Place the green bean casserole in the oven alongside the sweet potato casserole. Because it’s cold, it may need 25-35 minutes to become hot and bubbly.

Homemade green bean casserole →

Finish the mashed potatoes – Drain and mash the potatoes with the warm milk and butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Transfer the potatoes to a covered bowl set over gently simmering water. Keep them warm until dinner, stirring occasionally.

Grandma’s mashed potatoes →

Begin checking the green bean casserole – It’s ready when the sauce is bubbling throughout. Remove it from the oven and cover it loosely.

Warm the rolls – Wrap the rolls loosely in foil and warm them in the 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes.

Carve the turkey – At the same time, carve the rested turkey and arrange it on a warm serving platter.

Remove the vinaigrette from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature so the olive oil can loosen.

Begin checking the sweet potato casserole – It’s ready when the center is bubbling and the streusel is browned. Remove it from the oven and cover it loosely.

Finish the side dishes

• Sprinkle the crispy shallots over the green bean casserole.
• Stir the slow cooker stuffing and transfer it to a serving dish, if desired.
• Remove the rolls from the oven and place them in a lined basket.
• Stir the gravy and transfer it to a warmed gravy boat.
• Uncover the mashed potatoes and add butter or black pepper.
• Place the cranberry sauce on the table.
• Toss the arugula and radicchio with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. Finish with Parmesan shards and transfer the salad to its serving bowl.

Final check – Make sure every dish has a serving utensil. Fill water glasses, light candles, and call everyone to the table.

Serve Thanksgiving dinner – Everything is ready, the turkey has rested, and you can sit down with everyone else.

Remove the pumpkin pie and, if chosen, pecan pie from the refrigerator.