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Our Official List of the Best Food Network Kitchen Thanksgiving Recipes

Updated on October 07, 2025

Plan the perfect feast with these tried-and-true recipes from our test kitchen. Every single one has been tested, retested and tweaked until it's absolutely perfect — and guaranteed to stand the test of time.

Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher
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Our Test Kitchen's Best Thanksgiving Recipes

Planning (and cooking) a Thanksgiving feast is no small task. You've got to cook a juicy turkey and carve it in front of your guests, whip up a whole cornucopia of side dishes and plan a spread of classic desserts — and that's just for starters. That's why we're so thankful for the chefs and recipe developers in our test kitchen. They're the best around and we'd gladly gobble up anything they make — especially during the holidays when we need a handful of tried-and-true recipes (including desserts!) more than ever. That's why we've rounded up their best Thanksgiving dishes — so you've got all your go-to recipes right in one place, exactly when you need a helping hand.

And, what better place to start than with a moist, flavorful bird with plenty of well-seasoned drippings. (That way you can use them to make the best gravy!) This recipe will walk you through the entire process, but the key is to use traditional Thanksgiving herbs (think parsley, sage, rosemary, bay and thyme) and classic aromatics like onion and garlic. For richness, we basted with butter which also makes the most golden-brown and crispy skin. Leaving the bird untrussed allows the air to circulate for more even cooking.

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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
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The Best Parker House Rolls

These Parker House rolls are super indulgent thanks to plenty of butter mixed in and brushed on top. Milk and eggs enrich the dough, lending a perfectly tender texture. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds a welcome bit of contrast and crunch. These rolls are best served fresh and warm.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Green Bean Casserole

We bring extra savoriness to a traditional green bean casserole with the addition of dried shiitake mushrooms. Once rehydrated, they turn soft and earthy, and their soaking liquid adds oomph to the sauce as well. Our fried onion topping is made from scratch—first, a dip in buttermilk, then fried to crunchy perfection.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Pumpkin Pie

Instead of store-bought pumpkin pie spice, we like using ground cinnamon and nutmeg so we can control of the ratio between the two, opting for a healthy amount of nutmeg as it brings out the flavors in the pumpkin.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Mashed Potatoes

This is our go-to recipe for classic mashed potatoes, made with plenty of butter and cream. To make them fluffy and flavorful, be sure to simmer them slowly and add plenty of salt to the cooking water. And don't skip the step of steaming the excess water off; leaving too much moisture in the potatoes causes them to be loose and gluey.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Gravy

Our gravy delivers rich flavors from a homemade stock made with the turkey giblets, onion and fresh herbs. Roast turkey drippings and a dash of Worcestershire sauce round out this creamy, lump-free holiday must-have.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Corn Casserole

We added Cheddar and chives to this classic and quick side that goes from mixing bowl to oven in less than 10 minutes. It bakes up golden brown and puffy—perfect for your holiday gathering.

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Photo: LUCY SCHAEFFER
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The Best Pumpkin Bread

This pumpkin bread is perfectly moist, not-too-sweet and couldn't be easier. It's perfect for toasting and slathering with butter or cream cheese, and maybe a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Cranberry Sauce

Our classic cranberry sauce has the ideal texture of tart whole berries suspended in a sweet jammy sauce; we added citrus peel for a little extra brightness. Don't be tempted to skip the salt and and pepper at the end. It may seem a bit odd, but salt brings out the fruitiness of the berries while pepper gives the sauce a warm and spicy finish.

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The Best Stuffing

There's something for everyone in our festive stuffing. It's filled with satisfying ingredients like sausage and mushrooms, plus classic Thanksgiving flavors like onion, celery and lots of chopped herbs. We like it best when baked in a casserole dish and served alongside the turkey. This is also the safest way to prepare it.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Cheesecake

We’ve created the cheesecake of your dreams—rich, dense and creamy with a buttery, not-too-sweet graham cracker crust. Easy-to-follow instructions ensure a smooth, crack-free top every time.

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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
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The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

We opted for a nutty crumb topping over marshmallows to create a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the creamy and soft mashed sweet potatoes. The filling gets a pumpkin pie-like treatment, with brown sugar and vanilla for a deep caramel flavor and butter and eggs for richness. This recipe is bound to become your go-to.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Baked Mac and Cheese

A blend of three cheeses delivers a punch of flavor in this creamy mac and cheese. Toasted breadcrumbs give a crunchy texture contrast.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

We tried several versions of this recipe, including one with double the amount of baking powder. And while the biscuits turned out puffy and beautiful, they ultimately were too dry. So, we tweaked the baking powder amount along with the butter and buttermilk and arrived at these beauties—flaky, golden, tender and moist, just as biscuits should be.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Turkey Brine

This is our go-to brine for turkey. It's simple, flavorful and most importantly leaves you with a succulent, juicy, perfectly-seasoned bird. It's also perfect for chicken, pork chops, Cornish game hens—you name it. While we like the combination of thyme and sage, you can also use other hearty herbs such as rosemary, oregano or marjoram.

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Photo: Renee Comet
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The Best Cheesy Potatoes

Cheesy potatoes are perfect for any gathering. We spent days perfecting the BEST version—testing fresh vs. frozen potatoes and coming up with the perfect from-scratch sauce that doesn't rely on canned soup as its base. In the end, fresh potatoes won the competition, thanks to the creamy soft texture they provide and the way they soak up the silky smooth, rich homemade sauce. Of course, plenty of Cheddar tops it all off, as well as cornflakes for toothsome crunch.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs, Caitlin Ochs, Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Pecan Pie

This pie delivers plenty of classic flavors like brown sugar, vanilla and toasted nuts. We found that bourbon made a welcome addition. The alcohol bakes off leaving behind irresistible notes of smoke and caramel. Our all-butter crust perfectly balances the sweetness of the filling.

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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
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The Best Cornbread Dressing

Complete your Thanksgiving spread with our favorite cornbread dressing. To make it truly perfect, we opted to make the cornbread from scratch using stone-ground cornmeal, buttermilk and just the right amount of sugar. The result is a perfect base that's buttery and moist. Classic holiday flavors like onion and celery, plus fresh sage, thyme and parsley hit all the right notes.

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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
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The Best Homemade Applesauce

After tasting the pure apple flavor of this homemade sauce, you just might never go back to the store-bought kind. Supermarket applesauce can be loaded with added sweeteners and flavorings. We use only a little sugar, plus lemon juice, salt and cinnamon, providing a balanced flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness.

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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
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The Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Olive oil, salt and pepper let the earthy flavor of the sprouts shine as they get crisp and golden in the oven. Heating the pan and laying the veggies flat-side down is the secret to achieving maximum browning—and don't toss the loose leaves that fall off during trimming. They become toasted and crisp—the best part! To make these extra special, we topped them with homemade Parmesan breadcrumbs.

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The Best Mulled Wine

We love a well-spiced, fragrant mulled wine and this one hits the spot. The spices steep in the cider to intensify their flavors before everything is combined to create a warming, fall drink.

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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
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The Best Apple Crisp

We've included two varieties of fresh apples, plus warm spices and tangy cider for a Thanksgiving dessert showstopper. The sweet, buttery crumble topping is flavored with brown sugar and studded with nutty pecans to round out the flavors and textures, perfectly.

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Photo: Matt Armendariz
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The Best Tandoori Turkey

This succulent whole roast turkey is inspired by perennial favorite, tandoori chicken. Flavorful and juicy, it’s bound to be a showstopper at Thanksgiving. The turkey is marinated overnight in a tangy spiced yogurt sauce that takes just 10 minutes to make, then roasted like a traditional holiday bird.

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Photo: Lucy Schaeffer
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The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake

There's no better way to celebrate pumpkin-spice season! With swirls of pumpkin filling, caramel and a gingersnap crust, this autumnal cheesecake is a delight. We start by whipping up a classic cheesecake batter, then add pumpkin and warm spices to half the batch. Both are used to create a unique bullseye pattern. Nutty spiced seeds add crunch. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature—this ensures that the cheesecake is smooth and creamy.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Deviled Eggs

Our classic deviled eggs get their kick from mustard and hot sauce. We like the simplicity of the flavor—it's the perfect recipe to use your imagination and add your favorite toppings or mix-ins.

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The Best Scalloped Potatoes

Creamy, cheesy and perfectly indulgent, scalloped potatoes are a classic for good reason. While cooking, the starch from the potatoes thickens the cream into a luscious sauce while the cheesy topping becomes golden and nutty in the oven. Allowing the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving makes it easier to slice.

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Photo: Caitlin Ochs
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The Best Apple Pie

We love using a variety of apples in our pie; it adds both flavor and texture and makes every bite a little different. Vodka in the pie crust makes the dough easier to work with, and since the alcohol burns off during baking, it doesn't impart any flavor. But feel free to use bourbon or apple brandy instead to complement the filling.

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Photo: LUCY SCHAEFFER
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The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is our best version of the classic party dip. It's savory and creamy with a slight tang from sour cream and Parmesan—so hard to resist. We like to use frozen whole leaf spinach and chop it ourselves for more control over the finished texture of the dish.

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Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher
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The Best Pie Dough for a Lattice Crust

We love this dough for making the lattice crust for many reasons. The combination of shortening and butter makes the dough incredibly easy to work with and forgiving when cutting and weaving. Plus, the added vodka provides tenderness and depth of flavor, making it perfect for a variety of pie fillings.

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