The Cook's Illustrated Team's Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Don't know which recipes to add to your menu this Thanksgiving? Here's what the test cooks and editors who developed them will be serving this year.

Roast Heritage Turkey

Heritage breeds promise juicier, more flavorful meat than do ordinary supermarke…

Skillet-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate a...

Have 10 minutes? You can make the best Brussels sprouts that you’ve ever tasted.

Best Baked Sweet Potatoes

The goal—creamy flesh with deeply complex flavor—is entirely different from what…

Perfect Pecan Pie

After patiently scouring dozens of recipes, we finally created a pie with silky-…

Swiss Chard and Kale Gratin

For a new holiday side, we gussy up greens with a touch of cream and a crisp top…

Fluffy Dinner Rolls

We thought the classic light, tender American dinner roll couldn’t get any bette…

Lemon Posset with Berries

This classic English specialty transforms cream, sugar, and lemon into a lush pu…

Mediterranean Braised Green Beans

Slow-cooking in a rich tomato sauce produces uniquely supple green beans infused…

Mashed Potatoes with Scallions and Horseradish

Simple but bold flavor combinations breathe new life into this classic

Green Beans with Toasted Hazelnuts and Brown Butter

Cooking the beans ahead saves time when you need it most—in the final moments be…

Grill-Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast with Herb Butter

Notoriously dry turkey breast is tricky enough to roast indoors using a predicta…

Roasted Delicata Squash

Tired of struggling to peel and cut heavy-duty squash? Try something more delica…

Simple Cranberry Sauce

Back-of-the-bag recipes aren't bad, but we found a way to make a dramatic improv…

Apple Galette

Getting a flaky crust and caramelized apples can make this simple French tart no…

Our Favorite Turkey Gravy

Of course it had to taste great. But we also wanted a gravy that could be made i…

Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Dried Cherries, and Pe...

Stuffing baked in a dish usually lacks any turkey flavor. What could we do to br…

Gougères with Manchego and Black Pepper

Airy, elegant French cheese puffs, known as gougères, deliver toasty flavor with…

Porchetta

Italy’s rich herb-and-garlic-infused slow-cooked pork is one of the world’s best…

Orange, Cranberry, and Mint Pavlova with Whipped Cream

Pavlova is a drop-dead gorgeous dessert of marshmallowy, crisp-shelled meringue …

French-Style Mashed Potatoes (Pommes Purée)

The luxuriously rich and silky pomme puree served in Paris is the result of tedi…

French Apple Tart

Classic form and good looks are compulsory for a holiday centerpiece, but they d…

Roast Whole Turkey Breast with Gravy

A perfectly cooked, crispy-skinned turkey breast can be just the ticket for a sm…

Bread Stuffing with Leeks, Bacon, and Apple

Stuffing baked in a dish usually lacks any turkey flavor. What could we do to br…

Foolproof All-Butter Dough for Double-Crust Pie

Our ultimate pie dough. It uses all butter, it’s dead easy to roll, and it bakes…

Roasted Butternut Squash with Yogurt and Sesame Seeds

For great caramelization, don’t drown squash in sugar or syrup. Instead, sharpen…

Apple Crumble

A rustic dessert such as crumble should show off the fruit's tangy freshness—not…

Classic Sourdough Bread (Pain au Levain)

For a classic sourdough bread recipe, we used a mixture of bread flour and whole…

Butternut Squash Galette with Gruyère

We knew we wanted the ease of a free-form tart, but the typical delicate butter …

Turkey Meatballs with Soy and Sesame

Turkey meatballs have a justifiably bad reputation. But if you boost the flavors…