Ree Looks Back at Her Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes Through the Years
In the Drummond family, Thanksgiving is not a time to tinker with tradition. Everyone wants the same beloved dishes every year—and if I do try something new, I usually make an old standby, too, so no one is disappointed! There are so many Thanksgiving recipes, Thanksgiving side dishes, and Thanksgiving desserts I can’t live without, but the ones here are especially near and dear to me, and I’m making all of them this year. We’ll celebrate in a more quiet way, with just our immediate family and Ladd’s dad, Chuck, and we’ll reflect on everything we’re grateful for.
Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
This is the first turkey recipe I ever posted on my blog, and it’s the most classic of all of them. It’s beautiful! It’s stunning! It’s the centerpiece of the whole Thanksgiving meal! And here’s the great news: It’s not hard to make at all.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
I go back to this cranberry sauce year after year after year. It’s thick and tangy with just a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup—and it’s endlessly adaptable. It really is the perfect complement to the turkey.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
The Instant Pot changed Thanksgiving for me. Gone are the days of constantly checking on my potatoes—the Instant Pot is all-knowing! These Instant Pot mashed potatoes are based on my classic mashed potatoes (an absolute must in my family), which means they’re loaded with lots of butter and cream...as they should be.
Cornbread Dressing with Dried Fruits and Nuts
This is one of my very favorite food memories of my late mother-in-law, Nan—we created this cornbread dressing recipe together. It has all the wonderful breadiness of regular dressing but with the occasional surprise of the sweet, slightly chewy dried fruit.
Beautiful Brussels Sprouts
These Brussels sprouts are so gorgeous and colorful, and the pomegranate seeds look like jewels! This is one of the easiest sides I’ve ever made. You just pile everything on a single sheet pan and pop it in the oven.
Nantucket Cranberry Pie
Many versions of this pie exist, but I like this Nantucket Cranberry Pie best. I adapted it from the late great Laurie Colwin, a beloved writer and cookbook author. It’s kind of a pie-cake hybrid—and it’s out of this world.
