Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Ideas and Tips Thanksgiving Recipes Thanksgiving Side Dishes Grandma’s Best Thanksgiving Recipes That We'll Always Make It's just not Thanksgiving without Grandma's favorite dishes. By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Senior Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 6, 2023 Close Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis When it's time to plan the Thanksgiving menu, even if you want to try a few new recipes or cut down the amount of food that's made, there's some dishes that have to be served year after year: Grandma's best Thanksgiving recipes. From the deviled eggs to the roasted turkey to the pumpkin pie, there are just some recipes that must make an appearance. Especially those treasured family recipes that may only be served for Thanksgiving dinner. We're talking Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Southern Cornbread Dressing, Yeast Rolls, and more.Whether you have the pleasure of dining at Grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner this year or want to honor her memory by recreating her favorite dishes, these Thanksgiving recipes are Grandma-approved. 01 of 15 Classic Green Bean Casserole Rob Culpepper; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Assistant Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Though there are many different iterations of green bean casserole, Thanksgiving calls for the old-fashioned version. We're talking about the version that's made with canned mushroom soup and topped with fried onions. Get The Recipe 02 of 15 Deviled Eggs Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Grandma knows that there's truly no occasion where a deviled egg plate isn't welcome in the South, Thanksgiving included. Get The Recipe 03 of 15 Homemade Cranberry Sauce Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen While we know that some families traditionally serve canned cranberry sauce, others think the meal isn't complete without a homemade one. This recipe for the homemade version calls for 3 cups of cranberries. Get The Recipe 04 of 15 Southern Cornbread Dressing Photographer: Brittany Conerly; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin Aside from the turkey, dressing is perhaps the most important dish on the Thanksgiving menu. Grandma knows the best version is made with plenty of cornbread. Get The Recipe 05 of 15 Pumpkin Pie Photographer: Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen This recipe for classic pumpkin pie is simple yet delicious, just like when Grandma made it. The piecrust leaves on top add a fun touch, but you can also serve the pie without if preferred. Get The Recipe 06 of 15 Homemade Mashed Potatoes Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall The gravy isn't just for the turkey and dressing. It's also for making homemade mashed potatoes even more delicious. Get The Recipe 07 of 15 Roasted Turkey Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Grandma knows the secret to roasting the turkey for Thanksgiving is in the prep work. Make sure it has plenty of time to thaw before cooking and remember to reserve the drippings to make the homemade gravy. Get The Recipe 08 of 15 Yeast Rolls Iain Bagwell Thanksgiving calls for homemade rolls and this recipe for classic yeast rolls will taste just like when Grandma makes them, or at least pretty close. Get The Recipe 09 of 15 Pam Lolley's Pecan Pie Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Pecan pie can be topped with whipped cream, a scoop of ice cream, or simply enjoyed plain. Get The Recipe 10 of 15 Classic Baked Macaroni And Cheese Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman Thanksgiving means the mac and cheese should be homemade, not from a box. Just like Grandma, make sure to grate your own cheese so it'll melt evenly and taste better than the pre-shredded kind. Get The Recipe 11 of 15 Turkey Gravy Greg Dupree It's just not Thanksgiving without gravy that's made from scratch with drippings from the roasted turkey in Grandma's gravy boat. Get The Recipe 12 of 15 Savory Corn Pudding Emily Laurae / Southern Living With so many dishes being prepared for Thanksgiving dinner, Grandma knows it's always good to have a few dishes that can be made ahead of time and corn pudding fits the bill. Get The Recipe 13 of 15 Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Classic sweet potato casserole should be topped with marshmallows and cornflakes. Get The Recipe 14 of 15 Old-Fashioned Apple Pie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox At Grandma's house, one thing is for certain: there will never be a shortage of desserts. In addition to the pumpkin pie and then pecan pie, there's always room for apple pie on the Thanksgiving table as well. Get The Recipe 15 of 15 Cranberry Fluff Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Whether you think of it as a dessert or a side, Thanksgiving will never be complete without a pink fluff salad on the table. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit