A Real Simple Thanksgiving Dinner

Traditional Recipe

• Classic Roast Turkey

Variations

• Roast Turkey with Garlic, Sage, and Lemon
• Roast Turkey with Paprika and Thyme

Traditional Recipe

• Savory Gravy

Variations

• Thyme-Infused Gravy
• Gravy with Roasted Vegetables

Traditional Recipe

• Garlicky Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Variations

• Green Beans with Tarragon Vinaigrette
• Green Beans with Brown Butter
  

Traditional Recipe

• Warm Apricot-Cranberry Sauce

Variations

• Chilled Pineapple-Cranberry Relish
• Warm Jalapeño-Cranberry Sauce

Traditional Recipe

• Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Variations

• Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
• Mashed Red Bliss Potatoes

Traditional Recipe

• Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Variations

• Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges
• Pureed Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup

Traditional Recipe

• Herb Stuffing

Variations

• Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing
• Fennel and Apricot Stuffing

Traditional Recipe

• Apple Crumb Pie

Variations

• Sour-Cream Apple Crumb Pie
• Apple and Pear Crumb Pie

Spend more time planning and you’ll spend less time panicking, says New Jersey native Judith Bluysen, co-owner of Thanksgiving, an American grocery store, restaurant, and catering business in Paris. Each fall Bluysen and her team of five prepare more than 150 take-out turkeys and turkey dinners. She sticks to a schedule. Here’s her handy checklist.

The Day Before

• Prepare the stuffing (but don’t bake it).
• Blanch the green beans.
• Make the cranberry sauce.
• Make the pie.
   

Early Thanksgiving Day

• Prepare the turkey.
• Arrange the oven racks. (Place one on the lowest position and a second directly above it for the turkey.)
   

While the Turkey Roasts

• Prepare the sweet potatoes (but don’t bake them).
• Make the mashed potatoes.
• Remove the pie and the green beans from the refrigerator.
   

While the Turkey Rests

• Roast the sweet potatoes.
• Bake the stuffing.
• Make the gravy.
• Warm the cranberry sauce.
• Finish the green beans.

Daniel Johnnes, author and wine director for the restaurants of chef Daniel Boulud, recommends these drinks with dinner:

Wine

2006 Lindemans Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc, $8
A crisp, fresh white with the zesty aromas of grapefruit and melon.

2005 Poet’s Leap Riesling, $20
Soft and luscious, this medium-bodied white smells of apples and pears.

2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Cold Creek Vineyard” Chardonnay, $23
A bold, creamy white with tropical-fruit touches.

2005 A by Acacia Pinot Noir, $19
Cherry and spice notes are the draw of this light, seductive red.

2005 Sterling Vintner’s Collection Zinfandel, $13
A medium-bodied red with rich flavors of berry, currant, and black pepper.

2004 L’Ecole No. 41 Syrah, $24
This big red has hints of smoke, earth, and spice.

Hard Cider

Duché de Longueville “Antoinette” Dry, $8 for a 750-Milliliter Bottle
An effervescent French cider.

Woodchuck Granny Smith Draft Cider, $8 for a Six-Pack
Tangy, with a hint of sweetness, this is a palate cleanser.

Why should the pie always be the star of the show? We whipped up 6 pumpkin-laced desserts that might just give Grandma’s pumpkin pie a run for its money.

Besides the fact that an entire feast’s worth of grocery bags is too much for one woman to carry―or one trunk to hold―you’re more likely to forget a key ingredient or encounter ransacked shelves if you try to buy everything in one go at the last minute.

A month before Thanksgiving, make a master list of what you’ll need, then divide it into what’s perishable (dairy products, eggs, produce) and what’s not (canned goods, spices, baking ingredients). Buy everything that won’t spoil as far in advance as you can. Return for the turkey, the herbs, and the cheeses a few days before you begin cooking.

Here is a shopping list of the ingredients for the Back-to-Basics Thanksgiving Menu as well as a blank shopping list for your own recipes.

Open the Thanksgiving Shopping List.