Thanksgiving Food List: Top 10, 60 Foods and a Menu

The short answer: a thanksgiving food list is the set of dishes you'll serve: a main, sides, bread, sauces, drinks and desserts.

• Classic list: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce
• Plus green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie
• 10 suggested classics, then 60 foods in 8 groups
• How much to make per person and the items people forget
• A starter menu for 8
• Our price test: dinner for 10 cost $42.71 to $47.82 at Walmart vs. $59.42 to $61.39 at Kroger (Frisco-area pickup listings, Nov 5, 2026); see the full cost breakdown
• Free printable: a Thanksgiving checklist with a 4-week countdown, dinner timeline and menu list (we email it to you)
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

A Thanksgiving food list is the set of dishes you'll serve on the day: a main, sides, bread, sauces, drinks and desserts. The classic list is turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie. Below are the ten suggested Thanksgiving classics, 60 traditional foods in 8 groups, how much to make per person, the items people forget, how to choose your own short list and a starter menu for 8.

Once you've picked your dishes, our Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) puts the menu and the shopping list on the same page.

10 Thanksgiving classics to build your menu around

Start with this suggested menu, then ask your guests which family dishes they would miss. The numbers organize the list; they are not survey rankings, and you can swap any item to suit your traditions.

Foods 11 to 20: glazed ham, cornbread dressing, candied yams, corn pudding, roasted Brussels sprouts, collard greens, deviled eggs, pecan pie, apple pie and hot apple cider.

The American Farm Bureau Federation's 2025 Thanksgiving dinner survey prices nearly the same core list (turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray and pumpkin pie with whipped cream) at $55.18 for 10 people, about $5.52 each, with turkey at $1.34 a pound. Treat this as a dated national benchmark, not a quote for your store or a 2026 shopping budget. Price your own quantities before choosing the final menu.

The full list: 60 Thanksgiving foods in 8 groups

1. Mains (pick one or two)

1. Roast turkey
2. Turkey breast
3. Smoked or fried turkey
4. Glazed ham
5. Roast chicken or Cornish hens
6. Beef roast or prime rib
7. Stuffed acorn squash (vegetarian)

2. Stuffing and dressing

1. Classic bread stuffing with celery and onion
2. Cornbread dressing
3. Sausage stuffing
4. Wild rice stuffing
5. Mushroom and herb stuffing

3. Potatoes and starches

1. Mashed potatoes
2. Sweet potato casserole
3. Candied yams
4. Roasted potatoes
5. Baked macaroni and cheese
6. Scalloped potatoes
7. Corn pudding

4. Vegetable sides

1. Green bean casserole
2. Roasted Brussels sprouts
3. Glazed carrots
4. Collard greens
5. Creamed corn
6. Roasted butternut squash
7. Creamed spinach
8. Honey-roasted root vegetables

5. Salads and fresh sides

1. Autumn salad with apples and pecans
2. Waldorf salad
3. Deviled eggs
4. Relish tray (olives, pickles, celery)
5. Cranberry relish
6. Potato salad

6. Breads

1. Dinner rolls
2. Cornbread
3. Biscuits
4. Crescent rolls
5. Pumpkin bread

7. Sauces and extras

1. Turkey gravy
2. Cranberry sauce
3. Butter and honey butter
4. Mushroom gravy (vegetarian)
5. Appetizer board
6. Spinach or crab dip
7. Shrimp cocktail
8. Spiced nuts

8. Desserts and drinks

1. Pumpkin pie
2. Pecan pie
3. Apple pie
4. Sweet potato pie
5. Pumpkin cheesecake
6. Apple crisp
7. Hot apple cider
8. Coffee and tea
9. Sparkling cider
10. Whipped cream for the pies

For recipes and ideas inside each group, see our guides to Thanksgiving side dishes, Thanksgiving appetizers and Thanksgiving desserts.

The Thanksgiving foods people forget

These items don't feel like "dishes," so they slip off the list until the morning of:

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1. Butter. You'll need it for potatoes, rolls, stuffing, pie and the table.
2. Broth. Stuffing, gravy and reheating all use it. Buy two cartons.
3. Fresh herbs. Sage, thyme and rosemary for the turkey and stuffing.
4. Heavy cream. For mashed potatoes and whipped cream.
5. Ice and drinks. Plan about two drinks per guest per hour during the meal.
6. Something for the cook to snack on. Dinner is often late, so keep a simple board out.
7. Leftover containers and foil. Rubbermaid Brilliance food storage containers are one option for packing portions. Have them ready before the meal ends.

How to choose your Thanksgiving food list

You don't need all 60 foods. A full table for 8 to 12 people is usually about 10 dishes. Use these steps to pick yours:

1. Pick the main first. Turkey is traditional, but a turkey breast, ham or roast chicken works for smaller groups.
2. Ask each guest for their one must-have. This keeps the classics people would miss and drops the ones nobody eats.
3. Balance the oven. Choose some stovetop and no-cook sides so the oven isn't overbooked.
4. Mix rich and fresh. Pair heavy casseroles with one salad or a bright vegetable side.
5. Plan for dietary needs. Add one filling vegetarian or gluten-free dish if a guest needs it.
6. Make half ahead. Cranberry sauce, pies and casseroles can be done before the day.
7. Let guests bring something. Drinks, rolls and desserts are easy to hand off.

A traditional Thanksgiving menu, course by course

Most traditional Thanksgiving dinners follow the same order. You don't need every course, but planning by course keeps the menu balanced and stops you from making five starches and no vegetables.

That's 12 to 16 dishes for a full spread, and about 10 for a smaller table. If you're short on time, buy the appetizers, rolls and one dessert, and cook the rest.

Starter Thanksgiving menu for 8 guests

Cook the turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F, checked with a food thermometer, such as the Alpha Grillers instant-read meat thermometer, in the thickest part of the thigh, breast and stuffing. That's the safe minimum from FoodSafety.gov. For the shopping list, the USDA's guide to safely roasting a turkey suggests about 1 pound of turkey per person and about 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 4 to 5 pounds. For the full schedule, see how to plan Thanksgiving dinner and our Thanksgiving menu template.

How much Thanksgiving food to make per person

Use these planning numbers to turn your food list into a shopping list. They leave a small cushion for seconds; round up by about a quarter if you want leftovers.

The turkey number follows the USDA's guidance of about 1 pound per person, linked below. For a bird-by-bird breakdown, see how much turkey per person, and check the oven time in how long to cook a turkey before you plan the rest of the oven schedule.

Thanksgiving headcount chart: from 4 to 20 guests

Turkey weights follow the 1 pound per person guide above, with the top of each range leaving leftovers. For a crowd, two smaller turkeys cook faster and more evenly than one giant bird, and a ham frees up oven space because it only needs reheating.

Thanksgiving foods by region

Your list doesn't have to look like a magazine cover. Swap in the dishes your region or family expects:

• South: cornbread dressing, collard greens, baked mac and cheese, candied yams, sweet potato pie, deviled eggs and often a ham next to the turkey.
• Northeast: bread stuffing with sage, mashed turnips or squash, creamed onions, cranberry relish and apple or pumpkin pie.
• Midwest: green bean casserole, corn casserole, wild rice stuffing (especially around Minnesota), Jell-O salads and pumpkin bars.
• Southwest and West: green chile or chorizo cornbread stuffing, tamales, roasted squash and pecan pie.
• Louisiana: oyster or rice dressing, a fried or Cajun-spiced turkey and sweet potato pie.

Feeding a crowd potluck style? Our Thanksgiving potluck sign-up sheet lets you assign each dish on this list to a guest so you don't end up with four pies and no rolls.

Thanksgiving food swaps for every kind of table

Cooking on a budget this year? Our Thanksgiving on a budget guide and cost of Thanksgiving dinner breakdown show where the money goes. Hosting just two? Use the Thanksgiving dinner for two plan.

Thanksgiving make-ahead timeline

Spreading the work over a week is the biggest difference between a calm Thanksgiving and a frantic one.

1. One week before: finalize the menu and headcount, assign dishes to guests, shop for pantry staples, drinks and paper goods.
2. Four to five days before: buy the turkey if it's frozen and move it to the fridge to thaw. The USDA's rule is about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 15 lb bird needs 3 to 4 days.
3. Three days before: make cranberry sauce and pie dough. Buy fresh produce.
4. Two days before: bake pies, make the gravy base from turkey necks or broth, chop onions, celery and carrots.
5. One day before: assemble the casseroles and stuffing (bake stuffing separately from the bird), make mashed potatoes, set the table and plan the oven schedule.
6. Thanksgiving morning: roast the turkey, then bake the casseroles while it rests. Reheat potatoes on the stove or in a slow cooker. Warm the rolls last.
7. Within 2 hours of serving: refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers, as FoodSafety.gov advises.

How to turn your food list into a plan

Thanksgiving works best when everyone pitches in, and that starts with a written list. Here's the order I'd follow:

1. Write the final menu with one line per dish.
2. Add the cook or guest next to each dish.
3. Mark make-ahead dishes with the day you'll make them.
4. Turn the menu into a shopping list sorted by aisle. Our Thanksgiving grocery list has every ingredient grouped by section.
5. Do one pantry check before you shop.
6. Plan the leftovers. Our Thanksgiving leftovers meal plan turns them into four more dinners.

Printables for the menu and the recipes

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. Plan the menu and the shopping list side by side.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Save the stuffing and pie recipes everyone asks for, so next year's list is ready.
• Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). The meal planner plus the Christmas gift planner, sinking funds, bill tracker and a cleaning schedule.

Browse the full Holiday shop. The free Holiday Budget Starter Kit is 3 US Letter pages, emailed after you join the list.

Check your oven space before adding another dish

A food list becomes a workable menu when every hot dish has a place to cook. Write the oven temperature, pan size and serving time next to each recipe. Two casseroles can share an oven only if their temperatures work together and air can circulate around the pans. A fully packed oven may take longer than the times in individual recipes. Use the recipe's doneness check rather than assuming everything will finish on schedule.

For an eight-person dinner, assign one cook the main, one guest a vegetable side, and another guest dessert. Tell each guest whether the dish should arrive hot, chilled or ready to bake. An unannounced casserole that needs an hour in your oven can disrupt the whole meal. Keep a stovetop or no-cook side available if oven space is tight.

Choose recipes before multiplying quantities. Our mashed potatoes guide covers a make-ahead starch, green bean casserole gives you a vegetable option, and bread pudding can handle dessert. Check the recipe servings against your guest count and count any ingredients that appear in more than one dish only after adding their quantities together.

For a safe serving plan, follow FoodSafety.gov's food-handling steps: refrigerate perishables within two hours, or within one hour when temperatures exceed 90°F. Transfer leftovers into shallow containers instead of waiting for a large pot or roasting pan to cool on the counter. The cold-storage chart lists three to four refrigerated days for cooked poultry and most leftovers; freeze portions you will not use in that window.