Your Thanksgiving Guide has Arrived!

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest and best food holidays in the world. Within a couple days we'll be feasting on our favorite cuts of turkey and all those fantastic sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes, fresh cranberry sauce and dinner rolls to wipe up anything we missed.

Earlier, we explained how to make the best Thanksgiving turkey. This year, we'll be pairing that succulent turkey with new-school side dishes like mashed blue potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes with banana and brown sugar, plus rustic stuffing with greens, currants and pine nuts. Now we're ready to bring it all together with our Guide to the Ultimate Thanksgiving meal.

Our Guide hits the 4 keys to a great meal: a refreshing cocktail, classic roasted turkey, tasty stuffing and flavorful gravy to tie everything together. We like to pour gravy over everything, including the turkey, sides and stuffing. But, we know some people like to keep it on the side for dipping, which is also cool.

As we do for every major culinary event, we turned to the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine and used our personalized filters to build our ultimate Thanksgiving feast.

Thanksgiving Star Cider
We like to start things off with a light & refreshing cocktail.
Ingredients: honey, lemon juice, star anise, red wine, pear nectar, dried hibiscus blossoms

Roast Vermont Turkey with Gravy and Vegetable Stuffing
This complete recipe pays homage to the original Thanksgiving.
Ingredients: fresh turkey, lemon, apple, onion, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, bay leaf, vegetable oil, leek, turkey stock, giblets, hard-boiled egg

Brined and Roasted Turkey
This top-rated recipe guarantees a perfectly cooked bird.
Ingredients: turkey, brine (recipe follows), unsalted butter, onion, orange, celery carrott, bay leaf, thyme, stock (for basting)

Thyme-Infused Gravy
We love gravy enhanced with fresh herbs.
Ingredients: pan drippings from turkey, butter, thyme, flour, white wine, kosher salt, chicken broth, salt, pepper

Bourbon Gravy
Kick that gravy up a notch with the caramel notes of bourbon.
Ingredients: giblets and turkey pan drippings, flour, garlic powder, bourbon

Classic Mushroom Gravy
Vegetarians will love this gravy with chopped, fresh mushrooms.
Ingredients: fresh turkey stock, dried porcini mushrooms, butter, white mushrooms, salt, pepper, flour, Madeira

Sausage and Kale Thanksgiving Dressing
This stuffing is packed with tasty sausage, fresh kale and more.
Ingredients: Parmesan, egg, butter, leek, sausage, kale, focaccia, kosher salt, pepper, turkey stock, butternut squash


Now that you have all the recipes you need for Thanksgiving, it's time to start cooking!

Any other favorite themes, ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! Like us on Facebook for helpful updates in your news feed.