12 essential recipes for your classic Thanksgiving

Here’s the L.A. Times Food guide to all of the classics for Thanksgiving. These are timeless recipes, updated appropriately. The techniques are straightforward, the ingredient lists kept as short as possible, and the recipes developed with one goal in mind: easy and delicious results year after year.

Each recipe is accompanied by a video, walking you through each step so you know exactly what to do. You’ll find ingredient substitutions galore, and ways to jazz up the recipes to suit any taste.

Roast turkey, easy gravy, green bean gratin, bright cranberry sauce, creamy potatoes and two kinds of stuffing (vegan or not) plus three stellar pies — whether you make one or all, these are holiday recipes you can always rely on.