These Thanksgiving recipes are modern takes on retro favorites

Well-tested, delicious recipes are even more crucial come Thanksgiving. Thanks in part to its ability to transcend culture, language and religion, this November occasion might be the most popular U.S. holiday.

But herein lies the dilemma of food writers everywhere: How can we make Thanksgiving feel novel and engaging every year? As the saying goes, everything old is new again, and that is also true of recipes. While we love developing fresh ideas, our team shares a collective affection for dog-eared and splatter-marked recipes. So this year, we dove into the archives — as far back as the 1920s and all the way through the 1970s — to find dishes that really stood out. We then tested and tasted our selections to further whittle down which were truly worth your time and effort. We found some dead-simple winners, including a no-cook cranberry relish and a stuffing with an unexpected ingredient.

Vintage recipes possess a certain nostalgic beauty, be they tried-and-true family favorites or a time capsule of a bygone era. With fewer gadgets and tools, they also skew less complicated and feature instructions that read downright spartan. “Toast bread and cut into small cubes,” directs the stuffing recipe we adapted for this year’s Thanksgiving lineup. The instructions assume the reader has enough kitchen experience to know at what temperature and for how long. (Never mind that you probably first want to cut the bread into cubes, then toast them.) “Brown sausage, stirring occasionally to break up meat,” reads the following sentence.

As we worked on this year’s menu, we updated cooking instructions to include more useful details and reflect what we now know thanks to food science and safety, ensuring all but guaranteed success in the kitchen.

Along the way, we found preparations that felt fussy, dated and heavy; dishes that raised our collective eyebrows (raisins seemingly in everything, including mashed potatoes); and sides such as Brussels sprouts and pearl onions boiled within an inch of their lives and blanketed with a thick sauce. But no dish had a more dated approach than the turkey. Many a recipe told the home cook to rinse it before cooking (please don’t); guaranteed moist meat via basting (which actually slows down cooking and might dry the meat out); or instructed to cook the turkey to 180° to 185°, a temperature that would render even the juiciest bird sawdust-dry. No wonder the centerpiece of the Norman Rockwell platonic ideal of the holiday table has a misbegotten reputation for being stringy and bland.

Our goal: Bring each recipe into the 21st century while leaving the spirit of the dish intact. We also tried to keep them simple, straightforward and, for the most part, budget-friendly. We hope you enjoy this trip back in time with our Thanksgiving menu, whether you choose to make one or all of the recipes below.

Roast Turkey With Apple Cider Glaze

The original 1970 recipe relied on a glaze made with equal parts apple cider, honey and butter, which was too rich and sweet for our palates. Still, we loved the idea of infusing the holiday bird with autumnal cider flavor, even if it meant forgoing the delectable crispy skin. We jettisoned rinsing the turkey, instead thoroughly patting it dry and seasoning it with salt, pepper and ground sage. (If you have time and refrigerator space, dry-brine one to three days in advance for a turkey that’s seasoned all the way through.) For the glaze, we reduced the cider by almost 90% to get a super-concentrated syrup.

Instead of roasting the turkey at 325°F, we blasted it at 500°F for 30 minutes to get nicely browned skin, then dropped the oven temperature to 350°F and covered the delicate white meat with foil. In lieu of basting every 30 minutes as the original recipe instructed, we glazed the bird just twice toward the end of roasting — enough to add gentle sweetness without slowing down the cooking. Finally, we removed the turkey from the oven when the probe thermometer registered 155°F, then let it rest on the counter until its internal temperature reached 165°F, the safe temperature for poultry. The result: After less than 3 hours of roasting, a moist, juicy, flavorful bird that got raves from everyone on our team.

Sourdough Stuffing With Sausage and Raisins

We’re well aware that raisins are, ahem, polarizing, so we expect many of you might have strong feelings about this stuffing. But we were so intrigued by a 1964 recipe that we had to try it for ourselves. And while we encountered (and rejected) many raisin-forward recipes in the archives — it appears they were quite en vogue circa mid-20th century — this one proved great after a few rounds of testing. We upgraded the presliced raisin bread to a crusty sourdough, which vastly improved the texture of the finished dish. This also allowed us to control the quantities of raisins and cinnamon so the result wasn’t cloying or overwhelmed by the potent spice. While the original recipe was stuffed inside the turkey, we baked it separately, and added broth and eggs for moisture and binding power. If you are 100% raisin-averse, feel free to sub in another dried fruit, such as cherries, cranberries or chopped apricots.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes “Duchesse”

We were equally enchanted by a 1975 recipe for buttermilk mashed potatoes and a 1967 Post recipe from Julia Child for Pommes de Terre Duchesse, the latter an old-school French dish of riced boiled potatoes, mixed with egg yolks and butter, and blanketed with cheese — so we combined the recipes.

We loved the tang of the buttermilk, increasing it for a bit more brightness — a welcome element in a meal that can skew heavier. And we found the use of white pepper to be a delightful surprise. Child’s duchesse preparation was a little too eggy for our taste, so we decided to present the buttermilk mashed potatoes duchesse-style, with a decorative piped edge and a shower of cheese to melt and brown in the oven. These might be our most irresistible mashed potatoes yet.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Perhaps third to only turkey and stuffing, sweet potatoes — especially with marshmallows — are another mainstay of the Thanksgiving table. Don’t let the recipe name fool you. While these glistening jewel-toned chunks of sweet potato sound like dessert, a dark caramel sauce infuses the whole thing with a subtle, pleasantly bitter note for a dish that tastes familiar but far more nuanced and complex than you might imagine. A squeeze of lemon juice added to the caramel injects a sunny note to balance out the sweetness.

Fresh Cranberry, Apple and Orange Relish

Because many dishes require using the stove or oven (or both at the same time), we welcome any no-cook dish that comes together in minutes and can be made in advance, to boot. Enter this fresh-tasting cranberry relish bolstered by chopped apple and a whole orange, including some of the rind, all of which add texture, flavor and visual appeal to the tart berries. Originally titled “Mrs. Purefoy’s Raw Cranberry Sauce,” this 1951 recipe won our hearts — and palates. While we don’t know who Mrs. Purefoy was, we’re grateful to her for this lively contribution that might just become your go-to cranberry sauce, too.

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Roast Turkey With Apple Cider Glaze

For the turkey

One (15-pound) whole turkey, defrosted if frozen, giblets and neck removed and saved for another use*

1 tablespoon plus ¾ teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground sage

2 tablespoons neutral oil suitable for high-heat cooking, such as canola or avocado, plus more as needed

For the apple cider glaze

1 gallon unfiltered apple cider

Make the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before roasting. (Taking the chill off will help it cook more evenly.)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°F. Have a large roasting pan with a rack near your workspace. (If you don’t have a wire rack, you can use a bed of vegetables or a “snake” made out of foil. It’s important to keep the turkey elevated so the air can circulate underneath the bird.)

In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper and sage until well combined.

Thoroughly pat the turkey dry all over, including the cavity, with paper towels, then set it over the rack in the pan. If you’d like, tuck the wing tips under the bird and truss the legs. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture all over the bird, including the cavity, pressing to adhere.

Pour the oil into the now-empty seasoning bowl, and use a brush or your hands to apply it all over the turkey skin. Transfer the turkey to the oven and roast for 30 minutes. The turkey skin should tighten and start to brown all over.

Meanwhile, fold a large piece of heavy-duty foil to form a triangle large enough to cover the turkey breast. Grease one side of it lightly with oil, then set aside.

Remove the turkey from the oven and set the pan on a heatproof surface; reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Carefully — as both the turkey and roasting pan will be hot — cover the turkey with the prepared foil triangle, oil side down, ensuring the center point faces the legs and the long side faces the breast/neck. Insert a probe thermometer through the foil into the thickest part of the breast away from the bone. (You may need to do a bit of peeking under the foil to figure out where to stick the probe.) Return the turkey to the oven, plug the probe thermometer into the display and set an alarm on the probe to go off at 130°F. (A 15-pound turkey could take an additional 1½ to 2 hours to fully cook, so pay more attention to the temperature on the thermometer than the time.)

Make the apple cider glaze: While the turkey is in the oven, in a large (5-quart) pot over high heat, bring the cider to a boil. Cook, stirring a few times, until reduced to about 2 cups, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, measure out about ¼ cup, and transfer the remaining glaze to a small bowl or gravy boat. The liquid will thicken slightly as it cools, and it may separate a bit.

Finish the turkey: When the turkey reaches 130°F, transfer the roasting pan to a heatproof surface, remove the probe and foil triangle from the turkey, and immediately reinsert the probe. (Reserve the foil triangle.) Use about half of the ¼ cup of the glaze to brush on the turkey skin. Return the pan to the oven for about 10 minutes, or when the internal temperature of the turkey registers 145°F, then brush the turkey once more with the remaining 2 tablespoons of reserved glaze, and roast until the turkey registers 155°F.

Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board, preferably with a groove to catch the juices, cover with the reserved foil triangle (you may need to unfold it) and let rest for at least 20 minutes, with the probe thermometer still inserted, before carving and serving. While the turkey is resting, its internal temperature will continue to rise; you want it to reach 165°F. (If you’d like, set the thermometer alarm to go off when the temperature is reached.) Remove the probe before carving, and serve with the remaining 1¾ cups of the glaze.

Servings: 12-15

*Notes: If you are using a turkey size other than what is called for here, season the turkey with about ¼ teaspoon fine salt for every pound, and scale the pepper and sage up or down accordingly. You will need a probe thermometer for this recipe.

Make ahead: The turkey needs to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before roasting. If you have time and refrigerator space, dry and season the turkey up to 3 days in advance, set on a wire rack in a large sheet pan, and refrigerate, uncovered or loosely covered with a plastic bag, if you prefer, until ready to cook. This dry-brining will help dry out the turkey skin and encourage browning, as well as allow for the seasonings to penetrate the meat and make it more flavorful. The apple cider glaze can be made and refrigerated up to 2 weeks in advance.

Substitutions: For sage, use rosemary or thyme. If using fresh herbs, double the dried amount.

Variations: If you’d like, transfer the turkey pan drippings to a fat separator, and combine the juices, minus the fat, with the cider glaze for an umami-rich, gravy-like sauce.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Nutritional Facts per serving (8 ounces), based on 15 | Calories, 774: Fat, 30 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Sodium: 1060 mg, Cholesterol: 320 mg, Protein: 96 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 26 g

— Adapted from a 1970 Washington Post recipe

•••

Sourdough Stuffing With Sausage and Raisins

One (16-ounce) loaf sourdough bread, cut or torn into roughly ¾-inch cubes

1 pound mild or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 cup diced yellow onion (from 1 small onion)

1 cup diced celery (2 to 3 ribs)

¾ cup dark raisins

4 tablespoons (½ stick/2 ounces) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chicken or turkey broth or stock, preferably no-salt-added or reduced-sodium

2 large eggs

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Have ready a 9-by-13-inch oven-safe casserole or baking dish nearby. (Use a broiler-safe casserole or baking dish if you want to have the option to broil.)

Spread out the bread on a large sheet pan. Toast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pieces are dried out and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, stirring and breaking up the meat into small pieces with a spoon or spatula, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, celery, raisins, butter, thyme, cinnamon, salt and pepper to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and celery start to soften, about 10 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl with the sausage.

In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the broth and eggs until combined. Add the egg mixture, along with the toasted bread, to the sausage mixture, and stir to combine, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared dish and spread into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is crisp and golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165°F. (Optional: Remove the casserole from the oven, carefully raise the rack to 5 to 6 inches from the broiling element, and preheat the broiler to HIGH. Return the casserole to the oven and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the top is more browned in spots.) Serve warm.

Servings: 12-16 (makes one 9-by-13-inch dish)

Make ahead: The bread pieces can be toasted and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week; alternatively, let the unbaked torn bread sit uncovered on a sheet pan for at least 1 day, or until stale.

Substitutions: For sourdough, use any white bread. Gluten-free? Use gluten-free bread. For mild or sweet Italian sausage, use hot Italian sausage. For yellow onion, use any type of onion, or leeks or shallots. For butter, use extra-virgin olive oil. Vegetarian? Use a plant-based sausage, and vegetable broth or stock. For dark raisins, use golden raisins, dried cherries or cranberries, or other chopped dried fruit such as apricots or figs.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Nutritional Facts per serving, based on 16 | Calories: 184, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Sodium: 381 mg, Cholesterol: 37 mg, Protein: 9 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 7 g

— Adapted from a 1964 Washington Post recipe

•••

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes “Duchesse”

1½ sticks (12 tablespoons/6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing

6 pounds yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into chunks

3 tablespoons fine salt, divided, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, preferably white, plus more as needed

1 cup well-shaken full-fat or low-fat buttermilk, plus more as needed

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

Butter a 9-by-13-inch broiler-safe dish and set it nearby.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of the salt, and boil, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a paring knife, about 10 minutes. Drain well, then pass through a potato ricer back into the pot. (Alternatively, mash the potatoes with a potato masher until the desired consistency is reached.)

Add the 1½ sticks of butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt and the pepper, and gently stir to melt the butter and incorporate the seasonings. Add the buttermilk, and mix or mash to incorporate, adding more buttermilk, as needed, until the mashed potatoes are fluffy and creamy.

Transfer all but 1 cup of the mashed potatoes to the prepared dish and spread in an even layer, smoothing out the top. Transfer the reserved mashed potatoes to a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off, and pipe dollops of the mash around the perimeter of the dish. Sprinkle the entire surface with the cheese and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown. If desired, turn the broiler on HIGH and broil for about 1 minute, for a deeper shade of golden brown. (Be sure your dish is broiler-safe, if you do this.)

Servings: 12-16 (makes about 12 cups)

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 350-degree oven until warmed through.

Substitutions: Dairy-free? Use nondairy buttermilk, milk or cream, and nondairy butter. For buttermilk, use sour cream, heavy cream, half-and-half or milk. For yellow potatoes, use russet potatoes, but you’ll need to add more buttermilk for a creamy, luxurious consistency.

Variations: For a simpler presentation, skip the baking and cheese, and serve the mashed potatoes as is. You may want to season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Facts per serving (¾ cup, using low-fat buttermilk), based on 16 | Calories: 200, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Carbohydrates: 28 g, Sodium: 487 mg, Cholesterol: 23 mg, Protein: 3 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 13 g

— Adapted from a 1975 Washington Post recipe and a 1967 Julia Child recipe for The Washington Post

•••

Candied Sweet Potatoes

4 tablespoons (½ stick/2 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

3½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium), scrubbed well

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup water

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from ½ lemon)

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon (optional)

Position racks in the middle and upper third of the oven, and preheat to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. (Use a dish that’s broiler-safe, if you’d like to have that option for finishing.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and boil, uncovered, until barely tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain, transfer to a cutting board and let rest until cool enough to handle.

While the potatoes are cooling, in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, water, the 4 tablespoons of butter and the cinnamon, stirring until the butter melts. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and resembles a runny caramel. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the mixture should reach about 220°F (and no higher). Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice to incorporate.

Slip the skins off the potatoes and cut into quarters. Transfer the pieces to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the ½ teaspoon of fine salt. Pour the brown sugar mixture evenly over the potatoes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the caramel is bubbling in spots around the edges, basting occasionally with the liquid in the pan.

If you are using a broiler-safe dish and would like a more crackling top on the potatoes, remove the potatoes from the oven and baste them one more time. Turn the broiler on HIGH, place the dish on the upper rack and broil for 1 to 3 minutes, or until the sugar on top of the potatoes starts to bubble and crisp. (It’s best to watch the potatoes constantly to keep them from burning.) Serve warm, with more of the caramel sauce for spooning over and flaky salt for sprinkling, if desired.

Servings: 8-12

Make ahead: The sweet potatoes can be boiled up to 3 days in advance. The dish can be assembled up to 1 day in advance before baking; add more baking time, as needed.

Substitutions: For dark brown, use light brown sugar. Dairy-free? Use nondairy butter. For cinnamon, use your favorite warming spice, such as nutmeg or cardamom. For lemon juice, use orange juice.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Nutritional Facts per serving (2 pieces), based on 12, using all of the sauce | Calories: 208, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 43 g, Sodium: 166 mg, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Protein: 2 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 22 g

— Adapted from a 1970 Washington Post recipe

•••

Fresh Cranberry, Apple and Orange Relish

1 large orange, such as navel or Cara Cara, preferably organic

2 cups (8 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, no need to defrost)

1 large apple (10 ounces), cored but unpeeled, cut into large pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

Peel the orange, reserving one-quarter of the rind. Coarsely chop the reserved rind and, using a knife or scissors, cut the orange into small sections.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the orange rind and pieces, cranberries, and apple. Process until coarsely chopped, or to your desired texture. (Alternatively, coarsely chop the fruit with a knife.) Transfer to a medium bowl or storage container, stir in the sugar and serve, or cover and refrigerate until needed. If desired, pour or strain out any extra juice from the mixture. (Save it to mix into sparkling water or drinks.)

Servings: 12 (makes 3 cups)

Make ahead: The relish can be prepared and refrigerated up to 2 weeks in advance.

Substitutions: Want a less sweet relish? Reduce the sugar to taste. For apple, use firm pear. Like a boozy kick? Spike the mixture with a small amount of orange liqueur or bourbon.

Nutritional Facts per serving (¼ cup) | Calories: 92, Fat: 0 g, Saturated Fat: 0 g, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Sodium: 1 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Protein: 0 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 20 g

— Adapted from a 1951 Washington Post recipe