Cooking a new recipe for Thanksgiving is a risk. An uncle might complain. An aunt might forbid it. The recipe could take longer than expected. Chaos ensues.

Straying from tradition can also feel emotionally loaded. But it’s worth it to try something new, especially if you’re a first-time host looking for your own version of Thanksgiving.

Here are our Food staff’s tried-and-true Thanksgiving keepers. With these recipes, you’re in good hands.

1. Kenji López-Alt’s Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.

Having two potato dishes is high priority, and I always make these two: the crispy-topped, cheesy Hasselback potatoes from J. Kenji López-Alt and the soft, airy, almost Robuchon-style mashed potatoes (passed through a ricer and mixed with as much butter and cream as they can possibly hold) from Kim Severson. TEJAL RAO

Recipe: Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

2. Michael Romano and Danny Meyer’s Hashed Brussels Sprouts With Lemon

Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.

Some years ago, Julia Moskin made a convincing case that every Thanksgiving plate needed a snappy respite. I’ve been making her adaptation of this quick and lemony brussels sprouts hash ever since. KIM SEVERSON

Recipe: Hashed Brussels Sprouts With Lemon

3. Sarah DiGregorio’s Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast With Lemon-Garlic Gravy

Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

Confession: I don’t like Thanksgiving dinner. I usually go out. But I do like having leftover turkey to tuck into sandwiches, gumbo and enchilada pie. This mostly hands-off slow-cooker turkey breast recipe from Sarah DiGregorio makes it easy and yields perfectly moist and succulent meat. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast With Lemon-Garlic Gravy

4. Marti Buckley’s Basque Cheesecake

Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

I don’t do the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but I do make the traditional Thanksgiving desserts: a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake. The cheesecake is always this Basque cheesecake, which I make the day before and serve at room temperature. Last year I steeped pandan leaves in the heavy cream and added small drops of pandan extract for extra green, vanilla-scented oomph. My guests gently demanded the leftovers. MIA LEIMKUHLER

Recipe: Basque Cheesecake

5. Rebekah Peppler’s Nonalcoholic Dirty Lemon Tonic

Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

We’re going out to Thanksgiving dinner with friends this year (luxury!), so while I won’t be cooking, I plan to whip up some Nonalcoholic Dirty Lemon Tonics to whet our appetites before we go. They’re a perfect balance of light and tangy with a hint of savory. They’ll be delicious! CAT BALDWIN

Recipe: Nonalcoholic Dirty Lemon Tonic

6. Melissa Clark’s Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon

Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Pumpkin bread is a requirement on my Thanksgiving dinner plate. I really like when it soaks up some of the gravy — that salty-sweet combo is one of my favorite bites. SCOTT LOITSCH

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread With Brown Butter and Bourbon

7. Angela Dimayuga’s Beef Empanadas

Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez-Hart.

I’ve been tasked with making empanadas for Thanksgiving since I was 12 or 13. These beef empanadas by Angela Dimayuga are perfect for making big batches (and for snacking on before dinner). GINA FERNANDEZ

Recipe: Beef Empanadas

8. Julia Moskin’s Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad

Credit...Craig Lee for The New York Times

Some people might give a side eye to salads at Thanksgiving. But Julia Moskin’s lemon-garlic kale salad is always a hit. It’s the perfect tangy, green counterpoint to all of the brown stuff on the plate. Even my 8-year-old loves it. MARGAUX LASKEY

Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad

9. David Tanis’s Cranberry Curd Tart

Credit...Evan Sung for The New York Times

I made David Tanis’s cranberry curd tart for good luck before my New York Times interview, and it hasn’t failed me since. Manifest your dreams! VAUGHN VREELAND

Recipe: Cranberry Curd Tart

10. Alison Roman’s Buttered Stuffing With Celery and Leeks

Credit...Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Amy Elise Wilson.

This stuffing has become my go-to recipe for Thanksgiving, allowing me to take advantage of my love of leeks. An ex’s mom said it was the best stuffing she’d ever had. NOAH LEWIS

Recipe: Buttered Stuffing With Celery and Leeks

11. Samin Nosrat’s Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast

Credit...Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.

My Thanksgiving crew is small — just me and my partner, and our dog begging for any table scraps — so I try to keep things easy and delicious. Samin Nosrat’s buttermilk-brined roast turkey breast takes any stress work out of the main. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT

Recipe: Buttermilk-Brined Turkey Breast

12. Genevieve Ko’s Crispy Ginger Sticky Rice

Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Our family matriarch died before I was old enough to get her recipe for sticky rice stuffing. This mochi rice stuffing, adapted by Ligaya Mishan, helped me recreate it, and then develop my own streamlined version. GENEVIEVE KO

Recipe: Crispy Ginger Sticky Rice

13. Fannie Farmer and Marion Cunningham’s Parker House Rolls

Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

My grandmother made fresh rolls for every holiday meal. In recent years I’ve turned to this recipe, forming the dough into clovers, as my grandmother did. SARA BONISTEEL

Recipe: Fannie Farmer’s Parker House Rolls

14. Hayden Hall’s Ale-Braised Collards With Ham

Credit...Amber Fouts for The New York Times

Despite knowing that one of my uncles was the designated collard greens cook every Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house, I boldly (stupidly, let’s be honest) brought this recipe along one year. He questioned the inclusion of amber ale, but after one sip of the potlikker, he was sold. MARK JOSEPHSON

Recipe: Ale-Braised Collards with Ham

15. Millie Peartree’s Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Credit...Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

I choose a different turkey recipe every year; my family said that Melissa Clark’s rosemary and citrus turkey is the best I’ve ever made. And if you haven’t had Millie Peartree’s Southern macaroni and cheese, adapted by Kiera Wright-Ruiz,** **I’m not sure you’ve really lived. EMILY WEINSTEIN

Recipe: Southern Macaroni and Cheese

16. Melissa Clark’s Hot Crab and Oyster Dip

Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

It’s tradition in our house to cap off the Thanksgiving celebration season — it’s not just one day! — by making Melissa Clark’s hot crab dip with chopped Gulf of Mexico oysters. BRETT ANDERSON

Recipe: Hot Crab and Oyster Dip

17. John Down’s Chocolate-Pumpkin Layer Cake

Credit...Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times

As a Thanksgiving traditionalist, I always had trouble accommodating my chocolate-loving husband who had no use for pumpkin pie, tolerated apple as long as it was well-caramelized, and could manage pecan. This marriage of chocolate and pumpkin studded with pecans was the answer; it satisfied him, me and our table full of feasters. Butter pecan ice cream alongside with a drizzle of chocolate sauce is appropriate gilding. FLORENCE FABRICANT

Recipe: Chocolate-Pumpkin Layer Cake

18. Susan Spungen’s Roasted and Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad

Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

My family is divided on having salad at Thanksgiving, but this hot-meets-cold option feels like a win — not just a compromise — for all parties involved. BECKY HUGHES

Recipe: Roasted and Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad

19. Sue Li’s Five-Spice Roasted Carrots With Toasted Almonds

Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

A true 30-minute side that is deeply flavorful, these carrots are equally good straight out of the oven or at room temperature. They have just the right amount of nuance to stand out, but can still mingle with the rest of the Thanksgiving spread. ALEXA WEIBEL

Recipe: Five-Spice Roasted Carrots With Toasted Almonds

20. Alverta Hart’s Persimmon Pudding

Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Persimmons are in season around Thanksgiving, and my family tends to buy them in bulk. I discovered this recipe while searching for ways to use up a drawer full of them. The end result was so much better than I imagined it would be — the flavor is fruity and sweet, and the texture of the blended fruit makes it light and bouncy. ALLISON JIANG

Recipe: Persimmon Pudding

21. Meathead Goldwyn’s Pulled Turkey With Jus

Credit...Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Kim Severson adapted this quick-and-dirty recipe for a 12-pound turkey, and it’s perfect for a smallish group. It makes the best and juiciest leftovers. JULIA MOSKIN

Recipe: Pulled Turkey With Jus

22. David Tanis’s Vermont Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

My daughter always requests mashed potatoes, and, after trying many different recipes, we found that this one from David Tanis was our favorite. The cheese is great, but the addition of an egg, which I’d never used before, makes the potatoes extra creamy and delicious. KIM GOUGENHEIM

Recipe: Vermont Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

23. David Tanis’s Brussels Sprouts With Chorizo

Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

The Thanksgiving menu can easily turn into a whiteout of bland flavors and mushy textures, but David Tanis’s sprouts always bring mine to life with the zing of smoky chorizo and pimentón. PATRICK FARRELL

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts With Chorizo

24. Melissa Clark’s Brandied Pumpkin Pie

Credit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Turns out, pumpkin pie is even better when made with fresh butternut squash purée. This one is our go-to, and it is divine. MELISSA CLARK

Recipe: Brandied Pumpkin Pie

25. David Tanis’s Stir-Fried Sticky Rice

Credit...Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

For my Chinese American family, no Thanksgiving is complete without an oversize tray of sticky rice. David Tanis’s take on this savory, comforting side is second only to my mother’s family recipe. For those who like a little kick, drizzle chile crisp right on top before serving. AMANDA CHOY

Recipe: Stir-Fried Sticky Rice

26. Samantha Seneviratne’s Cloverleaf Rolls

Credit...Craig Lee for The New York Times

A few years ago, I resolved to make my own rolls for Thanksgiving. I knew it would be extra work on top of an already busy day (week) of cooking. But everyone knows good bread is the secret to happiness, so I was deeply thrilled when they came out perfectly. Rolls are now the dish I’m most proud to serve, year after year. EMILY FLEISCHAKER

Recipe: Cloverleaf Rolls

27. Kim Severson’s Sweet Potatoes With Cranberry Chutney

Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

There are many reasons to love Kim Severson, but high among them is her delicious recipe for roasted sweet potatoes with cranberry chutney. SAM SIFTON

Recipe: Sweet Potatoes With Cranberry Chutney

28. Alexa Weibel’s Celery Salad With Apples and Blue Cheese

Credit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

I audition at least one new recipe every Thanksgiving, but one thing never budges from the menu: a bracingly refreshing apple and celery root salad that cuts through all the richness and makes the next bite of stuffing even better. This year, I’m going for Alexa Weibel’s version, with pomegranate seeds for even more crunch. ADINA STEIMAN

Recipe: Celery Salad With Apples and Blue Cheese

29. Melissa Clark’s Scalloped Potato Gratin

Credit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

I can’t wait to make this for myself and my sister in Providence, R.I., this year. It’ll make her little apartment smell entirely of warm, melty Gruyère. Also, I finally get to use my new mandoline. LEE MANANSALA

Recipe: Scalloped Potato Gratin

30. Melissa Clark’s Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chip Streusel

Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Sadly, I’m hopeless in the kitchen. But I can easily make this, and I often do. Melissa Clark always delivers, and this fantastic pumpkin bread is my go-to Thanksgiving sweet treat. ROSS LAING

Recipe: Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chip Streusel

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