Thanksgiving
2220 recipes found
Spiced, Dry-Brined Mushrooms
Dry brining is a technique typically used to tenderize and flavor meat by harnessing two simple but powerful culinary tools: salt and time. This vegan recipe applies the process to mushrooms, along with a fragrant spice blend and olive oil to aid in flavor, color and texture. Just thirty passive minutes can produce a meaningful metamorphosis for these mushrooms, releasing excess moisture and allowing the mushrooms to brown deeply. Once pulled from the oven, the mushrooms can be stuffed into a roti with pickled onions and cucumbers, served on a mezze platter next to muhammara and hummus, or enjoyed however you please! Oyster mushrooms are a fantastic choice, but maitake, baby bella, portobello or a blend of each will work well, too.
Roasted Carrots With Whipped Tahini
For a spectacular vegetable side at home, try this tried-and-true formula: A swoosh of sauce on a plate topped with a cooked vegetable and a confetti of finely chopped garnish. For this iteration, blend the base (a cloud of yogurt, tahini, citrus and garlic) and chop your garnish (a pretty pile of pistachios, dill and chives) while the carrots roast. Set on a platter, served hot or at room temperature, it’s a special side dish that can also hold its own as a vegetarian main, supplemented with chickpeas, quinoa, couscous or toasted bread.
Gnocchi Gratin
This speedy take on potato gratin uses store-bought potato gnocchi instead of sliced potatoes. Not only does the switch cut down on prep time, but the gnocchi get soft and luxurious as they warm in the heavy cream. A sprinkle of nutty Gruyere and salty Parmesan melts into the creamy sauce, which is also scented with garlic, sage and nutmeg — that is, except the layer of cheese on top, which browns and crisps. Serve this as a side to roasted cabbage, asparagus, chicken or another protein.
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Old-school Southern cornbread is good anytime and anywhere, but make it a bit more surprising with sweet potato. This cornbread is seasoned with caramelized sweet potatoes and warm spices, then smeared with a delicious sweet potato-brown sugar butter that’s reminiscent of classic sweet potato pie. To save time and energy, a can of sweet potato stands in for fresh ones that require roasting. When jazzed up by caramelizing in a skillet, its flavor instantly changes from back-up dancer to star.
Orange-Ginger Brussels Sprouts
Bring sunshine to your vegetable routine with a sharp dressing of turmeric, ginger, citrus and lots of black pepper. The combination is reminiscent of nose-clearing tonics and the spices in sabzis which can brighten roasted brussels sprouts as well as cooked beets, squash, carrots, cabbage or other hardy vegetables. Juicy orange chunks, chopped peanuts and cilantro (including crunchy stems) add pops of texture and freshness. This side would glow on a dinner party spread, or make it a weeknight meal by stirring in chickpeas or eating it with grains and yogurt.
Rumbledethumps (Potato Mash With Cabbage and Cheddar)
A traditional Scottish potato-cabbage mash, rumbledethumps is named for the sound a spoon makes as it rattles along the sides of the pot as you mash all of the ingredients together. This version is adapted from Ali Stoner (or “Roving Haggis” as she is known on Instagram and YouTube), who updates traditional Scottish recipes for the modern palate. She takes a few liberties, replacing cabbage with brussels sprouts and boosting flavor and texture with caramelized onions, fresh chives, punchy mustard and a crunchy panko topping. This humble mash invites variation, whether you prefer it chunky, creamy or topped with extra cheese and cream. It is complex enough to stand alone, with a sharp green salad, but it also pairs well with beef tenderloin, a simple roast chicken or a good pot of beans.
Roasted Spiced Squash With Whipped Feta and Pistachios
Sweet and nutty, squash never fails to bring quiet luxury to the plate. Here, a generous dusting of cumin and coriander accentuates its earthiness and tempers its sweetness. (The cumin and coriander could easily be replaced with a spice blend like ras el hanout, baharat, garam masala or five-spice powder). Thin-skinned varieties of squash such as butternut, honey nut or delicata are easy to prepare (as they need no peeling), and the skin adds an essential textural bite to this dish. The velvety whipped feta is adaptable and versatile; you can add a handful of herbs to inject some color or drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil for a richer finish. For an even heartier dish, roast some chickpeas alongside the squash. Have some bread or flatbread on hand to mop up the whipped feta.
Chocolate Torte (Torta Caprese)
Torta caprese is a dark, rich almond and chocolate cake lifted only with whipped eggs. Originally from the Italian island of Capri, they’re usually made with raw almonds or almond flour. This version uses toasted, salted almonds to add a bit more savory, roasted almond flavor. The almonds must be ground in a food processor before folding into the batter, but if you don’t have one, feel free to substitute 6 ounces almond flour plus 1/2 teaspoon more salt. Adding some of the sugar to the egg whites while beating makes it much easier to achieve medium-stiff peaks without over-beating them. It also makes them smoother and easier to incorporate into the chocolate mixture and helps create a light flaky top.
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
One of nature’s miracles is that mushroom caps make a perfect vessel for stuffing. They are most commonly stuffed with a simple mix of bread crumbs, butter and herbs. Beyond that, there are many ways to sweeten the pot, like these crab-stuffed mushrooms. They are easy to make using canned crab meat (though you can use leftover crab or lump crab meat if you like), garlic, fresh herbs, Parmesan, panko and just enough cream cheese to bring everything together and add tang. The flavor of the crab is the star of the show and it nicely compliments the juicy, earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Feel free to swap in crushed butter crackers for panko or use hot sauce instead of Worcestershire for some heat. Whatever you do, don’t skip the squeeze of lemon juice for a perfect hit of brightness before eating.
Caviar Pie
This retro dish looks spectacular and stretches a few ounces of caviar or other fish roe so you can feed a crowd (plus, it goes great with icy martinis and chilled champagne). It's not literally a pie but rather a layered stack of all the best things to eat with caviar: minced hard-boiled egg held together with melted butter, diced peppery shallots, and cream cheese blended with sour cream and chives. With so much going on, you can opt for an inexpensive caviar, paddlefish roe, trout roe or even tobiko. For the cleanest look, set the components in a ring mold. However, you can also layer everything in a shallow bowl or freeform onto a plate. Have fun and serve it with anything crunchy, like potato chips, flavored tortilla chips, radishes and endive.
Olive-Oil Mashed Potatoes With Bay Leaves
These simple but profoundly delicious mashed potatoes, from the chef Nick Anderer of Anton’s in Manhattan’s West Village, highlight the power of fresh bay leaves and their woodsy bouquet. Milky, peppery and umami-accented, these spuds achieve the perfect balance of starch, liquid and fat, and are special enough for a holiday dinner but easy enough for Sunday supper. Mr. Anderer uses a gentle folding motion to distribute the milk, fat and cheese so that, in his words, “every bit of potato is moistened and seasoned.” Feel free to halve the amounts if you’re not cooking this for a holiday crowd, and yes, they can be made ahead of time (see Tip).
Green Beans Almondine
This classic French dish of green beans or haricots verts is an all-star holiday side. The French name for the preparation, “amandine,” means “cooked or served with almonds” and, going back to its Latin origins, also means “worthy of love”. Luckily, this recipe translates to both. It comes together fast and is easy to get on the table while cooking a big meal, plus the more time-consuming steps can be done in advance. Haricot verts are often preferred because of their crunchiness, but any green bean will shine just as bright when tossed in butter, shallots and garlic and topped with toasted slivered almonds.
Simple Boiled Greens
Greens, boiled in properly salted water, make an ideal companion to almost any dish. Served with spiced duck, or a similar saucy braise, they provide soft, nourishing relief to every eater and gallantly soak up what’s on the plate. Dinosaur kale (also known as lacinato or Tuscan kale), Savoy cabbage and brussels sprouts are particularly suitable during winter. Let the greens drain and steam dry fully before drizzling with olive oil or topping with a knob of butter.
Big Crème Brûlée
The classic French dessert throws off its formality in favor of family-style fun. You can use the broiler or a torch to caramelize the sugar on top — just make sure the dish is fully chilled before this final step so you don’t scramble the voluptuous, vanilla-flecked custard.
Rice and Squash Bombe
This pita-crusted rice and squash bombe is a celebratory showstopper, capable of upstaging any roast or standing alone as the centerpiece of a vegetarian feast. The technique of encrusting pilaf in crisp bread is inspired by fruit-studded Azerbaijani shakh plov and Persian polo ba tahdig. It’s a bit fiddly, with three components to prepare — rice, cumin-roasted shallots and squash, and saffron butter — but none of them are complicated. Cook them in advance, but assemble the bombe when you’re ready to bake it off. Make sure to butter the baking bowl heavily and overlap your pitas without gaps. If in doubt, arm yourself with more pitas than the recipe calls for, in case yours are a bit dry when you take them out of the packet — you may need spares for patching.
Leafy Winter Salad
Bitter winter chicories are balanced with some endive and cress, and sweetened with a honey-spiked dressing. It makes a refreshing side to any rich wintry dish. As vinegar and honey can vary wildly in flavor, dip a leaf into your dressing jar to check it for seasoning and balance, adjusting as needed before tossing it through the salad.
Spiced Orange Duck
These braised duck legs — spiced with ginger, thyme, anise and orange — are festive and ideal to cook ahead. Unlike traditional orange duck, which is cooked pink and served in a syrupy sauce, this version is savory, fragrant and confit-tender. Make sure to top up the pot with stock if it looks like it’s drying up at any point (don’t be fooled into thinking your pot has enough stock just because you see plenty of the fat that will render during the braise). And do save the duck fat for something specialwhen you spoon it off at the end. If you’re making the dish ahead and reheating it, add the fresh orange juice right before you serve.
Celery and Pecan Gratin
A crisp and salty bread-crumb topping laced with sweet chopped pecans perfectly complements this creamy, silky celery bake. Peeling the tough outer celery stalks removes any stringy fibers, which can detract from the custardy texture of the final dish. Like many casseroles, a solid resting period pays off in the end, allowing the vegetables and sauce to cohere and firm up. The dish is perfect for making as part of a larger holiday meal, when oven space can be at a premium and flexible timing keeps things stress-free.
Baked Brie Puffs With Chile Crisp
This flaky, creamy, sweet and spicy appetizer shrinks baked brie into single-bite, snackable sandwiches. (It’s hard to eat fewer than five.) They’re made by filling small squares of seeded puff pastry with a combination of Brie, raspberry preserves and chile crisp. The assembly is repetitive but not difficult — enlist friends to help, and they can be made up to 1 hour ahead of serving. If you want to serve the puffs warm, stick them in the oven for just a minute or two until the brie is gooey. If you have extra filling, add more to the puffs or save it to spread on tomorrow’s turkey sandwich. If you have extra puffs, eat them on their own as crackers.
Parmesan and Crispy Prosciutto Tower
Add drama to appetizer hour by making a tower of crispy prosciutto, Parmesan and crackers. Here, the crackers are made of puff pastry triangles sprinkled with black pepper, rosemary and sage leaves, then baked into herbaceous, flaky wafers. Shingle the crackers, oven-crisped prosciutto and Parmesan shavings into a tower, as if you were playing a delicious game of Jenga, but reduce the number of crackers each round so it peaks to one or two crackers at the top. Light in feel but hefty in flavor, with pops of salt, herbs and black pepper, this tower is exactly what you want from cheese and crackers, but in an altogether new, eye-catching format.
Ginger-Scallion Squiggles
Crunchy, flaky and aromatic with ginger and scallion, these squiggles are a fun twist (pun intended) on the classic cheese straw. Instead of cheese, these puff pastry appetizers are studded with ginger, scallions, nori, peanuts and red pepper flakes — and instead of straight sticks, they’re curved and curled to make snake-like squiggles. Serve them at your next cocktail party, as an afternoon snack to visitors or as an appetizer before a bigger meal. They’re the most crisp the day they’re made, but can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day.
Cranberry-Orange Chicken
Cranberries make the perfect foundation for a sweet-and-sour chicken skillet that is appropriate for the holidays, or any day of the week. First, chicken thighs are seared until browned, then schmaltzy, cinnamon-spiced cranberries are slowly simmered in freshly squeezed orange juice, alongside melt-in-your-mouth orange slices and sweet shallots. The chicken returns to the cranberry mixture, simmering gently, then gets drizzled with honey and caramelizes under the broiler until the skin crisps for an irresistible bite. Spoon the tart, sweet and jammy sauce all over the chicken, and pair with an optional glass of crisp white wine.
Junior’s Cheesecake
In 1950, the year Junior’s opened on Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, founder Harry Rosen spent months with the Danish-born baker Eigel Petersen developing what would become one of the most well-known New York-style cheesecakes in the country. This recipe puts the cake in cheesecake: A soft, thin bedding of ethereal sponge cake, flavored with a whisper of lemon extract, supports the light but dense, dreamily smooth cream cheese layer. Alan Rosen, Harry Rosen’s grandson and now the owner, shared the restaurant’s recipe, which has been adapted here for home ovens. Though Junior’s cheesecakes are classically blonde, sometimes light golden, this one gains a deeper hue on top, which is not only okay but delicious, Mr. Rosen said.
Apple Hand Pies
These perfectly portable hand pies are made with standard pie dough ingredients, but the method is slightly different. In order to create puffed, layered, super-flaky pastry, the dough is rolled out and folded multiple times in order to create thin layers of butter that melt and create steam in the oven. This step is somewhat unnecessary when it comes to baking pies in pie plates because the filling would prevent major puffing anyway. A hand pie is baked free form, so it has all the room in the world to puff up. These are lovely and just sweet enough, but if you’d like to dress them up a bit, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 to 2 tablespoons of whole milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and drizzle before serving.