Thanksgiving
2220 recipes found
Salted Butterflake Rolls
Level up your dinner roll game with these retro, buttery pull-apart rolls. The key to butterflake rolls are their unique shape, so feel free to make this using your favorite enriched bread dough recipe. The dough is rolled out, slathered with salted butter then cut into strips that are stacked before cutting again. You’re left with a little deck of dough slabs all enrobed in butter. They fan open when baked so the fluffy layers are easily pulled apart, ready for sopping up gravy or even more butter. Customize the rolls by stirring grated garlic, finely chopped herbs or spices into the salted butter.
Simple Cranberry-Pear Crisp
Juicy, sweet pears and tart cranberries are a perfect fall pairing in this easy dessert. Dark brown sugar adds a rich caramel note, and a handful of dried cranberries gives this crisp a pleasantly chewy texture. The buttery topping is gently spiced with cinnamon, but feel free to add any warm baking spices you prefer. If you’re the planning type, you can make the crisp topping up to 2 weeks in advance, storing it in an airtight container in the freezer. Break up any large clumps, then use as directed in the recipe, adding just a few minutes of bake time.
Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake
Can’t decide which pie to bake this holiday? Take dessert in a different direction with this spiced pumpkin cake slathered in brown sugar caramel and showered with toasted pecans. This cake owes its pillowy texture to a lush, mayonnaise-like base made by slowly streaming oil into long-whipped, room-temperature eggs. The addition of corn syrup ensures the cake stays moist for days; there is no substitute for it. To keep the topping gooey, don’t stir it once off the heat. Excessive stirring will cause it to crystalize and set with a brittle texture.
Scalloped Potatoes With Horseradish
Scalloped potatoes are a tried-and-true side dish. There’s no reason to reinvent a classic, but adding a kick, a rather strong kick, can be a fun twist. The piquant horseradish in this recipe does exactly that. It cuts through the double richness of the cream and cheese and makes you crave another serving. Swapping a single variety of potato for three — purple, sweet and russet — adds more texture and flavor. Purple potatoes (see Tip) pop on the plate and offer that earthy flavor but with a less starchy texture, and the sweet potatoes are meltingly tender. Give this festive, upgraded version of scalloped potatoes a try at your next gathering.
Quick Dill Pickles
Relative to salt brine pickles, which rely on lactic acid fermentation for their funk, these quick pickles are ready almost instantly thanks to the fast work of a hot vinegar brine. Dry toasting the spices before adding them to the brine amps up their peppery and citrusy aromas, while sprigs of fresh dill offer that classic pickle flavor. For the crispiest pickle, seek out squat Kirby cucumbers, whose thick skins allow the spears to stay snappy for weeks. Serve alongside sandwiches, barbecue, fried chicken or any meal that could use a refreshing, salty bite.
Crispy Sage Fried Chicken
This juicy, crispy, vaguely-tastes-like-Thanksgiving fried chicken makes an exciting stand-in for the usual turkey. The recipe takes every step to maximize moisture and flavor, so no dry poultry arrives at your table, holiday or otherwise: Start with bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, submerge the pieces in a brine for at least 24 hours, fry low and slow to allow all the fat and connective tissue to render and finally, shower over a boxed stuffing-inspired seasoning. As an optional touch, dredge the chicken pieces in Italian 00 flour instead of all-purpose — its ultra-fine texture makes the crust simultaneously extra crispy and less greasy.
Hot-Mustard Gravy
This perky gravy gets its kick from a generous dollop of hot mustard swirled in at the end. To keep the mustard flavor at the forefront, use a lighter-bodied boxed broth and neutral oil, rather than the gelatinous bone broth and rich butter found in most traditional gravy recipes. Deeply browned, almost blackened bits of shallot add a savory, aromatic backbone, while seasoning with plenty of salt lets the mustard pop.
Roasted Beets With Hazelnuts and Honey
Behind the rich, jewel-toned palette of this cheerful dish is the sweet, tangy, earthy flavor of beets and a buttery crunch from hazelnuts. A feast for the eyes, this refreshing starter or side also awakens the palate. Labneh packs a bit more zing than sour cream and balances the sweetness of red and golden beets touched with honey. The sumac (or a simple squeeze of lemon juice) and lemon zest brighten and lift everything up. The foil packets for cooking the beets not only make for easy cleanup; they trap steam while roasting to yield the most tender and flavorful beets. All the components can be made ahead at least 1 day before serving (see Tip).
Crushed Green Bean Salad With Cranberry
No Thanksgiving meal is complete without a green bean moment, and with this make-ahead, no-cook dish, you can certify that it’s a fresh and bright one. Smashed and salted green beans become crisp-tender after a chill in the fridge, ready to soak up all the tangy cranberry dressing. A combination of vinegar and lemon juice in the dressing brings layers of acidity that bounce on your tongue. Just before serving, the dressed beans are piled high between lettuce leaves and crowned with fried onions.
Butter Swim Biscuits
These tender, buttery, crisp buttermilk biscuits satisfy all urgent cravings. You can happily set aside any hesitancy about preparing biscuits because these tangy, fluffy ones come together quickly — no cutting cold butter into flour or rolling out dough. The batter is combined in one bowl and then spread over melted butter, giving the impression of a batter swimming in butter, as the name suggests. While the biscuits bake, they absorb all the buttery goodness and crisp up around the edges. Butter swim biscuits are best served warm and fresh out of the oven but will keep covered at room temperature for up to one day (see Tip).
Green Beans With Lime and Red Onions
Snappy and bright, these green beans are ready in minutes and full of tangy lime, garlic and coriander. The streamlined technique makes these very easy to do in one pan. Just add the beans and a little water to the skillet to steam them. Then, after the water cooks off, add the oil and aromatics and sauté until the garlic turns golden at the edges and the beans absorb all of the flavors. These beans are great both warm and at room temperature, so feel free to make them a few hours ahead, and garnish with herbs and onions just before serving.
Red Cabbage With Walnuts and Feta
Roasting wedges of red cabbage intensifies their sweetness and caramelizes their edges. Here, they’re topped with bits of creamy feta, toasted walnuts for crunch and lemon zest and pomegranate seeds for a juicy tang. Serve these warm or at room temperature for a substantial side dish or light main course. This recipe will also work for a small head of green cabbage, though it may cook a bit faster.
Giant Roasted Vegetable Platter
A giant platter of colorful roasted vegetables is a perfect party side that you can make in advance. The vegetables can be cut up the day before and stored in the fridge. You can roast them a few hours before serving, and reheat them for 7 to 15 minutes at 350 to 400 degrees (they are very forgiving) or serve them at room temperature. Then garnish to your heart’s content – a mix of jewel-like pomegranate seeds, cumin or sesame seeds, herbs, swirls of garlicky yogurt and dashes of hot honey will make everything pop. To make a vegan version of this dish, you can substitute tahini sauce for the yogurt sauce and skip the hot honey.
Ras el Hanout Roasted Vegetables
This flavorful dish makes a versatile side that can complement a variety of main courses. Infused with ras el hanout (see Tip), a warm and aromatic spice blend from North Africa, it’s ideal for sharing or preparing ahead of a busy week. Roasting the vegetables enhances their natural sweetness, creating a crispy exterior and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth interior. Cutting root vegetables into evenly sized pieces ensures they will cook at the same rate while maximizing surface area, allowing for enhanced flavor absorption and more caramelization. For carrots and parsnips, cut the thinner ends into chunks, then halve the thicker ends lengthwise before cutting into chunks.
Harissa-Maple Mushrooms
This quick and easy dish transforms humble mushrooms into a flavorful centerpiece. As they roast, the mushrooms develop a rich, concentrated flavor, with the delightful contrast of tender interiors and crispy edges. The heat of the harissa and sweetness of the maple syrup perfectly complement the mushrooms, while the yogurt offers a cooling counterpoint. Serve as a starter with flatbread or as a flavorful accompaniment to beef skewers, or roast chicken or turkey.
Cabbage and Mandarin Orange Winter Slaw
Full of surprises, this sweet, savory, spiced slaw is a perfect festive side that’s quick to make. Shredded cabbage, fennel, scallions, mandarin oranges and a whole lime create a fragrant base that gets tossed with a crunchy spiced oil seasoned with makrut lime leaves, coriander and cumin. The spiced oil is made first, so it has time to cool before dressing the slaw; you’ll have time to slice your salad ingredients while the hot oil cools. The toasted spices add a fragrant crunch to sprinkle on top. Makrut lime leaves add an extraordinary citrusy aroma with a slightly floral note that makes the slaw truly special. If you can’t find them, substitute with an extra fresh lime. The slaw is best served right away, but can be enjoyed the next day; just strain any liquid and refresh with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Butterscotch Banana Cream Pie
This is grown-up banana pudding in pie form. One bite, and you may never want banana pudding any other way. Salted butterscotch pudding pairs with ripe, sweet bananas for a balanced (and slightly boozy, if using rum) filling. A crunchy pistachio and vanilla wafer crust nestles the thick custard, while a not-too-sweet crème fraîche topping lightens the whole thing. Be sure to slice and serve this pie directly from the refrigerator — if it doesn’t stay cold, it may be messy. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Sesame-Swirled Pumpkin Pie
The addition of sesame in two forms — as oil and in tahini — results in a sumptuous spin on this Thanksgiving staple. Just a couple of teaspoons of toasted sesame oil lends a nutty savoriness that makes this longtime holiday favorite feel new and exciting, and a slightly sweetened tahini mixture, swirled into the pumpkin custard, creates a striking marbled surface. Gently cooling the pie in the oven will help prevent cracking, though depending on your tahini’s fat content, it may end up splitting slightly along the swirl lines. It will still be beautiful and delicious. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Laminated Pie Dough
Wonderful pie crust requires only a couple of ingredients and tricks to ensure it’s extra flaky and tender. This dough is hydrated with ice water and apple cider vinegar, which helps prevent a tough, chewy crust. Quartering the dough and stacking it before rolling yields many flaky layers, giving you a shortcut version of laminated pastry. This recipe makes enough dough for two crusts: freeze the extra round of dough, if you’re not using it, for up to 4 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it, wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Coffee and Maple Chess Pie
This pie is like enjoying maple-soaked pancakes with a cup of coffee, but it’s great any time of day. A hint of bourbon, or vanilla if you please, enhances a custardy chess pie base that’s then topped with a slightly sweetened espresso-infused whipped cream. Candied orange, while optional, makes for an especially festive, sparkly finish. You can make the chess pie up to a day ahead of time and store it tightly wrapped at room temperature if it’s not topped with the whipped cream. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Coconut Caramel Tart
Eating this tart is like biting into a grown-up Girl Scout cookie. A crisp chocolate shortbread shell is filled with a creamy, slightly nutty frangipane, and topped with coconut caramel, drizzled chocolate and flaky sea salt. This recipe is formatted for a 9-inch pie plate but can easily be amended to fit a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom without any difference in bake times. While making your own caramel may seem like a daunting task, the “wet” method of dissolving sugar in a little water before caramelizing it is approachable and foolproof. Take care to keep an eye on its color to ensure it doesn’t burn and end up bitter. Add the cream when the caramel is amber and you’ll be in for a real treat. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Pomegranate Cardamom Apple Pie
Like most good things, terrific apple pie takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth the anticipation. In this variation, sweet and tart apples are cooked first in a fragrant, jewel-toned pomegranate reduction so they all bake more evenly. Placing the pie on the bottom rack ensures that the bottom crust cooks through before the top crust gets too dark. You may be tempted to cut into it warm, but the pie needs to cool for at least four hours to be sliceable. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Cranberry Citrus Meringue Pie
This delightfully tart pie is an autumnal twist on a classic lemon meringue. Bright, tangy citrus curd is topped with cranberry Swiss meringue. The egg white mixture can take a while to temper, slowly warming up over simmering water, then cooling as it’s whisked. But patience will pay off as it results in a luxurious marshmallow consistency that holds its shape even after days in the refrigerator. Chilling the fully assembled pie will make it easier to cut, and wiping off your knife between slices will result in cleaner edges. Don’t feel limited to lemon and orange for the curd filling: A mix of any tart and sweet citrus — grapefruit and blood orange, for example — will work nicely. (Watch me make my Thanksgiving pies on YouTube.)
Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw
Finely shaved brussels sprouts provide a robust structure for this crave-worthy salad, their mildly bitter leaves emboldened by a sweet and tart maple-and-mustard dressing. Every element of this salad works hard to make this slaw memorable: Apple provides sweet, fruity bursts; the shallot injects aromatic appeal; the almonds bring much-needed crunch; the mint lends bright herbaceousness; and salty pecorino imparts essential sharpness. Serve with bread, or enjoy as a leafy side accompanying a main. An excellent choice for entertaining, this salad can hang around for a while.