Thanksgiving
2220 recipes found
Herby Mashed Potatoes With Labneh
What sets these easy, zingy mashed potatoes apart is a simple garlic-infused cream and a big dollop of labneh. By crushing the garlic and gently steeping it in the cream, you achieve a deep, rich garlic flavor, without the harshness of biting into raw garlic. The labneh adds another layer of creaminess to the potatoes while also adding a delightful tang. If you can’t find labneh, sour cream is a great substitute and will provide a similarly rich sharpness.
Air-Fryer Turkey Legs
There’s just something about holding a whole roasted turkey leg and taking a big bite. These prized parts of a turkey have a flavorful, juicy and somewhat primal allure. But you don’t have to carve out the time or put in all the work of long roasting for the satisfaction of grasping a large, crispy drumstick. A batch of deeply seasoned and burnished air-fried turkey legs delivers this experience with minimum cleanup, a fraction of the cooking time and a much lower cost — especially if you include the price of entry to state fairs, amusement parks and renaissance fairs. The cranberry sauce might be optional, but is highly recommended. It’s a versatile condiment that can also be schmeared on a sandwich, nestled on a cheeseboard or dunked into as part of a child-friendly weeknight dinner.
Buttermilk Pie
Buttermilk pie is one of those desserts that can be made with pantry staples whenever the fancy strikes: a make-do pie, if you will. It belongs to a category of pies, also called desperation pies, that home cooks turned to when ingredients were scarce. Start with a store-bought crust or your favorite pastry and then fill it with a deliciously simple custard flavored with the appealing tang of buttermilk and lemon and the creamy richness of butter. Blind baking, or baking an empty crust with pie weights, is an important step for many custard pies. The baked custard slightly softens the underlying crust, but blind-baking sets the crust and gives it a head start towards crispness. Be sure to fill the empty, chilled crust with enough pie weights, beans, or rice to come all the way up to the top so that the edges don’t slump down while it bakes.
Best Apple Pie Recipe
Our best apple pie recipe perfect for Thanksgiving.
Mashed ‘Ulu With Passion Fruit Chutney
‘Ulu, breadfruit in Hawaiian, is hefty as a melon, starchy and vitamin-rich. It has been touted as the answer to world hunger — but it is also simply delicious and wonderfully easy to work with in the kitchen. In this warm, vital dish from the chef Robynne Maii of Fête in Honolulu, ‘ulu is steamed and mashed until smoother, fluffier and more buttery than even the best mashed potatoes. Taking inspiration from South India, where breadfruit is also a staple, Ms. Maii crushes ‘ulu with a spiced oil of cumin, mustard seeds and turmeric. Then she brings a local touch: lilikoi (passion fruit) in a tart, musky chutney. A heap of cilantro and mint, for brightness, and fried shallots finish it off. If you’re not so lucky as to live in the islands, you may find breadfruit in Caribbean or Southeast Asian groceries, or order it frozen from the Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative.
Junkberry Pie
Underneath a firm, thick layer of sweet and tart cream lies a deep sea of berries, a combination known as “Junkberry” at Royers Round Top Cafe in Round Top, Texas. Husband and wife owners JB and Jamie Royer added the fruit pie to the menu in 2011 after Mr. Royer’s father’s 60th birthday, when the cafe’s baker at the time brought a pie with a similar topping to the party. That dessert inspired the junkberry version — a mix of berries, peaches and apple — which became one of the top sellers at the small town restaurant, located about 90 minutes east of Austin. Utilizing frozen berries and peaches makes this pie accessible year-round, but fresh fruit can be used in their places. Follow the cafe’s lead and serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Giant Jam Bun
A cross between a tender scone, an almond-flavored jam cake, and a swirly cinnamon bun, this plush confection makes a sweet breakfast or teatime treat. You can use any flavor of jam here, just be sure it’s thick and rich with pieces of fruit, and don’t use jelly, which will liquify and leak out from the pastry layers while in the oven. Though this is best eaten the day it’s baked, it’s nearly as good a day or two later; store it in a sealed container at room temperature. This recipe was adapted from Erin Gardner’s giant cinnamon roll scone.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin purée and pumpkin spice make these chewy, cake-like cookies the ultimate cozy fall treat. The cookies are great on their own, but a cap of pumpkin spice frosting makes them even better. In keeping with the autumnal theme, the frosting includes a little bit of pumpkin purée, which imparts a creamy orange hue and well balanced flavor. If you don’t keep a pumpkin spice blend on hand, cinnamon is a great substitute.
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites
Easy to bake and totally gluten-free, these pumpkin cheesecake bites are inspired by Japanese soufflé pancakes, which fold in whipped egg whites to create a fluffy, cloud-like texture. For best results, there are a few things to note when making these cheesecake bites: The ingredients you use should be room temperature, especially the cream cheese. (This helps them blend together smoothly and keeps you from having a lumpy cheesecake.) This recipe also asks for a water bath, which will help the cheesecakes bake evenly. The results will be well worth the effort.
Crab and Artichoke Dip
Briny crab and artichokes, paired with creamy cheeses, sour cream and mayonnaise, set the groundwork for this American coastal favorite with regional variations. On the East Coast, this dip is sometimes referred to as Maryland crab dip, as it uses blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay and Old Bay seasoning; in the Pacific Northwest, Dungeness crab and artichokes are essential to the mix. This version pulls inspiration from both, and you can use whatever variety is available to you at your local market. You don't need to use lump crab. Instead, look for less expensive options, which have small pieces of crab that distribute more evenly in the creamy base. The cheese pull — that long, gooey string that extends as a result of cheese being pulled apart — is the telltale sign that a dip has reached peak richness. Here, fontina achieves maximum cheesiness and doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Serve with crostini, pita or a sleeve of saltines.
Tahini Apple Tart
If you’re someone who loves a dessert packed with fruit and texture, this apple tart is made for you. The double dose of sesame is used in both the crust and filling, giving a nutty, earthy pop against the natural sweetness of the apples. They get tossed in ground cardamom for a wonderfully sweet, warm scent. Sesame is used twice: First, it becomes a spreadable paste with tahini, butter, sugar and egg, which becomes almost halva-like when combined with the cardamom-scented apples. Second, sesame seeds (and sugar) get sprinkled along the edges of the tart, making for a strikingly beautiful, textured crust.
Brown Butter Northern Irish Whiskey Pecan Pie
Dunville’s 1808 Irish Whiskey lends subtle flavors of vanilla and caramel to this pecan pie, and the brown butter adds extra nuttiness.
Milk Bread Pull-Apart Rolls
Asian milk bread, also known as Japanese milk bread or Hokkaido bread, is pillowy soft and buttery with a hint of sweetness. Tangzhong, the traditional Chinese technique of cooking flour and liquid (milk, water or a combination) into a paste and adding it to the dough when cooled, is the key to full, airy-soft, squishy buns that stay fresh longer. (You can also use this technique for cinnamon buns or hot cross buns.) These pull-apart rolls are a version of milk bread popular at Asian bakeries. The dough, with the addition of tangzhong, is supple and easy to work with. You can shape the rolls into balls or, for a little flair, twist them into knots. Use a round 9-inch cake pan, or similar pan, to bake the bread.
Crostini
Italian for ‘little crusts,” crostini are bite-sized slices of toast, often topped with vegetables, spreads or cheeses and served as an appetizer. A good crostini is crisp and lightly browned at the edges, but still slightly soft and chewy in the center. While crostini can be made with any bread, a French baguette’s long, narrow shape is ideal, and sliced at an angle, provides maximum surface area for topping. Crostini serve as a versatile base; try them in this recipe inspired by pasta alla norma, or this one with fresh peaches and ricotta. They’re also a nice addition to a cheese or charcuterie board, and a sturdy vehicle for warm cheeses and dips, such as baked brie, or spinach and artichoke dip.
Tamarind-Maple Brussels Sprouts
Earthy and slightly bitter brussels sprouts always benefit from a touch of sweetness, and in this recipe they are bathed in a tart, tangy, sweet and glossy tamarind glaze. The sharp sourness of tamarind is tempered by buttery, caramel-like maple syrup, and together, they form a thick, luscious coating that would be equally enticing with other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli. Thick, viscous tamarind purée (which is often interchangeably labeled as concentrate or paste) is preferred for this recipe, but you could also use the rehydrated pulp (sold in blocks), though the glaze may not be as glossy. A nob of butter is all it takes to add a silky richness to the sauce. (Vegan butter would work here, too.) Eat with rice, or as a tasty side dish.
Pastelitos
When my mother, Rosa Fernandez, immigrated from the Dominican Republic to New York to be with my father, she brought her grandmother’s recipe for pastelitos along with her. Most Latin American countries have their own versions of a savory pie; stuffed with spiced meat and deep-fried, pastelitos are the Dominican Republic’s take. Variations on the filling exist throughout the island, the most common of which is ground beef (but you can swap in any ground meat of your choice). Street vendors and restaurants in the Dominican Republic and New York sell these savory pies year-round, but many home cooks save them for special occasions. Though dough is traditionally made from scratch, this recipe uses store-bought dough disks instead, for convenience and ease. Usually, one disk is folded to create half-moon shapes, but in this recipe the disks are cut in half and folded to create small triangles, which makes them the perfect bite to serve to guests.
Vegan Jackfruit Pernil
On holidays and special occasions, the center of a Puerto Rican table usually features pernil, a juicy shredded roast pork seasoned with garlic, citrus and oregano. In 2020, Lyana Blount suddenly had more time to experiment with her vegan recipes and formed her Black Rican Vegan pop-up. She created a vegan version of the pernil she grew up eating using jackfruit. She boiled canned, brined jackfruit and seasoned it with spices and sauces like adobo, sazón and sofrito, then roasted the marinated jackfruit pieces in the oven, crisping the edges to mimic pernil. Even the most critical abuelas might not be able to tell the difference. Serve the dish with a vegan arroz con gandules or other rice.
Turkey, Farro and Chickpea Soup
Filled with spices and nubby with grains and beans, this easy soup is a satisfying way to use up as much of your leftover Thanksgiving turkey as you’re willing to spare from future sandwiches. Pearled or semi-pearled farro will soften in about half an hour, but you can use other grains here as long as you adjust the cooking time. White rice will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes, while brown rice and barley need about 45 minutes to an hour. (You might need to add a little water if the liquid level in the pot reduces too much.) And if you want to make this aromatic soup when you don’t have leftover turkey on hand, cooked chicken is a perfect substitute.
Thanksgiving Leftovers Hot Pockets
Wrapping up Thanksgiving leftovers in store-bought pizza dough and baking it all together creates a hand-held pielike treat that’s somewhere between a calzone and one of those Costco chicken bakes. This recipe calls for stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes, turkey and cranberry sauce, but it would work equally well with leftover green bean casserole, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts (chopped or sliced into small pieces) or squash. If it tastes good together on your Thanksgiving plate, it’ll taste good baked into a pocket. You can use homemade, store-bought or canned pizza dough here, but homemade or store-bought will give you the best texture and flavor.
Basque Cheesecake Bars
This recipe transforms Basque cheesecake into portable, handheld treats. Unlike typical cheesecake bars that bake at a low temperature, these are baked at 500 degrees to achieve a burnished top while maintaining a creamy interior. This layer makes for a striking presentation and imparts the flavor of burnt caramel, which offsets the sweetness of the filling. A sturdy graham cracker crust imitates classic cheesecake bars and adds a pop of texture to this creamy dessert. While Basque cheesecake is often served at room temperature, you can refrigerate the bars if you prefer a firmer texture.
Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread
If pulling apart slices of warm, cheesy, garlicky bread is your idea of a good time, do this: Slice crusty bread into a grid pattern, coat every nook and cranny with garlic butter, tuck in some shredded mozzarella and bake the whole thing. What was just a loaf of bread is now a worthy party centerpiece. You can prepare, wrap and refrigerate the loaf up to one day ahead. The format is adaptable, too: Season the butter with scallions, rosemary or other flavorings, or swap the mozzarella for Cheddar, pepper Jack or another melty cheese you’d use for a grilled cheese.
Chocolate Chess Pie
Classic buttermilk chess pie is quintessential in many Southern homes and its chocolate counterpart is all the more decadent. You can use store-bought pie dough or take the homemade route because the true star of this dessert is its luxurious chocolate filling, slightly firmer than custard but fudgier than a brownie. With just a few staple ingredients, this supremely easy filling requires less than 10 minutes of active time and minimal effort, but yields big-time flavor. It’s also highly adaptable: try adding a tablespoon of bourbon or a couple teaspoons of espresso powder with the cocoa powder. A velvety slice of this chocolate chess pie goes best with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and some bourbon, neat, alongside.
Easy Parker House Rolls
Using prepared pizza dough makes these Parker House rolls a snap to put together, and brushing them with plenty of melted butter gives them the moist interior and richness you expect. The trick to a tender texture is to cover the pan of just-baked rolls with foil, allowing them to steam and soften as they cool. This prevents the rolls from developing a crunchy crust. Be sure to leave plenty of time for rising; different brands of pizza dough will vary. To ensure the lightest rolls, wait until they are very puffy and risen before popping them in the oven. Serve these on the same day they’re baked, preferably still warm from the oven. Leftovers can be split and toasted for breakfast the next morning.
Cheesy Spinach Bake
This baked spinach gratin is similar to creamed spinach but has even more going on. It’s rich but uses half-and-half, so it’s not too heavy, and it’s crunchy with crisp toasted bread crumbs. It tastes verdant from so much spinach, sweet with onion and garlic, and sharp and gooey from two aged cheeses. It’s great alongside turkey, steak or white beans. To prepare this dish in advance, refrigerate the spinach mixture and the bread crumb topping separately for up to 24 hours before assembling and baking. If cooking chilled ingredients straight from the fridge, you may need to increase the cook time by 5 to 10 minutes.