9 Showstopping Thanksgiving Recipes for Your Best Holiday Meal Yet
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest food holidays of the year, synonymous with mountains of mashed potatoes, rivers of gravy, and, of course, the quintessential turkey.
Accordingly, our November issue is jam-packed with everything you need to serve an impressive meal. Looking for a new stuffing recipe? We have three, ranging from cornbread with buttery sage croutons to sweet onion challah. Craving greens? Our Tuscan kale salad is sure to be a new favorite, made all the more tempting with gorgonzola croutons. And we didn't forget about dessert, either—in fact, one of our pies combines two Thanksgiving staples into one, so you don't have to choose between pecan and pumpkin ever again.
While the entire spread encompasses dozens of recipes, we've included some highlights below to get you started, covering everything from turkey to pie. For all of the other dishes we're planning on making this Thanksgiving, head to your local newsstand to pick up the new issue.
Red Wine Gravy
No Thanksgiving table is complete without a boat overflowing with silky, savory gravy. It’s the kind of sauce that makes everything it touches instantly more delicious, and we add it liberally to mashed potatoes, turkey, and … well, pretty much everything else on the plate. This recipe upgrades your typical gravy with two cups of Cabernet Sauvignon, adding earthy, jammy fruit notes. If you can, try to grab a bottle from Santa Barbara.
Get the recipe here.
Bacony Potato Purée
Justin Chapple uses double-smoked bacon to flavor half-and-half, which he then mixes into light, ultra-creamy potatoes for a tasty side dish. You’ll never go back to regular mashed potatoes again.
Get the recipe here.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Yogurt
Sweet potatoes are another Thanksgiving staple, and this three-ingredient—yes, just three!—recipe mixes them with salt and coconut yogurt for a light, silky side.
Get the recipe here.
Simple Smoked Turkey
To get seriously tender and juicy meat, consider smoking your turkey this Thanksgiving. Bonus: since you’re using a smoker, sides and desserts can cook simultaneously in the oven.
Get the recipe here.
Cornbread Dressing with Buttery Sage Croutons
Everyone has their secret stuffing (aka dressing) recipe—one passed down through family generations, or carefully preserved from a cookbook. However, we think you should make room for this stuffing at your table, too. It’s loaded with savory cornbread, sage, bacon, onions, apples, and all of your other favorite fall flavors, with a custard-like texture juxtaposed by the crispy bread cubes on top. The recipe serves eight—but if you’re keen on leftovers, you might want to double it, just in case.
Get the recipe here.
Ginger- and Molasses-Glazed Root Vegetables
Carrots, parsnips, and turnips star in this simple vegetable side dish, which comes together in under 50 minutes. If you want to prep ahead, you can blanch the vegetables the day beforehand.
Get the recipe here.
Tuscan Kale Salad with Gorgonzola Croutons
You’ll need something light (and green) to balance the richer dishes on the table, so look no further than this kale salad. It’s filled with golden beets, hakurei turnips, pickled red onions, and Tuscan kale. The pièce de résistance? Gorgonzola croutons, which make excellent toppings for soup, should you have any leftovers.
Get the recipe here.
Cranberry Kosho
Swap classic cranberry sauce for Kosho, a fermented Japanese condiment that’s traditionally prepared with yuzu. In this case, Tyler Heckman uses sweet-tart cranberries with jalapeños (seeds included) for a kick, which creates a sour-spicy-salty flavor profile.
Get the recipe here.
Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie
If you’re having trouble deciding between making pumpkin pie or pecan pie, we’ve got great news—you can have both in one recipe. Joanne Chang’s Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie pairs creamy pumpkin with gooey, syrupy pecans, all topped off with “stars” made from whipped cream. The end result is equally photogenic and tasty.
Get the recipe here.
