It’s been 10 years of TODAY Thanksgiving.
Ten years of turkey-tenderizing tips.
Ten years of side-dish surpremacy.
Ten years of lumpy gravy fixes and burnt pie crust remedies.
Ten years of the canned-versus-homemade cranberry sauce debate.
Ten years of Al’s sweet potato poon.
Ten years of all-star chefs from across the country joining us to share their most beloved and nostalgic holiday recipes.
And this year is no different — except for the fact that we now have a cookbook!
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Pages: 240 | Genre: Cookbooks
We are featuring the recipes from the book that belong on your Thanksgiving table — like a cheesy potato casserole, jalapeño popper-style sweet potatoes and a double-crumble apple crisp — along with some other showstoppers worthy of our 10th anniversary celebration.
We also have some of our chefs’ favorite tips, tricks and techniques to help you get organized ahead of the holiday, ease some of your stress on the big day, surprise and delight your guests and, most importantly, allow you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones.
We’re two weeks from Thanksgiving, so you have plenty of time to shop (perhaps opting for a meal deal to save some money), plan your turkey-thawing strategy, decide how to cook your bird, which cocktails to shake up, which apps and side dishes to serve and which desserts to end the meal with.
It’s been 10 years of our viewers tuning in to see what we’ve cooked up for the big show — and we are so, so thankful for each and every one of you.
On that note, let’s begin with a toast and a little bite to eat:
This just happens to be Martha’s favorite Thanksgiving cocktail. Sometimes she calls it a cider bourbon smash or a sour — whatever you call it, it’s a winner. The simple combination of fresh apple cider, lemon juice (to balance out the sweetness of the cider), fresh ginger for a kick, and bourbon for warmth is sublime. Break out your cocktail shaker and make a drink for two — or go with our big-batch version, a stirred take on this fall cocktail that’s perfect for entertaining a crowd.
Bright, creamy and unapologetically addictive, this dip brings a zesty Korean twist to your holiday table. Tart cranberries meet the fragrant sweetness of yujacha — a traditional citrusy blend of yuzu and honey — while a hint of gochugaru adds a gentle, smoky heat. All of it comes together with a cloud of whipped feta for the perfect sweet-tangy-spicy harmony. It’s festive, fun and guaranteed to be the first thing to disappear.
Judy’s tip: Make your water pitcher part of the table decor. Everyone’s going to be drinking water (we hope), so make it look pretty with some seasonal fruit — like cranberries with rosemary or orange wedges — frozen into ice cubes.Let’s Talk Turkey
With her famous cheesecloth method, Martha’s recipe yields a plump and regal turkey, with crisp, golden-brown skin and an aroma to match.
Turkey Tips:Martha: If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly.Stefano Secchi: If you’re looking for a lighter take on gravy, you can make caramelized onions and blend them into beef or turkey stock thickened with roux. This cuts down on the amount of butter needed needed while giving the gravy an incredible depth. You can also make this in advance.Matt Abdoo: Whether you’re cooking the turkey whole or breaking it down, generously smear the entire bird with lots of room-temperature butter. Not only does the butter provide amazing flavor and moisture, it will also help your turkey develop a beautiful golden-brown color. Don’t forget to stuff some butter under the skin, too, and season with plenty salt and pepper.
This meatloaf packs all the amazing flavors of Thanksgiving into one easy-to-make meal. The secret to this recipe’s success is layering flavors: Start with a well-seasoned meatloaf mixture, wrap it in smoky turkey bacon and slather the whole thing is a tart, sweet and tangy cranberry barbecue sauce.
There’s no rule that says you can only eat roast turkey on Thanksgiving. Crunchy, juicy and perfectly poppable, these fried turkey bites are a fun and different way to serve the holiday bird. Serve them as a pre-dinner snack or make them a part of the main meal. Either way, the sweet and spicy sauce will have everyone coming back for more.
Jernard’s tip: Hand each guest a “thankful card” so they can write one thing they’re grateful for, then pass it around the table and share. Alternatively, you can take a long piece of brown paper and place on the back of the front door for guests to write what they’re thankful for, then share before you dig in. It’ll fill the room with love faster than the smell of sweet potato pie!
If you don’t want to roast an entire turkey this Thanksgiving, these turkey meatballs are the perfect solution. They’re packed with flavor and come together quickly. Dressed up with cranberry sauce, gravy and your other favorite holiday fixings, they’re perfect for a smaller gathering.
Showstopping Sides
Eric Helgas for TODAY
Mashed potatoes who? The tartiflette — a creamy baked casserole of potatoes, cream, bacon and alliums — is the definition of French mountain food. After braving the elements, whether out skiing or shoveling the snow, there is no better dish, bubbling in the pan, to be greeted with.
Alejandra Ramos’ tip: Make a big batch of quick-pickled red onions. This simple, bright condiment is always a welcome addition to the Thanksgiving table, whether you’re hosting or a guest. The recipe only takes a few minutes and a handful of pantry ingredients, and you end up with a batch of bright, tangy and brightly colored pickled onions that taste amazing with all your favorite dishes. The acidity cuts the heaviness and provides balance that makes all the dishes pop.
Cornbread, stuffing and gravy are all must-haves for Thanksgiving. This dish keeps the traditional elements of these holiday standards and brings them together with soulful spices, hearty vegetables and earthy flavors. Curry and turmeric add depth to the rich gravy; coconut milk enhances the sweetness of the cornbread; and mushrooms bring big umami flavor to the stuffing. The result is a cohesive intermingling of exciting tastes and textures with the classic notes of holidays past.
With its origins in the town of Nerano on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy, this dish’s star ingredient is super-tender zucchini that melts in your mouth, paired with pasta, plenty of cheese, and pepper. Serve it as an exciting meatless main, or as a sunny side dish to brighten up the table.
For Ayesha, no Thanksgiving celebration is complete without her mom’s carrot souffle; it holds a special place in her heart. The creaminess of the souffle is amazing, but the crunchy pecan topping takes it to the next level.
This sauce can do it all on Thanksgiving! It is great as a dip for charcuterie, roasted veggies or finger foods. You can drizzle it over salads, roasted sides or main dishes. It can even be used as a marinade for turkey or vegetables. This vibrant sauce combines buttery maple sweetness, a sweet cider tang, Dijon warmth, a savory kick from turmeric and a bright lemon finish. It adds an extra boost of fall flavor to any dish.
Spicy, savory, cheesy, crunchy — everything you could ever want in a finger food — now as a vegetarian entrée or exciting side dish. Priyanka bakes whole sweet potatoes, halves them, scoops them out, mixes the filling with a whole bunch of good stuff like jalapeño, garlic and cheddar, puts the mixture back into the sweet potato shells, tops with breadcrumbs and butter, bakes them again until golden and crispy, and serves them with ranch. So, rather than a bite of nostalgia, you can have an entire plate of it.
If you thought you loved mac and cheese before, be prepared to rethink everything you knew. This version is super cheesy, flecked with smoky bacon and topped with crunchy chips. It’s wonderfully simple to put together and will surely get the stamp of approval from cheese lovers of all ages.
Elizabeth’s tip: If you have any leftover bread after Thanksgiving is over, keep it to make breadcrumbs and croutons for future dishes.
There is no room on the Thanksgiving table for boring side dishes. These crispy sweet potatoes and crunchy shredded Brussels sprouts are loaded with bold, bright flavors. Berbere spice and Aleppo pepper add heat while creamy Greek yogurt cools it down. Finish it off with a drizzle of sweet and salty miso honey and a spoon of caviar, if you like, to make the humble vegetables feel special and elegant.
Decadent Desserts
Butternut squash is a staple autumn ingredient. Its mild, earthy and nutty flavor lends itself to both savory and sweet preparations. It’s incredibly versatile and holds up well to a wide variety of cooking techniques. Here, Martha ]turns the seasonal sensation into a warm, sweetly spiced pie that is perfect to serve for Thanksgiving.
In Gesine’s family, apple crisp has one (perhaps controversial) rule: no oats. If they’re going to have dessert, nothing is allowed to get in the way of the butter and sugar. Apples are already healthy enough, she says, so the crumble should be pure, unadulterated decadence. In this case, the crumble conveniently acts as both the bottom crust and the crispy topping — meaning double the decadence.
Lazarus grew up in a church where banana pudding was a standing-ovation tradition. This no-bake pie — which means it can be made ahead and kept frozen — layers a buttery shortbread-pecan crust with plush banana pudding and a glossy, crunchy pecan-praline topper for holiday sparkle.
Jocelyn remembers testing this recipe about 10 times in the span of five days. Her husband ate a lot of it — and adored it. It combines a buttery traditional pound cake with cranberries and raspberries in a swirl and topping. It’s a sweet-tart hit for the holiday season.
Give the classic Italian dessert an autumnal twist. Because this is a make-ahead and no-bake recipe, it helps save time and oven space on the busy holiday.
Katie loves a no-bake dessert recipe, especially for Thanksgiving, because the oven is prime real estate, and this cheesecake can be prepared a few days in advance. It is beyond easy and everyone will love it — we guarantee it.
Katie’s tip: Use cheap dollar store plastic bins to set aside all the shelf-stable ingredients you’ll need for each recipe. Label each bin, either with dry erase marker or paper notes. Set these aside from your regular weekly groceries, so your family doesn’t accidentally eat anything from your Thanksgiving shopping list before Turkey Day!
This cake is a chocolate lover’s dream. Using black cocoa in the cake, and both dark and milk chocolate in the ganache, Maya-Camille creates a deeply and richly satisfying dessert. And since orange and chocolate are a match made in heaven, she adds orange liqueur, extract and zest as a bright accompaniment to the earthiness of the cocoa. It may be dark as coal, but this cake shines like a diamond.
Maya-Camille’s tip: Make dessert goodie bags so guests can indulge after they’ve created a bit more room in their stomach. Pair with a Champagne split for a more gifting aesthetic.
We love pumpkin pie, don’t get us wrong, but sometimes we’re looking for something sweet that shows off the winter squash in a new light. Made with mandarin oranges, this tart is a bright and welcome addition to any Thanksgiving table.
Dining and Cooking