Craig Melvin rarely misses a Turkey Day dinner in Columbia, South Carolina, but given that this year is his first as cohost of Today (and that the holiday show is one of their biggest of the season), his plans aren’t yet set in stone.
“It’s kind of up in the air in terms of what we’re going to do,” he explains. “If I can’t leave, then we’ll probably host the meal.”
No matter where they’re spending the day, though, he’s ready for good food.
“The menu doesn’t change, which is one of the reasons I love Thanksgiving,” says Craig. For the Melvins, the lineup includes two turkeys (one oven roasted, one fried), green bean casserole, “never stuffing and always dressing,” homemade cranberry sauce (his sole contribution), and his mother Betty Jo’s trademark potato salad.
“It’s second only to her mac and cheese,” he says. “If there’s ever a family gathering, my mom makes it. I don’t think I had anyone else’s version until I was in my teenage years.”
Not that he felt like he was missing out. “Her potato salad is one of those dishes that people will try to make like her, and it’s never the same. It’s not as good—in part because I’m convinced that she deliberately never shares the accurate recipe,” Craig says.
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Dining and Cooking