The Best Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas from A to Z (2024)

Greet everyone with a delicious cocktail that'll make them want refill after refill. We dig the Plymouth Americano, an American-by-way-of-Italy treat adapted from David Burnette, mixologist at the historic Capital Hotel in Little Rock, AR.

Ingredients:
1 oz gin
1 oz Aperol or Campari
1 oz dry vermouth
3 oz prosecco or champagne

In a flute glass, stir gin, Aperol, and vermouth until blended. Top with prosecco and garnish with a long orange peel. (We got carried away and tossed in an edible flower...)

These haute snacks will keep the sports fans out of the kitchen:

Hot buttered popcorn tossed with grated Parm.

Olives combined with strips of orange zest and red pepper flakes.

Marcona almonds tossed with lemon zest, chopped parsley, and Spanish paprika.

Always wondering how to make gravy perfect for the holidays? Our trick: Making it ahead of time to avoid the last-minute scramble before dinner.

Ingredients:
6 lb turkey wings
3 onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup Madeira, tawny port, or dry red wine
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb carrots, cut into chunks
6 ribs celery, cut into chunks
6 cloves garlic, cracked
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp black pepper
Kosher salt, to taste

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Put wings in a single layer in a large roasting pan; scatter onions on top. Roast 1½ hours, turning wings once, until golden brown.

2. Transfer wings and onions to an 8-quart pot. Pour fat from roasting pan into a gravy separator; pour off juices and reserve. Pour off ½ cup of rendered fat and reserve.

3. Place roasting pan across 2 stovetop burners over medium heat. Add Madeira, scraping up browned bits. Boil 2 minutes, then add to pot with reserved juices, 10 cups of the broth, carrots, celery, and garlic. Bring to a boil; simmer 1½ hours.

4. Meanwhile, heat reserved fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in flour until smooth. Cook mixture 7 minutes, whisking until light brown. Whisk in remaining 2 cups broth until a thick gravy base forms. Remove from heat. Place plastic wrap directly on gravy surface; keep at room temperature.

5. Remove wings from pot; discard. Strain broth from pot through a sieve into a large saucepan and skim off any fat from surface. Bring to a gentle boil; gradually whisk in reserved gravy base. Simmer 8 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in pepper. Cool to room temperature, then pour into freezer containers. Freeze up to 2 months. One day before using, thaw in refrigerator.

6. To finish gravy on Thanksgiving, skim and discard any fat on surface of thawed gravy. Reheat, add drippings from newly roasted turkey (if desired), adjust seasonings to taste, and serve.

Makes 8 cups

For a side dish your guests won't soon forget, whip up a batch of this festive treat. It's got a kick that's sure to surprise.

Ingredients
2 (12-oz) bags fresh cranberries
2 small navel oranges (unpeeled), quartered
½ cup orange marmalade
½ cup sugar
½ cup golden raisins, chopped
¼ cup prepared horseradish
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

In a food processor, roughly chop cranberries, oranges, marmalade, sugar, raisins, and horseradish to combine. Remove from processor; stir in walnuts. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Relish can be made 2 days ahead and stored airtight in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 cups

Thomas Jefferson's Madeira toast for the Declaration of Independence inspired chef Chris Jakubiec of the famed Jefferson Hotel to concoct this glaze that consists of Madeira, mustard, and cranberries. Historical turkey? Love it!

Jefferson Turkey
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 4 hours

Glaze
2 Tbsp canola oil
¼ cup chopped shallots
2 cups Madeira
2 cups fresh cranberries
¼ cup honey
3 large sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup whole-grain Dijon mustard

Turkey
1 (14- to 16-lb) turkey, ideally organic free-range
2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp ground pepper, mixed
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup each chicken stock and water

1. Glaze: Make this up to 3 days before Thanksgiving: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add shallots and sauté 6 minutes. Add Madeira; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil 15 minutes until wine is reduced to a thick syrup. Stir in cranberries, honey, and thyme; reduce heat and cook 6 minutes, until cranberries start to break down. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, until thick. Remove thyme sprigs. Puree mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; whisk in mustard. Cover, cool to room temp, and refrigerate.

2. Turkey: Heat oven to 350°F. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water; pat dry. Sprinkle neck and body cavities with half the salt mixture. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine and tuck wings under. Place in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan; brush all over with melted butter and season with remaining salt mixture. Insert a meat thermometer into center of thigh next to body (not touching bone). Add stock and water to roasting pan.

3. Roast turkey 2 hours, basting every 45 minutes with pan juices, until skin is a light golden color. Loosely cover turkey with foil and continue to roast and baste for 1 more hour. Remove foil; brush turkey all over with a thin, even layer of glaze. Roast 45 minutes longer, brushing with remaining glaze every 10 minutes, until thermometer in thigh registers 165°F and turkey is a deep golden-reddish brown.

4. Transfer to a board; tent with foil. Let rest 45 minutes.

Makes 12 servings, with leftovers.

Here's the seven things to check off your list:

1. Double-check your recipes to make sure you have all the ingredients.
2. Organize all of your linens, dishes, flatware, and glasses.
3. Prepare the bar area.
4. Chill the wine.
5. Wash and prep all the veggies.
6. Clean whatever bathroom will get the most traffic.
7. Get a good night's sleep!

This way everyone at the table is happy.

Sweet and Sour Onions
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes

2 lb cipollini onions
1 lb red pearl onions
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tsp grated orange zest, plus strips of peel for garnish

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add onions and cook 1 minute. Drain under cold water; slip off skins.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes or until onions are browned all over.

3. Add wine, vinegar, brown sugar and orange juice and simmer over low heat, covered, 5 minutes. Remove cover and increase heat to medium-high and cook 2 minutes or until onions are glazed. Stir in pine nuts and grated zest. Garnish with strips of orange peel, if desired.

Makes 12 servings

We'll get you started with this delicious recipe, but there are plenty more to-die-for pumpkin recipes where that came from.

Pumpkin Tart with Pistachio Brittle
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1½ hours

Tart shell:
½ cup shelled unsalted pistachio nuts
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut in small chunks
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 2 Tbsp cold water

Filling:
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
¼ almond extract

Topping:
Pistachio brittle (recipe follows)
Pistachio gelato

1. Tart shell: Chop pistachios and confectioners' sugar in a food processor until nuts are ground into a powder, 30 seconds. Add flour and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter; pulse several times until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg mixture; pulse until dough just comes together into a ball. Press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of an 11-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Prick bottom of tart with a fork in several places. Freeze tart shell 15 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 325°F. Line tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights from shell. Bake shell 8 minutes longer, until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Raise oven temp to 350°F.

3. Filling: Whisk all ingredients until blended; pour into crust. Carefully cover crust edge with foil (so crust does not get too dark). Bake until filling is set and crust is golden, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. (Tart can be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and refrigerated.) Slide tart off pan bottom onto serving plate. Cut into wedges. Serve with gelato and a piece of pistachio brittle.

Makes 12 servings.

Pistachio brittle:

Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil. In a saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil over medium-high heat, swirling pan to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until syrup turns a light honey color, 4 minutes. Add ⅔ cup shelled unsalted pistachios to caramel; stir to completely coat nuts and cook until caramel deepens to an amber color. Quickly pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula. Cool 30 minutes, until hard. Break brittle into small pieces before serving. (Can be made 1 week ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Quince is a fall fruit that doesn't get enough love: When cooked, it has a tartness that balances the richness of this dish. If you can't find any at the store, use green apples.

Stuffing with Quince and Bacon
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 50 minutes

1½ lb challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 16 cups)
12 oz sliced thick-cut smoked bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
3 cups diced onions (½-inch)
2 cups diced celery (½-inch)
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
4 quince (2 lb total), peeled, cored, and cut into ¾-inch dice (or 4 cups diced Granny Smith apples)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 Tbsp each chopped fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground pepper
1½ cups chicken broth
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Place challah in a large roasting pan. Bake 20 minutes, tossing several times, until lightly toasted. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Fry bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate; drain. Pour off all but ¼ cup bacon drippings from pan. Add onions, celery and garlic; sauté 8 minutes, until almost softened. Add quince, cranberries, sage, rosemary, and thyme; sauté 10 minutes until quince are tender but still hold their shape.

3. Add onion mixture to bread along with bacon, parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss; drizzle 1 cup of the broth over stuffing and toss again. (Can be prepared in advance up to this point; cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.)

4. Generously butter a 3-quart casserole dish. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining ½ cup broth, eggs, and cream; pour over bread mixture and toss with a large spoon until evenly moistened. Spoon stuffing into prepared dish; cover tightly with foil. Bake in a 350°F oven 30 minutes (while turkey is resting); remove foil and bake 15 more minutes, until stuffing is hot and slightly crisp on top.

Makes 12 servings, with leftovers.