10 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes Celebrity Chefs Serve Their Families (2024)

"These bites have been part of our holiday gatherings since I was a young kid. They're a great snack after the Thanksgiving Day football game." —Bryan, Top Chef season 6 finalist

"We looked forward to holidays because of this treat. A few simple ingredients and Mom is a hero!" —Michael, Top Chef season 6 winner

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 34 puffs

3 cups pancake mix (such as Bisquick)
1 lb bulk (not in casing) breakfast sausage, crumbled
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp chopped fresh sage

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or beaters (or use a handheld mixer). Mix on medium-low speed until sausage and cheese are blended into the baking mix and form a moist paste.

3. Shape heaping tablespoonfuls into 1½-inch balls; you'll end up with 34. (Puffs can be made to this point a day ahead; just cover and refrigerate.) Place balls evenly spaced on prepared baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

"This sweet yet earthy soup can be prepared several days in advance and quickly reheated just before serving—which gives you the freedom to focus on the larger items on the big day." —Emeril, star of Emeril's Table on Hallmark Channel

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 33 minutes
Makes 8 servings

Soup:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1½ cups peeled, diced parsnips
1¼ cups diced onion
¼ cup diced celery
1 tsp chopped garlic
6 fresh thyme sprigs, tied together in a bundle
2 lbs turnips, peeled, diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1¼ tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream

Parsnip chips:
3 parsnips (about ½ lb)
1½ Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp coarse sea salt
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Soup: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add parsnips, onion, and celery. Cook 5 minutes, until lightly caramelized around edges. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

3. Add turnips, stocks, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, until turnips are tender.

4. Parsnip chips: While soup is simmering, use a vegetable peeler to peel parsnips lengthwise into long, paper-thin ribbons. Place ribbons into a bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt. Lay ribbons on prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake 20 minutes or until parsnips are crispy and golden brown. Cool on baking sheet before removing.

5. Remove thyme bundle from soup and stir in cream. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth (or puree in batches in a blender or food processor). Ladle into serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with chives and parsnip chips.

"I love making this traditional recipe for the holiday. It takes me right back to every Thanksgiving table I ever sat at, from my Grandma Paul's to the little turkeys I roasted when we were a small family of three, just me and my boys." —Paula, author of Paula Deen Cuts the Fat

Cook time: 4 hours
Makes 8 servings (with lots of leftovers)
Makes 3½ cups gravy

Turkey broth:
Neck and giblets from
turkey (liver discarded)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large yellow onion, chopped

Turkey:
1 fresh or frozen turkey (about 16 lb), thawed if frozen
3 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground pepper
1 onion, quartered
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
10 sprigs fresh sage
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1. Turkey broth: In a saucepan, combine turkey neck, giblets, broth, and onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer 1 hour. Strain broth into a bowl. Discard neck, giblets, and onion. Cover broth and reserve for pan gravy.

2. Turkey: Heat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey; pat dry. Season cavity with 1 tsp each of the salt and pepper and the exterior with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Stuff onion, garlic, and sage sprigs into cavity. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large, heavy nonstick roasting pan. Tie legs together and twist wing tips under the back. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one thigh, next to the body, avoiding any bone. Brush turkey with ¼ cup of the butter. Add 1 cup water to roasting pan.

3. Loosely tent turkey with heavy-duty foil. Roast 3½ to 4 hours, basting turkey every 45 minutes with pan juices and remaining ¼ cup melted butter. Remove foil after 3 hours. Turkey is fully cooked when thermometer hits 170°F.

4. Transfer turkey to a carving board. Tent it loosely with foil and let rest 45 minutes. Pour fat and drippings from roasting pan into a measuring cup. Spoon off and reserve ¼ cup turkey fat for pan gravy. Spoon off and discard remaining fat from drippings. Reserve drippings for pan gravy.

Pan gravy: Place roasting pan on two stove burners over medium-high heat. Add reserved turkey fat and whisk in ¼ cup flour. Cook, whisking until smooth, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved turkey broth; simmer 5 minutes, until thickened. Whisk in reserved pan drippings and any accumulated juices from turkey. Strain into a gravy server.

"We've taken two classic ingredients—cranberry and orange—and added a hint of chipotle. Guests love it!" —Gina , co-host of Down Home with the Neely's on Food Network

"Everything can be improved with just a touch of spice." —Pat, co-host of Down Home with the Neely's on Food Network

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 3½ cups

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
¼ tsp kosher salt
4 cups (1 lb) fresh cranberries
1 cup golden raisins
½ cup each orange juice and water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 small chipotle chile in adobo, seeded, minced

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it foams. Add shallot and salt and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop and mixture thickens slightly, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days) before serving.

"I like to get something lighter into Thanksgiving, and the bright acids of this salad wake up the palate. I'm used to cooking for my mom, dad, and sister, who was a vegetarian [she passed away in February], so I want to make something everyone can enjoy." —Guy, host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 servings

½ cup basmati rice
1 cup water
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp each honey, minced shallot, and chopped cilantro
1 (15½-oz) can black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
½ cup diced red bell pepper
⅓ cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, sliced
¼ cup diced red onion
1 tsp ground black pepper

1. In a small saucepan, combine rice, water, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover pan, and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is just tender. Let cool. Fluff with a fork.

2. In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard, oil, honey, shallot, and cilantro until combined. Add rice and remaining ingredients, and toss until evenly dressed. Salad can be refrigerated up to 2 hours before serving.

"My family loves side dishes, so this dressing usually ends up on the center of our plates, with the turkey on the side!" —Carla, Top Chef season 5 finalist and co-host of The Chew on ABC

Prep time: 30 minutes (not including making cornbread)
Cook time: 45 minutes
Makes 8 servings

¾ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 cups diced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 (20-oz) pkg sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed, crumbled
8 cups day-old cornbread, chopped into ¾-inch cubes (recipe follows)
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1½ cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish. Soak cranberries in 1 cup hot water to rehydrate.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and thyme. Sauté until softened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes; season with poultry seasoning. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

3. Cook sausage in the same skillet, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Add sausage to vegetables in bowl. Drain cranberries and add to bowl along with cornbread, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, stock, and cream. Pour into cornbread mixture and stir until evenly moistened. Spoon into prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake 15 minutes or until stuffing is hot, browned, and slightly crisp on top.

Carla's Cornbread
Makes 8 cups

Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet in oven; heat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups yellow cornmeal, 2 Tbsp sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. In a 4-cup glass measure (or another bowl), whisk 3 large eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 (8¼-oz) can cream-style corn, and ½ cup canola oil until blended; pour over cornmeal mixture and mix until smooth. Carefully remove hot skillet from oven. Add 1 Tbsp canola oil to skillet, swirling pan to coat. Pour batter into skillet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cornbread is golden. Cool 10 minutes in pan; invert onto a wire rack and cool completely. Cut cornbread into ½-inch cubes. Spread cubes on a baking sheet. (Cornbread can be made a day ahead; store uncovered at room temperature.)

"My whole family oohs and aahs over this casserole because it looks so gorgeous with the poofed meringue peaks. I am always tickled that everyone requests it each year. And it has a third of the calories of your run-of the-mill sweet potato casserole." —Ellie, host of Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on Food Network

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Makes 8 servings

3½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
⅓ cup honey
1 large egg, slightly beaten
½ tsp each ground cinnamon and salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 large egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ cup superfine sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Fill a large pot with 3 inches water; insert a large steamer basket into pot and top with sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil; cover pot and steam potatoes 14 to 16 minutes, until fork tender.

2. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and cool slightly. Add honey, egg, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to bowl. Mash with a potato masher or beat with a handheld electric mixer until mixture is smooth. Spread into prepared dish and bake 30 minutes or until potatoes are hot.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, beating for about 10 seconds between additions. Continue to beat 4 to 5 minutes until stiff peaks form and meringue is smooth and glossy.

4. Remove sweet potatoes from oven and place on a heat-proof surface. Using a spatula, swirl meringue over hot sweet potatoes to cover completely. Return baking dish to oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes longer or until meringue is set and lightly browned in spots.

"This dish is an antidote to typical Brussels sprout Thanksgiving dishes, which involve cooking the sprouts whole so you end up with soft, brownish outer leaves and an undercooked center. It takes a bit longer to prepare, but it's worth it, because no one at the table gets stuck with raw or overcooked Brussels sprouts on their plate." —Tom, producer of Top New Restaurant.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 servings

2 lb Brussels sprouts
6 slices thick-cut bacon (6 oz), diced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove any torn or discolored outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts, then trim their bases and cut out and discard the cores.

2. Add sprouts to boiling water and blanch 4 to 5 minutes until they're crisp- tender and the leaves begin to open. Drain and refresh under cold water until they're cool enough to handle. Carefully separate Brussels sprouts into leaves and blot dry on paper towels. (This can be done a day ahead; place leaves in a resealable bag in the refrigerator.)

3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 7 minutes or until just crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; add sprout leaves, bacon pieces, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, tossing gently, until just heated through.

"One year I said to my mom, "How come we always get pie, and not cake, at Thanksgiving?" To make me happy, she made a pumpkin bread pudding using challah. It was SOOOOO good, and a lot like cake! Now every year we have this instead of pie, and it rocks." —Anne, host of Worst Cooks in America on Food Network

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Makes 12 servings

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 (15-oz) loaf challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)
½ cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
½ cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
3 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp each ground nutmeg and allspice
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter. Add bread to dish, then scatter with walnuts and raisins. Gently toss to mix.

2. In a large bowl, whisk next 9 ingredients until blended. Pour evenly over bread mixture to cover, gently pressing down on bread cubes to submerge. Let stand 30 minutes.

3. Heat oven to 325°F. Bake dish 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean when inserted near the center (a few moist spots in the middle are okay). Let cool in pan on a wire rack until just warm. Serve with ice cream, if desired. (Dish can be made a day ahead; reheat before serving.)

"Granny and I used to collect fallen pecans in the fall and bring them home to shell and bake with them. Growing up in Louisiana, I ate the bulk of my pecan pie at the kitchen table surrounded by relatives. I can't imagine Thanksgiving without it." —David, chef and owner of Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington, Virginia

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Makes 8 servings

Crust:
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling:
1 large egg
5 large egg yolks
⅔ cup each cane syrup and light brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cups pecan pieces

1. Crust: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter; pulse until pieces are the size of corn kernels. Sprinkle 4 Tbsp ice water over mixture and pulse 6 times until dough starts to hold together (if it's still dry, add another 1 Tbsp ice water). Turn dough out on a work surface and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

2. Heat oven to 325°F. Unwrap dough. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll it out to a 12-inch-diameter, ⅛-inch-thick round. Fold into quarters and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold and mold into plate. Trim edges to a ¾-inch overhang. Turn edges under, crimp with fingers, and refrigerate.

3. Filling: Whisk egg and egg yolks together in a bowl. Combine cane syrup, sugar, cream, and salt in a saucepan until blended. Add butter and cook over medium heat until melted, then cook until mixture is hot but not bubbling, 1 minute longer. Gradually whisk syrup mixture into eggs until blended. Stir in vanilla.

4. Sprinkle pecan pieces over bottom of crust and pour filling on top. Bake until filling is set around edges but center jiggles slightly, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.