Best Thanksgiving Recipes

Best Thanksgiving Recipes

Olivia Ditchen & Luca Lamesta

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's never too late to start thinking about what to put on the dinner table for when the big day comes around. Everyone is saving themselves the meals just so they can cherish the Thanksgiving meal. From the honey ham to the delicious turkey, and mashed potatoes everyone has their own personal favorite food for the special day. So why not try and make it your priority not to let the dinner table disappoint? These are some of the best Thanksgiving recipes, some you may have had, and some you may be trying this year.

1. Perfect roast turkey

• ¼ pound of unsalted butter

• 1 lemon zested and juiced

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1 fresh turkey

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large bunch fresh thyme

• 1 whole lemon, halved

• 1 Spanish onion, quartered

• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside. Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with a bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Roast the turkey for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes. Finally, slice and serve the turkey to the table.

1. Parker house rolls

• 1 envelope of active dry yeast

• 1 cup whole milk

• ¼ cup vegetable shortening

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 large egg

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

• ¼ cup unsalted butter

Whisk yeast and ¼ cup warm water (110°-115°) in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium until just warm. Combine shortening, sugar, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Add warm milk; whisk to blend, breaking up shortening into small clumps (it may not melt completely). Whisk in yeast mixture and egg. Add 3 1⁄2 cups flour; stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms. Knead dough with lightly floured hands on a lightly floured work surface until smooth, 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until doubled, about 1½ hours. Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Lightly brush a 13x9" baking dish with some melted butter. Punch down dough; divide into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 12x6" rectangle. Cut lengthwise into three 2"-wide strips; cut each crosswise into three 4x2" rectangles. Brush half of each (about 2x2") with melted butter; fold unbuttered side over, allowing a ¼-inch overhang. Place flat in 1 corner of the dish, folded edge against the short side of the dish. Add remaining rolls, and shingling to form 1 long row. Repeat with remaining dough for 4 rows. Brush with melted butter, loosely cover with plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Bake rolls until golden and puffed, 25–35 minutes. Brush with butter; sprinkle sea salt over. Serve warm.

1. Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• 5 pounds of Yukon gold or russet potatoes

• 1 ½ stickers of softened butter, plus more for baking

• 1 ½ packages of cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup half-and-half

• ½ cup cream

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Milk, if needed, for thinning

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Peel the potatoes and rinse them in cold water. Chop the potatoes in fourths. Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes, and then return them to the pan. With the burner on low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher; the more steam that's released while you mash, the better. Mash for about 5 minutes. Turn off the burner. Add the butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, and seasonings. Stir to combine, and if the mixture needs thinning, add milk. Check the seasonings, adding salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the mashed potatoes into a large casserole pan. Dot the surface with butter. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

1. Apple Pie

• 8 small Granny Smith apples

• Butter

• Flour

• White Sugar

• Brown sugar

• Pie crust

On the stove, make a paste with flour and butter. Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Simmer, then remove from heat. Press one crust into a pie plate. Place the sliced apples on the bottom crust. Use the top crust to make a lattice crust according to the recipe below. Pour the butter-sugar mixture over the lattice crust. Bake the pie in a preheated oven until the apples are soft and the crust is golden brown. You'll bake the pie at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 35-45 minutes. All in all, the pie will bake for about one hour, give or take a few minutes. You'll know the pie is done when the apples are soft and the crust is a beautiful golden brown color.

1. Savory Stuffing

• ¼ cup butter

• 1 cup coarsely chopped celery

• 1 cup coarsely chopped celery

• 2 ½ Swanson chicken broth

• 1 12-ounce package of Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add Swanson Chicken Broth to the saucepan and heat to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the stuffing and mix lightly. Spoon the stuffing mixture into a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Cover the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the stuffing mixture is hot. Then it is ready to serve.

So, with Thanksgiving being a special holiday right around the corner, take it upon yourself to make some of these special recipes to make the dinner table a little extra special. Whether it's your first time making the meals on the table or just helping mom out in the kitchen make it a meal to remember.