Steal a Chef's Thanksgiving
A chef’s guide to your tastiest thanksgiving yet
Written by: Sarah Phelps & Josette Deschambeault
Thanksgiving is the food holiday. It is the only day of the year when we almost universally have a set menu: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. These are the staples of the average Thanksgiving dinner. (But, shout-out to the creative and cross-cultural T-Day meals which we love!) Regardless of whether we’re responsible for the main course (Hello, frozen turkey, my dry meat nightmare…) or bringing a side (Is this a competition? Because it feels like a competition.), each year some of us feel lost as to what to make — and how to make it. We want the absolute most delicious iteration of each facet of our meal. (As we should.) Since your ladies here at Of Life+Mind have a couple decades of baking between them, and professions as a chef instructor and a recipe editor, we figured we’d provide you with a guide to your most delicious Thanksgiving yet.
Appetizers
deviled eggs
Bacon and Sour Cream Deviled Eggs: what can we say? We’re from the South. (And you thought Thanksgiving didn’t need bacon.)
Photo by Becky Hardin of The Cookie Rookie
pear pastry
For the elevated palate, a savory pear pastry with tangy goat cheese, a flaky puff pastry crust, and a drizzle of honey will impress anyone.
Photo by Alison Randall at Home & Plate
Turkey
Photo by Alison Marras on Unsplash
Ah, the pinnacle Thanksgiving dish: turkey. Perfection has eluded many cooks when it comes to the T-day bird, and so much confusion still abounds. We’re here to change that. First, get a good quality bird — nothing frozen in a brine or chemical solution. (We buy ours at Natural Grocers.) We usually buy free range or heritage, but be warned, they are pricier. Personally, we don’t brine or baste because we like to use a covered roaster. (We told you we embrace controversy here at Of Life+Mind.) Some people don’t like covered roasters because the bird is technically steamed not ‘roasted’. Fair. But, ours is always super tasty and done before everyone else’s, so... who cares? (FYI, covered roasters are roasting pans with big domed lids. You can find one just about anywhere, but we use something similar to this one. The lid performs two functions: by trapping heat and moisture, it 1) cuts down the cooking time and 2) self-bastes the turkey, which means less work and worry for you!)
As far as the treatment of the bird, make sure you get it home and in the fridge at least a few days before Thanksgiving. It will probably come frozen (unless you’ve ordered it otherwise) and it needs to thaw. Here’s a great guide for thaw time based on the size of your bird.
Now for the good stuff! On Thanksgiving day, we like to get our bird out and set it in a roasting pan on the counter for a couple hours (no more than 3) before putting it in the oven. (Our trick? Set that puppy up while you’re making your morning coffee.) Meat is cooked best at room temperature, not cold. When we’re ready to get the bird rolling, we pat the bird dry with paper towels, soaking up ALL the moisture. This is crucial for crispy skin! Second, use butter or a high heat-tolerant fat of your choice (like coconut oil) and moisturize the crap outta that thing — and we mean every inch. Under the skin and on top should be lathered in fat. (We want this thing to brown like an old Italian man in a speedo at the beach.) Remember, turkey is lean and can dry out easily, so it can handle (a.k.a. needs) more fat than you think. Third, generously sprinkle kosher salt all over and rub it under the skin. You need to season under the skin for the meat to be flavorful. (Throwing some sprigs of thyme and rosemary under there never hurt anyone, either.) Finally, stuff that beauty with halved onions, lemons, and stalk herbs like rosemary and thyme. (We don’t use garlic in our birds because, well, there’s so much going on flavor-wise that it can just sit this one out, okay?) Do not season your bird more than 10 minutes before it goes in the oven. Salt can have a dehydrating effect if it sits too long on the meat prior to cooking. Fourth and final, cook that bird. Whether you use a covered roaster or not, there’s a recipe for whatever flavor profile you’re going for: sweet, spicy, or traditional. We’ve debated between us which is the best and for the preservation of the team, we’re gonna leave it to you. Regardless of your taste in turkey, this is our go-to gravy.
Sides
rolls
If words of affirmation are your love language, you’re going to want to be the person who brought the homemade rolls. We love how fast these one-hour rolls are, and we know from personal experience, they’re delicious.
Photo by Little Red Hen Blog
stuffing
Truth be told, sometimes simple is best. No contest. Bon Appetit does it again.
Photo by Bon Appetit
Vegetables
Even Thanksgiving needs vegetables.
Peas
Peas and pancetta are the unsung perfect couple. (PB+J, Bruno+Cardi B, Ross+Rachel, Peas+Pancetta. You heard us.) Williams Sonoma always feels classy, and in this recipe, we like the unexpected herb-iness of mint at the end.
Photo by Quentin Bacon on BarefootContessa.com
Roasted Carrots
These roasted carrots are akin to candy, and the addition of pomegranate seeds in this recipe balances that sweetness with just the right amount of acidity (and texture!)
Photo by Scott and Chris of The Cafe Sucre Farine
Green Beans
Cajun green beans are the best thing we stole from a college roommate. To cheat, pick up some Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning and season liberally. (We like ‘em sautéed and crispy, but roasting works, too!)
Cranberry sauce
Don’t get that canned crap. You know better. Make your own, (with only 5 ingredients).
Photo by Amy at She Wears Many Hats
Mashed Potatoes
Mix in some dried porcini mushrooms for added savory splendor! (And, of course, butter.) Mushroom bouillon also works, if the picky kids around the table don’t want “brown stuff” in their potatoes.
Pie for the lovers of tradition
Pecan pie
When it comes to rich, buttery deliciousness, Pioneer Woman does it best. This is the pecan pie.
Photo by Amanda Rettke of I Am Baker
pumpkin pie
This is it. This is the pumpkin pie you’ve been looking for. As a chef, I normally find myself dissatisfied with most recipes I come across, and as a pumpkin pie lover, I am even pickier. So, it speaks volumes that I don’t alter this recipe at all. I love it just the way it is. (I bet you didn’t know you wanted your pumpkin pie to have a gingersnap crust.)
Photo by Laura of Fork Knife Swoon
Pie For the adventurous
butterscotch pecan pie
I’m normally a stickler for tradition, but then Ashton at Something Swanky put butterscotch chips in her pecan pie. Mic drop.
Photo by Ashton of Something Swanky
Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin pie
For something more unexpected, we love this one Bon Appetit. (Think crossover between pumpkin pie and creme brulee, but with a boozy-maple twist and a chocolate crust! Swoon.)
Photo by Bon Appetit
Whipped cream
If you’re willing to be that person (and my grandmother says you better be), make homemade whipped cream. If you went through the effort of making a homemade pie, you better not top it with Redi-whip. (And for the love of all things holy, if you touch Cool Whip one more time…) You could stick to classic vanilla. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with the classic. However, we’re a couple of whiskey girls (Bourbon & Scotch, respectively) so we love this Maple Bourbon whipped cream.
Photo by Renee of Renee Nicole’s Kitchen
While whipping up your now epic Thanksgiving meal and feeling like a pro, we suggest toasting to a job well done with a little Woodford Reserve (à la Sarah’s kitchen) or Quiet Man Single Malt (à la Josette’s kitchen) and tag us @oflifeandmind on Instagram or Facebook so we can share kitchen wounds and war stories. Once you are overly-full and your stretchy pants are at max capacity, we recommend indulging a little Netflix and nap, or Disney+ if you’re looking to get your Star Wars on.