Our Best Thanksgiving Yet

an introduction by chris moroccoan introduction by chris morocco

After 10 years of Bon Appétit Thanksgivings,
what else could I possibly have to say?After 10 years of
Bon Appétit Thanksgivings, what else
could I possibly have to say?

A lot
actually.A lot
actually.

Up until recently, there were two versions of me when it came to this holiday. One was the version you see here, a seasoned food editor dispensing sage advice, while the second was a member of a large and raucous family where I was just another guest.

All that changed last year. My aunt and uncle, the de facto hosts for the past 30 years, finally said enough was enough and decided they’d rather chase their grandkids around than spend all day in the kitchen. That was when I stepped in and my two lives became one.

Apparently, I still have plenty to learn. While I had cooked for smaller groups of family and friends during the years we couldn’t gather as a larger group, I had never tried to organize the full extravaganza that is cooking for 25 people in someone else’s home. I made mistakes. I served too many vegetables that were similar in texture and tone (who needs sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots?) and didn’t include enough refreshing raw dishes to balance all the butter. But I succeeded in showing my family that our feasts could still look and taste the way they have for the past 30 years.

Now it’s time to show that there is still room for new ideas on our menu.

This year we are celebrating iconic dishes while making them our own. We’ve got a two-for-one way to cook turkey and gravy at the same time; everything you love about stuffing (or dressing!) turned into a loaded cornbread; and a vegetarian centerpiece that everyone will want a slice of. Also the butteriest rolls in town, hearty greens in a punchy vinaigrette, and more.

Everything looks familiar and offers something unexpected. Because we know you can’t ignore the dishes that people expect on the table year after year—but you can certainly have some fun with them, especially if you are the one doing the cooking.Up until recently, there were two versions of me when it came to this holiday. One was the version you see here, a seasoned food editor dispensing sage advice, while the second was a member of a large and raucous family where I was just another guest.

All that changed last year. My aunt and uncle, the de facto hosts for the past 30 years, finally said enough was enough and decided they’d rather chase their grandkids around than spend all day in the kitchen. That was when I stepped in and my two lives became one.

Apparently, I still have plenty to learn. While I had cooked for smaller groups of family and friends during the years we couldn’t gather as a larger group, I had never tried to organize the full extravaganza that is cooking for 25 people in someone else’s home. I made mistakes. I served too many vegetables that were similar in texture and tone (who needs sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots?) and didn’t include enough refreshing raw dishes to balance all the butter. But I succeeded in showing my family that our feasts could still look and taste the way they have for the past 30 years.

Now it’s time to show that there is still room for new ideas on our menu.

This year we are celebrating iconic dishes while making them our own. We’ve got a two-for-one way to cook turkey and gravy at the same time; everything you love about stuffing (or dressing!) turned into a loaded cornbread; and a vegetarian centerpiece that everyone will want a slice of. Also the butteriest rolls in town, hearty greens in a punchy vinaigrette, and more.

Everything looks familiar and offers something unexpected. Because we know you can’t ignore the dishes that people expect on the table year after year—but you can certainly have some fun with them, especially if you are the one doing the cooking.

Our Thanksgiving spread: greens, cornbread, pear salad, squash, turkey, galette, and salt bread

Hover to see the recipes from our Thanksgiving spread this year.

Buttered Nut SquashButtered Nut Squash

by Shilpa Uskokovic

Whatever squash calls your name at the farmers market? Top it with toasty brown butter, pecans, and sage. Oh, and bacon! Can’t forget bacon.Top the prettiest squash at the market
with brown butter, pecans, and sage.
Oh, and bacon!

Thanksgiving CornbreadThanksgiving Cornbread

by Inés Anguiano

Inspired by stuffing, a fully loaded loaf. Think: sausage, celery, herbs, basically everything good.Inspired by stuffing, a fully loaded loaf.
Think: sausage, celery, herbs, basically
everything good.

Collard Greens VinaigretteCollard Greens
Vinaigrette

by Shilpa Uskokovic

Treat collards like salad greens with a walnut-speckled vinaigrette singing soprano.Treat collards like salad greens
with a walnut-speckled vinaigrette
singing soprano.

A Beautiful Cabbage GaletteA Beautiful
Cabbage Galette

by Emma Laperruque

Yes, pie is for dinner too. Jammy onions, sharp cheese,
and a literal mountain of cabbage cook down into a rustic gratin in a flaky crust.Yes, pie is for dinner too. Jammy onions,
sharp cheese, and a mountain of cabbage cook down into a rustic gratin in a flaky crust.

Bring SomethingBring
Something
Other
Than WineOther Than Wine

by Noah Kaufman

“What should I bring?” When a guest asks this
well-intentioned question, the knee-jerk answer is, “Wine!” But it’s just as simple to source thoughtful bits and bobs to create a memorable start to the meal.“What should I bring?” When a guest asks this well-intentioned question, the knee-jerk answer is, “Wine!” But it’s just as simple to source thoughtful bits and bobs to create a memorable start to the meal.

Pear Salad with
Honey-Roasted SeedsPear Salad With
Honey-Roasted Seeds

by Rebecca Firkser

A fruit salad to change the way
you think about fruit salad.A fruit salad to change the way
you think about fruit salad.

Salt BreadSalt Bread

by Hana Asbrink

Listen closely and you can hear
children cheering in the distance.
Each glistening bun holds a secret:
a nub of salted butter baked inside.Each bun holds a rich secret:
a nub of salted butter bundled within.

Gravy-Braised TurkeyGravy-Braised Turkey

by Jesse Szewczyk

A dramatically delicious bird that doesn’t require a complicated
game plan or last-minute scramble. That’s right: no carving.A dramatically delicious bird that doesn’t
require a complicated game plan or last-
minute scramble. That’s right: no carving.

A Thanksgiving table, with a dog waiting underneath

A Thanksgiving table with a dog underneath

MIND YOUR MANNERSMIND YOUR
MANNERS

by Joe Sevier

Every family has Thanksgiving rules. Some are spoken (“Dinner’s
at 3 sharp!”), others understood (Mom gets the wings), and
plenty are hotly contested. So we asked Bon Appétit staffers,
friends, and their kids to settle the holiday’s thorniest questions.Every family has Thanksgiving rules,
plenty of them hotly contested. We settle
the holiday’s thorniest questions.