Though Thanksgiving may be over a month away, it’s not too early to start planning your Turkey Day spread. But finding the perfect plates to go with your standout main dish is not an easy task. So of course, we asked celebrity chefs themselves, Food Network’s Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay, and Giada De Laurentiis for their top Thanksgiving dinner picks, plus their own recipes for their chosen dishes. Whether you’re hosting a full-on turkey dinner or searching for the perfect side to bring to a fun gathering, take cues from some of Food Network’s best and you’re bound to please any crowd.
Read on for tasty traditional dishes, from hearty entrees like butternut squash lasagne and roast turkey, to cranberry sauce and flavorful vegetable sides.
VIDEO: 25 Thanksgiving Questions with Ina Garten
Tyler Florence's Roast Turkey with Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing
(Serves 8-10)
1 pkg. (9 oz.) dried mission figs, trimmed
3 cups hot water
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
½ lb. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp chopped rosemary
4 large store-bought cornbread muffins, crumbled (about 5 cups)
½ cup chicken broth
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
1 turkey (13-15 lb.)
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup balsamic vinegar
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 In medium bowl combine figs, hot water, honey and lemon juice. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; set aside for 1 hour.
2 Position oven rack in lowest third of oven. Heat oven to 400°F.
3 Meanwhile heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sausage, onions and rosemary until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender, about 6-8 min.
4 Drain figs, reserving liquid, and coarsely chop.
5 In large bowl toss sausage mixture with figs and corn muffins. In small bowl whisk together chicken broth and egg; toss with stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.
6 Gently loosen skin around turkey breast, thigh and legs, and spread softened butter underneath. Season cavity with salt and pepper, and fill loosely with stuffing. With butcher's string tie legs together. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
7 Roast in roasting pan for 20 min., then lower temperature to 350°F.
8 Meanwhile, in saucepan heat reserved fig liquid; boil until reduced to 2 cups. Add vinegar; continue boiling until mixture is syrupy. Swirl in cold butter, stuffing until it has melted and mixture is shiny and thick.
9 Roast turkey for 2 ½ - 3 hours or until instant-read thermometer registers 175°F. During last 20 minutes of roasting, baste turkey with half the glaze. When done, remove pan from oven and baste turkey with remaining glaze. Let stand 30 min. before carving.
Bobby Flay's Sweet Potatoes
(Serves 10)
6 large sweet potatoes (4 amp#189; lb. total), peeled and cubed
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
amp#188; cup molasses
1 tbsp minced canned chipotle pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Place sweet potatoes in large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to boil; cook 8-10 min. or until tender. Drain; return to saucepan.
2 Add butter, molasses and chipotle pepper.
3 Mash mixture with a potato masher.
4 Season with salt and pepper.
There's more! Check out celebrities' top 2011 Thanksgiving and holiday recipes, from Maria Bello’s Roasted Turkey to Christina Hendricks' Rub-All-Over-Your-Body Cornbread Stuffing, now.
Giada De Laurentiis's Butternut Squash Lasagne
(Serves 10)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 ½ lb.)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 ½ cups milk
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 box (8 oz.) oven-ready lasagne noodles
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 In large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add squash and toss to coat. Add ½ cup water. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 min. or until tender. Cool slightly.
2 Puree squash in food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
3 In medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, whisking for 1 min. Increase heat to high and gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 min., or until slightly thickened. Whisk in nutmeg and cinnamon. Let cool slightly.
4 Pour half the white sauce into a blender; add the basil and blend until smooth. Return basil sauce to saucepan and combine with rest of white sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Heat oven to 350°F.
6 Reserve ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
7 Lightly spray 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
8 Spread ¾ cup of basil sauce in bottom of baking dish. Place three lasagne noodles crosswise over the sauce. Spread ⅓ of the squash puree over the noodles, followed by ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering using basil sauce, noodles, squash puree and mozzarella.
9 Cover with foil and bake for 40 min. Remove foil and sprinkle with reserved ½ cup of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and continue baking 15 min. Let stand 15 min. before cutting.
Tyler Florence's Cranberry Sauce
(Serves 8-10)
2 pkgs. (10 oz. each) fresh cranberries
¾ cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Zest from 1 orange
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
1 Cook cranberries, sugar, cinnamon sticks and orange zest in saucepan over medium heat for 15-18 minutes, or until cranberries have popped and mixture has thickened.
2 Let cool; refrigerate.
3 Remove and discard cinnamon sticks prior to serving; stir in grapes.
Tyler Florence's Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(Serves 8-10)
2 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
¼ lb. pancetta, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp chicken broth
½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Heat oven to 425°F. In large bowl toss brussels sprouts with pancetta, garlic and olive oil.
2 Spread vegetables in single layer in 15" x 10" x 2" baking dish. Roast for 25 minutes or until brussels sprouts are fork-tender.
3 Stir in balsamic vinegar and chicken broth. Sprinkle with panko. Return to oven for 5 minutes.
4 Remove from oven and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tyler Florence's Green Beans
(Serves 12)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
2 tbsp minced fresh chives
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
2 lb. green beans, trimmed and blanched
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 Melt olive oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat.
2 Add onions and cook until golden brown, about 10 min.
3 Stir in thyme, chives and rosemary; cook 5 min.
4 Add green beans; toss and cook until heated through.
5 Season with salt and pepper.
6 Sprinkle with toasted walnuts.
Giada De Laurentiis's Pear-and-Apple Crisp
(Serves 10)
2 tsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
⅓ cup light brown sugar
⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar divided
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup crushed amaretti cookies
¾ cup sliced almonds
7 ripe Bosc pears, (about 3 lb.) peeled
2 MacIntosh apples, (about ½ lb.) peeled
3 tbsp almond-flavored liqueur
¾ cup mascarpone cheese
1 Heat oven to 350°F.
2 Butter a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish with 2 tsp butter.
3 In medium bowl combine 1 cup flour, brown sugar and ⅓ cup sugar. With pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4 Stir in cookies and almonds.
5 Cut pears and apples into chunks, and toss with remaining flour and sugar in large bowl.
6 Add liqueur; toss well.
7 Spoon into prepared dish; sprinkle with topping. Bake 45 min.; top each serving with dollop of mascarpone cheese.
Tyler Florence's Pumpkin Rice Pudding with Rum-Raisin Mascarpone
(Serves 8-10)
½ cup raisins
½ cup dark rum
2 tbsp plus 1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
1 8 oz. container mascarpone
2 ½ cups milk
2 ½ cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 Place raisins, rum and 2 tbsp sugar in microwavable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 30 seconds; set aside to cool.
2 Drain mixture, and stir raisins into mascarpone. Set aside.
3 In heavy saucepan combine milk, cream, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon, vanilla salt and nutmeg; bring to a gentle simmer.
4 Add rice and stir constantly until mixture returns to a simmer. Let simmer 40-45 minutes, stirring often, until rice is tender.
5 Remove from heat; fold in pumpkin puree. Cover with plastic wrap; cool to room temperature.
6 Spoon rice pudding into individual ovenproof ramekins or into a 2 qt. ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup sugar.
7 Caramelize by putting under broiler or using a cook's torch until sugar is golden brown. Serve with mascarpone.
Bobby Flay's Easy Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Brittle
No time to make homemade pumpkin pie? Buy one from your bakery or farm-stand and top with fresh cinnamon-spiked whipped cream and pecan-brittle pieces (order Leah's Famous New Orleans pecan brittle, $13.65 for 12 oz.; lalagniappe.com).
