What to Cook on Thanksgiving: MasterClass Instructor Recipes

Choose one of these delicious Thanksgiving appetizer options to set the tone for your holiday meal:

1. 1. Brioche bread: A baked bread—such as sourdough rolls, buttermilk biscuits, or buttery dinner rolls—can help guests satiate their hunger before the main courses arrive. Customize your recipe for fans of sweet or savory by coating the tops of the rolls with butter and Parmesan or brown sugar. Try Apollonia Poilâne’s French brioche recipe for a loaf with a soft texture.
2. 2. Cauliflower soup: Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to cook up some filling fall soups to beat the bitter cold of autumn. Serve your guests a bowl of butternut squash soup, or try Gordon Ramsay’s cauliflower soup recipe for a unique addition to your soup and stew rotation.
3. 3. Cornbread: Baked cornbread is a hearty, cake-like treat you can serve with chili or soup. Cornbread stuffing can also be an excellent alternative to stovetop stuffing recipes that use breadcrumbs. Add a side of cranberry sauce, or try Mashama Bailey’s cornbread dressing recipe to keep this appetizer moist and delicious.
4. 4. Salad with Kogi vinaigrette: Start your Thanksgiving menu with a light mix of greens, fall veggies, and Roy Choi’s Kogi vinaigrette recipe to add a sweet and tangy kick to your opening dish.

Side dishes will round out your holiday meal on Thanksgiving Day. Learn about these tried-and-true Thanksgiving recipes from some of the top chefs in the world:

1. 1. Creamy mashed potatoes: Potato recipes are some of the most popular side dishes at a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Some home cooks even serve sweet potato pie in place of the more traditional pumpkin pie. Other common potato dish variations include scalloped potatoes; sweet potato gratin; candied sweet potato casserole with brown butter; and mashed potatoes with a turkey gravy recipe or a topping of chives and sour cream. Try Dominique Crenn’s pommes purée recipe to put a spin on your traditional mashed potatoes dish.
2. 2. Macaroni and cheese: This dish is a creamy, cheesy crowd-pleaser for all ages, and it is great for a last-minute addition to the Thanksgiving table. Try Wolfgang Puck’s homemade mac and cheese recipe for a culinary spin on this classic side.
3. 3. Mixed vegetables: Add some fall color to your plate with buttery slow cooker yams, pan-fried Brussel sprouts, or grilled veggies such as green beans, onions, shallots, beets, carrots, and corn on the cob. Try Roy Choi’s BBQ mixed vegetables recipe to provide a healthy, crispy side to your Thanksgiving dinner.
   
4. 4. Potato salad: You might find this dish at backyard barbecues in the summertime, but it can also make an excellent holiday side dish. Typical potato salad recipes include a mayonnaise sauce, onions, fresh herbs, and hard-boiled eggs; however, if you prefer a lighter take on this popular side, try Thomas Keller’s German potato salad recipe.

Consider one of these main dish alternatives as the main course of your Thanksgiving meal:

1. 1. Brisket: This dish is a thick, muscle-rich cut of beef you can slow-cook or smoke for hours to create a tender texture and juicy flavor profile. Learn how to smoke a brisket with Aaron Franklin’s BBQ brisket recipe.
2. 2. Cauliflower steak: This vegetarian entrée could be an excellent alternative to meat dishes at your holiday dinner. The thin cuts of cauliflower char and crisp around the edges yet the meaty interior has a good chew to it. Learn how to cook this dish using Gordon Ramsay’s cauliflower steak recipe.
   
3. 3. Lamb kebabs: You can serve this pan-fried lamb dish as an appetizer, but it can also make a delightful light entrée option. The finely ground lamb meat patties are soft and spicy and go well with veggies, salads, and bread. Try Madhur Jaffrey’s lamb kebab recipe for a succulent meat entrée for your meal.
4. 4. Roasted quail: Substitute other poultry dishes like duck or quail for the classic Thanksgiving turkey. These white meat bird options can take significantly less time to prepare and yield a similar flavor and texture. Try Mashama Bailey’s quail with watermelon molasses recipe to change up your turkey day entrée selections.

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