Ale's Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

Potatoes:
Veggie Sides + Stuffing:
Pasta/Mac & Cheese
Sauces:
The Turkey:
Dessert:
Shoutouts:

Potatoes:

A baked cheesy casserole with a golden-brown crust, garnished with chopped herbs, shown in a skillet with a serving spoon scooping out a portion.

Ham & Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

Crispy pancetta meets creamy lemon-sage cream and layers of Gruyère and Parmigiano for a cozy, elegant take on the ultimate comfort dish.

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A white oval dish filled with creamy mashed potatoes, topped with finely chopped chives and set on a dark wooden table.

5 from 1 vote

Pommes Puree

Let’s be honest, the potatoes are the star of the show on most holiday tables — and this is a recipe worthy of that spotlight. Adapted from a recipe I learned in culinary school, it’s the perfect mashed potato: simple, flavorful, and somehow both light and rich at the same time.

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A saucepan filled with melted cheese is being lifted with a spoon, creating a long cheese pull. The table is set with a plaid tablecloth, brown napkins, and gold cutlery. Green glasses with drinks are decorated with orange slices.

5 from 1 vote

Pommes Aligot

Learn how to make Pommes Aligot, the cheesiest mashed potatoes ever! This French-inspired holiday side dish combines creamy potatoes with Gruyere and mozzarella for a rich, stretchy, and unforgettable experience. Perfect for festive meals!

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Veggie Sides + Stuffing:

Bright orange carrots being sautéed in a frying pan with bubbling brown sauce. The carrots are evenly spaced, and the sauce appears to be well-seasoned with black pepper.

5 from 8 votes

Brown Sugar “Candied” Carrots

This DELICIOUS carrot side dish is so simple to make with a handful of ingredients and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

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Fennel, Apple & Manchego Salad

A crisp, bright, 15-minute salad that brings freshness and contrast to any Thanksgiving or winter table. Shaved fennel, crunchy celery, sweet apples, and nutty Manchego come together in a lemony honey-Dijon vinaigrette that coats every leaf beautifully.

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A close-up of a baked casserole dish filled with bread stuffing, featuring browned bread cubes, sausage, carrots, celery, and herbs. The top is golden and crispy.

Sausage Leek “Bread Pudding” Stuffing

This stuffing is rich and flavorful without being heavy. The miso and soy add umami depth, the sausage and vegetables build a flavorful base, and the custard keeps it soft and creamy inside with a golden, crisp top. The semolina bread holds it all perfectly.

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A salad in a white bowl featuring kale, roasted butternut squash, fennel slices, dates, seeds, and shaved parmesan on top. The dish is placed on a wooden cutting board.

5 from 1 vote

Kale & Squash Winter Salad

This Kale & Squash Winter Salad combines roasted squash, caramelized dates, apple, and fennel for a vibrant, flavorful dish. Topped with a tangy homemade dressing, this customizable salad is perfect for winter meals or meal prep. Ready in under 30 minutes!

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Pasta/Mac & Cheese

A close-up of a cheesy baked macaroni and cheese being lifted from a casserole dish, with melted cheese stretching and garnished with fresh herbs.

Vodka Sauce Mac & Cheese

this dish brings the best of both worlds — the cozy, nostalgic comfort of classic mac and cheese with the bold, tomato-vodka flavor of a true Italian favorite. It’s creamy, indulgent, and guaranteed to steal the show at any gathering.

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A close-up of a baked dish in a rectangular pan. The dish has a golden breadcrumb crust and is garnished with fresh sage leaves. The edges are slightly browned, suggesting its freshly baked.

5 from 1 vote

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese w/ Calabrian Chili Sage Breadcrumbs

Butternut squash mac and cheese… for the ultimate cozy and comfort dish.

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A freshly baked lasagna with golden, melted cheese sits in a baking dish on a wooden surface. A box of Barilla oven-ready lasagne noodles is visible in the background.

Sheet pan Lasagna

Lasagna can be a project, but this version gives you all the comfort and flavor without the hours in the kitchen. My Crispy Sheet Pan Lasagna delivers golden, crunchy edges, a creamy ricotta center, and saucy layers that bake to perfection in under an hour. It’s cozy, easy, and guaranteed to impress — no pre-boiling, no stress.

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Close-up of a gooey, cheesy baked pasta dish. Rigatoni pasta is covered with melted cheese and sauce, with pieces of meat and garnished with parsley. A slice is being lifted, showcasing stretchy melted cheese.

5 from 4 votes

Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno

Creamy and zesty ricotta red sauce with sweet and hot sausage under melty mozzarella… This is simple, delicious and definitely fan-favorite dish that EVERYONE will love. It is my go-to whenever I'm cooking for a party, BBQ, or just hanging with friends and family.

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Sauces:

A golden spoon pours rich, creamy gravy into a glass container. In the background, roasted chicken garnished with fresh herbs and cranberries is visible, laid out on a white platter.

5 from 1 vote

Drippings Gravy

Using the pan drippings aka liquid gold is the simplest and most flavorful to make a beautiful, smooth and flavorful gravy to pair with your roast!

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4 from 1 vote

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

A rich, silky make-ahead turkey gravy made from the neck, giblets, aromatics, and fresh herbs you usually toss. Built with a reduced turkey stock, deglazed with white wine, and finished with a golden roux for the perfect holiday gravy.

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A glass bowl filled with a chunky, red cranberry relish sits on a matching glass plate atop a wooden surface. A metal spoon is placed beside the bowl.

5 from 1 vote

3 Ingredients Cranberry Relish

This 3 ingredient, 5 minute cranberry relish is truly the unsung hero on our Thanksgiving table each year.

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The Turkey:

Two options:

The first is my updated turjey recipe focusing on flavor, crisp & juiciness

3-Phase Citrus Garlic Herb Turkey

There are three things a turkey should be: flavorful, crispy, and juicy. My 3-Phase Citrus Garlic Herb Turkey delivers all three — with a dry brine, citrus-garlic-herb injection, and buttery golden finish that even impressed Nonno.

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The second is more flavor focus with a lovely honey-soy glaze!

A platter of sliced roasted turkey with golden skin, garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs and scattered cranberries, is displayed on a wooden table. The turkey legs are whole and positioned in the center.

5 from 2 votes

Honey-Soy Glazed Turkey

Making a whole turkey is one of the most daunting tasks when it comes to Thanksgiving. A lot of this comes from the fact that turkey is often seen as the centerpiece dish of the table (even if some of the sides are arguably better), in addition to the hefty price tag that comes with this festive bird. It makes sense that nerves may be high when prepping this dish, but I am here to alleviate that stress for you

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Dessert:

Close-up of a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream and a cookie crumble topping. Behind it is a can of Reddi-wip whipped cream, placed on a kitchen counter. Another pie slice is partially visible in the foreground.

5 from 1 vote

Dirty Chai Pumpkin Pie

With the addition of cozy chai spices, espresso powder, and candied pumpkin seeds, you can turn an ordinary pie into something special.

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A hand holds a pastry shaped like a rose, made from thinly sliced red apples arranged in spirals, with a golden-brown crust, against a wooden background.

5 from 3 votes

Apple Roses

Flaky puff pastry layered with cinnamon butter and thin apple slices, rolled into beautiful roses, and baked until golden. Simple to make, stunning to serve, and full of warm apple flavor.

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A layered cake topped with peach slices and a sprig of rosemary on a glass plate. The cake is surrounded by small pumpkins and red apples, giving an autumnal feel.

5 from 1 vote

Apple Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

This is one of my favroite desserts that is so unexpectedly delicious. Seasonal apples, rich olive oil, and subtle rosemary flavor fill the cake and pair beautifully with the very simple mascarpone frosting.

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A round tiramisu cake with ladyfingers on the edge tied with a pink ribbon sits on a glass stand. In the background, there are two bouquets of colorful flowers, including sunflowers and hydrangeas.

5 from 1 vote

Classic Tiramisu Cake

Everything you love about a classic, old school tiramisu – light, creamy, DELICIOUS – but in a fun festive cake form!!

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Shoutouts:

I made these INCREDIBLE milk bread buns this year. The recipe comes from my dear friend Nea Arentezen – https://food52.com/recipes/90577-milk-buns-with-salted-maple-butter

For dessert we will ALWAYS have a panettone, and the ones from my friend Bilena’s family bakery are OFF the charts!!! They have everything from the classic to fun flavors like Rainbow Cookies, Pumpkin Pecan, Red Velvet and more!! Check out all they have: https://www.goldbelly.com/restaurants/settepani-restaurant-and-bakery