Revolutionize Your Turkey Day

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Stuffing Muffin Cups

Makes about 12 muffins (depending on pan size)

These individual stuffing muffins bake up to be crisped on the outside and tender within. Easy to serve, they hold their own on the Thanksgiving table as a side dish or satisfying vegetarian main. These can be baked up to a day ahead and stored in a plastic bag once they’ve cooled, then reheated in the oven right before serving. The recipe is inspired by my grandmother’s recipe, but if roasting and shelling chestnuts is just one step too many, feel free to leave them out.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin tin with softened butter or oil. Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and toast until dried and nicely browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn them into a large bowl.
2. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat and sauté the onion, garlic and fennel until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the mixing bowl. Toss in the thyme, broth, 3/4 cup of half-and-half, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to sit for a minute to absorb the liquids. If it feels too dry, add a little more half-and-half. It shouldn’t be too soggy. Toss in the chestnuts, if using.
3. Spoon the stuffing mixture into each muffin cup, packing it down and filling it slightly above the top. Bake until the edges are nicely browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute before serving.

French Onion Potato Gratin

Serves 8 to 10

These creamy potatoes, layered with caramelized onions and topped with a crunchy, cheesy breadcrumb crust, is an epic side dish that brings all the best flavors of fall together in one bite. Or two. Or three. While this dish does have a few different steps, some of them can be made ahead of time (see below), making the day of preparation much easier.

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, broth, thyme, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let the mixture steep, stirring occasionally, until ready to use. It should steep at least 15 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, until liquid has evaporated and onions are deeply browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer caramelized onions to a medium bowl.
4. Layer half of potatoes on the bottom of the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with half of the black pepper. Spread caramelized onions over potatoes and top with remaining potatoes and remaining pepper. Slowly pour cream/broth mixture over potatoes.
5. Place baking dish on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake until bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the bread cubes and Gruyère cheese. Pulse 4 or 5 times, until the mixture is coarsely chopped, about the size of peas. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix together with Parmesan and melted butter.
7. Top potatoes with Gruyère bread mixture and bake until the topping is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center meets little resistance, an additional 30 to 40 minutes. Loosely tent with foil if browning too quickly. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve.

Browning Butter and Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8 to 10

If you like your sweet potatoes sans marshmallows and you’re yearning for a slightly more sophisticated option that straddles the savory and sweet line, this is the dish for you. Rest assured, what it lacks in the way of marshmallows, it makes up for in buttery, sagey goodness.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place butter in a 9×13-inch baking dish and melt in the oven.
3. Peel and dice sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Drain sweet potatoes and return them to the pot. Add butter, salt, pepper, and sage. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until smooth and creamy.
5. Transfer mashed sweet potatoes to the baking dish with the melted butter. Toss to coat and smooth out the top.
6. Bake until the top is golden brown and the sweet potatoes are heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Apple Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Makes 12

It’s not even Thanksgiving until an exasperated cook proclaims, “I forgot the dinner rolls!” You won’t have that issue with these biscuits, from chef Thomas Boemer of Revival restaurants — the aroma alone will remind you. Pop them in the oven while the turkey is resting and serve them piping hot. And on the off chance you do forget, these cheesy biscuits, with all the flavors of fall, make a great vessel for post-dinner turkey sandwiches.

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, sugar, allspice, nutmeg and sage. Add frozen cubed butter and work it in with your hands until it’s all incorporated.
2. Add cheese and diced apple and mix all the ingredients together with your hands so everything is combined. Add the buttermilk and fold in with a wooden spoon, making sure not to overmix. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees on convection setting (or 375 degrees in a conventional oven). Add the butter to a large cast-iron pan and place in oven until the butter is melted. Remove pan from the oven and, using a 1/3-cup scoop, drop the dough into the pan, leaving room for them to spread. (Alternatively, you can place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Serve with warm apple butter.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

Pumpkin spice latte has become a ubiquitous fall treat, but most of those super-sweetened coffees topped with a dash of cinnamon don’t do justice to the concept of spice, nor to the earthy flavor of pumpkin. We sought to marry espresso, warming spices and pumpkin purée for a spin on the classic pumpkin pie (adapted from Bon Appétit). The autumnal pie spices tended to drown out the coffee flavor when we added brewed coffee or espresso powder to the filling, but for those who prefer their holiday extra caffeinated, feel free to add more. Instead, we got our espresso hit from a layer of coffee ganache lining the inside of a buttery crust, and a pile of coffee meringue (both ideas from Erin Jeanne McDowell’s “The Book on Pie”) that added a sweet, creamy toastiness akin to the foam on a latte.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around the edges and just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights and lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Brush inside of crust (not edges) with egg wash and continue to bake until crust is set and beginning to lightly brown in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover the edges with foil if they’re browning too quickly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
2. Place white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small bowl, mix espresso powder into heavy cream until dissolved, then add the coffee-infused cream to the chocolate. Set the bowl over a small saucepan of barely simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is thick and smooth. When the parbaked pie crust is completely cool, pour the ganache into the bottom of the crust and spread into an even layer. Chill until ready to add the filling.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg until no clumps remain. In a small bowl, mix espresso powder into heavy cream until dissolved. To the sugar mixture, add eggs, pumpkin, condensed milk, coffee-infused cream, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Pour into the chilled crust. Bake pie until edges are set and slightly puffed but center is recessed and wobbles like Jell-O, 60 to 75