Recipes Holidays and Events Recipes Thanksgiving Chef John's Best Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes By Carl Hanson Carl Hanson Carl Hanson is a Senior Editor at Allrecipes who has been writing about food and wine for nearly 20 years. He enjoys creating content that informs, entertains, and assists busy home cooks get nourishing meals on the table for their families. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on November 15, 2021 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Chef John Chef John. He's like a friend in the kitchen. The best kind of friend, the professional chef kind. And he's here to make this the Best Thanksgiving Ever. Read on for his top tips and Thanksgiving recipes gathered in one place, everything from cranberry sauce to mashed potatoes to the perfect roasted turkey and gravy. 01 of 18 Roast Turkey and Gravy View Recipe Chef John Chef John shows you a terrific way to loosen the turkey's skin so you can slip herbed butter beneath it. Buttering up the bird like this, keeps the meat wonderfully moist and flavorful. The turkey bastes itself, essentially. For the gravy, a touch of balsamic vinegar balances out flavors. 02 of 18 Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes View Recipe lutzflcat Creamy mascarpone cheese creates wonderful texture and a buttery, golden-brown crust. Make these mashers in advance; spoon them into a casserole, and then simply bake until the tops are beautifully golden brown. They're so good, gravy is almost optional. (Almost.) 03 of 18 Pecan and Apricot Sourdough Bread Stuffing View Recipe Chef John The pilgrims avoided soggy stuffing by not actually having stuffing on the Thanksgiving menu. But that's not really an option for us. Good thing Chef John has a few slick tricks for keeping it crispy. See how he does it here. 04 of 18 French Onion Green Bean Casserole View Recipe KathyBarbieri This is not your mother's green bean casserole. Although it could be your grandma's. Chef John reaches into the past for inspiration, giving traditional green bean casserole a delicious update. Homemade from start to finish, his version features caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese—the French-onion-soup treatment, you might say. 05 of 18 Pumpkin-Shaped Dinner Rolls View Recipe Chef John Chef John says, "This very Instagram-friendly roll is the perfect thing to bring to that holiday gathering, and can be made using your favorite dinner roll recipe. Sure, these take longer to make than your already perfectly fine dinner rolls, but that's nothing when you consider all the compliments that will be coming your way." 06 of 18 Tangerine Cherry Cranberry Sauce View Recipe Diane Does anything say "I care" like cranberry sauce made from scratch? Probably. Because homemade cranberry sauce is just so incredibly easy to make. Combine a few ingredients, simmer on the stove, done! The big reveal here is that you should make this recipe instead of opening a can of cranberry sauce. 07 of 18 Perfect Mashed Potatoes View Recipe Eat Chef John's mashed potatoes do not shy away from the butter. And that's pretty much the secret to these amazing mashers. Chef John insists his bold butter method is not only rational, it's also reasonable. You be the judge. 08 of 18 Sweet Potato Casserole View Recipe Allrecipes Chef John's slightly less sweet take on Sweet Potato Casserole features a touch of maple syrup instead of brown sugar and pistachios instead of mini-marshmallows. 09 of 18 Fast Upside-Down Turkey View Recipe Chef John Here I've tested out not one, but two new things – cooking a turkey at a very high heat, as well as cooking it upside-down, which I've heard for decades is the way to go if you want moist, juicy meat," Chef John says. "Whether you're looking to cook your turkey in half the time, or just want to see some raised eyebrows when you bring it to the table, I really do hope you give this a try soon!" 10 of 18 Old-Fashioned Cracker Dressing View Recipe Chef John Here's a very simple variation on a classic stuffing recipe, only crushed saltine crackers stand in for bread crumbs. And there's also a little cream in the mix. These two simple additions create a dressing with a firm, dense texture. 11 of 18 Sweet Potato Souffles View Recipe Chef John "People love puffy food, souffles being one of most versatile. As long as you don't knock all the air out of the egg whites in the batter, not much can actually go wrong. Since mashed sweet potato is the base, these souffles are even easier than the traditional method that requires a saucy base." — Chef John 12 of 18 Butterhorn Dinner Rolls View Recipe Chef John The Thanksgiving table isn't complete without a basket of rich, buttery dinner rolls on the table. "You might have grown up calling these crescent rolls," says Chef John. "The only real difference is that crescent rolls are shaped into crescent shapes, verses the usually straighter design of your average butterhorn." 13 of 18 Chef John's Root Vegetable Gratin View Recipe Chef John Here's a great way to get your (root) vegetables! Thinly sliced Yukon Golds bake with turnips, rutabaga, celery root, parsnips, and garlic, along with heavy cream chicken broth, a little butter, and some seasonings. You'll top it off with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and give it a little more time in the oven. "This is still a very delicious and enjoyable way to eat root veggies," says Chef John. 14 of 18 Chantilly Mashed Potato Casserole View Recipe Chantilly Mashed Potato Casserole. Chef John Folding whipped cream into buttery mashed potatoes makes them even more luxurious. "The addition of whipped cream into mashed potatoes is what makes them Chantilly mashed potatoes," says Chef John. "I was skeptical, but this was one of the most outstanding alternative mashed potato recipes I've ever had. With a light and luxurious texture, it's a perfect side dish for any holiday or special occasion." 15 of 18 Chef John's Creamy Corn Pudding View Recipe Chef John It's a shame that corn pudding doesn't get the same attention as some other holiday side dishes. But Chef John is here to right the wrongs. "It's a real crowd-pleaser that pairs perfectly with all your favorite special-occasion meats," says Chef John. 16 of 18 Chef John's Candied Yams View Recipe Photo by Chef John. Chef John's candied yams (OK, sweet potatoes) get a flavor boost from maple syrup and brown sugar, which, together with lemon juice, ground ginger, and cinnamon create a show-stopping glaze. Delicious topped with chopped pecans, walnuts or pistachios. "I'm not a huge sweet side dish person, but I make an exception for these candied yams that use lemon instead of orange juice as a sweetener," says Chef John. 17 of 18 Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy with Porcini Mushrooms and Marsala Wine View Recipe Chef John Make this Marsala and porcini mushroom gravy before the Thanksgiving crush even begins! "With this make-ahead gravy on the menu, there's no scrambling to make gravy when the turkey comes out of the oven," says Chef John. He'll show you how to make turkey stock in advance. Once you have the stock prepared, you're well on your way! Simply make a roux with butter, sautéed porcini mushrooms, and flour, and add the stock, letting it simmer on the stove. You can add pan drippings from the roast turkey to the gravy if you like. A smidgen of cream at the end gives this delicious Thanksgiving sauce a bit of extra richness. Find our entire collection of Thanksgiving Recipes here. 18 of 18 More Like This SHORECOOK Chef John's Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Sides That Hold Up in the Freezer Chef John's Best Pumpkin Recipes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit