Yahoo Lifestyle 10 Really Helpful Thanksgiving Cooking Tips That You Should Commit To Memory, According To A Pro Chef
Holiday cooking can feel like a high-stakes game, especially when juggling multiple dishes, guests with dietary restrictions, and kids who just won't listen when you say, "Get out of the kitchen!" As a culinary professional, I know holiday feasts can be as daunting as a busy night on the line, but it doesn't have to be. Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community to share with me, a culinary school graduate and experienced cook, what they were worried about while cooking during the holidays. Their responses gave me ample opportunity to offer some advice and kitchen wisdom that might take some stress out of holiday hosting!
Meg Sullivan
1.Q: "I always make WAY too much food. How do you decide which dishes you're going to cook for Thanksgiving? I usually make everything I can think of, and we end up with leftovers until the New Year, but I always worry about pleasing everyone."
A: Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season — but having leftovers until New Year’s? That’s a bit much! As someone with a background in hospitality, I get the desire to take care of everyone and make them happy. But remember, your guests are just that — guests. As the host, focus on making dishes that excite you for the Thanksgiving table. Most people are simply grateful to be welcomed into a home and treated to a meal! Instead of cooking “everything you can think of,” go into the holiday with a plan — or, more specifically, a menu plan. Here’s an example menu:
Once you know how many guests to expect, choose an appropriately sized turkey (or whatever main dish you plan to serve). A good rule of thumb is about 1.5 pounds of turkey per person.
To keep guests happy while you finish preparing dinner, a cheese and charcuterie board is a simple, crowd-pleasing appetizer. For the board, pick one firm cheese like manchego and one soft cheese like Camembert*; add a cured sausage like soppressata, a cured meat like bresaola, and some fall fruits like sliced apples or figs. I prefer serving these with torn or sliced fresh bread rather than a variety of crackers — fresh bread is visually inviting and avoids leaving you with half-empty boxes of stale crackers after the holidays.
For the main meal, serving one main dish with three sides, a sauce, and some kind of bread offers guests plenty of options to mix and match without overwhelming yourself.
As for dessert, pie is a must on Thanksgiving in my book. When I host, I always bake an apple pie, but desserts are also a great thing to outsource! If a guest offers to bring something, suggesting a dessert is an easy way to lighten your load.
*Both cheeses can easily be swapped for plant-based alternatives to accommodate vegan or dairy-free guests!
2.Q: "Every year for Thanksgiving, I cook my family's dressing and deep fry a turkey, and my wife makes her family recipe for carrot puff (it's closer to a sugary dessert that nearly everyone raves about). However, I try to make something different and more innovative each year. For instance, a few Thanksgivings back, I made green bean steamed dumplings with a creamy mushroom sauce (my take on green bean casserole). I am struggling this year to come up with something, and I suspect the family will expect me to produce another different dish, but I am at a loss this season. Any ideas?"
—Harry, Alexandria, 51
A: I love having both annual cooking traditions and new, creative dishes at the Thanksgiving table! If you are looking for an unexpected vegetable side dish that is still cozy and indulgent, as all great Thanksgiving dishes should be, I would recommend something like these pomegranate-glazed Brussels sprouts, which I made for Thanksgiving last year.
To make Pomegranate-Glazed Brussel Sprouts for 8 people, I trimmed and halved 2 lbs. sprouts and roasted them with roughly 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for about 30 minutes until tender, giving the pan a shake every 10 minutes or so. While the sprouts roasted, I made the glaze in a saucepan over medium heat, pouring 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Once the oil began to shimmer, I added a teaspoon of finely minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of ground Aleppo pepper. I stirred to coat the garlic and chili in oil before turning off the heat and adding 1/3 cup of pomegranate molasses and 2 tablespoons of honey. I poured this glaze over the roasted sprouts and tossed them before tasting and seasoning them with more salt. I garnished it with fresh pomegranates and served it!
Note: The glaze is delicious but thin, and may pool towards the bottom; make sure to serve with a large spoon to scoop up all that pomegranate-y goodness!
3.Q: "If you could help with dinner rolls that don't come out dense and potato chip-like, I would appreciate it. Thanks."
—Harry, Alexandria, 51
A: Let’s make sure your rolls come out fluffy and golden this time! Before you dive into your next bread project, check your yeast. Fresh active dry yeast is key — when activated with warm water, it produces carbon dioxide, which helps the dough rise. Expired yeast, however, won’t do the job, leaving you with a dense, hard dough like the one you're describing. Once you have some fresh yeast, get started on this dinner roll recipe by Tasty. I love it for two reasons:
First, it’s an enriched dough, meaning it includes fat and protein-rich ingredients like dairy and eggs. These enrichments enhance the flavor, moisture, and structure, giving the rolls a tender, pillowy texture and a lightly buttery taste.
Second, this recipe is quick. It can be made from start to finish in under three hours! For that perfect finishing touch, an egg wash creates a gorgeous golden crust and doubles as a glue for any toppings you’d like to sprinkle on. One reviewer jazzed up their rolls with honey, sesame, and poppy seeds.
98% of people say they would make these rolls again, and the recipe has hundreds of positive reviews. Definitely give this one a shot!
4.Q: "How to make the perfect, basic, 'even a fool couldn't mess up' turkey?"
—Karen, Texas, 24
A: Do not let the turkey intimidate you! I find that, as in most things in life, success in the kitchen is 40% knowledge and 60% mindset. Attack prepping and roasting the turkey with confidence, and a plan, and dinner guests will sing your poultry cooking praises! But you want advice from a chef, not a life coach, so here are some practical tips for a good turkey. My first recommendation is to start early. Prepping your turkey a day ahead is the key to juicy, flavorful meat; brining is the magic trick. A brine, either wet or dry, seasons the turkey and helps retain moisture during roasting.
For a dry brine (the most effective and easiest method, in my opinion): Rub kosher salt (not table salt, as it's too refined and concentrated) all over a turkey and let it rest uncovered in the fridge overnight. And don't just take my word for why dry-brining is so great; back in 2015, BuzzFeed conducted a blind taste test of turkeys and found dry-brining made the best turkey.
For a wet brine: Soak the turkey overnight (up to 24 hours) in a solution of water, salt, and optional seasonings like apple cider vinegar or herbs. While effective in imparting flavor, this method takes more space in the fridge and a bit more effort than a dry brine. I love Samin Nosrat's buttermilk brine method.
More turkey tips in the following question!
5.Q: "I’ve been in charge of cooking Thanksgiving dinner since my grandma passed away two years ago. How do I cook the perfect turkey that’s juicy and not dry?"
—Anonymous
A: As mentioned above, brining is a great first step to making a great turkey, but there are a few additional tricks to keep it moist. One of my favorites is coating the bird in a compound butter.* Rubbing the butter underneath the turkey's skin infuses the meat with flavor and moisture as it cooks. The butter melts and bastes the meat from the inside, while the skin keeps it locked in, preventing it from dripping off. This Tasty recipe breaks down the step-by-step process.
*Compound butter is made of soft butter combined with aromatic ingredients, like citrus zest, herbs, and spices.
Also, I strongly suggest having a calibrated meat thermometer on hand during roasting. I was taught to cook to temperature, not time, which I always recommend. Depending on the size of your turkey and the oven you're using, the bird may take more or less time than a recipe states. Check the thickest part of the thigh, breast, and wing periodically as the turkey roasts. Poultry should reach 165°F, but pull the bird out at 157-160°F — it will rise to perfection as it rests (we call this carryover cooking).
I like to start roasting my turkey in a hot oven at 425°F for the first 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325°F for the remainder of the cooking time. This initial burst of heat helps develop a beautiful, golden exterior while speeding up the cooking process. Lowering the heat afterward ensures the interior cooks evenly and stays moist without overcooking or burning the skin.
6.Q: "What’s the best seasoning for the turkey?"
—Anonymous
A: When it comes to seasoning your turkey, fresh, woody herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary are classics for a reason — they add depth and warmth that pair beautifully with poultry. Layering herbs with other seasonings is key to a standout savory turkey.
Lemon zest adds a bright, citrusy kick, minced garlic for savory richness, and a touch of Dijon mustard to add tang and complexity. Black pepper and kosher salt are essential for bringing out all the flavors, and a hint of nutmeg or allspice can add more warmth and spice that's perfect for the season.
There are so many flavor profiles to try; turkey is a savory blank slate, so feel free to get creative! Sumac and coriander? Star anise and soy? Fennel, apple, and allspice? It's your turkey; make it special!
7.Q: "How often should you baste the turkey?"
—Anonymous
A: Here's my hot take: You don't need to baste your turkey. I'll butter-baste a filet of beef or cod in a pan, but basting doesn't really contribute much moisture or flavor to an oven-roasted turkey. Plus, it can be dangerous! Opening a sweltering oven repeatedly to ladle sizzling fat and juices onto a heavy bird is not worth the risk. Plus, if you're anything like me, once the turkey is in the oven, you'll want to focus on the side dishes.
If you are worried about going baste-free, try Martha Stewart's cheesecloth hack. Soak a square of cheesecloth large enough to cover your turkey in butter and white wine, and then cover your brined and buttered turkey in the soaked cheesecloth. The extra layer of fatty protection can help the bird retain moisture while allowing the skin to brown. This method has also gone TikTok-viral in the past few years.
8.Q: "What drink goes best with a Thanksgiving meal?"
—Anonymous
A: Festive mocktails and cocktails can elevate any Thanksgiving gathering, especially as a pre-dinner treat. The Rosemary Pom Spritzer, featured in our November recipe roundup, is the perfect drink to set the holiday mood. This versatile option can be enjoyed as a mocktail or easily transformed into a cocktail by adding an ounce of gin to the glass.
For wine lovers, a dry Riesling or Pinot Grigio are good choices, as both pair beautifully with turkey and often offer great value. If you'd like to offer red wine as well, consider a Beaujolais — a Thanksgiving classic — or Lambrusco, a sparkling red I can only describe as flirty. These selections are sure to delight your guests and complement the holiday feast.
9.Q: "How do you make your own cranberry sauce?"
—Anonymous
A: I am in the homemade cranberry sauce camp because it is easy to make ahead of the big day, takes just a few minutes and fewer ingredients, and yields a much tastier product than the canned stuff! I make cranberry sauce the same way I make other fruit jams. First, zest and juice two oranges. Then, in a heavy-bottomed* saucepan, I combine one 12-ounce bag of fresh (or frozen) cranberries with a cup of sugar, the orange juice, and a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. A cinnamon stick or sprig of thyme would add another lovely aroma to this sauce, but it isn't necessary.
*Why do I use a heavy-bottomed saucepan? Because sugar can burn quickly when in direct contact with heat (in this case, a gas stove flame), and the thick metal prevents certain parts of the pan from scorching the sauce.
10.Q: "What's the best recipe for a simple pumpkin pie? I have a version that I absolutely love — it's a buttermilk pumpkin pie with streusel topping — but unfortunately, this year, it has been requested that I do something 'simpler.' Should I use my beloved recipe and just leave off the topping, or can you suggest something equally scrumptious?"
—Anonymous
A: Your special pumpkin pie recipe sounds DELICIOUS! If you have many guests coming, perhaps you could make double the pie filling and serve one pie with the streusel, and one without. While it's nice to accommodate the guests, as the host, you should make the food you want to eat the most! Especially around the holidays! Still, if you're looking to try a different classic pumpkin pie recipe, try this Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie.
Evaporated milk is the key ingredient in the pumpkin filling, ensuring a luscious custard that holds its shape when cut. While the crust in this recipe uses shortening, you can easily substitute it for butter!
What are your holiday cooking questions? Drop your queries and holiday conundrums in the comments or anonymously with this form.
