I love finding a little updates to the classic holiday recipes, and learning what others bring to their table time and time again! So as a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes with you. And I would really LOVE to hear from you, so please share some of your favorites in the comment section below!
1- Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a turkey! We usually have a decent size crowd – around 15 people – so a full size turkey is the way to go. Ina Garten’s Roast Turkey with Truffle Butter is my go-to recipe. It keeps the poultry moist and delicious, while the truffles add a wonderful hint of flavor that our guests can never quite put their finger on!
*Note: Truffle butter can be found in most gourmet food stores – I always pick up mine in Wegmans (I buy the white truffle version) – but if you’re having trouble finding it, you can mix truffle salt 
2- My 90-year-old grandmother makes the gravy every year (she rocks!) and I’ve finally learned how to make it on my own – which took years of observation to accomplish (although I wouldn’t dare make it when she’s over!). I don’t have an exact recipe with measurements (will try to take notes this holiday!), but what I can share with you is this incredible recipe for Cranberry Fruit Conserve that will blow your traditional cranberry sauce out of the water – I highly recommend trying it!
3- On to the stuffing, possibly my favorite trimming! Sydney’s Mom’s Chestnut, Sausage and Apple Stuffing is pure perfection, bringing together the gastronomic trinity of tart, savory and sweet. A mixture of velvety roasted chestnuts, tart apples, sweet Italian sausage, chewy dried cranberries, aromatic rosemary, and tarragon – which adds a slight hint of licorice and entirely different dimension to the dish. Everything a proper stuffing should have, in my opinion! I make mine the day before to let the flavors marinate.
4- Growing up, my Italian side of the family not only served the full Thanksgiving spread, but it was proceeded by an entire Italian feast of lasagna, manicotti, beef stuffing, stuffed artichokes and more. Eating two HUGE meals in one day no longer takes place, but we make sure to keep a few Italian recipes in the mix. In lieu of the traditional meat and red sauce lasagna, I make this insanely decadent Butternut Squash version.
5- I’m not a huge fan of mashed potatoes when there are so many other options to be had, but my husband would boycott Thanksgiving if they were not on the table – and I have to admit I even like this buttermilk mashed potatoes recipe. Ricing the potatoes through a food mill creates the most velvety texture, and the buttermilk adds the slightest tang to the rich dish. The recipe even includes a cool trick on how to make the potatoes in advance and keep them warm.
6- Finally, you need to have something green on the table and Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts is it. Of course bacon is loaded on, it is Thanksgiving after all!
In true Thanksgiving fashion most guests bring along a dish or two, so this is only a small clipping of the gluttonous meal!
What’s on your Thanksgiving table? Any new recipes you recommend trying out?