Dinner

The best way to use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers is in pozole verde, where the intense turkey broth balances with fresh green chiles. 

Don’t be surprised if this creamy, coconutty vegan gratin outperforms some of the heavier traditional Thanksgiving sides. 

This one-pot recipe, which makes a holiday table centerpiece with leftovers you’ll be thankful for, is adapted from Sabrina Ghayour’s book Simply. Cooking a lean cut of meat like brisket for an extended period of time in a moist environment yields meat that is, in Sabrina’s words, “ridiculously juicy [and] tender, [with] plenty of flavor.”

Meera Sodha’s take on the beloved Indonesian dish nasi goreng uses shredded brussels sprouts two ways: Some are sautéed and incorporated into the rice mixture, while others are marinated and added on top for crunch and zing. Don’t skip the kecap manis—the syrupy Indonesian soy sauce is what gives nasi goreng its caramelization and depth.

Lara Lee’s meat-free version of the Laotian and Thai dish combines smoked tofu with pops of crunchy sesame seeds and a kick of lime dressing.

This is a “necessity is the mother of invention” kind of recipe, born from isolation, scant ingredients, an oversupply of kimchi, and sheer hunger. Yet this unconventional one-pot approach also happens to be one of the simplest ways to prepare mac and cheese. 

The ideal weeknight meal from Maneet Chauhan’s new cookbook Chaat. 

The high notes of these umami-laden noodles from Lara Lee, the author of Coconut and Sambal, are caramelized shiitake mushrooms.

So you love beets but don’t love waiting hours for them to roast? Shred ’em along with some potato to make these crispy dinner fritters.

This weeknight pizza introduces the topping you didn’t know you were missing: creamed corn. Blitzing raw corn kernels with ricotta, Parmesan, heavy cream, and olive oil creates a quick and lush creamed-corn sauce. Spicy, salty, and smoky pepperoni complements the creamy sauce, while smoked mozzarella brings an even deeper dimension to the pizza (but regular mozzarella also works). Be sure to top the finished pizza with plenty of bright basil for a super-fresh hit. Although this recipe works best with fresh corn, thawed frozen corn is a fine substitute.

This sour-salty soup was made for using up sweet, late-season tomatoes.

When a recipe calls for sopping up sauce, these breadsticks are your sopper-uppers of choice. Topped with Kalamata olives, garlic, red onion, and Calabrian chiles, they’re also just as good on their own—serve them straight from the oven and let everyone rip them off with their hands. This recipe comes from Bryan Ford and is based on his Master Bread Dough. Feel free to customize them with whatever finely chopped toppings you desire; just be sure to press them into the dough so that they stick.

Christina Chaey’s mushroom dashi can go with whatever vegetables and proteins you have in the fridge. It’s her favorite cold-weather meal.

Buttery cornbread and salty salami, when placed on a fork with a piece of turkey and rich gravy, is the perfect bite.

Pavochon, a mash-up of pavo for turkey and chon for lechón, is the centerpiece of a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving.

In this refreshing Thanksgiving salad, half the kale gets crisped up in the oven like chips while the rest is tossed with a gingery soy-tahini dressing.

Chris Morocco’s Thanksgiving roast chicken uses a combo of garlic powder and grated garlic for maximum umami.

Hibiscus is used in drinks throughout the African diaspora but most notably in Jamaica. Inspired by sorrel—a festive Caribbean punch—this sauce is sweet, tangy, earthy, and the perfect complement to the peppery profile of Jamaican jerk. Rum, allspice, and fresh ginger add a level of warmth and richness of flavor that is the signature of Caribbean cuisine. Serve with Jerk Turkey Sheperd’s Pie. 

“Like Jamaica itself, this is a mash-up of cultures and flavors and ideas—all together in one delicious savory pie,” says chef Tiffany-Anne Parkes.

“Something about this year makes me feel like: Screw it. I want to eat leftover turkey the way I want to,” says Mister Jiu’s chef Brandon Jew.

This recipe is based on a traditional dish of the Ohlone tribe indigenous to California’s East Bay.

Hetty McKinnon’s showstopping tater tot casserole is directly inspired by, and strikingly reminiscent of, tortilla española.

The glory of these leeks is the contrast between their deeply charred exteriors and jammy, sweet interiors.