A Friendsgiving Menu for the Food-Obsessed

Friendsgiving is a bit more relaxed than the traditional family affair, and the recipes should reflect that. The turkey should be reliably delicious (and easy), and the sides and dessert should be high-impact—think maximalist mashed potatoes, mushroom-herb stuffing, and a French twist on a classic American pie.

The Bird: Two-Hour Turkey

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, you’re probably making the turkey. This one is our most expedient—and easiest. By spatchcocking the turkey (that is, cutting out the backbone and flattening the bird so all of the meat is on the same plane), allowing it to stand at room temperature for an hour before roasting, and roasting in a moderately hot oven, the centerpiece of the meal can be in and out of the oven in two hours or less. We also salt the bird in advance and refrigerate it uncovered for at least two hours or up to a full day. This process, called dry-brining, results in plump, juicy, well-seasoned meat and crisp, golden brown skin. But don’t dry-brine for longer than 24 hours; the meat can cook up stringy and dry. And don’t rinse off the salt, as this adds moisture that interferes with browning and crisping. We roast the bird on a bed of aromatics moistened with a little water to prevent scorching; you’ll have adequate drippings for making gravy.

The Stuffing: Easy Oven-Baked Mushroom-Herb Stuffing

This almost-classic stuffing employs two types of mushrooms for a meat-free meatiness that builds on the herbs' woodsy, earthy flavors. Its bold herbal flavor comes from generous amounts of fresh sage, thyme and parsley, as well as poultry seasoning: a ready-made mix of dried herbs, including marjoram, rosemary and oregano. If you'd like to do some of the prep in advance, prepare the recipe through the toasting and seasoning of the bread cubes, then reserve them and the remaining roasted mushrooms separately; refrigerate in airtight containers for up to two days. About two hours before serving, remove the mushrooms and bread mixture from the refrigerator and proceed with the recipe.

The Mash: Turkish Mashed Potatoes with Garlic, Yogurt and Cheese (Patates Paçasi)

These are mashed potatoes for maximalists. Like our Butter-Braised Mashed Potatoes, the russets are cooked in a minimal amount of water until no moisture remains, to keep the potato flavor in the pot. Unlike our other mashes, this one is twice-cooked. Once the potatoes are fall-apart tender, they’re mashed with a cup of whole-milk yogurt, a little half & half and a few tablespoons of butter. Olive oil, eggs (to keep everything emulsified), salt and pepper follow, but the really special ingredient is four cloves of grated garlic. The microplane breaks the allium down into the tiniest pieces, extracting tons of flavor that’s easily distributed throughout the mash. It’s rich and savory, with a layer of browned, bubbling cheese that insulates the potatoes during travel; a drizzle of fruity Aleppo pepper-infused butter to bring a gentle, welcome heat.

The Sweet Potato: Savory Sweet Potato Gratin

“Are you making the sweet potatoes again?” a friend asked, referring to this very recipe. The combination of smooth sweet potatoes, spiked with umami-rich miso, ginger and soy sauce is so much more satisfying than the typical marshmallow-topped casserole. A crisp topping of peppery-sweet panko bread crumbs and sesame seeds provides much need textural contrast. To make holiday-dinner prep more convenient, the gratin can be made up to a day ahead. Roast the sweet potatoes, cool them enough to peel, then make the sweet potato mixture as instructed. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring to room temp for 1 hour, then bake at 400°F for 50 minutes. In the meantime, make the topping. Once the sweet potatoes are warmed through, sprinkle with the topping and bake as instructed for 20 minutes.

The Vegetable Side: Bagna Cauda Brussels Sprouts

Bagna cauda is the original Italian flavor bomb. Made with garlic, anchovies, butter and olive oil, bagna cauda this savory dip from Piedmont, Italy is a perfect pairing with Brussels sprouts that have been blistered and charred in a sizzling-hot oven. This recipe makes about ⅔ cup bagna cauda, more than you will need to sauce and serve with the sprouts. Leftovers keep well refrigerated in an airtight container for one to two weeks, but I’m a big fan of incorporating it into my pre-dinner crudités platter.

The Bread: Garlic-Parmesan Potato Bread Dinner Rolls

These make the best day-after turkey sliders, so go ahead and make a double batch. The utterly soft and squishy reputation of potato bread precedes us, but our recipe cuts out the tedious work of boiling, peeling and ricing whole potatoes. Instead, we skip ahead in the process with dried instant mashed potato flakes. The flakes absorb and hold onto moisture, while knocking out several steps. We brush them with a generous amount of garlic-rosemary infused butter; a sprinkle of Parmesan melts to form a crisp shell on top of the rolls, with salty-crisp frico edges. The result is a plush roll with savory flavors to match your feast.

The Pie: French Walnut Tart

I may be from Mississippi, but my loyalties to pecan pie were tested by this walnut tart. This is the Dordogne region’s famous tarte aux noix, which encases locally-abundant, toasty walnuts in a buttery honeyed caramel. It’s a beautiful balance of sweetness and subtle bitter notes, and superb when finished with flaky sea salt. Have I made it with pecans? I sure have. (You can too! I won’t tell the French.)

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Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.