Thanksgiving tips from Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli

A Thanksgiving spread of turkey, rolls, sweet potatoes and more

Nov. 24, 2024 7 AM PT

Thanksgiving isn’t just Alex Guarnaschelli‘s favorite holiday, it’s her favorite day of the year. The chef, cookbook author and Iron Chef loves the anticipation, the company and even the shopping.

“I love changing the menu 72 times,” she says on a recent call from her home in New York. “I love how low the stakes are because they have to come back next year even if they didn’t like it. I love the traditions.”

Alex Guarnaschelli signing a large book.

Guarnaschelli is the chef-owner of Butter restaurant in Manhattan, and she’s a frequent judge and host of multiple food series on TV. She’s so successful at winning cooking competitions, there’s a Food Network show called “Alex vs. America,” where chefs from around the country attempt to out-cook her.

She’s loved helping to prepare her family’s Thanksgiving dinners since she was a child, when she watched her dad, in his T-shirt and underwear, stuff and sew the turkey while her mother “seemed like she made dessert for like two years.”

Guarnaschelli recently shared a draft of her plan for this year’s Thanksgiving meal with her 1.1 million Instagram followers, a handwritten menu with an outline for what and when to prep beginning a few days out.

“This year, I thought, I’m going to start a little earlier and get a draft going to show that even chefs, we change our minds, we revise, we rewrite,” she says.

First, Guarnaschelli suggests making your menu, then crossing off at least one third to one half of it.

“Look at your kitchen and be realistic,” she says. “I feel like people undercapitalize on the thought that they could pick some side dishes that are cold so they are out on the counter. You can do everything with a stove and one oven.”

When it comes to canned cranberry sauce, or any prepared food, the chef says to do what works for you. Everything on her family’s Thanksgiving table was made from scratch, except for the canned cranberry sauce and some frozen peas warmed with lots of sugar, black pepper and salt.

An illustration of a can of cranberry sauce, with an orange label with red berries on it

“The homemade shaming is an epidemic that needs to stop,” she says. “I love the sound of the cranberry sauce coming out of the can. And it’s this wonderful texture that appears out of nowhere.”

What is on the table is totally up to you. The one dish Guarnaschelli makes each year is a mozzarella, pepperoni and pork sausage stuffing, a recipe she believes was passed down from her great-grandmother, and maybe even a few generations before her.

“My goal is to disarm people and make them feel good about whatever it is they’re doing,” she says.

Here’s Guarnaschellli’s blueprint for Thanksgiving success:

Three to four days out:

Make your pie dough and toppings for pies, crumbs or crisps. Prepare any dough for breads or rolls, form and freeze them. If you’re having a lot of people over, now is the time to make a batch of make-ahead gravy.

“I tell people to roast a couple of turkey legs or wings or whatever turkey parts and make another batch of gravy, and then I just eat the meat,” she says. “I make tacos or burritos or shepherd’s pie with the roasted turkey parts. It can be another meal. The goal of the meal is an extra batch of gravy.”

Two days out:

Roll and form the pie dough, put it in the tins and place the tins back in the fridge or freezer. Prepare your pie fillings, mashed sweet potatoes, squash puree or potato gratin. Then pop them in the oven on Thanksgiving.

“I also sometimes pick a dessert like tiramisu that is just better if it sits in the fridge for a few days,” she says. “Something like tres leches or tiramisu that just wants to nap in the fridge and be left alone.”

One day out:

For macaroni and cheese, Guarnaschelli suggests par-baking your noodles and putting them in the fridge. Prepare your stuffing to either bake on the side or stuff into your turkey.

The big day:

Make your macaroni and cheese sauce, dump in the pasta and bake or heat it on the stovetop. Make the mashed potatoes.

“Everybody wants me to tell them it’s OK to make the mashed potatoes two, three, four days in advance,” she says.”I’m just going to say no to people. It’s a big moment. I have empathy, but I won’t budge.”

Cook the turkey. If you’re deep-frying, Guarnaschelli says to brine your turkey beforehand and to make a gravy with the turkey parts. If you’re roasting the turkey, use a butter-soaked cheesecloth on the breast meat for the first part of cooking; stuff the turkey and roast it with some vegetables on the bottom of the pan. Puree some of the cooked vegetables and use them to thicken your gravy.

“Salt and pepper is my turkey seasoning,” she says. “Thanksgiving can get salty and that’s why I’m a little finicky about brining. If you brine and it’s oversalted, it’s ruined.”

Use your empty oven to warm side dishes or bake rolls while your turkey rests.

And most important, “Everybody needs to relax about the in-laws,” she says. “I might open an in-laws hotline next year and offer behavioral etiquette for people, and the only goal is that they enjoy their own Thanksgiving.”

If you’re looking for recipes, we have a full guide here, and a few highlighted below. Have a safe and happy holiday.

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Easy Thanksgiving turkey

Heat your oven to 450 degrees, slide in your turkey, then cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. That’s it. That’s the recipe. Well, most of it. It’s really simple, really rewarding and meant to work 100% of the time. I like those odds.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 2 hours.

Thanksgiving turkey with a gravy boat on the side

Buttermilk mashed potatoes

I don’t know that I’ve ever had a Thanksgiving dinner without mashed potatoes. Buttermilk is used to lighten the mashed russet potatoes in this recipe. You can substitute Yukon Gold potatoes for a richer texture. And feel free to swap in heavy cream, sour cream or crème fraîche in place of the buttermilk. They’re your potatoes. You decide.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes. Serves 4.

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Easy turkey gravy

This gravy can be made a couple of days before with rendered chicken or duck fat, or the day of with your pan drippings. With the addition of shallots, garlic and herbs, it should be excellent whenever you make it.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes. Makes 3 ½ cups.

Sourdough and herb stuffing

This is a stuffing that’s designed to be customized and to please everyone. Use sesame, focaccia or white bread in place of the sourdough. It’s vegetarian, but you can use chicken stock instead of the vegetable broth. Most of the flavor comes from celery, onion and plenty of winter herbs that will help elevate whichever bread and stock you choose.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 2 hours. Serves 8 to 12.

Citrus cranberry sauce

I happen to be team canned cranberry, but if I were to have a homemade sauce on the table, this would be the one. It gets a blast of fresh citrus from orange zest, segments and juice.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes. Makes 1 ½ cups.

Green bean gratin

Former cooking columnist Ben Mims’ updated version of a green bean casserole has become a favorite on my holiday table. He combines green beans and sautéed mushrooms in a gratin-style gravy that’s rich and comforting. A layer of Parmesan creates a blanket of bubbly cheese over the top.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes. Serves 8.