MENU: A Traditional New England Thanksgiving

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All along the grey and November-cold East Coast, Thanksgiving is the meal we most look forward to setting the family table for each year. A perfectly roasted turkey surrounded by a bevy of simple and comforting American sides is a matter of tradition: the kids will pick the marshmallows off the top of the sweet potato casserole while the grown-ups will spike their mugs of hot mulled cider with a fire crackling in the background. Gather 'round the bountiful table with all you love, and be thankful for that second slice of pumpkin pie.

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THE MENU


PLANNING TIPS

  2. Three days before the feast, start prepping by making the pie dough for both pies, the cranberry sauce, and the mashed potatoes. Bring your bird home at least two days before Thanksgiving so you have ample time to presalt, a simple step that keeps the turkey juicy and intensifies its natural flavors.

  3. The day before the feast, bake both pies, make the bar nuts, and roast the sweet potatoes in preparation for the sweet potato casserole.

  4. The turkey takes about 2 hours in the oven, so be sure to leave plenty of oven space and time. The Parker House rolls need about 2 hours prepping and rising time before baking, so be sure to plan accordingly.

  5. The sweet potato casserole, stuffing, brussels sprouts, green beans, and stuffed mushrooms can all be cooked the morning of the feast then reheated just before serving.

  6. For more inspiring recipes for Thanksgiving appetizers, see our recipe collection »


VIDEO: How to Carve a Turkey

RECIPE: Sweet Potato Casserole
This sweet potato casserole is an especially festive, over-the-top take on the Thanksgiving classic, topped with a crisp pecan crumble and dotted with marshmallows.

SERVES 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE FILLING:
3 lbs. sweet potatoes
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1″ piece ginger, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE CRUMBLE TOPPING:
½ cup flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup mini marshmallows

RELATED: Cranberry Recipes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°. Place sweet potatoes on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until soft, about 1½ hours; let cool for 30 minutes, and then remove skins. Pass potatoes through a food mill into a large bowl; stir in sugar, butter, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, eggs, ginger, and pepper. Pour mixture into a 1½-qt. baking dish and smooth top; set aside.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Stir together flour, oats, sugar, pecans, and salt in a bowl; add butter and, using your fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until large crumbles form. Mound crumble mixture over filling, dot with marshmallows, and bake until filling is hot and crumble and marshmallows are browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

RELATED: The Best Turkey Recipes

RECIPE: Apple Pie
This double-crust pie has an intriguing tart-sweet flavor thanks to a splash of apple cider vinegar.

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PIE CRUST:
2½ cups flour, sifted
2 tbsp. sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. kosher salt
18 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
½ cup evaporated milk

FOR THE FILLING:
6 apples, preferably a mixture of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut into 1/8" slices
¾ cup sugar
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

VIDEO: How to Weave a Lattice Top for Pies

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the crust: Put flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Working in 4 batches, add butter and pulse until the flour resembles coarse meal flecked with pea-size pieces of butter. Continue to pulse, sprinkling in a total of 6-8 tbsp. of ice water between pulses, until the dough begins to hold together. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, divide in half, and form 2 dough balls. Flatten each dough ball slightly to make a disk. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Heat oven to 425˚. Roll out each disk of dough on a lightly floured surface into 12" rounds. Fit 1 round of dough into a 9" pie plate; set second round of dough aside.

3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, vinegar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Transfer filling to the pie plate and use a spoon to distribute evenly. Brush edges of pastry with some of the egg and top with remaining pastry round. Trim edges with a knife and crimp with your fingers. Brush top of pastry with remaining egg and sprinkle with a little sugar. Using a knife, make 4 slits in pastry top and poke with tines of a fork. Transfer pie to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350˚ and continue baking until crust is golden brown and a knife inserted into one of the slits slides easily through apples, about 40 minutes more. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 2 hours before serving.

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