30 Recipes to Make in November

This classic pumpkin cake from Food & Wine's Justin Chapple is perfectly moist and delicately spiced. The simple vanilla buttercream frosting gets a lovely tang from the mascarpone that's blended in.

Kosho is a fermented Japanese condiment traditionally prepared with yuzu. This version uses sweet-tart cranberries and gets some heat from jalapeños and their seeds. The resulting puree is sour, spicy, and salty, the perfect pair for juicy turkey at the holiday table.

This classic Southern stuffing has a custard-like texture that holds its shape on an overflowing Thanksgiving plate. White bread acts as a sponge absorbing all the flavorful liquid and aromatics. Toasting the bread in the skillet dries it out just enough to keep it from getting soggy.

Sweet pumpkin lends a creamy, silky texture to this autumnal soup, while fresh pistou brightens it up. Serve extra pistou with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, and buttered pasta.

"My great-grandmother, who is 102, would always make candied sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving," says Douglass Williams, a 2020 F&W Best New Chef. "I wanted to try to find a way to use those sweet potatoes the day after." So Williams came up with these light, fluffy pancakes, flecked with orange zest and studded with crunchy walnuts. The addition of mashed sweet potatoes gives them a beautiful color and keeps them extra moist and tender.

A masterpiece of technique and flavor, this stunning collaboration between pastry chef Kelly Fields and baking legend Claudia Fleming has many delicious components, most of which can be made ahead. Layers of crumbly cornmeal cake and fresh and candied citrus float on billowy drifts of barely boozy sabayon, topped with a sweet, crisp peaks of toasted Italian meringue.

Sweet, tangy, and succulent thanks to chef Rodney Scott's smoky dry rub and spicy mopping sauce, this turkey is easy to tackle on a kamado-style cooker. While Scott swears by the thermal qualities of a ceramic grill, this turkey can also be cooked in a kettle grill or smoker at 225°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 155°F or roasted in the oven at 325°F (cook times will vary).

This riff on the Thanksgiving classic features tender-crisp green beans in a silky vegetarian sauce. With incredible crunch and intense nutty flavor, almost-burnt almonds take this dish to the next level.

Adorned with edible flower petals and gold leaf, these spiced sandwich cookies, which blogger and cookbook author Hetal Vasavada makes for her Diwali celebration, are an occasion unto themselves. Store-bought dulce de leche enriches a filling inspired by peda, a creamy Indian milk fudge flavored with cardamom.

Inspired by älplermagronen, Alpine farmers' macaroni, this Swiss twist on a Thanksgiving classic gets rich flavor from Gruyère and a lush creaminess from Raclette. Traditional versions of this dish are served with applesauce; as a nod to that flavor play, we've added some shallots that are quickly pickled in apple cider vinegar to balance the cheesy richness.

Chhundo, a pickled condiment that's tangy and sticky-sweet, with light heat and fragrance from Kashmiri chile powder, tops these goat cheese crostini, which blogger and cookbook author Hetal Vasavada serves at her Diwali celebration. Green mangoes are essential for this recipe—seek out large mangoes with light green skin and crisp white flesh.

Each layer of this next-level lasagna leans on Thanksgiving leftovers in a smart way to bring big flavor to the table. Leftover sautéed mushrooms jazz up the creamy béchamel, while mashed butternut squash provides a smooth contrast to the hearty turkey filling flavored with leftover gravy and Parmesan, and pan-fried sage leaves add an elegant twist.

This low-alcohol punch leans on tart cranberry juice and spicy ginger ale for a big punch of flavor, allowing the booze to take a back seat. Frozen cranberries stand in for a traditional punch ring, keeping this fizzy drink nice and cold.

You can make this Madeira-spiked gravy recipe ahead of time in a pressure cooker or simmer it on the stovetop. Either way, it will lighten the load on Thanksgiving Day. A concentrated smoked turkey stock serves as the base of the gravy, which will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days and also freezes beautifully. Wondra flour helps ensure a smooth consistency.

Resplendent with mixed citrus and jewel-toned roasted beets, this peppery arugula salad gets elevated to holiday status courtesy of crispy halloumi croutons.

A riff on creamed spinach, this cheesy gratin is studded with buttery toasted gnocchi. Swiss chard adds an earthy bite, while a duo of nutty Gruyère and salty Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses brings richness and depth to the béchamel. Store-bought gnocchi help this gratin come together in a flash; toasting them in butter instead of boiling adds a compelling crunch.

Japanese korokke are the basis for these cheesy squash fritters, which can be made with freshly steamed kabocha squash or canned pumpkin puree. A drier squash, kabocha has a sweet flavor and cooks down into a custardy texture that's still low-moisture enough to fry into these crispy two-bite appetizers. Serve them with a shortcut dipping sauce—a blend of fresh garlic, bright yuzu juice, and silky Kewpie mayo.

Banish any chance of a dry bird with this salt-crusted turkey breast. Salt-roasting is a technique that is often employed to keep lean fish moist while roasting, because the mixture of salt and egg whites forms a nearly airtight crust when baked, locking in moisture and flavor. It works the same magic with turkey. Whereas traditional methods for roasting turkey tend to yield dry white meat, salt-roasting delivers an incredibly juicy breast that's perfectly seasoned to the bone, with no brining required.

Inspired by chef Cassie Piuma's squash spanakopita at her restaurant, Sarma, in Somerville, Massachusetts, this stuffed pumpkin is filled with a nutty, creamy blend of Gruyère and feta cheeses; sweet, anise-scented fennel; and hearty green lacinato kale for a stunning vegetarian main dish fit for any holiday table. After roasting and before stuffing, scrape the inside of the pumpkin to loosen about 3 cups of the sweet, tender flesh to yield a flavorful base for the kale filling. Use a gentle hand when scraping to leave the pumpkin walls intact.

2021 Food & Wine Best New Chef Thessa Diadem's streusel-topped corn biscuits star a trio of corn—cornmeal for texture, creamed corn for moisture, and freeze-dried sweet corn for its intense flavor. "Freeze-dried corn works better than fresh corn, which has too much moisture." Diadem says. The labneh in the recipe mimics full-fat buttermilk and provides acid that helps the biscuits rise.

Boiled and then smashed and baked on a sheet pan, these extra-crispy potatoes satisfy cookbook author Adeena Sussman's Hanukkah latke cravings with no shredding or frying. Dollops of gin-spiked sour cream; sprinkles of salmon roe, chives, dill, and parsley; and quick-pickled turnip, beet, and cauliflower make these colorful bites a blast to eat.

Tart cranberries and toasted walnuts add flavor and a crunch to this crowd-pleasing holiday side dish. Hunks of toasted rustic bread form the backbone of this stuffing, and a buttery sautéed mixture of onion, celery, herbs, and cooked sausage fills it out with rich flavor. Simmering the cranberries first in vinegar and sugar both intensifies and rounds out their distinctive tartness. Serve this versatile dish alongside roasted turkey, pork, or beef.

Popular during Diwali, this snack mix has many variations. Yamini Joshi's version, which she keeps on hand for visitors during the holiday, includes crispy rice flakes, nuts, shredded coconut, spices, seeds, raisins, and roasted split chickpeas. Fragrant from curry leaves, sour from ground dried pomegranate arils, and lightly smoky from black salt, it's a crunchy, chewy blend that's wonderful with hot chai.

A pinch of cayenne, tart pomegranate molasses, and savory-sweet date syrup give this gently-roasted salmon layers of flavor and a gorgeous bronzed exterior. Choose higher-fat king or Atlantic salmon for best results.

These mashed potatoes are a speedy, nearly effortless dish thanks to a flavor-packed special ingredient: a garlic-and-herb-flecked spreadable cheese (such as Boursin). For a colorful twist, use purple Peruvian potatoes instead of Yukon Golds to make purple mashed potatoes.

A blend of turbinado sugar, maple syrup, and honey makes for a pecan pie with a well-rounded sweetness. A dash of apple brandy adds a faint caramel apple flavor and brightens the nutty toasted pecans.

Golden orbs of fried dough often dusted with sugar or drizzled with sweet syrup, bimuelos are a popular dessert across many cultures and are a favorite on many Hanukkah tables. In Adeena Sussman's version, the orange-scented dough fries up perfectly golden crisp and holds its crunch even when doused with the cardamom-laced honey. Festively pink, the make-ahead cranberry curd provides the perfect tart-creamy balance.

A quick, high-temperature oven roast on a baking sheet yields crispy, golden brown brussels sprouts and almost-charred, smoky broccoli. Tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce studded with tart cranberries, Fresno chiles, and shallots, the vegetables become an easy, elegant side dish.

Smoky and spicy, cured Spanish chorizo infuses melted butter with its rich color and flavor, balancing the natural sweetness of these tender roasted sweet potatoes. Scoring baked sweet potatoes and then broiling them gives them a hint of smoke and lets the chorizo butter soak into every bite.

Made with a combination of grated cold butter for flavor and vegetable shortening for tenderness, Carla Hall's biscuits owe their towering, flaky layers to her classic laminating technique.