F&W Test Kitchen's Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
Now that you've ordered your turkey, what should you serve with it? Read on for the F&W Test Kitchen's favorite starters, sides and desserts—guaranteed to keep the pickiest of guests coming back for seconds (and thirds).
Celery Root Bisque with Walnut-Parsley Gremolata
Food & Wine's Kay Chun sneaks a small piece of Parmesan cheese into this lovely soup, giving it a flavor boost. To make it extra special, she serves the silky bisque topped with a nutty, crunchy and vibrant walnut-and-parsley gremolata.
Test Kitchen Tip: Croutons aren't just for salads. Top silky soups like this one with crispy garnishes.
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Wild Rice Salad with Beets, Grapes and Pecans
This wild rice dish from Food & Wine's Justin Chapple will be the prettiest and brightest-tasting side dish on the Thanksgiving table, but it's equally good any time of the year.
Test Kitchen Tip: This hearty salad does great in the fridge overnight. Just fold in the arugula and nights before you serve.
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Broccoli-Spinach Soup with Crispy Broccoli Florets and Croutons
Given this soup's supremely silky texture, you'll think it's made with cream, but that texture actually comes from a potato pureed into the broth. For contrast, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple tops the soup with crispy broccoli florets and croutons.
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Lima Bean and Ricotta Crostini
Food & Wine's Justin Chapple thinks that lima beans deserve a place on every table, especially when they're made into a bright, herby salad and piled onto crunchy and creamy ricotta toasts.
Test Kitchen Tip: Look to the freezer section for fresh frozen beans, like these limas, so you can skip the shelling and get to snacking.
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Haricots Verts Salad with Crispy Potato Chips
In a riff on a traditional green bean casserole, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes a bright and punchy green bean salad with a mustard vinaigrette and tops it with crispy oven-baked Yukon Gold potato chips.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you need to save time, substitute thick-cut store-bought chips for homemade.
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Caraway Rolls with Garlic-Parsley Butter
These pull-apart rolls from Food & Wine's Kay Chun are addictively buttery and garlicky--like garlic bread on steroids. Because they're baked in a cast-iron skillet, the bottoms get supremely crispy, too.
Test Kitchen Tip: Bring these buttery pull-apart rolls right to the table in the cast-iron skillet.
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Tangerine Curd Tart
Food & Wine's Kay Chun makes this beautiful, sunny-yellow tart for special occasions. It's a standout because she makes the rich and silky curd with fresh tangerine and lemon juices for the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
Test Kitchen Tip: Any fresh citrus will work in thie creamy tart filling--the tangerine we used is tangy without being sour.
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Pumpkin Layer Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
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.
Test Kitchen Tip: The mascarpone frosting on this killer pumpkin cake beats buttercream hands down.
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Pear-and-Cranberry Slab Pie
Instead of making a traditional two-crust pie in a pie plate, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes this free-form, fruit-filled, ginger-laced pie on a baking sheet.
Test Kitchen Tip: Choose firm, slightly underripe pears (we like Anjou or Bartlett) to cook with the cranberries in this tart.