Jose Garces's Spanish-Inspired Thanksgiving Dinner

This strong but not overly sweet sangria is nicely spiced with cinnamon, anise and cloves and it has just enough crushed red pepper to give it a tiny kick.

A light broth loaded with chunky Great Northern beans and topped with a sprinkling of bacon, this soup was inspired by the caldo gallego (a Spanish white-bean soup) that chef Garces serves.

Garces prepares this turkey in the same style as a traditional Yucatán dish called cochinita pibil, a slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus and annatto paste (made from achiote seeds, the condiment adds an orange hue to foods). Brining and marinating the bird make it especially succulent.

Garces says this dish best exemplifies his Thanksgiving menu: traditional at its core but with unexpected Latin accents. The gratin is silky and sweet, topped with gooey marshmallows and delightfully crunchy pecans flavored with chile powder.

This sweet-and-sour spinach side dish gets its satisfying flavor from the combination of honey and sherry vinegar that’s drizzled on top. It’s relatively light, which makes it a great addition to a hearty Thanksgiving menu.

Garces learned how to make a classic potato gratin while studying at Kendall College’s cooking school in Chicago. It’s still one of his favorite side dishes. This version combines lots of sharp, nutty Manchego cheese and smoky San Simòn cheese (Gouda is a fine substitute) for rich, complex flavor.

This thick, creamy flan—Garces’s mother’s recipe—is a staple in his household. Garces likes to serve it alongside a refreshing salad of melon and citrus.