Thanksgiving Greens Recipes

By Food & Wine
Updated May 17, 2017
From classic creamed spinach to crispy baked kale with Gruyère cheese, here are superb greens recipes for Thanksgiving.
Start Slideshow

1 of 16

Sautéed Collard Greens with Pepperoni

© Con Poulos
Go to Recipe

Collards are often paired with bacon, but our new favorite twist is to flavor the greens with spicy pepperoni.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 16

Escarole and Golden Beet Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts

© Con Poulos
Go to Recipe

This superfresh, crunchy salad stars very thinly sliced golden beets, which have a sweet, earthy flavor.

3 of 16

Mustard Greens with Apple Cider-Dijon Dressing

© Christina Holmes
Go to Recipe

F&W’s Kay Chun uses hearty mustard greens to make this crunchy, bright and tangy salad.

Advertisement

4 of 16

Creamed Kale


© John Kernick
Go to Recipe

This rich and delicious creamed kale from star chef Tyler Florence is an excellent swap for more traditional creamed spinach.

5 of 16

Creamy Mustard Greens with Fried Shallots

Go to Recipe

Crisp fried shallots are a terrific contrast to creamy greens, especially when they’re stirred in and sprinkled on top.

6 of 16

Creamed Collard Greens

Go to Recipe

This is a Southern interpretation of French creamed spinach. The collards add a pleasant bitterness to this lush side dish, but it’s important to shred them finely before you simmer them in the cream or they’ll never get tender.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 16

Stewed Broccoli Rabe with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Go to Recipe

This pan-fried broccoli rabe is a pleasant departure from the standard version made with garlic and chiles, though it does include those ingredients. Ryan Hardy mixes the garlic and chiles, along with fennel, into a satisfying tomato sauce that balances the bitter greens and adds lovely color, too.

8 of 16

Creamed Collard Greens with Parmesan Crumbs

Go to Recipe

Bake the greens in individual dishes for a more sophisticated presentation.

9 of 16

Collard Greens with Fennel and Orange Butter

Go to Recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 16

Bitter Greens with Quince Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese

Go to Recipe

The array of bitter greens, lightly wilted by hot garlic oil, is delicious with the flavors of balsamic vinegar and sweet quince paste in the dressing. Chef Govind Armstrong recommends using a soft blue like Gorgonzola for making a creamy dish. The firm blue cheese here creates a more crumbly topping.

11 of 16

Creamed Spinach and Parsnips

Go to Recipe

This luscious side dish can be prepared up to three days ahead. The duo of sweet parsnip and creamy spinach is unbeatable.

12 of 16

Spicy Greens and Pear Salad with Pomegranate Gremolata

Go to Recipe

This salad is the perfect blend of flavors—bitter (watercress, arugula), tart (pomegranate seeds) and sweet (honey and pear).

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 16

Swiss Chard with Ginger and Cumin

Go to Recipe

“I often use just one or two spices, such as the ginger and cumin in this Swiss chard,” says Madhur Jaffrey. “It’s a very northern Indian approach.”

14 of 16

Swiss Chard Casserole with Shiitake Mushrooms

Go to Recipe

Delicious and easy to make and serve, this frittata-like casserole is just the kind of dish that F&W’s Justin Chapple likes to serve as a first course at dinner parties. He slices the baked casserole into bite-size squares and tops them with a dollop of crème fraïche to serve with cocktails.

15 of 16

Calabrese Mustard Greens

Go to Recipe

Just a little red wine vinegar transforms this otherwise familiar bowl of garlicky greens.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 16

Crispy Baked Kale with Gruyère Cheese

Go to Recipe

Chef Sam Hayward usually tops these lush onion-sweetened greens with an excellent aged raw-milk cheese from Vermont called Tarentaise. He says Gruyère or any other Alpine-style cheese is a great substitute.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Food & Wine