This Thanksgiving, why not feast like some of your favorite stars! We have celebrity-approved recipes that will sure to have your friends and family talking.
Zooey Deschanel: Pecan Pie
Zooey Deschanel revealed her family’s beloved pecan pie recipe, a holiday staple passed down from her mom. Though it takes a bit of time, just under two hours from start to finish, the effort is certainly worthwhile for this classic dessert!
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
A pinch of salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
1 cup dark Karo syrup
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
A mound of pecan halves, enough to fill the crust
Molasses, for garnish, about 1/4 cup
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425F.
For the pie crust, using a pastry cutter, combine the flour salt, and butter until it looks like a coarse meal. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, just enough until the dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll the disk out into a 1/4-inch-thick circle, transfer to a pie plate and crimp the edges of the crust.
For the filling, in a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the Karo syrup, eggs, butter, flour, salt, brown sugar and vanilla.
Fill the crust with pecans to the top and pour the filling over the top of the pecans. Drizzle with molasses.
Bake for 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350F and continue to bake for 40 minutes.
You can get more of Zooey Descheanel’s recipes on her cooking show What am I Eating? Streaming on HBO Max
Snoop Dog: Herbed Turkey
After Snoop Dog’s culinary collaborations with Martha Stewart, it’s clear the man knows his way around the kitchen. His turkey recipe, which features a flavorful compound butter made with garlic, orange zest, sage, thyme, and rosemary, is bound to impress.
Ingredients
For the Turkey:
12lb (4.5kg) turkey
1/4 cup (40g) salt
2 medium oranges
2 springs sage
8 springs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
8 tbsp (110g) unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves
3 medium onions
For the Gravy:
1.5 cups (300ml) chicken stock
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 springs flat-leaf parsley
Preparation for the Turkey:
The night before you plan to cook the turkey, remove the packaging and giblet bag from the cavity. Working in your clean kitchen sink, rinse the outside and inside of the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the salt onto the turkey and use your hands to rub it evenly all over the skin. Transfer the turkey to a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight, or up to 24 hours.
The day you plan to cook the turkey, make the herb butter: Using a rasp-style grater, remove the zest from 1 orange and put the zest into a medium bowl; reserve the zested orange. Pick the leaves from the sprigs of sage, thyme, and rosemary and finely chop them together; reserve all the stems. Add the chopped herbs to the orange zest. Add the butter and garlic. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
Preheat the oven to 325°F, with a rack in the lower third of the oven.
Remove the turkey on the baking sheet from the refrigerator and transfer the turkey to the clean kitchen sink; reserve the baking sheet. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Insert your fingers between the skin and meat over the breasts and thighs to separate the skin from the meat, taking care not to tear it or remove it from the turkey. Using a spoon, gently lift the skin and place spoonfuls of the herb butter between the skin and meat all over the turkey. Use your hands to press and spread the butter evenly. Rub any herb butter left in the bowl all over the outside of the turkey. Liberally season the turkey with pepper.
Place 8 onion wedges into the cavity of the turkey and add the reserved herb stems. Group the remaining onion wedges in the center of the rimmed baking sheet so they touch. Center the turkey on top of the onions. Place the turkey in the oven. Bake for 2 to 2½ hours until golden brown on the outside and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh (not touching the bone) reads at least 165°F [75°C].
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes. Using a meat fork or wooden spoon inserted into the turkey’s cavity, gently lift it off the baking sheet and onto a large cutting board. Tent the turkey loosely with aluminum foil.
Preparation for the Gravy:
Set a strainer over a glass measuring cup and pour the sheet pan drippings and onions into it. While the drippings drain, squeeze the juice from both oranges. Once the drippings have fully drained, set the onions aside in a small bowl. Spoon off 2 Tbsp of the fat that rises to the surface of the drippings and place in a medium saucepan; continue removing the remaining fat; discard it or save for another use. Once all the fat is removed, add the orange juice to the drippings. Add enough chicken stock to make 2 cups [480 ml] of liquid.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat to warm the rendered fat. Add half the drained onions (reserve the other half). Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the onions start to fall apart and caramelize at the edges.
Add the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the drippings-and juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick gravy. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper. If you like a smooth gravy, transfer it to a blender and purée until smooth, or leave as is with pieces of onion. Stir in the parsley (if using) and pour the gravy into a serving bowl or gravy boat.
You can find more of Snoop Dog’s recipes in his cook book From Crook to Cook.
Kelly Ripa: Butternut Squash Soup
If you’re seeking a warm and comforting appetizer, Kelly Ripa’s butternut squash soup could be the ideal starter. She sautés squash with garlic, shallots, and spices before pureeing it into a velvety soup. For extra flair, the recipe even suggests serving the soup in a hollowed-out pumpkin or acorn squash for a festive twist.
Ingredients
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 whole cloves
1 star anise pod
1 t peppercorns
1 large butternut squash, skinned and cubed
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 C low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T honey
2-3 T pepitas, toasted
For the bowls:
4 small baking pumpkins (such as hooligan or sugar pie), acorn squash or sweet dumpling squash
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt
Preparation:
Place the thyme, cloves, star anise, and peppercorns in the center of a piece of cheesecloth and tie into a pouch. Set aside.
Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook about 2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the squash, broth, salt, pepper, and the spice bag. Simmer, partially covered, until the squash is tender (25-30 mins).
Remove the bag of spices and puree the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or in a blender. To serve, ladle into bowls, drizzle with honey, and garnish with the pepitas and a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
To make the bowls:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use a paring knife to cut a large circle around the stem of each pumpkin (make a zigzag cut, if desired). Remove the lid and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Sprinkle the inside of each with 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and salt. Place the pumpkins and lids on a baking sheet; roast until tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on their size.
Jennifer Garner: Sweet Potato Pudding
When it comes to sweet potatoes, Jennifer Garner sticks to her grandmother’s classic pudding recipe, a cherished Thanksgiving tradition.
Ingredients
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 eggs
Salt
3 tablespoons butter
One 16-ounce bag of mini marshmallows
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot of water, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, lower the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl.
Using a hand-held electric mixer, break up the potatoes.
At low speed add the sugar, milk, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, eggs, salt to taste, and combine.
Butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish and pour in the mixture. Smooth the top and bake until the pudding is set, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Cover the top of the pudding with marshmallows, change the oven temperature to the broil setting and cook until the marshmallows are brown and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
Gwyneth Paltrow: Cranberry Chutney
Gwyneth Paltrow, the Goop guru herself, has shared several Thanksgiving recipes over the years, but her cranberry chutney stands out. This tangy and sweet condiment has been a fan favorite ever since it appeared in one of her holiday newsletters.
Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
1 ⅓ cups water
4 cups fresh cranberries
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 small orange or tangerine
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add onion, celery, mushrooms, garlic and poultry seasoning. Cook until vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine bread, rice, cranberries, raisins and walnuts. Stir in vegetable mixture. Add 1 cup broth and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 2 cups mixture for stuffing hens.
Lightly grease 9″x9″ baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into the dish. Cover with foil; bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, combine remaining broth and brandy. Set aside.
Discard neck and giblets; season hen cavities with salt and pepper. Stuff each with ½ cup stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Arrange breast side up, on rack in roasting pan. Pour in half of the brandy mixture; scatter herbs and oranges around poultry. Roast for 30 minutes basting occasionally.
Pour 1 cup brandy mixture into a roasting pan. Continue roasting 15 to 20 minutes, or until the thermometer inserted in hens registers 175°F.
Transfer to a cutting board; let stand for 10 minutes. Remove rack from pan and pour in remaining ½ cup brandy mixture.
Deglaze pan over high heat, scraping up brown bits. Toss in herbs. Transfer liquid to saucepan and bring to boil until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
