Thanksgiving is the battle of the mac and cheese in my family, with my grandmother always winning the prize using my great-great-great grandmother’s recipe. I was determined to try something new and win my first “gold star” for mac and cheese superiority, so I searched high and low for recipes, experimented, and held tasting parties for my friends to chime in. I ended up starting a mac and cheese catering business (dubbed ‘Return of the Mac’) and I LOVED IT (even though I am lactose intolerant and suffer for every creamy bite)! I was afraid to test my culinary luck against the 50+ year champ and her 100+ year champion recipe, but I did it on Thanksgiving Day 2009. And on that fateful day, I became the family’s Mac and Cheese Queen – a title I hold to this day! I know it’s cheesy, but it’s a gouda story, isn’t it?

Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni noodles
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (room temp/warm)
• 2 1/2 cups half and half (room temp/warm)
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese
• 1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups Muenster cheese
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp pepper
• 1/4 tbsp garlic

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F and grease/spray a 3 qt baking dish. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk slowly to combine, slowly adding in flour. The mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
5. Continue to heat over medium heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi-thinned out condensed soup.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese and stir until completely melted and smooth.
7. Combine drained pasta with cheese sauce in a baking dish; add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheeses, stirring to combine fully.
8. Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
9. ENJOY! 😋

Pietisserie was a little pie shop on Lake Merritt near my house in Oakland. They would open 24 hours a day for three days during Thanksgiving in order to serve everyone their pie orders. I used to wait in line for hours and try to get any pies they had left. Their Raspberry Chocolate has been featured on TV and in magazines… and for good reason! Sadly they shut down, but their pies are now found in local grocery stores, pop-ups, and can be ordered from them online.

Ingredients

• Raspberry filling
• Chocolate crust
• Knife to cut

Instructions

1. Go to https://www.pietisserie.com/pies. Order the pie. Wait for the pie. Receive the pie. (Or if you are in the Bay Area, Berkeley Bowl and Whole Foods carry their pies!)
2. Eat the pie.

I wish I had a deeper reason why this recipe is important to me… it’s just nice to have a warm drink when it’s cold out. Plus, the addition of alcohol never hurts when it comes to holiday conversations with certain family members (we all have ‘em)!

Ingredients

• 2 quarts apple cider or juice
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 large orange; quartered with peel
• Whiskey or other alcohol of choice (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks.
2. After simmering, add whiskey or other alcohol of choice, if desired.

I love Christmas. Swedish Christmas is extra cozy. These meatballs are a family recipe, which makes them extra special. There’s something more magical about sharing recipes from people who are near and dear, rather than using a Google search. These are also freaking delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 package (ish) ground beef
• 1 package (ish) ground pork
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• A healthy sprinkle of black pepper (a teaspoon or 2)
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp nutmeg + 1 tsp all spice (if you feel like it needs a dash more or less, do that)
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs or panko
• 3/4 cup cream (or milk if you’re counting carbs, but this is not a day to count carbs)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 pressed garlic cloves

Instructions

This was gifted to me in metric, and so this is a loose translation to… not metric. I also never follow this precisely (a fatal cooking flaw), and estimate every time for rough measurements. It’s a choose your own destiny dish. It’s hard to mess up and as long as it’s made with love, a glass of red, and doesn’t skimp on the nutmeg and allspice combo – you have succeeded.

1. Chop that onion. Think diced, but depending on how much crunch you want, do whatever your heart desires.
2. Mix all your dry stuff in a bowl. Add the cream and let that bask in its glory.
3. Mix the meat together with the onion, garlic, and egg. I add in parsley usually but it depends on whether I have it or not and also just the vibe. It really doesn’t matter how much meat you do, that’s up to you. It just matters that you’re mixing 50/50ish beef and pork.
4. Mix it all together!
5. Roll the balls. Golf ball size is easy and quicker to cook.
6. I like to brown them in a cast iron with butter for the outside. Then stick those in the oven, preheated to 375° F. The meatballs should be 165° F internally and look cooked if you cut the biggest meatball and take a peek inside. Top with creamy, delicious gravy.

My mom’s signature Thanksgiving drink. While I’ve never been sure if it’s a cocktail she actually likes (but only drinks once a year), or if it’s just easy to make it bulk and helps extra large family gatherings go down smoothly, I do know I like it. Partly due to taste, partly thanks to nostalgia.

Equally best served to that awkward guest parked on/in the corner pocket of the couch, or to the busy auntie who’s steering the Thanksgiving ship. Chilled.

Ingredients

• Gin
• Ice
• Lemon
• Simple syrup
• Egg white
• For a dash of Sweden, add a splash of fläder syrup (elderflower)

Instructions

This isn’t a tough one, but a classic.

1. Alley-oop that ice in the blender. Toss in your desired amount of gin, juice from a whole lemon, some simple syrup (or sugar, add egg white to froth it up, and blend until smooth and ice cold.
2. Top it off with soda water if you want, and there she is. A Thanksgiving Gin Fizz.

Don’t knock this dish ’til you try it! This has been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember. I think the recipe came from an old family friend from the Midwest and we have loved it ever since. Whenever I describe it I get a lot of weird looks, but I’ve converted most skeptics. It’s simple and strange, and very Midwestern, which is probably why it’s so good.

Ingredients

• 3 cans of cream style corn (this is important!)
• 1.5-2 sleeves crushed Ritz crackers; reserve 1/4 cup
• 1/2 stick of cold butter
• That’s it!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Dump the creamed corn and all but the 1/4 cup of reserved crushed Ritz crackers into an oven-safe baking dish. Mix until evenly incorporated. Add more crackers if the consistency is too runny.
3. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of crushed Ritz crackers.
4. Thinly slice butter and place, evenly spaced, on top of the Ritz cracker crumb topping.
5. Cook uncovered in the oven for about 45 minutes, until bubbling and top is golden brown.
6. Serve warm.

Cake aux Olives is a simple and delicious loaf we eat in France during an “apéro” (short for apéritif) with family or friends, or that we bring to a pique-nique. Living in the US and being influenced by soul food in our household, I transformed the original recipe using corn meal instead of wheat flour.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup chopped bacon (works with plant-based bacon too!)
• 1⁄2 lb Emmental cheese, grated (you can substitute cheddar or a mix of cheese if you’d like)
• 1 cup yogurt, plain (unsweetened)
• 1 cup cornmeal (finely ground)
• 1 cup green olives, cut in half (if you don’t enjoy olives, you can use sun dried tomatoes instead)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
2. Chop the bacon strips in small 1/4-inch pieces. Cook as per package instructions.
3. In a big bowl, whisk the 4 eggs and mix in the yogurt. Add in the bacon. Mix in the corn meal, olives, and cheese.
4. Grease a 9” x 4.5” cake pan (or muffin pan to make little ones). Dust with cornmeal so that it’s as non-stick as possible. Pour in the batter and bake for 1 hour.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes or so before removing from the pan. Let the cake cool for 5 more minutes and then slice.
6. Enjoy warm or cold.

I do not enjoy cooking, but I do love bringing something to the party. This appetizer is right at my skill level and has always been a crowd pleaser. There’s just something approachable but classy about gooey cheese and buttery bread, and there’s fruit to boot!

Ingredients

• Crescent rolls (8 count) or 1 can (8 oz)
• Round Brie cheese (8 oz)
• Sliced almonds (optional for topping)
• Honey (optional for topping)
• Crackers
• 2 apples, sliced

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F
2. Unroll dough; take perforated triangles and to create a wrap around the circle of brie. Pull triangle dough over and around to cover brie.
3. Bake 20-24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.
4. Drizzle top with honey and sliced almonds.
5. Serve warm with crackers and sliced apples.

This was perhaps the first dish I learned to cook back in the good old ‘80s, when calories or saturated fats were not really something we discussed. A tip – if you make this and people ask for the recipe… do not tell it to them! If anyone knew just how much cream and cheese is in this monster, this dish would be resting with your 1987 pink cordless phone!

Ingredients

• Potatoes (roughly 1 lb)
• 1 whole
• Cheddar cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

1. Peel and slice the potatos really thinly. Thinly slice the leek.
2. Cover an oven-proof dish with the sliced potatoes, followed by 1/2 the leek. Cover in sliced cheese and finish with salt and pepper. Create another 1-2 layers of potato, leek, cheese, salt, and pepper on top of that. Fill up the dish to about half-way with cream.
3. Put in the oven at 375°F for a minimum of an hour. If it’s getting too burnt on top, cover in foil. The longer this stays in the oven, the better!
4. Serve warm.

I have always loved hearty salads, and it’s nice having something nutritious and delicious to fill up on if you’re not big on Thanksgiving food. A good friend brought this to a Friendsgiving many years ago, and I keep the tradition alive and make it every year.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 12 oz fresh butternut squash, cubed
• 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 3 cups kale
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh dates, pitted & chopped
• 1/4 cup pistachios

Avocado Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 1 avocado, skin & pit removed
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Toss the butternut squash, red onion and garlic with the olive oil, rosemary, cinnamon, kosher salt, and black pepper.
3. Place in an even layer on a baking sheet and into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
4. While the squash is roasting, add the quinoa to a small pot with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and set aside.
6. Next, prepare the salad dressing by adding the avocado, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on low until smooth; drizzle the olive oil in the blender while on low. Continue blending until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
7. Remove any stems from the kale.
8. Chop the kale and spinach together.
9. Toss the kale and spinach with 1/2 of the salad dressing.
10. Place the dressed kale and spinach in a large serving bowl.
11. Remove the butternut squash from the oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then place on top of the salad with the quinoa, dates, and pistachios.
12. Toss everything together and serve with additional salad dressing on the side.

My sister travels a lot and when she’s home, we usually all get together at my parents’ house. This is always what she always wants to eat – she also had it at her wedding. This recipe is connected to a lot of joy and warmth for me, plus it’s SUPER tasty. Also, I guess that you can get pretty tired of all the traditional Thanksgiving food, so I thought this could be a good addition!

Ingredients

This is full-on metric system… sorry!

• 500g minced chicken/pork or veggie mince (I use one that is based on soy protein)
• 50g of rice noodles (if possible, thin vermicelli)
• 1-2 stems of lemongrass
• 1 red or green chili
• 2-3 cm of ginger
• 2 spring onions
• 1/2 pot of coriander
• Around 16 mint leaves
• 6 fresh lime leaves
• 2 msk fish sauce
• 2 msk Japanese soy sauce
• 1 msk sesame oil
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Cook your noodles and strain them in some cold water so that they don’t get all soggy. Chop them up in smaller pieces and set aside.
2. Finely chop lemongrass, chili, ginger, spring onion, coriander, mint, and lime leaves (remove the stem in the middle – it’s a bit chewy). If you think chopping is boring, you can add your lemongrass, lime leaves, chili, and ginger to a food processor.
3. Take a big ass bowl and add your preferred mince, the chopped noodles and everything from step 2 together with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and fish sauce. Mix everything together and make small balls – about 20 of them or so.
4. Heat the oven to 150°C.
5. Heat up the oil to 180°C in a pot or if you have a deep fryer – good for you!. Fry the balls about 5-6 at the time until golden brown. Add them to a oven safe pan as they are getting lovely and brown and throw them in the oven until they are fully cooked (about 10-20 minutes).
6. Serve with whatever you fancy. I usually do a salad with mango, noodles, and a lot of veggies. Also some sort of dipping sauce!

We actually have Thanksgiving in Austria, called Ernterdankfest. It’s a mostly Christian tradition that takes place in October, but by no means is it celebrated like in the US! Coming to this country and having green beans for Thanksgiving for the very first time, all I could think was “Why?”. A few years ago, I found this recipe, which brought the green beans back to the Thanksgiving dinner table. It has become a staple and something I have to bring to my Santa Cruz friends I always celebrate with.

Ingredients

• 12 oz fresh green beans (trimmed)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat an air fryer to 400°F (200°C).
2. Place the green beans in a large bowl. Whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a separate bowl, then pour over the green beans. Toss to coat and let marinate for 5 minutes.
3. Place 1/2 of the green beans in the air fryer basket.
4. Cook in the preheated air fryer, shaking basket halfway, until crispy; about 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining green beans.