Chefs' Thanksgiving Dinner Tips
Get all the tips for an easy and stress-free Thanksgiving dinner from some of Food Network's favorite chefs.
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Bobby Flay
Alex Guarnaschelli
"As simple as this tip sounds, it's one of my favorites: When you wake up on Thanksgiving morning (or even the night before), fully set your table down to the last detail. That way, even if dinner is not completely ready on time, you don't have to worry about the table, and you 'look' ready!"
Instead of using flour or cornstarch, which may clump in hot liquid, Alex thickens turkey gravy with vegetables. She starts with really soft roasted veggies – a mix of onions, carrots and celery is ideal – then purees them with warm stock in the blender. Add this to the gravy base to create creamy, smooth results.
The secret to getting rid of lumps in mashed potatoes and gravy lies in two key tools: a potato ricer and a sieve, Alex says. Pass cooked potatoes – even already mashed potatoes that have been mixed with butter and milk – through a ricer to guarantee a light, fluffy mash. And for the gravy, just before serving, strain it through a sieve to catch any bits of fat from the drippings.
Faced with a dry turkey? Alex recommends cutting it in big “steaklike” slices with the skin still on and serving the pieces next to each other to retain as much moisture and flavor as possible. Plus, a hefty pour of gravy on top when serving never hurts either, she explains.
Rachael Ray
Aarón Sánchez
Giada De Laurentiis
"To put an Italian spin on Thanksgiving, I make a ciabatta stuffing with chestnuts and sausage. And since my mom's a vegetarian, I always make butternut squash lasagna for guests who don't eat meat."
If you’ve ever found guests sticking around your house well after the party has ended, Giada has a tip for nudging guests to leave: turn off the lights! That’ll give them the hint, she told us.
Geoffrey Zakarian
Ree Drummond
Jose Garces
Sunny Anderson
Spike Mendelsohn
Jeff Mauro
Marc Murphy
Eric Greenspan
Martha Stewart
Believe it or not, Martha says she actually likes canned cranberry sauce! However, she implores you to make your own, because it’s so simple and a holiday like Thanksgiving demands extra-special touches.
Carla Hall
As you’re carving the Thanksgiving turkey, Carla recommends flipping over the bird to find two really delicious nuggets of meat on the back. They’re called the oysters, and they’re tucked on either side of the spine. Moist, tender and full of flavor, the oysters are some of Carla’s favorite cuts of turkey.