Thanksgiving dinner, unstacked

Two menus, twelve dishes, and plenty of expert advice for the holiday

Photo from Sarah Copeland

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away. We worked with a few Substackers to plan two Thanksgiving dinner menus: a (more or less) traditional turkey dinner and a vegetarian variation. Plus, several have scheduled live video hotlines to answer any and all of your kitchen questions. You’ll find a schedule at the bottom of the post; don’t forget to download the app to join!

For omnivores

This menu offers your classic hits, with a few twists that make it special. Print out PDFs of the menu below to share it with your guests.

Omnivore Thanksgiving Menu

1.26MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Drink

Spiced Pear Rosé Spritzer: Kick things off with a “refreshing, sweet, and very batchable drink to have as a welcome cocktail” from

katie

of

the sunday stack

.

Main

Turkey: There’s no escaping it: “turkey has been and will always be, undeniably, the holiday’s star of the show, or main character if you will.”

Zoe Barrie Soderstrom

of

Restaurant Dropout

shares a foolproof plan for cooking the perfect turkey. 

Sides

Cheesy Potatoes Gratin: This “rich, buttery, cheesy potato dish,” courtesy of

Jenny Rosenstrach

of

Dinner: A Love Story

, is the ultimate comfort food.

Brown Butter Honeynut Squash with Peanut Chili Crisp and Pickled Grapes: This unexpected combination of ingredients leads to a familiar flavor, kind of like “a spicy, autumnal PB&J,” according to

Sara Tane

of

This Shit Rocks

.

Honey Cornbread Dressing: A dressed-up version of your favorite stuffing. Make sure not to skip the smoked oysters—they “add this umami savoriness to the dish,” per

Alex Hill

of

food & feelings

.

Dessert

Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Cake: An amalgamation of pumpkin, sticky toffee pudding, and “fall flavors of fruit, nuts, and spices,” by

paris starn

of

playing with food

.

For vegetarians

Vegetarians don’t have to be sidelined on Turkey Day. This menu offers plenty of fall comfort and flavor, no bird required. 

Print out PDFs of the menu below to share it with your guests.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu

823KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Drink

Spiced Persimmon Sour Mocktail: An optionally-alcoholic drink that’s “tart yet warming and filled with seasonal spices,” by

Olivia Noceda

of

On The Rocks

. 

Main

Chana Masala Pumpkin Pots: No turkey, no problem, when you have this “delicious and seasonally spectacular entrée” by

Nik Sharma

of

The Flavor Files

.

Sides

Winter Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Citrus Vinaigrette: This “happy party salad” by

Barrett and The Boys

is bright with fall fruit and holds up well even after being dressed.

Cheesy Buttermilk Biscuits: A “flaky and fluffy and buttery” biscuit (that also works great with leftovers) by

Farideh Sadeghin

of

FARIDEH is the best

.

Sweet Potato Stacks: Stacked medallions of sweet potatoes are served in a creamy béchamel sauce for a satisfying carb that’s all grown up, by

Maxine Sharf

in

Maxi's Kitchen

. 

Dessert

Turmeric Carrot Cake: This “plush, bouncy, moist” carrot cake by

Kassie Mendieta

of

bake chats

adds masala spices like turmeric, ginger, and cardamom to the traditional cinnamon and is finished with a brown-butter cream cheese mousse.

Kitchen help hotlines

Join the experts in live video hotlines to ask any and all of your cooking questions. Be sure to download the Substack app and subscribe to their Substacks now to get notified when they go live!

For the planners: Sunday, November 17, 5-6 p.m. ET

We see and honor you, Type A chefs. Join Caroline Chambers of the mega-bestselling What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking; Olivia Noceda, who makes mixology both beautiful and approachable; and Sohla El-Waylly, who has worked in every cooking capacity as a chef, restaurant owner, and recipe developer, to settle any early-cooking jitters.

Subscribe to get notified:

• Caroline Chambers,

  What To Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking

• Olivia Noceda,

  On The Rocks

• Sohla El-Waylly,

  Hot Dish with Sohla

  

Sweet talk: Monday, November 18, 7-8 p.m. ET

Get all your dessert questions answered by Paris Starn, a fashion-designer-turned-baker with a flair for innovative food styling, and Liz Prueitt, the legendary (and gluten-free!) founder of Tartine bakery.

Subscribe to get notified:

• Paris Starn,

  playing with food

• Liz Prueitt,

  Liz Prueitt | Have Your Cake

  

Girl (Thanksgiving) dinner: Wednesday, November 20, 7-8 p.m. ET

The ladies of TikTok bring you behind the screens to share their expertise. Join Jenn Lueke, Violet Witchel, and Carmen Perr for approachable, thoughtful guidance to your Thanksgiving menu. 

Subscribe to get notified:

• Jenn Lueke,

  the eat goood newsletter

• Violet Witchel,

  Violet’s Substack

• Carmen Perr,

  Carmen in the Garden

  

Panic Mode: Wednesday, November 27, 1-2 p.m. ET

It’s go time—but if things aren’t going your way, don’t worry. Join Tamar Adler, the bestselling author and cooking advice expert behind Kitchen Shrink, and Clare de Boer, a decorated restaurateur who knows how to create both dishes that impress and unfussy food that’s easy to make and enjoy.

Subscribe to get notified:

• Tamar Adler,

  The Kitchen Shrink

• Clare de Boer,

  The Best Bit

Guides

Looking for additional guidance? These cooks have you covered. 

• Babs’ Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide by

  Babs
  of
  The Brunch Club with Babs

• Your Thanksgiving Menu by

  katie
  of
  the sunday stack

• Thanksgiving 101 by

  Courtney Storer
  of
  Coco's Kitchen

• How to Host Thanksgiving in a Rented Cabin by

  Sarah Copeland
  of
  EDIBLE LIVING by Sarah Copeland

• It’s Thanksgiving, again by

  Alison Roman
  of
  a newsletter