We’ve gathered up recipes for Thanksgiving mains, side dishes and desserts, along with advice to help you pull the meal together with ease. We also have wine picks that will suit a variety of tastes – you may want to seek these bottles out even if you’re not hosting guests, or hold onto them for your next special occasion. And, if you’re hosting for the first time in a while – or just looking to brush up on your hosting etiquette – we have a full guide on how to manage an easy, breezy, stress-free gathering.
Thanksgiving 2023: Expert tips for food, mood and everything in between
Stress-free hosting tips
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Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time Thanksgiving dinner host, cooking dinner for a large number of family members can be extremely stressful. No sweat: this year, Gayle MacDonald has consulted the pros – from counsellors to cooks – to put together a guide to hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving gathering. Some top tips:
- Get as much cooking done in advance as you can, and consider freezing sides and appetizers, plus cranberry sauce and gravy
- Put together a menu, and ask friends and family members to contribute dishes, potluck-style
- If you want to purchase new table decor, don’t shy away from the dollar store
- Keep some neutral conversation topics in your back pocket to pull out if and when things get heated
- Talk to guests ahead of time about any COVID-19 anxieties they have, and do your best to establish clear rules of engagement that make everyone feel safe and comfortable (you can also consider purchasing an air purifier)
What to cook for Thanksgiving
Lucy Waverman
What’s the secret to a perfectly roasted turkey?
Lucy Waverman offers her tried-and-true tips for roasting a bird, starting with a dry – instead of wet – brine, followed by high-heat roasting.
What are great Thanksgiving side dishes?
We’ve compiled 10 vegetable recipes that are sure to be a hit at Thanksgiving and beyond, plus 10 recipes featuring that fall staple, squash. We also have recipes for sweet potatoes and tips to help you up your cranberry sauce game. If you’re nervous about making stuffing, Waverman offers tips along with a range of ingredient suggestions so you can adapt it to your tastes.
What are some ideas for non-traditional meals?
Just in time for the holiday weekend, The Globe’s fourth annual Canada’s Kitchen profiles 13 of the country’s next star chefs. They each share a dish reflective of where they live and where they’ve been, including Alberta chef Tracy Little’s recipe for Sauvage Gnudi, Newfoundland chef Celeste Mah’s Blueberry and Chanterelle Pound Cake.
What about for vegetarians (and please don’t say Tofurkey)?
Although it is possible to make enough vegetables to satisfy a vegetarian at dinner, Waverman advises making a main course just for them – such as stuffed portobello mushrooms with red-wine sauce.
Most importantly, what are some dessert ideas?
Check out our advice for making a great apple pie, or break with tradition by serving spiced pumpkin puddings or pecan butter tart cheesecake.
And how do I store the leftovers?
Continue enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers by storing them properly to preserve safety, quality and flavour.
Recommended wines
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Wine critic Christopher Waters picks 10 crowd-pleasing bottles that are mostly affordable and will work with a mix of flavours on the plate and taste buds gathered around the table. The red wine selections offer a dramatic range while the versatile whites are focused on the sauvignon blanc grape, a change from his usual Thanksgiving suggestions of riesling, viognier or chardonnay. If you’re hoping to order your wines online ahead of time (another great way to ensure your dinner is stress-free!), consider these new Canadian wine releases for 2022 that pair perfectly with a fall meal.
