Planning a really good menu is the stealth approach to being a really good cook. Here are some tips from the experts.
New York Times
Put some thought
into the menu
What leaves an impression is not only the dishes you can make, but also how they taste, look and feel when assembled into a meal.
Avoid repeating ingredients.
If you are serving pecan pie for dessert, don't put out spiced pecans as an hors d'oeuvre. Both may be delicious, but the pie just won't be as appealing by the time dessert rolls around.
Variety is important at Thanksgiving.
You're likely to be collecting guests with different tastes, allergies and aversions. If vegetarians and vegans are present, you must plan for them.
Think about colors.
The basic palette for Thanksgiving is heavy on dishes that are white (mashed potatoes) and brown (turkey, stuffing, gravy). It needs the ruby red of cranberry sauce, the warm orange of pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes to make it interesting. Add something green and snappy, like a lemon-garlic kale salad.
Think about texture.
If you have a creamy vegetable side dish, add one that's roasted or caramelized.
Finally, throw in a surprising flavor.
Be daring and add a seriously spicy dish. Pickles and relishes like piccalilli or chutney add a puckery note.
Strike a balance and assess your skills
It's not easy to please everyone in a country where those who insist on a hard-core traditional Thanksgiving meal and those who flirt each year with different dishes are more polarized than Republicans and Democrats. It is possible for one cook to satisfy both camps, but it requires some ingenuity. Adding new ingredients to the old favorites is not the way; instead, add one or more new dishes to perennials on the table, and make sure they have modern, fresh flavors. Here's how to proceed.
Some things shouldn't be messed with.
Glazing a turkey with pomegranate or rubbing it with chipotle won't change anyone's mind; people either like turkey or they don't. Adding celery root, cheddar and the like to the classic mashed potatoes is risky. These days, plain, buttery, homemade mashed potatoes are a treat that everyone seems to look forward to at the holiday.
Get a creamed vegetable on the table.
It doesn't have to be onions. Also have a jellied cranberry sauce (canned is fine), so the reactionaries will be happy.
Look for recipes that use ingredients from different culinary traditions.
Asian condiments, Moroccan spices, Middle Eastern syrups: These can add a welcome note of surprise to an all-too-familiar menu.
Consider the casserole.
Thanksgiving dinner can feel like a high-stakes race among the cook, the guests and the turkey. In this sprint, the casserole is your greatest friend. Just think of it as a roasting pan where almost anything can be assembled and even cooked well in advance, then left in the refrigerator until you remember its existence about an hour before Thanksgiving dinner.
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Explore all your optionsIf you're a seasoned cook, stretch your skills on a dish or two.
The highest-impact change you can make to Thanksgiving dinner may be mastering a new recipe for turkey. But because smoking, spatchcocking and deep-frying all require at least one test run, and many cooks are busy from now until Thanksgiving, these are some alternatives: a more sophisticated vegetable side, a fancier pie crust or a snappy modern touch like an herb salad.
Special diets
For a group with many dietary restrictions, don't assume you'll have to cook separate meals. What you want to do is bring unity to the table and offer as many dishes as possible that everyone can eat and enjoy.
Optics can send a powerful message.
If you're not going to have a turkey on the table, serve a main dish that has some of the visual and sensory firepower of a roast. Something large, like a roasted cauliflower or two, or a platter of stuffed squash is sure to please. Many vegetarians may be happy to fill their plates with all the vegetable side dishes, but you could serve macaroni and cheese and declare that you made it just for them.
Dressing can fill many needs.
You can make a version with meat and one without.