While most holidays tend to revolve around giving gifts nowadays, Thanksgiving continues to be all about eating. Unfortunately for those of us who get into the kitchen, that doesn’t necessarily mean a less stressful holiday, as everyone in the family is expecting a meal worth waiting 364 days for.
On the bright side, the internet is full of resources for all sorts of taste buds and skill levels--including a lot of tried and true recipes from some of our favorite celebs. Whether you need a last minute for this Thanksgiving or some inspiration for any upcoming holiday parties, check out some of our picks down below.
Rihanna’s Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
450 g. small elbow macaroni
Salt (to cook macaroni)
1 medium white onion, grated
1 red bell pepper, julienned
6 spring onions, sliced
¼ cup yellow mustard
¼ cup ketchup
1 ½ tbsps. Eaton‘s Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
900 g. Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup water
Instructions
1. Follow the directions on the package and boil your pasta noodles al dente.
2. Drain noodles in a colander. Leave a little of the water back in the pot, maybe a quarter cup or so.
3. Place noodles back in the pot and return it to the stove.
4. On a low flame, add the onion, bell peppers, and half the spring onions and mix together.
5. Once combined, add the mustard, ketchup, and pepper sauce and mix together.
6. Add the cheese and stir continuously.
7. Top with remaining spring onions and serve immediately.
Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Turkey
Ingredients
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 fresh turkey (10 to 12 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 whole lemon, halved
1 Spanish onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
3. Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
4. Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
5. Slice the turkey and serve.
Snoop Dogg’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups [210 g] all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
16 Tbsp [2 sticks, or 220 g] unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup [130 g] creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup [100 g] packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup [100 g] granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups [360 g] semisweet chocolate morsels
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, with one rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a handheld electric mixer on medium speed, or a wooden spoon, vigorously beat the mixture until smooth.
5. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Stir in the chocolate morsels.
6. Using a tablespoon, drop rounded dough portions onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
7. Place one sheet on the upper rack and one on the lower; bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden, switching the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chrissy Teigen’s Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth, or water
2 ½ cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces (about 10 ounces)
2 (10-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
¾ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces ham, cubed
½ cup diced onions
2 ½ cups (9 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup canned French fried onions, divided
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring the chicken broth (or veggie broth or water) to a boil in a small saucepan, add the green beans, and cook until tender-crisp, 5–6 minutes. If using stock, drain the green beans using a colander or strainer over a bowl and reserve the stock for another use (like soup or gravy). If using water, you can drain into a colander in the sink.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, half-and-half, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cooked green beans, ham, onions, 2 cups of the cheddar, and and ¾ cup of the fried onions.
3. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and add the casserole mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheddar and bake until bubbly and crusty, 40 minutes, adding the remaining ¼ cup French fried onions during the last 10 minutes of baking (so they don‘t burn). Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes, and serve.
Khloe Kardashian’s Favorite Cheesecake
Ingredients
1-2 cups of Nabisco graham cracker crumbs
1 cup and 3 tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons of butter
5 packages of cream cheese
3 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of sour cream
4 eggs
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees and began assembling the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Lay the crust out evenly in the bottom of a springform pan and bake it for 10 minutes.
2. In a big bowl, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the five packages of cream cheese. An electric hand mixer is super handy to blend it all together. Next, add 1 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of flour, and 1 cup of sour cream to the bowl before hitting it with the electric mixer again.
3. Remove the crust from the oven and set it aside to cool. Add the eggs to the mixture, mixing them in one at a time. Then pour the mixture onto the cooled crust.
4. Wrap the springform pan in tin foil and place it on a deep baking sheet. Pour about an inch of water into the baking sheet, and put it in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 mins checking on the cheesecake until its ready to come out. Once the cheesecake is done baking turn off the oven and prop the oven door open for an hour or so. Then, let the cheesecake cool in the fridge for several hours before eating.
Oprah’s Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
2 1⁄2 lbs red potatoes
2 1⁄2 lbs idaho potatoes
1 1⁄4 cups butter
1 1⁄4 cups creamy pureed horseradish
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh black pepper, ground
Instructions
1. Wash potatoes well, leaving the skins on.
2. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Place in a kettle and fill with enough water to cover potatoes.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender.
4. Drain well and add butter while potatoes are hot. Begin to hand mash.
5. Add all remaining ingredients and mash well leaving them just slightly lumpy.
6. Makes about 10-12 cups or 6 to 8 servings.