14 Celebrity Chefs’ Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Maggie McCracken
Nov 11, 2016

There are celebrities who cook, and then there are celebrity chefs. You know, the winners of Top Chef, the stars of Food Network, the food writers who’ve been given their own shows on the Travel Channel. If you’re a die-hard celebrity chef fan, no doubt you’ll want these pros’ advice for preparing Thanksgiving dinner. Lucky for you, they’re not shy about sharing their own favorite recipes. Here are 14 celebrity chef recipes to cover your entire Thanksgiving meal, from apps to dessert.

1. Giada de Laurentiis’ Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Tartines: Giada may usually make Italian fare, but she loves a good traditional American Thanksgiving. These tartines are just the right size for munching on before the big dinner. (via Popsugar)

2. Tyler Florence’s Old-Fashioned Pimiento Cheese With Crackers and Crudités: In case you weren’t aware, crudités is simply a French term for fresh vegetables. Surround this flavorful cheese appetizer with your choice of gourmet crackers and veggies to tide your guests over before dinner is served. (via Delish)

First Course

3. Mario Batali’s Mixed Vegetable and Farro Soup: This vegan soup is warming and hearty, making for a perfect first course on your dinner menu. As a bonus, it’s hearty enough to be a main course for any vegans or vegetarians in your group. (via Food and Wine)

Turkey

4. Alton Brown’s Honey Brined Smoked Turkey: Celeb chef Alton Brown recommends brining your turkey in a mixture of salt, honey and vegetable broth for about 12 hours before smoking it on the grill. Your turkey will have an AMAZING flavor and texture unrivaled by your friends’ boring oven-roasted turkeys. (via Food Network)

5. Andrew Zimmern’s Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey, Stuffing and Gravy: Looking for something slightly more traditional? This recipe by Andrew Zimmern recommends roasting your turkey in classic fashion. Pro tip: Try poaching the back of the bird in a shallow pot of boiling water prior to roasting, as this part of the turkey (the dark meat portion) takes slightly longer to cook than the white meat areas. (via Andrew Zimmern)

6. Ina Garten’s Roast Turkey and Gravy With Onions and Sage: When in doubt, ask yourself WWTBCD? (“What would the Barefoot Contessa do?” as Gilmore Girls revival fans probably know already.) In this recipe, Ina Garten recommends preparing your turkey with the herbaceous flavor of sage, along with fresh thyme, onion and brandy. (via Food Network)

Sides

7. Anthony Bourdain’s Candied Sweet Potatoes With Bourbon: While it may be surprising that the wonderfully seedy chef and travel writer Anthony Bourdain serves something as traditional as candied sweet potatoes at his Thanksgiving spread, it’s not surprising at all that they’re served with bourbon. Make Tony proud and sip some on the side while you prepare this delicious dish. (via Food and Wine)

8. Rachel Ray’s Apple and Onion Stuffin’ for a Stuffin’ Loaf or Muffins: The name of this recipe is admittedly a bit of a mouthful, but you’ll want to shovel mouthfuls of this goodness into your belly. Bonus: You can make this into either one loaf or individual muffins, depending on what suits your fancy. (via Delish)

9. Gordon Ramsay’s Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta: The flavors of pancetta and chestnuts make this super yummy dish totally festive. Trust us — it actually makes Brussels sprouts taste GOOD. (via Good to Know)

10. Melissa d’Arabian’s Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes: Arguably the most important part of Thanksgiving (minus the turkey, we suppose), mashed potatoes should be creamy, thick and hearty… and that’s exactly how Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian makes them with this recipe. Major bonus: They’ll be ready to go in less than 30 minutes! (via Delish)

11. Guy Fieri’s Whiskey-Glazed Sweet Potatoes: These super yummy sweet potatoes showcase the flavors of whiskey, pecans, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pro tip: Don’t pierce these potatoes before cooking. (via Food Network)

12. Aaron Sanchez’s Chorizo and Corn Bread Stuffing: Spice things up this Thanksgiving with this drool-worthy chorizo and corn bread stuffing. It’s loaded with flavor and spice, featuring not only chorizo but also onion, garlic, cilantro, cornbread and chicken stock. (via Delish)

Dessert

13. Bobby Flay’s Pumpkin Pie With Cinnamon Crunch and Bourbon-Maple Whipped Cream: Take your pumpkin pie up a notch this year with the flavors of rich bourbon, sweet maple and spicy cinnamon. Your graham cracker crust will be the icing on the cake. (Well, it’ll technically be the crust, but you know…) (via Food Network)

14. Paula Deen’s Mom’s Apple Pie: Leave it to Paula Deen to concoct the most down-home, traditional dish on this list: good ol’ apple pie. You’ll *only* need two sticks of butter to make this delicious dessert too. (via Paula Deen)

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This Major 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' Release Date Easter Egg's Been There The Whole Freaking Time

Taylor Swift has been teasing Reputation (Taylor's Version) for two years — or, at least, Swifties have been clowning over it for two years. When Tay showed up to the 2022 VMAs in a "Look What You Made Me Do"-inspired outfit, fans expected her to drop the first Rep (TV) single, but she announced Midnights instead. And history repeated itself at the 2024 Grammys, when Taylor showed up in black & white before announcing The Tortured Poets Department.

Even though some fans feel confused, NOT getting Reputation (Taylor's Version) in 2024 totally goes with the "2 re-recordings one year, 1 new album the next" pattern we've seen since 2021. But there's one huge Easter egg that's been pointing us to 2025 all along: it's the Year of the Snake.

Here's the one major Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date Easter egg that suggests Taylor Swift could drop it in 2025.

When is Reputation (Taylor's Version) coming out?

Let it be known we still don't have an official Reputation (Taylor's Version) release date yet, but after the "I Can See You" music video featured the number 2.16 (February 16), everyone eagerly awaited February 2024 with baited breath...only to receive nothing. But now I've turned my eyes to February 16, 2025 because DUH, releasing Reputation (TV) during the Year of the Snake (the icon associated with the entire 2.5-year era) makes more sense than anything.

"Some of us have been saying this since like 2022," one TikTok user jokes, while another rationalizes, "We had fearless, red in 2021 then speak now, 1989 in 2023 so reputation and debut in 2025."

The Year of the Snake officially kicks off January 29, meaning we could be in for a late-January announcement, but some fans think Taylor will announce the album on New Year's Day 2025 in honor of the closing track on the album. In my opinion, it makes total sense to get Reputation (TV) for the first half of the year, and to wrap up the re-recording era with Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version) for the second half of the year before transitioning to her new movie (and a potential TS12, of course).

Will there be a Reputation (Taylor's Version)?

Yes, we're getting a Reputation (Taylor's Version)! Taylor Swift announced she'd be re-recording all of the albums leading up to Lover after she was unable to buy the rights to her music. In addition to more modern versions of all our favorite Taylor Swift songs, she's also added brand new tunes (called "From the Vault" tracks) as bonus songs for each album. Tracks like "When Emma Falls In Love (Taylor's Version)", "Timeless (Taylor's Version)", and "Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)" quickly became fan favorites!

Reputation has always been my favorite Taylor Swift album, and I can't wait to see what kind of vault tracks we get. At its core, Rep is a love album that also address fear and hope, and Reputation (TV) is going to be the one re-recording you won't want to miss.

Check out All The Pics From Taylor Swift's Sweet Eras Tour Party for more!

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This Is Not A Drill: Costco’s Heart-Shaped Ravioli Is Back!

Got an at-home Valentine’s Day dinner planned this year? Costco’s totally got you covered with the return of one of their beloved heart-shaped items. It’s the perfect product to snag for all of your V-Day feasting needs, whether you do have a dinner on the calendar or you just want something cute and spirited to munch on throughout the season.

Scroll on to discover the $11 Costco Valentine's Day item that shoppers are saying is “so cute and festive!”

@costco.so.obsessed

It’s true: Costco’s heart-shaped ravioli has returned! The pasta, crafted by Nuovo Pasta, features a blend of four different cheeses. Creamy ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and aged asiago get stuffed into heart-shaped pockets of pasta, and it’s truly so delicious.

The Nuovo Pasta Italian Four Cheese Ravioli comes complete with two different colored pastas – red and white – in each package to directly channel the Valentine’s Day spirit.

Nuovo Pasta

The heart-shaped Italian Four Cheese Raviolis cook in just 4 minutes but look fancy as ever – a combo I adore when it comes to making meals for special occasions like V-Day.

I definitely want to grab at least 5 packages to make throughout the year, too. They’re just too cute!

Reddit

Costco fan account, @costco.so.obsessed, recently shared the return of the heart-shaped raviolis with their followers, and Costco fans are already sounding off about seeing them on shelves.

“So cute and festive,” one person commented.

“We ❤️ these!” another user said.

“I know y’all gonna go crazy [with] this one 😂,” someone else noted. So true, so true.

Nuovo Pasta

This perfect V-Day meal option goes for just $10.69, and that gets you a whopping 2 pounds of pasta.

Since the ravioli flavor is just cheese, I could definitely see it working well with every kind of pasta sauce, from a rich marinara to a creamy Alfredo. Pick up a nice bottle of wine, and your dinner plans are complete!

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This Is The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe For Valentine's Day, Or Any Day

Whether you're spending Valentine's Day with your sweetie, hosting a Galentine's brunch for your gal pals, or basking in love with your fam, there's no question that a fancy dessert helps set the tone for a cozy and love-filled night in. We personally love cooking pasta recipes followed by a succulent dessert, but the menu options for Love Day run the gamut from seafood to international cuisine.

One thing that's not optional is chocolate — known to promote feelings similar to being in love or spending time with those closest to you, chocolate is one of the best flavors for Valentine's Day desserts. Combined with red wine and seasonal pear, it makes for a simply decadent treat — hence, this Red Wine Pear Cake. Trust us: This is going to be the best chocolate cake recipe you have ever tried.

Learn how to make the best Chocolate Cake ever

Red Wine Pear Cake With Chocolate Ganache

Sarah Anderson

Ingredients:

Pears

  • 3-4 firm Bosc pears
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups red wine
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3-4 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cake

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon pink salt
  • 1/2 cup 85% dark chocolate chips or bar broken into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Ganache

  • 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons reserved spiced wine (see recipe notes)

Sarah Anderson

Directions:

  1. Peel the skin off the pears and remove the stems, seeds, and core. Slice in half. Add water, red wine, cinnamon, and cloves into a saucepan and place the pears in the liquid. Bring the wine mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears from red wine and let cool. Continue simmering until sauce is reduced, and reserve 2 tablespoons for the chocolate ganache.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Grease two 9-inch springform cake pans with butter or oil and set aside.
  4. Whisk two eggs in a separate bowl and set aside.
  5. In a small bowl, add the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar and whisk thoroughly. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
  6. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in the coconut sugar then remove from heat and add in the red wine and salt until well mixed. Quickly add in the dark chocolate pieces and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Pour the vanilla extract in and whisk again.
  7. Add about one third of the chocolate mixture to the whisked eggs. Mix thoroughly and then pour back into a mixing bowl with the rest of the chocolate mixture.
  8. Add in coconut milk mixture, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until well combined.
  9. Pour the cake batter into two greased cake pans.
  10. Slice wine-poached pear halves in quarters and place in your desired design on top of the cake batter in the cake pans.
  11. Bake the cakes for 20-30 minutes.
  12. While cakes are baking, add the dark chocolate and coconut milk or heavy cream to a small saucepan. Heat on low until the chocolate is melted, whisking so that it is well mixed. Add in the reserved wine sauce and whisk again. Remove from heat and set aside.
  13. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely before removing them from the springform pans. Place one cake on a cake platter or stand, and drizzle some chocolate ganache on top. Then place the second cake on top of the first and pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the top.

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Recipe by Sarah Anderson

This post has been updated.

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