7 Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Thanksgiving Dinner, According to Thomas Joseph

Working in food means the lead-up to Thanksgiving is jam-packed with endless perfectly roasted turkeys, dozens of traditional stuffings, sides, and plenty of pies and tarts. It's a three-week marathon that can certainly get you in a festive mood, but sometimes by the time Thanksgiving Day comes around, I felt turkeyed out. I would skip the big meal, trade in the turkey, and take a few friends to Chinatown for Peking duck. 

These days, my traditions have changed. I have a troop of nephews, and every year, for the past eight years, I spend Thanksgiving weekend with my sister, brother-in-law, and the boys. My brother-in-law comes from a giant family, and they typically celebrate Thanksgiving earlier in the day with a big buffet of the classics. While they’re out of the house, I get started on crafting our Thanksgiving meal—why wouldn’t you have two meals on Thanksgiving?!? It means more leftovers. This presents me with the same challenge I have been experiencing for years: how to get excited about a Thanksgiving menu? The Answer: Upgrade everything!

Over the years, I have roasted hundreds of turkeys, mashed pounds upon pounds of potatoes, and made almost every version of pumpkin pie one could dream up. If you are a purist and love the classics, don’t change. But if you’re looking for a little inspiration and some flavor upgrades, then perhaps you might include a few of the ideas I'm sharing and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal that's more flavor-packed than usual—it might become your usual, too.

Turkey

A perfectly roasted, traditional bird is iconic, but I prefer something a little different. That's where spatchcocking comes in.

Spatchcocked and Grilled Turkey

Spatchcocking a turkey means cutting out the backbone, and it's an excellent technique. The bird cooks in a fraction of the usual time, cooks more evenly, and, if you’re roasting in the oven, it takes up less space. However, over the years, I have swapped out the oven for my brother-in-law’s grill. Grilling a spatchcocked bird is great—not only is it delicious, but it also frees up your oven entirely!

I typically prep my turkey the day before, leaving it unwrapped or loosely wrapped in the refrigerator overnight so the skin dries out. And I use a roasting pan with a wire rack (to prevent flare-ups and collect juices) and indirect heat for even cooking. The result is a deep golden, almost mahogany bird that’s juicy and flavorful.

Gravy and Other Condiments

I love gravy and will always prepare it for the Thanksgiving table but I typically make a non-gravy condiment to serve alongside the turkey as well. Often, it's something bright and fresh to contrast with the rich, fatty elements of the meal.

A combination of chopped fresh herbs (flavorful and tender chives, parsley, and maybe basil, with a few woodsy herbs like thyme and rosemary), lots of olive oil, salt, and pepper create the foundation. You can guild the lily by adding citrus zest (if you want some acidity from the juice, add right before serving), capers or olives, minced shallots, etc.

I also like to add other elements to the table that really provide a punch of flavor for guests. Grated horseradish, various styles of mustard, and even a few pickled ingredients help provide balance.

Stuffing

When it comes to stuffing, I consider myself a maximalist. I’m an "everything but the kitchen sink" type—except about fruit and nuts. These days, I tend to make a stuffing-strata-bread pudding hybrid that my family really likes. This is how I do it:

1. I start off by browning crumbled sausage (although you could make it without any meat), lots of leeks (which I consider an underrated member of the allium family), celery, and lots of fresh herbs (sage, thyme, and a little rosemary).
2. Those elements get added to a giant bowl along with big cubes of day-old bread. For the bread, my go-to is a rustic loaf with lots of crust for variation in texture; ciabatta or baguette is good.
3. Then, I’ll sauté a mountain of mushrooms. I do this in batches to brown/caramelize the mushrooms and develop flavor. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, try adding your favorite roasted vegetable, like fennel, celery root, parsnips, or your favorite sauteed greens.
4. Next, I add the obligatory stock, salt and pepper, an egg or two, a large handful of chopped parsley, and a little bit of tarragon.
5. Now for the unique elements … a cup of heavy cream and a few handfuls of grated cheese, lik Gruyère, comte, fontina and/or Parmesan.

This stuffing sounds like overkill, but I assure you that it will be one of the most satisfying and flavorful you’ve had and will likely become a staple on your Thanksgiving table. 

Mashed Potatoes

Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? I certainly do! Most mashed potato recipes are easily made ahead, and I often do this to save time on the day of the feast. This also means I can gussy up the potatoes for an extra special touch. Here are a few of my favorite ways to finish a bowl of mashed potatoes:

• Brown butter with sage or thyme is a great way to add flavor and interest to your mashed potatoes.
• Caramelized onions or frizzled shallots and/or chiles add a layer of flavor that everyone will enjoy.
• If you’re looking for something super simple and fresh but equally flavorful, try blanketing the top of your mashed potatoes with lots of finely minced chives. It sounds a bit pedestrian, but really adds a punch of flavor and freshness.

Green Beans

My favorite way to make green beans is also the most convenient way, making them ahead of time. I blanch the beans, blister some onions or shallots under the broiler (you could roast or sauté them instead), chop up some fresh herbs, and toss this all together with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Sometimes, I’ll add citrus zest (juice will turn the beans brown), sliced chiles, toasted spices (cumin, coriander, even fennel seed), or other flavorful ingredients to create a dynamic dish. This dish goes into the refrigerator to "marinate' until dinner. Not only is this a flavorful and refreshing side dish, it can be served chilled or at room temperature—and it really complements the rest of the Thanksgiving menu.

Cranberry Sauce

A little bit of cranberry sauce goes a long way for me. That's why I like to pack it with flavor, both traditional flavorings like cinnamon and orange, and new, interesting additions.

• One embellishment you might try is replacing some of the cranberries with another complementary fruit. Sometimes, I’ll add a handful of concord grapes (de-seeded) for an extra hit of fall flavor. If you’re not a fan of concords, a pint of raspberries also works well.
• Play with citrus zest. Add big strips of zest during cooking. Or try finely grated zest folded in once the sauce has cooked and cooled for a bright, refreshing bite.
• Add warm spices such as star anise, allspice, and cardamom. They are lovely when used in moderation.
• If you’re a fan of heat, the sweet-sour profile of cranberry sauce is greatly enhanced by a chile pepper or two (or red pepper flakes or cayenne if you prefer).

Squash and Sweet Potatoes

I’m not a huge fan of sweet inclusions on the dinner menu. You won’t find a craisin or apple slice in my salad or stuffing. When it comes to squash, sweet potatoes, and other inherently sweet vegetables, I typically punt them to my sister, who will slather them with butter, brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. The kids love it!

When I muster up the energy to tackle this category of crop, I contrast the sweetness with heat, spice, and savoriness. Heat in the form of chile pepper. Spices beyond cinnamon (think cumin, coriander, black pepper, or cardamom) and savoriness from allium, herbs, aged cheeses, or other aromatics that balance out the dish.

My go-to combination includes brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne or red pepper flakes, grated garlic, thyme leaves (although chopped sage would be equally delicious), cumin seeds, and a hint of cinnamon and cardamom.

Try roasting a few split sweet potatoes or your favorite squash (honeynut squash is great for Thanksgiving), drizzle with melted butter or olive oil, and generously sprinkle with this sweet/savory blend. Pop them back in the oven on the highest heat setting or broil until the sugar caramelizes and the aromatics are fragrant.