Happy Thanksgiving, y’all—time to go full baste mode. In the famed words of Clark Griswold: “This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency. We’re gonna press on.”
For our Favorite Family Thanksgiving Recipe comp, in partnership with Wegmans, we asked, you cooked, and the entries rolled in like a holiday parade. From crowd-pleasing classics to secret-family twists to Southern staples, we reveal the three top takes that take the cake—er, pie—earning a coveted feature + a Wegmans gift card to boot.
So, feast your eyes on the top trio, get inspired, crank up your ovens, maybe hum a little holiday ditty—because these dishes promise to make this year’s table the stuff of legends.
6 oz. jar orange marmalade ½ cup water or OJ (for more citrus flavor) 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries 2 Tbsp. local honey 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse cranberries, discarding any damaged fruit. Drain well. 2. In medium pot, combine cranberries, marmalade, water (or juice) and honey. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. 3. Once cranberries begin to pop, reduce heat and simmer, about 10 minutes. 4. Remove from heat. Stir in cayenne pepper and cinnamon (if using). 5. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. 6. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate. Relish will thicken as it cools and can be stored for up to 2 weeks.
Broccoli Salad
Winning Recipe by Irish Dunlap Serves: 6 (double recipe for large groups) | Prep Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2–3 stalks fresh broccoli (or 2 bags of florets) 1 medium red onion (or white), finely chopped 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated or preshredded ½ lb. bacon (or turkey bacon), cooked and crumbled ½ cup Duke’s mayo 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
DIRECTIONS
1. In large bowl, combine broccoli florets, onion, cheese and bacon. Set aside. 2. In separate bowl, whisk together mayo, sugar and vinegar to make dressing. 3. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss until evenly coated.
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) salted butter, plus softened butter for the baking dish 14.75-oz. can cream-style corn 15-oz. can corn kernels, drained 1 cup sour cream 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 Tbsp. sugar ½ tsp. kosher salt 8.5-oz. box corn muffin mix (preferably Jiffy)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 2½-qt. casserole dish. 2. In a large bowl, combine 8 Tbsp. melted butter, creamed corn and corn kernels. Stir to combine. 3. Stir in sour cream, eggs, sugar and salt. 4. Gently fold in the cornbread mix only until dry ingredients are incorporated. 5. Scrape batter into prepped dish. 6. Bake until golden on top and nearly set in the center, about 30 minutes. The spoonbread should look slightly undercooked; a knife inserted 2 inches from the center should come out clean. 7. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
We tapped local MVPs to whip up Super Bowl party recipes based on F&B trends.
Mocktails, vegan, retro… Down, set, hike to the snack table to Super Bowl party like a pro—because we all know the only thing that really matters during those Super Bowl parties are the food and drinks—and the halftime show, obv (hey, Kendrick!). This year, instead of bringing a 12-pack of cheap beer and a sad store-bought snack tray to the function, we rec whipping up one (or all) of these recipes handcrafted by local chefs and mixologists around trending bites and bevs. … We promise they’re gonna be a touchdown (had to).
It’s not a Super Bowl party without dips. Period. Spark nostalgia with chef/GM Tom Armstrong’s riff on Lipton onion soup dip (hey, retro soup packets!)—an OG staple he grew up on, with his mom oft making it for parties. “It was always my favorite thing,” he says. “If I were only making one thing to eat while watching the game, this would be it.”
Charred Onion & Chive Dip
► 1 large red onion ► 2 cups sour cream ► 1 tsp. Dijon mustard ► 1/2 tsp. lemon juice ► Hot sauce to taste ► Coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste ► 1/4 cup fresh chives or green onion, sliced ► Canola oil
Peel and cut onion into 3 to 4 thick slices. Rub with a little canola oil and set aside. In a hot cast-iron skillet, char the onions on both sides until black on the outside and cooked on the inside (~10 mins). Remove from pan; season lightly with salt. Once cooled, dice onions and, in a bowl, combine with sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce and chives. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with potato chips.
Taking your cocktail game to new heights—and making Miller High Life boujee (we never thought we’d see the day!)—is bartender Jacob Baker of The Merchant fame and his casual-cool Instagrammable bevy that’s perf for traditionalists and die-hard beer fans alike. Cheers to that!
Fideo
► 2 oz. mezcal ► .75 oz. grapefruit juice ► .75 oz. lime juice ► .75 oz. Aperol ► .5 oz. agave syrup ► Mini Miller High Life
Combine all ingredients but the High Life into a shaker and shake vigorously. Dump into glass and top with more ice. Open Miller High Life and place in drink.
Who said vegans don’t enjoy game-time grub?! Your plant-loving friend can get just as much in on the action with Glasshouse Kitchen Chef de Cuisine Chris Freed’s riff on loaded baked potato bites made with nary a touch of dairy. Decreasing your animal byproduct intake yet still eatin’ good? How super.
Vegan Baked Potato Bites + White Bean Veggie “Sour Cream”
► 10 fingerling potatoes ► 2 cups canned navy beans, drained ► 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar ► 1⁄4 cup lemon juice ► 2 tsp. garlic powder ► 1 tsp. onion powder ► 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and diced ► 3 jalapenos, deseeded and diced ► 1 thinly sliced shallot ► 1 tsp. chili powder ► 1 tsp. smoked paprika ► Salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Wrap the fingerling potatoes in foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Slice in half, scoop some flesh out and fill with White Bean Veggie “Sour Cream” filling. Bake for 15 more minutes. Garnish with Frank’s “crema” (make the “sour cream” without peppers, shallot, chili powder and paprika and mix with Frank’s RedHot), crispy potato skins (peel the skin from one potato, cook in oil until crispy, toss with salt and pepper, and crumble like bacon bits) and thinly sliced scallions.
Going dry is having a moment. Whip up this delicious concoction courtesy of former Best Bartender nom of Fox fame Zoë Palmer for your sober friends—or those who just decided to extend their Dry January. Your booze-loving pals may even find themselves reaching for a glass or two… and we promise they won’t even miss the alcohol.
Do Your Job
► 3/4 oz. Seedlip NA spirit ► 3/4 oz. cinnamon simple syrup ► 3/4 oz. hibiscus tea ► 3/4 oz. tart cherry juice ► 1/4 oz. grapefruit juice
Shake all ingredients; then strain in a coupe glass or over ice; top with a cherry garnish (optional).
