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Keep scrolling to learn how to make celebrity-approved Thanksgiving dishes:
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Celebrate Thanksgiving 2023 With Taylor Swift, John Legend and More Celebs' Favorite Holiday Dishes
-Look no further than your favorite celebs for your Thanksgiving 2023 menu inspiration.
Stars such as Taylor Swift, Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow and John Legend have shared their favorite holiday recipes over the years — from sweet and savory casseroles to delicious side dishes to roasted turkeys and more.
Keep scrolling to learn how to make celebrity-approved Thanksgiving dishes:
Credit: Getty Images (2)
Celebrate Thanksgiving 2023 With Taylor Swift, John Legend and More Celebs' Favorite Holiday Dishes
-Look no further than your favorite celebs for your Thanksgiving 2023 menu inspiration.
Stars such as Taylor Swift, Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow and John Legend have shared their favorite holiday recipes over the years — from sweet and savory casseroles to delicious side dishes to roasted turkeys and more.
Keep scrolling to learn how to make celebrity-approved Thanksgiving dishes:
Credit: Gerardo Mora/Getty Images
Melissa Joan Hart’s Thanksgiving Leftover Bites
“If you’re like me, you definitely make way too much food for Thanksgiving dinner,” the Dirty Little Secret actress exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2018. “This year, I came up with the perfect solution to take those leftovers up a notch! Take your classic Thanksgiving leftovers — mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey — and pile them on top of a waffle with some fun additions like bacon, avocado and Heluva Good! Buttermilk Ranch Dip.”
Makes 1 serving (2 sliders)
Ingredients
- 2 bacon strips
- 1 avocado, sliced in half
- 4 pieces of store-bought small waffles (2 per slider)
- 1 Heluva Good! Buttermilk Ranch Dip
- Leftover mashed potatoes
- Leftover turkey
- Leftover cranberry sauce
Instructions
1. Cook bacon to crispy deliciousness and set aside.
2. Slice avocado halves and set aside.
3. Toast your store-bought waffles and cut them in four to make slider buns.
4. Add Heluva Good! Buttermilk Ranch Dip to the leftover mashed potatoes until mixture becomes moist and fluffy again.
5. Spread a generous layer of the mashed potato on top of the bottom waffle, then a layer of leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, avocado slices and Heluva Good! Dip, then top with bacon and top waffle bun.
6. Secure each one with a skewer and serve with a bowl of Heluva Good! Dip for extra dipping.
Knight exclusively told Us that she used to find holiday meals “disappointing” until she discovered this recipe created by holistic lifestyle and nutrition consultant Lisa Holowaychuk of LifebyLeese.com. “I make this as my potluck dish and fool everyone into thinking I’m an amazing cook!” she shared in November 2016.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups butternut squash, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt or Himalayan pink salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion, quartered and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 bunch sliced kale (center ribs removed)
- 1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/2 cup slightly broken-up toasted pecans
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine the cubed butternut squash, the coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, massaging with fingers. Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes or until squash is cooked through and browned on the edges.
2. Fifteen minutes into roasting the squash, heat the olive oil in a thick bottom 4- to 5-quart pot on medium-high heat. Add the red onion and toss to coat; cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until onions are softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar and the kale. Stir until the kale is mixed well and soft. Carefully stir in the roasted butternut squash, the dried cranberries and the pecans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil tightly, and place all wrapped potatoes on a full-size sheet pan.
3. Bake in a convection oven for 90 minutes at 350 degrees, or until fully cooked.
4. When cooked, remove from oven and transfer to refrigerator to cool.
5. Remove skin from cooled sweet potatoes.
6. Place sweet potato, sugar, salt, vanilla, butter and eggs in large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Texture of sweet potatoes should be slightly lumpy, not completely smooth.
7. To make the pecan topping, place oats in food processor and turn on for one minute. Place all remaining ingredients in food processor and pulse everything five times until it’s all broken up. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Crumble mixture on cookie sheet and place it back in the oven for another five minutes or until golden brown.
8. Fill Baking dish with sweet potato mixture and top with pecan crust.
9. Place the baking dish in convection oven heated to 350 degrees for 12 to 13 minutes.
Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for CTAOP
Lauren Conrad’s Grilled Corn and Cotija Spoon Bread
“I love when I can serve my guests an individual serving of a dish, and this cornbread created by Urban Palate makes for the cutest appetizer when presented in its own mini skillet,” the Hills alum shared via her website in November 2015. “You can add a bit of your favorite green salsa to up the spice factor, or garnish with the herbs of your choosing. Either way, this is guaranteed to be better than your average Thanksgiving side dish.”
Ingredients
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 pieces of corn grilled and cut off cobb
- 3 hatch green chilies roasted, peeled and cut into a medium dice (if hatch chilies are unavailable you can use Anaheim, poblanos)
- 1 1/2 cup cotija cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1 t good chile powder
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place an 8’’iron skillet in the oven, and let it heat up as you prepare the batter.
3. Whisk all the ingredients together, except for the butter and 1/2 cup cotija.
4. Pull the iron skillet out of the oven, and pour the batter in each skillet, swirling the butter to cover each pan.
5. Pour batter into skillet.
6. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cotija on top of pudding.
7. Cook in oven 20 to 30 minutes or until center is set.
8. Garnish as desired and enjoy!
Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Expedia Group
Antoni Porowski’ Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto Chips
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, preferably the packaged sort
- 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Arrange the prosciutto slices on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Bake until they are shriveled and dark red and the fatty edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes; keep an eye on them to prevent burning. Place the prosciutto “chips” on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool; they will crisp as they cool.
3. Meanwhile, cut the Brussels sprouts lengthwise in half through the stem end. Make a V-shaped incision at the base of each sprout half. Remove and discard any blemished outer leaves.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. (The pan needs to be superhot, so test it with a sprout leaf to see if it crisps upon contact.) Place about one third of the Brussels sprouts in the pan, arranging them so they are mostly cut side down, with a little space between them. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the undersides are deeply golden, about 3 minutes. Turn the sprouts over, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and continue cooking until golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts to a large serving bowl. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil, and sprouts.
5. Crumble the prosciutto chips into small pieces and add to the bowl with the Brussels sprouts. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, then toss to combine. Season with salt to taste. Serve hot.
Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for GQ
Kris Jenner’s Green Bean Casserole
Kourtney Kardashian has shared several of her family’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes via her Poosh blog, including her mom’s green bean casserole side dish.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
- 6 cans organic French cut green beans
- 6 cans organic cream of mushroom soup (or make this vegan-friendly version)
- 4 cans organic fried onions
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Open and drain water from organic French cut green beans.
3. Place green beans in an oven-safe casserole dish.
4. Whisk cans of organic cream of mushroom soup in a bowl then layer over green beans.
5. Top with organic fried onions.
6. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and golden brown.
7. Enjoy!
Credit: Gotham/GC Images
Kourtney Kardashian’s Candied Sweet Potatoes
While Jenner’s green bean casserole is a delicious addition to any Thanksgiving table, Kardashian’s candied sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish choice for those with a sweet tooth.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds organic sweet potatoes, quartered and peeled
- 1 1/4 cups vegan butter
- 1 1/4 cups organic brown sugar
- 3 cups vegan marshmallows, divided
- Organic ground cinnamon to taste
- Organic ground nutmeg to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine vegan butter, brown sugar, 2 cups of vegan marshmallows, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir occasionally, until marshmallows are melted.
3. Add and stir organic sweet potatoes into marshmallow sauce.
4. Transfer everything to an oven-safe casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and top with remaining marshmallows. Place back in the oven until the top is golden brown.
6. Enjoy!
Credit: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Martha Stewart’s Classic Stuffing
The TV personality’s stuffing recipe is perfect for first-time Thanksgiving cooks and pros alike.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 onions, (2 pounds), peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 16 celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 10 large fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons crushed dried sage
- 6 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
- 2 stale loaves white bread, (about 36 slices), crust on, cut into 1-inch cubes
1. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and celery, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage, stir to combine, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock, and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
2. Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, including the remaining stock; mix to combine.
Credit: James Devaney/GC Images
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Whole Roasted Turkey
The Oscar winner shared her Thanksgiving menu with subscribers of her Goop newsletter in 2011, which included her recipe for a classic roasted turkey.
Serves 12, with leftovers
Ingredients
- 1 14 pound turkey, giblets and neck removed and reserved for gravy (best to let the turkey sit out at room temperature for two hours before cooking)
- Coarse sea salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter 4 tablespoons softened
- 1/2 bottle dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cheesecloth
- Optional: Classic Bread Stuffing or an onion, several cloves garlic, a lemon
Instructions
1. Put your oven rack as low as it can go. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Rub the turkey with a large handful of coarse sea salt. Rinse with cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Let it hang for a minute.
3. Get yourself a big piece of cheesecloth. Fold it in half and then in half again. Cut it so you have a four-layer square that's roughly 15 x 15. Combine the melted butter and wine in a large bowl and soak the cheesecloth in it.
4. Back to the turkey. Stuff the cavity with some of your Classic Bread Stuffing (see recipe below) if you'd like. If not, sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Feel free to throw in a quartered onion, a few cloves of garlic and/or a halved lemon. Tie the legs together with a piece of twine. Rub the four tablespoons of softened butter all over the turkey and sprinkle the outside with plenty of salt and pepper. Set the turkey on a roasting rack inside of a large roasting pan. Squeeze out your cheesecloth (it should still be damp, just not dripping) and drape it over the turkey, completely covering the breast and most of the legs. Be sure to save the leftover butter and wine.
5. Roast the turkey for half an hour. Take it out of the oven and baste it (over the cheesecloth) with some of the leftover butter and wine mixture. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Let the turkey roast for another hour and a half, basting every half hour with the butter and wine and the juices from the bottom of the pan.
6. At this point your turkey will have been cooking for two hours. Remove the cheesecloth and cook for another hour to hour and a half, still basting every half hour until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees.
7. Remove the turkey to a board and let it rest for at least half an hour before carving. Be sure to save everything in the bottom of the pan for gravy.
Credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Zooey Deschanel’s Mom’s Pecan Pie
Deschanel showed fans how to make her mom’s pecan pie recipe on a November 2012 episode of The Rachael Ray Show. Her trip for transferring the pie crust into the pie plate? Roll the dough out on a piece of parchment paper, lift it up and flip it into the tin.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
- A pinch of salt
- 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- Approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water
For the filling
- 1 cup dark Karo syrup
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- A mound of pecan halves, enough to fill the crust
- Molasses, for garnish, about 1/4 cup
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. For the pie crust, using a pastry cutter, combine the flour salt, and butter until it looks like a coarse meal. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, just enough until the dough comes together. Form into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Roll disk out into a 1/4-inch-thick circle, transfer to a pie plate and crimp the edges of the crust.
4. For the filling, in a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the Karo syrup, eggs, butter, flour, salt, brown sugar and vanilla.
5. Fill the crust with pecans to the top and pour the filling over the top of the pecans. Drizzle with molasses.
6. Bake for 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 minutes.
Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Baby2Baby
Chrissy Teigen’s Pepper’s Scalloped Potatoes
“Whenever I need any sort of comfort, I'll ask my mom to make her Scalloped Potatoes,” Teigen shared via her Cravings by Chrissy Teigenwebsite. “I don't care what has happened that day, one bite and I'm happy again.”
Serves 16-20
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet or Idaho (in other words, not red or new) potatoes
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/3 pounds ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 8 slices bacon (not thick-cut), cut into squares
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 5 1/2 cups whole milk
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes, halve them lengthwise and slice them crosswise into thin half-moons. Rinse well with cold water and drain in a colander. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and toss them with the onion and the ham.
2. In a large Dutch oven, cook half the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, 9-10 minutes. Add the butter and cook, stirring, until melted, making sure the butter doesn’t’ burn. Add the garlic salt and the pepper, then whisk in the flour and cook, stirring and working out the lumps, until smooth. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
3. Arrange half the potato mixture in the bottom of the Dutch oven, then cover it with half the sauce. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and sauce. Arrange the uncooked bacon squares on top of the sauce and bake, uncovered, until the bacon appears crispy and rendered, 30-35 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. cover with lid, and cook until bubbling, 90 minutes longer.
4. Remove from the oven and place on a trivet, remove the lid, and allow to cool a bit before serving.
Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
John Legend’s Macaroni and Cheese
Teigen noted that although she prefers her own mac and cheese recipe, “I am coming around to Johnny’s casserole-style mac 'n' cheese,” she wrote via her website. “It has a cheesy crust that gives you that good, good cheese pull, too.”
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
- 3 cups (3/4 pound) dry elbow macaroni
- 2 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt, such as Lawry’s
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 cups (1/2 pound) Monterey Jack cheese, grated + Paprika, for sprinkling
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and return the pasta to the pot. Add the butter and toss until the pasta is coated and butter has melted; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, whole milk, and eggs. Stir in the seasoning salt, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. In another medium bowl, combine cheddar and Jack cheeses.
4. Spread one third of the macaroni in an even layer in the bottom of the buttered baking dish and cover evenly with one-third of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and shredded cheeses. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the contents of the baking dish, sprinkle with paprika, and bake until the top layer is lightly browned, 40–45 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Credit: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT
Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie
The legendary singer told Business Insider in October 2017 that her secret to making a good sweet potato pie is adding salt. “People say, ‘Why do you put salt in sweet items?’ It gives it a heightened something. It makes it nice, I love it,” she shared. “It’s like you have chocolate pretzels and then you put [them in] salt.”
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake your pie crust for about 15 minutes, or until it looks dry on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack.
2. Put your sweet potatoes in the microwave so that you can mash them.
3. Mix and stir all the ingredients with the mashed up sweet potatoes.
4. Place the mixed filling in the pre-baked pie shell.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more.
6. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool.
7. Add whip cream if you desire and serve!
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