We love a good planâand when it comes to Thanksgiving, having the menu mapped out is the surest way to keep the day both delicious and stress-free. To make it easy (and inspiring), weâve put together five custom menus designed to help you plan, prep, and savor the holiday. From the turkey-free menu below to a decadent vegetarian spread, youâll find theseâand moreâin our Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving.
I may have roasted my first turkey this year, but I will always think fondly of my turkey-free Thanksgivings past (and future, I reckon). Every time I hear the collective tizzy about âhow to roast the best turkeyâ I think, âJust roast a chicken instead!â Or a nice leg of lamb, or even two whole sides of fish. All loads easier than wrangling an ungainly bird half the table doesnât really much care for anyway (what? itâs true!). Hereâs my chicken menu in keeping with the bird theme lest you have strong turkey withdrawal symptoms. Itâs a nice combination of things that can be made ahead (the leeks, the rolls, the chocolate pie) and two that are breezy enough to make the day-off with little to no anxiety (the chicken and the salad). Chicken and leeks are a stalwart pairing, and the bacon in the salad dressing is the knot that ties this feast together.
This recipe is salad as performance art. Pouring hot bacon fat directly over a bowl of vinegar dressed greens feels so wrong but the snap, crackle, pop is theatrical and guaranteed to impress the crowd.
Anything I can make ahead for this holiday, I endorse. These leeks in a kicky mustard vinaigrette are all the better for sitting in the fridge overnight. They go particularly well with the chicken (a bite with the rolls tastes uncannily like chicken pot pie), and compliment the indulgent richness of the salad with their herbaceous, cooling bite.
