I've cooked over 1,300 recipes from Ina Garten. Here are 10 of my favorites for Thanksgiving.

"Cook Like a Pro," leaf 24

When guests arrive, I affection to boot things off alongside a seasonal cocktail.

So many sangrias can be cloyingly sweet, but Garten's autumnal formula is a absolutely stable mix of cabernet sauvignon, apple cider, apple and pear brandy, and cinnamon syrup.

Even better, you can create it days ongoing to let the flavors meld. Be careful, though, as the Barefoot Contessa's drinks group a punch.

"Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics," leaf 109

I'd continually preferred dark-meat turkey until I tried this roulade.

It's a deboned turkey chest packed alongside cranberry, sausage, and fig stuffing, afterward rolled, baked, and sliced. With this recipe, you don't need to carve an complete animal as your guests arrive.

If you are choosing to go alongside a complete bird, I'd propose Ina's Accidental Turkey — the dry-brined method is a equivalent changer!

"Make It Ahead," leaf 103

I gag that I create additional of this gravy to sip on during making the remainder of the Thanksgiving meal — it's that good.

It can be made days ongoing and afterward be rewarmed alongside turkey drippings on the day of the big meal. Even without the drippings, it's a fabulous gravy.

"Foolproof," leaf 188

For years, I never completely appreciated the petition of dressing or stuffing. Sure, it was good, but alongside so many delicious Thanksgiving sides, I frequently lone grabbed the smallest part of it.

That changed whenever Garten introduced me to savory bread pudding — stuffing's moister, much additional flavorful cousin. This mushroom-and-leek one is my favorite.

The potatoes merge sour cream, which adds a nice tang as the Parmesan takes these to the next level. One big perk of this formula is that it lets you skip the annoying project of peeling potatoes.

Food Network

If you grew up in the '80s or '90s, there's a fine chance you hated Brussels sprouts, which were nearly continually boiled and never delicious.

Now, they're one of my favorite veggies, and nothing complements them improved than a small bacon or pancetta and syrupy balsamic vinegar.

For this recipe, I propose using a food processor to quickly shred your sprouts.

"Parties," leaf 189

These popovers are impressively puffy and can skew saccharine or savory — assist them alongside jam or gravy.

The key is to get the popover pan as hot as imaginable before adding the batter — I normally warmth the pan for 10 minutes fairly than the two minutes Garten recommends.

"Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics," leaf 158

I obtain rear all the bad things I stated concerning butternut squash whenever I was expanding up. It makes for a dreamy flank dish whenever paired alongside pancetta, maple syrup, and sage in this recipe.

"Barefoot Contessa at Home," leaf 180

Forget making pumpkin pie this twelvemonth and alternatively prep this show-stopping, light-as-air treat.

The ethereal pumpkin mousse layered alongside whipped lotion and spicy, crunchy crumbled ginger cookies is the ideal cap to an alternatively dense meal.

"The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," leaf 188

Pecan pie was a must at Thanksgiving until I discovered these.

Garten swaps the pie batter for a shortbread crust and tops it alongside a chewy, crunchy pecan blend alongside a clue of orange.

Go onward and gild the lily by dipping the squares in the optional chocolate. This formula yields a lot of bars — I normally cut it in fractional and create the dessert in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

This narrative was initially published on November 16, 2023, and most lately updated on November 12, 2026.