Food Processor
Upstate Chili
Dickson's Farmstand Meats
Dickson's Farmstand Meats is a unique butcher, sourcing their meats from farms with extraordinarily high standards. It is only natural (pun intended) that their chili recipe would be uncommonly good, loaded with flavor as well as detailed techniques for great results. This is not your granddaddy's chili! For example, the main meat is beef shank, a highly gelatinous cut that gives a luscious smoothness to the sauce. The meat is marinated overnight before cooking, and the seasoning gets complexity from smoky Turkish Urfa chile flakes. If you have the time, refrigerate the chili overnight before serving to mellow the flavors.
By Michael Phillips and Rick Rodgers
Sweet Potato Turnovers with Sweet Kraut
I get no greater satisfaction than knowing we've snuck some sweet potatoes and red cabbage onto the dessert menu at Vedge. This dish was originally inspired by a trip to the Czech Republic, where I enjoyed plum dumplings dusted in powdered sugar and served with vegan sour cream. Here, we fill our turnovers with candied whipped sweet potato, and the kraut garnish offers a nice bright note from the sweet Riesling. If you want to go all out, try serving them with a dollop of vegan sour cream whipped with a little powdered sugar and orange zest.
By Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby
Salt-and-Pepper Biscuits
Adding sour cream to the dough imparts richness and a bit of tang, and doesn't thin it out too much.
By Alison Roman
Malted Walnut Pie
Adding barley malt syrup offers a rounder, less-sweet note in this take on pecan pie. Look for it at health food stores.
By Kierin Baldwin
Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie
This chocolate and pumpkin mashup is surprising yet delicious. It's so good that you don't have to brûlée the top,though that effect surely makes the pie a show stopper.
By Kierin Baldwin
Yogurt Pie with Grape and Black-Pepper Compote
We tried all kinds of gingersnaps to make this easy crust. Our favorite? Anna's Ginger Thins.
By Kierin Baldwin
Pear Pie with Red Wine and Rosemary
Kierin Baldwin's pie dough method is special in a couple of ways. First, she uses a combination of butter, which lends rich flavor, and shortening, which makes the flakiest crusts. The best of both worlds. Her technique of repeatedly flattening and stacking the dough coats the flour with fat, which helps make the crust tender.
By Kierin Baldwin
Butterscotch Pie with Curry Crust
Curry crust? Trust us: This lightly spiced crumb will win Best in Show. If you want to take it even further, add a teaspoon of toasted crushed cumin seeds, too.
By Kierin Baldwin
Fennel, Chile, and Maple Dry Brine
By Alison Roman
Sweet Potato–Chickpea-Quinoa Burgers
Vegan
When it comes to sweet potatoes, American cuisine needs some imagination, and these irresistible burgers are here to help. Just throw a cooked sweet potato into your trusty food processor, along with chickpeas, scallions, and spices, and buzz it into orange tastiness.
Two complementary iterations of quinoa (whole cooked grains and flour) step in to balance the sweetness—and also to hold the burgers together—while upping the protein and calcium content. Green pea polka dots round it out in every way, making this taste and color fest even more fun and interesting.
• Be sure to use the moist, orange variety of sweet potato (not the drier, starchier white type).
• Regarding the quinoa flour: Don't panic. Just get out the inexpensive electric coffee grinder that you dedicated to spice grinding, wipe it out thoroughly, and add 6 tablespoons of whole quinoa. Buzz for less than 5 seconds, and you've got your ingredient—probably slightly more than the amount you'll need for the recipe.
• If you're using fresh peas, they'll need to be steamed or blanched for about 5 minutes. Frozen ones require only to be defrosted in a strainer— a brief encounter with room-temperature tap water, then a shake to dry. Either of these steps can be done ahead.
• Begin cooking the sweet potato well ahead of time, so it can cool before you assemble the batter. This is also a good use for leftover plain mashed sweet potatoes. You'll need 2 cups.
• Toasting cumin seeds is most easily done in a small, dry skillet over low heat. Shake the pan as you go and pay careful attention. It takes only a few minutes to toast them—and a blink of an eye beyond that to irreparably burn them. You can use the same pan (and same method) to toast the peanuts, if you wish.
• If you're cooking the burgers in batches, keep the finished ones warm on a baking sheet or an ovenproof plate in a 250°F oven while you make the rest.
• These freeze and reheat beautifully after they've been cooked.
By Mollie Katzen
Turkey Enchiladas
Jason Vincent, executive chef of Chicago's Nightwood, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. His creative take on Thanksgiving leftovers does require some extra prep on Turkey Day—you need to add the enchilada sauce ingredients to the bottom of the turkey's roasting pan—but it's a technique Vincent has perfected over the years and will save you tons of time and effort in the end. "The sauce kind of makes itself," says Vincent.
You can also make this recipe with a roast chicken, but be sure to soak the dried chiles—cover them in boiling water and let sit until softened, 25 to 30 minutes—before adding them to the sauce mixture. Also, have 2 cups of chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth ready, and add it to the roasting pan if the bottom gets too dry.
For more on Vincent, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.
By Jason Vincent
Turkey Gumbo
Chris Shepherd, executive chef and owner of Underbelly in Houston, Texas, shared this recipe exclusively with Epicurious. This Cajun and Creole classic is often served with rice, but Shepherd insists his version doesn't need the starchy side. Studded with turkey meat and andouille sausage, it's filling enough on its own. Making a solid roux is essential to gumbo, because the flour and fat mixture thickens and flavors the dish. For newbies, Shepherd recommends patience. Roux must be cooked slowly over low heat and it requires just about constant attention, so take your time and be prepared to stir.
For more on Shepherd, plus four more chefs' recipes for transforming your Thanksgiving extras, see The Five Best Leftover Turkey Recipes.
By Chris Shepherd
Vietnamese "Banh Mi" Chicken Burger
Pickled veggies give this burger low-cal crunch and sweet-and-sour zing.
By Edward Lee
Triticale with Smoked Trout and Artichokes in a Lemon Tahini Dressing
Make ahead: Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Save time: Use 2 2/3 cups cooked triticale berries and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
Save time: Use 2 2/3 cups cooked triticale berries and omit soaking and cooking the raw grains.
By Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Sumptuous Berry Shake
You'll just love this Sumptuous Berry Shake, a CARNATION BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS® reader-submitted recipe from Marta R., New York, NY. Try it today!
Sunrise Smoothie
Greet the day with this tangy creation, adding a soft drink twist to your favorite flavors. Become a morning person with this Sunrise Smoothie recipe.
Honey-Vinegar Leg of Lamb with Fennel and Carrots
A surprisingly easy sweet-tart lamb roast is just the thing to feed a crowd this Easter.
By Dawn Perry
Lasagna Bolognese
The ultimate holiday vacation cooking project: lasagna with two homemade sauces and layers of homemade pasta.
By Sue Li
Gialina's Kale & Farro Salad With Avocado
Toss chopped raw kale with sweet carrots, creamy avocado, and nutty farro for texture, then dress it in a garlic dressing reminiscent of green goddess dressing.
By Tara Duggan
Collard and Pecan Pesto
A dip that proves collards don't have to be stewed for hours to be delicious.
By Andrew Knowlton