My husband and I don’t have family nearby so Thanksgiving at our house is for friends—a few regulars and, typically, at least a couple of new faces. I approach the menu that way, too. We serve the must-haves, but I like to shake it up a little each year, in part to find dishes that might become new traditions. That’s how Cenk’s Pumpkin Cheesecake replaced my pumpkin pie—a definite upgrade. If you’re looking to freshen up your holiday menu, please take a look at some of my favorite recipes from Thanksgivings past. And let me know if you make and enjoy them.
Zingerman’s Pimento Cheese
The Ann Arbor specialty store makes a renowned pimento cheese, but I like to think my addition to it is a modest enhancement. Serve with hearts of celery, rye toast or a favorite cracker.
A crisp and flaky Southern specialty as made by an authentic Southern belle. Serve with drinks before dinner or with the relish tray. “It takes a lifetime to perfect the cheese straw,” says my source, but this recipe gets you close to perfection.
I’m not serving my grandmother’s cornbread dressing this year. (Sorry, Grandma.) I’m serving this. So many Planet Cheese readers have told me they made this focaccia bread pudding and loved it. It’s about time I revisited it myself.
I grew up on sweet potatoes with marshmallows at Thanksgiving but my teeth ache just thinking about it. If you, like me, are on Team Savory, you’ll prefer this seasonal side dish, a better balance of sweet, tart and tangy. More colorful, too.
Years ago, while visiting Istanbul, I met a novice Turkish food blogger and photographer who went on to publish a bestselling cookbook, later published in the U.S. as The Artful Baker (Abrams). Cenk Sönmezsoy is an extraordinary talent, and his pumpkin cheesecake—from the book—is now non-negotiable on our Thanksgiving table.
