Beginning with Julia Moskin's five-star, truly easy creamy macaroni and cheese.
So you're hosting Thanksgiving. Congratulations! Now what?
Perhaps you've figured out your main -- definitely a turkey, you're thinking. Maybe Samin Nosrat's buttermilk-brined roast turkey, or Kenji López-Alt's mayo-roasted turkey, or Kim Severson's dry-brined turkey.
Or perhaps you saw Sohla El-Waylly's fried chicken feast and will be following her plan to the letter. (It's never a bad idea to let Sohla be your guide; she's the hero of our Cooking 101 video series, after all.)
But back to that turkey. What to serve alongside? Your aunt is bringing sweet potato casserole and your cousin's in charge of apps (send him this recipe for deviled eggs); you're pretty sure your brother said something about a salad. There are some gaps to fill, and you want dishes that will stun and be requested next year.
Time to scroll through our collection of the best New York Times Cooking Thanksgiving recipes, a thorough list of reader favorites and new classics.
It's hard to think of a dish more crowd-pleasing than macaroni and cheese, and Julia Moskin's recipe is a five-star winner with more than 15,000 reviews. It is also, as many comments will confirm, truly easy to put together: There's no roux involved, and you don't need to preboil the pasta. "I was shocked by how good this was, given the shortcuts," wrote LH, a reader. "Usually easier means worse. This culinary miracle is now my go-to mac & cheese -- I've made it many times."
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Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
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That could easily be dinner tonight, as could Christian Reynoso's sheet-pan brussels sprouts and bacon (maybe tossed with short pasta, or eaten with buttered toast) or Hetty Lui McKinnon's harissa-roasted sweet potatoes and red onion. I'd happily make Melissa Clark's herby bread and butter stuffing for two to accompany a rotisserie chicken snagged from the store and a pan of Jacques Pepin's French green beans and shallots.
And to go back to the fried chicken: Maybe 2024 is turkeyless and you also don't feel like frying anything. This saucy, rich and spicy Liberian chicken gravy is a part of the Thanksgiving table for the chef Thalmus Hare; Priya Krishna adapted his recipe for NYT Cooking. For some non-poultry options: Genevieve Ko's maple baked salmon, Alexa Weibel's vegetarian mushroom Wellington and Momofuku's bo ssam, adapted by Sam Sifton.
Click around, make your list, watch our videos and get inspired. Thanksgiving is 12 days away -- we've got this.