Last year I was away for Thanksgiving, but this year, Ben and I are hosting family at our home and I could not be more excited. Remember that time I said I liked potlucks? It was a stretch. I like to be in charge of big dinners, there, I said it. If a potluck is a democracy, I can deal with it, but when it comes to my table it’s possible that I prefer a benevolent monarchy. We can all infer what we will about my control tendencies from this, but I am stoked. Let’s talk about the big day. 
The wonderful Food52 folks invited me over to launch a new feature, “Halfway to Dinner”. A guest blogger will introduce a base ingredient or recipe (such as a pot of beans, a big batch of rice, a roast chicken) and demonstrate creative ways to use it for meals all week long. Writing about good, everyday cooking has become a bit of an obsession lately, so I jumped at the chance. The debut column is about—you guessed it—turkey, so you’ll have some ideas for other ways to use up your leftovers besides the ordinary (albeit good!) turkey-cranberry sandwich. Head over to Food52 to read it.
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Our own menu includes:
The bird, dry-brined and herb-rubbed
Cornbread and sausage stuffing (a Southern classic I’m trying out for the first time, any tips?)
Mashed potatoes
Green beans with sherry vinaigrette
This corn pudding, which I auditioned a few weeks ago and loved (use one fewer egg and much more thyme)
Ashley’s brussels sprouts with white beans and pecorino (another new favorite)
My sister’s famous cranberry relish (last year we had two, one with jalapeño and one with red wine)
Pecan pie
Maple cream tart
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If you’re looking for some last minute Thanksgiving inspiration, some recipes from The Yellow House that you might enjoy:
Cracked pepper skillet cornbread (the base for my stuffing/dressing, but also good on its own)
Warm wheatberry and red cabbage salad
Focaccia with scallions & sage
Collard cobbler (the base for the biscuits is essentially an amped up version of creamed collards, if you want to leave off the bread)
Mushroom barley soup
Beet & barley salad (with horseradish cream)
Greens & grains gratin
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I’m hoping everyone is safe, and happy with friends this week. There are many things for which I’m lucky enough to be thankful, but this year I’m especially thankful for anyone reading these words right now. I am continually impressed by how smart, thoughtful, and warm the people are who drop by this site. The internet can be a big and sometimes bad place, but you make me believe that there’s signal among all the noise; that there are a decent number of us hungry people seeking nourishment or balance or just a next meal. Thank you.
i have no words to describe your photography!
I’m amazed…and i cant stop scrolling up and down.
What a wonderful surprise!
what a great feature idea! your turkey is insanely gorgeous!!!
Butter + cranking up the heat in the first 30 minutes = dark golden turkey. I love that method.
A benevolent monarchy, ha! I love that. I think most of us food bloggers have a little bit of that in us. : ) Happy celebrating and eating this weekend!
I mean…I’m open to an oligarchy. Or even a constitutional monarchy. See? So flexible! ;)
Happy thanksgiving! I, for one, am so thankful to have found this space. It’s a constant source of inspiration.
Sarah, that’s one gorgeous platter of turkey!
I’m also all for benevolent monarchies at the dinner table. I’m hosting Thanksgiving for a few friends this year for this first time, and Octavian and I are pretty much doing all of the cooking. It will be completely untraditional (hardly any of us will be Americans, anyway) but hopefully rather memorable.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Can I get a good recipe for that maple cream tart?!
Yam!!! So gorgeous!
Oh my gosh, you just make me hungry again with your fantastic photos!!!
That is a seriously beautiful turkey!
Lovely, lovely work over there, Sarah.. That turkey barley soup alone makes me wish we’d hosted so that I’d have had the fixings for stock this week.
Hooray! So great to see you on Food52 and with such perfect, simple recipes.
Aw, thanks Anjali.
I’ve been meaning to make the collard cobbler for a while now… what is it about greens in the garden that gets so out of hand so quickly?!? A belated Happy Thanksgiving and just wanted to say that your blog is one of my favorites! You write and take photographs so beautifully!
Thank you, Anna. (Make the collard cobbler! You won’t regret it. Friends of mine from a farm in central VA just wrote to say that they make a veg version with sundried tomatoes and paprika instead of andouille, in case you’re into that kind of thing.) —S
My apartment-mates and I made that grains and greens gratin with browned yogurt for dinner just now! It was perfect, perfect, perfect: hearty but somehow not heavy, savory balanced, luscious but comforting. I love the honest deliciousness of your writing and your recipes!
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