Celebrity Chefs Share Their Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

As proven in their new cookbook The Family That Cooks Together, Madeline and Anna Zakarian are the power behind their dad Geoffrey’s throne.

Take two talented daughters, add some streusel and tart apples, and you have the foundation of a recipe for Madeline & Anna’s yummy contribution to our Thanksgiving dessert table.

The old phrase about a family cooking together shows that everyone can be a good cook. Why not show the kids how to make a recipe? It could be the family food memory that lasts a lifetime.

Heartwarming Apple Crumble

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

For the Streusel Topping

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         ¾ cup rolled oats

·         ½ cup packed light brown sugar

·         ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

For the Apple Filling

·         Unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the pan

·         6 firm tart apples (such as Cortland), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         ½ cup granulated sugar

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Helpful Tools

·         2-quart baking dish

Directions

1.      To make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. With your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture until you no longer see butter chunks and the streusel clumps together easily.

2.      To make the apple filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat the inside of a 2-quart baking dish with butter. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the apple slices, lemon juice, granulated sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Top with the streusel topping, pinching it together to form larger clumps.

3.      Place the dish in the oven and bake the crumble for about 1 hour, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Let cool for about 30 minutes and serve warm.

Turkey Day is the culinary gift that keeps on giving, in the form of leftovers. Chef Ed McFarland has two great recipes that’ll keep us going through the holiday weekend.

Seriously, is there a better Thanksgiving leftover than a kicked-up sandwich that’s chock-full of goodies from your holiday table? Chef McFarland offers up the formula to creating the perfect one.

Ed McFarland’s Leftover Turkey Pressed Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of thick white bread
Enough cold turkey gravy to line 2 slices of bread
One slice Swiss
One slice Gruyere
3 oz. chopped or sliced turkey
Enough cranberry sauce or cranberry butter to line 1 slice of bread
Directions:

Heat a grill to low-medium heat (depending on the strength of grill)
Line insides of two slices of thick white bread with cold turkey gravy
On each side, add one slice of Swiss or Gruyere cheese
On one side of the bread, add 3 oz. of chopped or sliced leftover turkey
On the other side of bread, coat with leftover cranberry sauce or cranberry butter
·         To make cranberry butter, pulse 1 pint of cranberry sauce with ½ pound of butter

Combine the sandwich
Grill sandwich for 3-4 minutes on each side using a sandwich press

As appealing as Ed’s leftover sandwich sounds, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the ingenuity of his Thanksgiving Leftover Meatballs. What could possibly be better than a single creation that is a fusion of everything that’s great about the holiday dinner? Turkey? Check! Stuffing? Check! Cranberry Sauce? Yup! And of course, turkey gravy!

Thanksgiving Leftover Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 lbs. leftover turkey
2 lbs. stuffing
¼ c. cranberry sauce
Turkey gravy (enough to cover meatballs)
Directions:

Combine leftovers (turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce) in a food processor and pulse until chopped and well-incorporated
Move ingredients from food processor to mixing bowl
Ensure that ingredients are well mixed together by hand
By hand form 3-4 oz. round meatballs
Heat meatballs up in a saucepan of simmering turkey gravy until warm

Nothing spruces up a holiday meal like exciting new dishes. Thanks to these celebrity chefs, you’re only a few added items to your Thanksgiving shopping list away from beginning new traditions at your table.

Do you have a traditional holiday dessert? What are you making this year?