Hello! It is Tuesday afternoon, and the big feast is in T-minus 48 hours. Let’s get straight into it, shall we?
If you’re making mac and cheese for Thanksgiving — or for any cozy, comforting dinner now through winter — you’ll want to make this mac and cheese. Eric Kim developed his baked macaroni and cheese recipe (above) with the timeless Stouffer’s version as his inspiration; the result is voluptuous and molten, saucy and creamy. And before you ask: Yes, there is Velveeta.
Featured Recipe
Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
More classic casseroles: Millie Peartree’s picture-perfect sweet potato casserole, which combines cornflakes and mini marshmallows for its rippled duvet topping. (“USE THE CORNFLAKES! The topping is magical!” urges Jazmin, a reader.) Melissa Clark’s mashed potato casserole is perfect for anyone who wants buttery potatoes pepped up with something crunchy, as she gilds a tray of mashed Yukon Golds with cheesy bread crumbs.
If you’re cooking with dairy or gluten allergies in mind — or you just love the way rice soaks up savory gravy — this new crispy ginger sticky rice recipe from Genevieve Ko is the way to go. Topped with a fried egg, it would be a fantastic dinner on its own.
But if there are no gluten issues, Melissa’s easy Parker House rolls come together in a snap with prepared pizza dough. For extra credit, you could make their sister recipe — these black pepper and Demerara sugar Parker House rolls — from scratch. Either way, your leftovers sandwiches will thank you.
If you’re bringing a salad, this lush and tart green salad with apple cider vinaigrette from Yewande Komolafe will complement pretty much any spread. If you’re on dessert duty, here’s Rick Martínez’s recipe for a perfect flan. It’s not a pumpkin pie, but we don’t think anyone will mind. (It’s flan, after all.)
Finally, let’s flash forward to Saturday. It’s 5 p.m., and everyone is grumbling and hungry and tired of turkey. Enter Lidey Heuck’s baked spaghetti, which is heartwarmingly hulking, versatile (swap the ground beef for chicken or sausage, or omit it entirely to make the dish vegetarian) and has nothing to do with leftover white meat or cranberry sauce or brussels sprouts.
