Get cooking for Thanksgiving

Bring a flavor of NOCHI to your kitchen with this thoughtfully curated collection of Thanksgiving recipes, crafted by our chef-instructors. Each dish has been designed to bring out the best of seasonal ingredients, classic flavors, and a touch of modern flair, making it perfect for a memorable holiday meal. These recipes offer step-by-step guidance to help home cooks of all skill levels create a feast that will impress and satisfy. Embrace the joy of cooking with these chef-approved recipes and elevate your Thanksgiving celebration with flavors your guests will be sure to love.

Get the recipes

SIDES | SOUPS | SAUCES | DESSERTS | DRINKS

Oyster Dressing

From Chef Rebecca Klaskala, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor
Serves 8

This recipe is adapted from Paul Proudomme's Oyster Dressing from "Chef Paul Prudomme's Louisiana Kitchen" circa 1984. If your oyster container does not have enough liquor for the 1 cup needed, add stock to compensate.

Ingredients

Caramelized Vegetables

1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tsp seafood magic (paul prudomme spice blend)

Remaining Ingredients

3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
2 ea bay leaves 1 cup oyster water, chicken or shrimp stock
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
20 ea medium sized oysters in their liquor
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup green onion, sliced
to taste salt
to taste cayenne

Directions

**Preheat oven to 350 degrees**

Carmelized Vegetables

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a pot.
Over medium high heat, add the 3/4 cup onion, 1/2cup celery, and 1/2cup bell pepper.
Cook until onions are soft and brown. (about 8 minutes)
Add garlic, salt, & 2 tsp of seafood magic seasoning. Cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Remaining Ingredients

Add remaining 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup celery, & 1/2 cup bell pepper with 1 stick butter and bay leaves.
Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes stirring often.
Add oyster liquor and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining 1 tsp seafood magic and breadcrumbs.
Add oysters and stir.
Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir in softened butter and green onion.
Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Sweet Potato Casserole

From Chef Rebecca Klaskala, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor
Serves 16

Ingredients

Candied Pecans

1/2 lb pecans pieces
1 each egg whites
1 tbsp water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 pinch salt

Sweet Potato Casserole

5 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled
2-4 tbsp bacon fat
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup steens syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Crumb Topping

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon, ground
2 pinches salt
1 cup melted butter

Directions

Candied Nuts Can be made 1 week in advance

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Whisk egg whites until frothy (not foamy).
Stir in sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix in pecans and spread the mixture onto baking sheet lined with a silicone non-stick baking mat.
Stir every 15 minutes until nuts are dry and crispy. This may take take over an hour.
Remove from oven & allow to cool before packing into an airtight container to reserve until Thanksgiving.

Sweet Potato Casserole Can be prepared 1 day in advance

Line a baking sheet with foil and scrub the sweet potatoes clean. Dry well and place on baking sheet.
Rub bacon fat on sweet potatoes & roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes feel extremely soft.
Pass potato through a ricer for a smooth consistency. (This is optional)
In a stand mixer, place sweet potatoes along with melted butter and steens syrup.
Mix on a low speed until everything is incorporated.
Add salt and pepper.
Spread mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Prepare the topping

Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Drizzle melted butter and fold together to create a crumb consistency.
Spread the topping over the sweet potato mixture.

Finishing the casserole

Bake the dish in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.
If you are serving the day of, sprinkled candied pecans and serve immediately.
If serving the next day, allow casserole to cool and refrigerate until the next day.
Reheat in a 325 degree oven until heated through. Finish with candied nuts.

Green Bean Casserole

From Chef Blair Tiller, NOCHI Assistant Instructor
Yield: 9x13 Casserole dish

Ingredients

2 lbs green beans, fresh
6 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 tsp salt, divided
20 oz cremini mushrooms
1 cup yellow onions, small diced
3 ea garlic cloves, minced
1 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cup whole milk
2 containers French's fried onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Trim the root of the green beans off then cut in half. Toss with 1 Tb of olive oil and ½ tsp of salt. Place on parchment or foil lined sheet tray and roast in oven for 20-25 minutes until tender. Once out of the oven reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.
Clean mushrooms and trim stem off, slice 1/4 in thick.
While green beans are roasting, heat a rondeau with 2 tb of olive oil, once oil is very hot, sear mushrooms and season with ½ tsp of salt. The salt will help draw out the moisture which will help flavor the milk.
Mince garlic and small dice yellow onions while mushrooms are cooking.
Once mushrooms are cooked, add your onions and begin to sweat until translucent. Add garlic and sweat until aromatic, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Using the sanger method, add your 1/3 C butter and melt. Sprinkle your flour over the buttered mushrooms and onions and begin to cook until the flour smell is cooked out and smells nutty.
While whisking, add your milk and continue to whisk until homogenous and no flour/butter clumps remain. Continue to cook until bechamel has come to a boil to thicken.
Season with remaining ½ tsp of salt and adjust if needed.
Add roasted green beans to your bechamel/mushroom mixture and stir until evenly coated.
Pour into casserole dish and top with 1 full container of French's Fried Onions.
Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until onions are hot, crispy, and slightly darker golden brown.

Spinach Madeline

From Chef Nicole Theriot, NOCHI Adjunct Instructor
Serves 6

Ingredients

2 (10 oz) packages frozen chopped spinach
1 bag fresh spinach
½ cup water
¼ cup butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp chopped onion
½ cup evaporated milk
6 oz processed cheese spread with jalapeño (such as Velveeta), diced
¾ tsp celery salt
¾ tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
salt to taste

Directions

Place frozen spinach and water in a saucepan over high heat; bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 8 minutes. Separate with a fork and cook for 2 more minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Slowly add evaporated milk and reserved cooking liquid, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cheese spread, celery salt, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne, and salt; cook and stir until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cooked spinach.
Stir in cooked spinach and fresh spinach until well incorporated/softened.
This may be served immediately or put into a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in the refrigerator overnight. When finishing in the oven, bake at 375 degrees F until the breadcrumb topping is golden brown.

Creole Turkey Salad

From Chef Jacob Anguiano, NOCHI Assistant Instructor
Yields 3 cups

Ingredient

2 cups cooked turkey meat, small dice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp creole mustard
1/2 cup celery, fine dice
2 each green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp creole seasoning
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp parsley, chopped

Directions

Combine turkey, mayo, mustard, celery, green onion, creole seasoning, hot sauce, and parsley into a mixing bowl and toss until well mixed.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired and refrigerate.
Serve as is, over a salad, or as a sandwich.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

From Chef Melinda Wilson, NOCHI Event Sous Chef
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
2 lbs pre-cut butternut squash
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1½ pounds before peeling)
8 cups chicken broth
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tart yet sweet apple, Honeycrisp, cored, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tbsp honey
½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, sweet potatoes, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low; simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the diced apple and honey and purée the soup with a handheld immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour the blended soup into a clean pot.)
Stir in the cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. To thicken the soup, simmer over low heat until desired consistency is reached.

Turkey and Sausage Pot au Feu

From Chef Jacob Anguiano, NOCHI Assistant Instructor

Ingredients

1 lb turkey thighs, diced
1 lb andouille sausage, thick slices
8 oz bacon, diced
as needed chicken stock or water
1/2 each small green cabbage, rough chop
3 potato, peeled or unpeeled, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme, fresh, finely chopped
as needed salt

Directions

Prepare vegetables and meats by cutting into bit size pieces roughly 1/2 inch thick.
Add bacon to a large pot and render for 3-4 mins. Add carrots, onion and garlic and cook for an additional 5 mins. Stirring occasionally.
Add turkey, and sausage to pot. Cover with enough water or stock until all ingredients are fully submerged and bring to a boil.
Once at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until meats are fully cooked.
Add cabbage and thyme, cook for another 5 minutes.
Adjust seasoning with salt to taste and serve.

Maple-Bourbon and Apple Turkey Brine

From Chef Kent LeVan, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor

Ingredients

16 fl oz. apple cider vinegar
16 fl oz apple cider
16 fl oz bourbon
10 fl oz maple syrup or steen’s cane syrup
~12 each garlic cloves, or 2 heads cut in half
½ cup kosher salt
2 apples, core removed and cut into 1” pieces *I prefer Honeycrisp, but any variety will work
1 ripe pear, core removed and cut into 1” pieces
3” piece ginger root, roughly cut
2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
10 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
5 whole all spice
3 whole star anise
1 gal ice

Directions

In a sauce pan, bring all ingredients except for the ice, to a simmer until the salt is completely dissolved. Shut heat off and allow to steep for at least 10 minutes.
Using the vessel you are going to brine the turkey in (I recommend using a cooler), combine the brine mixture and ice. Stir occasionally and add ice, if needed, to bring the temperature of the liquid down to below 41oF.
Submerge the defrosted turkey in the brine for a minimum of 24 hours. (Larger turkeys will do better if allowed to brine for 48 hours).
Pull turkey from the brine, rinse under cold running water, and set on a rack. Pat the turkey dry, inside and out, and set in the refrigerator to air dry for ~48 hours.

*IF YOU PLAN ON FRYING YOUR TURKEY, MAKE SURE THAT EXCESS MOISTURE HAS BEEN DRIED UP TO AID IN AVOIDING A FLARE UP!*

Turkey Gravy

From Chef Rebecca Klaskala, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor
Serves 16

Ingredients

4 quart turkey or chicken stock, no/low sodium
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp thyme, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
as needed salt and pepper

Directions

Reduced stock Made in advance

Place homemade or storebought stock in a pot and simmer until liquid cooks down by half.
Reserve the 2 quarts of reduced stock in the fridge until turkey day. This can be done 3 days in advance.
You can skip this part of the recipe and use 2 quarts of regular stock but it's worth it to reduce.

Gravy Prepared Thanksgiving Day

Remove the roasted turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest while the gravy is prepared.
Pour off excess jus that leached out while the turkey cooked in the oven and reserve for later.
Degrease the fat from the top of the jus and discard or use instead of butter in step 4.
Over medium heat, add butter and melt.
Sprinkle flour to create a roux and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir constantly by scrapping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add chopped thyme and garlic and cook for 1 minutes.
Slowly stir in the 2 quarts of stock.
Raise the temperature to medium high and bring the liquid to a simmer while whisking constantly.
Transfer the gravy mixture to a smaller sauce pan to better accommodate the small volume of liquid.
Return the turkey jus from step 2.
If the turkey was stuffed with veggies & herbs, pull them from the cavity of the bird and add to the pot.
Drop the temperature to a medium heat and cook until liquid has reduced 1/4 of the way.
This will take about 20 minutes.
By reducing the gravy more at this stage, the gravy will become more flavorful & thicker. Chef's choice.
Before adding any seasoning, taste to see if it needs salt and pepper.
**The turkey most likely was very seasoned so the gravy will have a good bit of salt already. **
Add more salt or pepper as needed.
Strain gravy into a sauce pan and generously served over turkey slices or in a gravy boat on the sid

Fried Okra Gravy

From Chef Jacob Anguiano, NOCHI Assistant Instructor

Ingredients

10 okra
1/4 inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 lb carrots, 1/2 inch dice
1/2 lb onion, 1/2 inch dice
1/4 lb celery, 1/2 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, smash
2 sprigs parsely
1 1/2 quarts water
1/2 tbsp creole seasoning
as needed vegetable oil
to taste salt
to taste black pepper

Directions

Fried okra

Slice the okra into 1/4 inch pieces and place in a large bowl.
Whisk egg and buttermilk together and pour over sliced okra. Toss till all pieces are coated.
Fill a large pot with vegetable oil until its filled about 2 inches up the side of the pot.
Heat oil over medium high heat.
As oil is heating, mix cornmeal with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Dredge okra in cornmeal mixture, then carefully place in hot oil. Reduce to a medium heat and cook until golden brown.
Remove and place onto a tray or plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Vegetable stock

Cut carrots, onion, and celery into 1/2 inch pieces. Smash garlic cloves. Place all vegetables, parsley, and water into a pot and bring to a boil.
Once at a boil, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 1 hour.
Strain stock into a separate container, reserving cooked vegetables.

Gravy

Place 1 cup of fried okra, 1 cup of reserved vegetables from stock into a blender.
Add 2 cups of vegetable stock to blender and puree mixture until smooth. add more stock as needed.
Transfer puree into a sauce pan and heat on a medium low heat.
Add creole seasoning, and adjust with more vegetable stock until desired consistency is reached.
Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.

“The Converter”

Cranberry sauce for people who hate cranberry sauce
From Chef Kent LeVan, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor

Ingredients

1 lb frozen cranberries
2 pears, peeled and cored
1” piece ginger root, peeled and rough chopped
12 fl oz orange juice
1 ¼ cup dark brown sugar
water as needed
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp nutmeg

Directions

Process pears and ginger in a food processor until it fully broken down and looks almost like a paste. If not using a food processor, grate the pears on a box grater and zest the ginger using a microplane. The key to this is to have these two ingredients cut up as fine as possible.
Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Stirring occasionally over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the cranberries begin to bust.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid is to your desired consistency.
Adjust seasonings to taste. For a smoother cranberry sauce, use an immersion blender to break down the cranberries further.

3 2 1 Pie Dough

From Chef Zak Miller, NOCHI Baking & Pastry Arts Instructor
Yields 4 pieces at 11 oz

Ingredients

1lb, 8 oz pastry flour
1/2 oz salt
1 lb butter, cold, cubed
8 oz water, cold

Directions

Cube the cold butter into 1/2" pieces. Keep cold.
Prepare the cold water by adding water to ice, drain, weigh.
Sift the flour and the salt.
Cut the butter into the flour.
**MEALY= pie sized pieces of fat
**FLAKY= walnut sized pieces of fat
Add the cold water all at once. Mix until just combined.
Divide the dough into 11 oz pucks, wrap, chill.
Roll the dough on a floured bench, brush off flour, line tin.
Finish as directed.

BAKING: 425 deck

NOTE: use 1 oz of pie dough for every inch of pie tin.

Sweet Potato Tart Filling

From Chef Zak Miller, NOCHI Baking & Pastry Arts Instructor

Ingredients

900 g roasted sweet potato
230 g butter, soft
400 g sugar
240 g milk
4 each eggs
10 g vanilla
2 g cinnamon
10 g salt

Directions

Warm the sweet potatoes.
Mix with paddle till smooth.
Add butter and mix to combine.
Add the sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Add the milk and the remaining ingredients.
Fill prebaked shells and bake at 325 till tester comes out clean.

Pecan Pie Filling

From Chef Zak Miller, NOCHI Baking & Pastry Arts Instructor
Serves 10 pies

Ingredients

5.325 lb granulated suagr
4.5 lb dark corn syrup
3 lb butter, melted
4.5 lb eggs
6 oz vanilla extract
5 lb pecans (8 oz per pie)

Directions

Combine the butter, dark corn syrup and sugar in pot. Stir
Bring to a boil while stirring. Boil 1 minute.
Cool to room temperature.
Add the eggs and vanilla to combine.
Store under refrigeration until needed. Or use immediately.
Scale the pecan pieces into the par-baked pie shell.
Pour the filling over the nuts, make sure to cover the nuts.

**SCALING WEIGHT: Pecans 8 oz, Filling 1# 12 oz

BAKING: 325'F deck for approx 40 min.

Check for doneness when the center of the pie begins to domes, firm to the touch, and is golden brown.

Cranberry Cake

From Chef Melinda Wilson, NOCHI Event Sous Chef
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

Cranberry Pecan Base

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
⅔ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
½ cup granulated sugar

Topping

12 tbsp (¾ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp coarse sparkling or turbinado sugar, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

Cranberry-Pecan Base

Add the melted butter to a 9-inch deep-dish pan and swirl it around to grease the sides (or use a pastry brush to brush the butter on the sides).
Spread the cranberries and pecans evenly in the pan and sprinkle with the sugar. Set aside.

Topping

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on low speed until combined.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until smooth.
Beat in the flour and salt until evenly combined.

Cake

Pour the batter over the cranberries and pecans in the pan, using a spatula to spread it evenly.
Sprinkle the top evenly with the sparkling/turbinado sugar.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. (Keep in mind that the bottom of the dessert will remain gooey, so just check the cakey top.)
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature,

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

From Chef Blair Tiller, NOCHI Assistant Instructor
Yield: 9x5 loaf dish

Ingredients

33 g butter, softened
60 g dark brown sugar
115g sugar
166 g pumpkin puree
2 ea large eggs, whole
124g all purpose flour
2 g baking powder
3 g baking soda
2 g kosher salt
2 g cinnamon, ground
2 g all spice, ground
75 g milk
75 g dark or milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in kitchen aid with paddle attachment and cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add pumpkin puree and mix until homogenous.
Gradually add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully combined between each addition.
Combine dry ingredients and sift.
Slowly add in dry ingredients and milk, alternating between the two, until all has been incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips with spatula.
Spray loaf pan with cooking spray then place batter into loaf pan.
Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. If the top is beginning to get too dark while baking, take out and cover with foil, then place back into oven and continue to bake until done.
Let cool in loaf pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove onto cooling rack to continue cooling.

Spiced Apple Cider with Cranberry

From Chef Kent LeVan, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor

Ingredients

64 fl oz apple cider
1 apple, core removed and cut into 1” pieces
1 ripe pear, core removed and cut into 1” pieces
2” piece ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
peel of 1 orange
3 cinnamon sticks
5 whole all spice
6 whole clove
*1 sprig rosemary (optional)
1 can cranberry jelly

Directions

In a sauce pan, bring all ingredients, except for the cranberry, to a simmer and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
Off heat, gently stir in cranberry until it is fully melted into the cider mixture.

Pop of Color

From Jet Gauthier, NOCHI Front-of-House Instructor

Ingredients

3 oz sparkling wine
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz Aperol
Soda water

Directions

Combine wine, cranberry juice and Aperol in a wine glass with ice.
Garnish with frozen cranberries and a rosemary sprig.
For a spirit-free version, subtract the bubble and Aperol.

Apple Cider Bourbon Punch

From Chef Rebecca Klaskala, NOCHI Culinary Arts Instructor
Serves 8

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple cider
1 cup bourbon
12 fl oz ginger beer (reeds brand)

Garnish

ice
cinnamon stick
apple chips

Directions

In a large beverage pitcher, combine apple cider, bourbon, and ginger beer. Stir to combine.
To serve, place ice in a glass and pour the punch over top.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and apple chips. CHEERS!

Sweet Dreams

From Jet Gauthier, NOCHI Front-of-House Instructor

Ingredients

2 oz bourbon
1 oz sweet potato syrup
2 dashes pecan bitters
sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice.
For a spirit-free version, remove the bourbon and add cream.