12 recipes to add to your Thanksgiving Day feast

If you have your butcher cut up the bird for you, ask for the neck, backbone, wing tips, and giblets, along with a few extra wings for making stock. Also, make sure to have an accurate meat thermometer to test the temperatures of the different pieces. I’ve also included the recipe for my favorite make-ahead turkey gravy.

The smoky-sweet red chile rub creates a beautiful delicious exterior on roasted or grilled turkey. Make a double batch of the rub; it tastes great on roasted vegetables such sliced delicata squash or cubed butternut or sweet potatoes.

When you think about a baked potato, you likely envision a russet or Yukon Gold potato sliced open and piled high with sour cream, chives, bacon, cheese and more. But you can achieve a similar effect with a sweet potato.

These garlic mashed potatoes are extra creamy, thanks to the addition of both butter and buttermilk. To prevent the potatoes from getting gummy, be sure not to overmix them in Step 2.

Mashed vegetables tend to get cold easily; keep all tools — the ricer and bowl — warm by running under hot water before using.

The key to a successful Thanksgiving dinner: Plan ahead, then shop and spread the cooking over a couple of days. That way, you’ll have plenty of time and energy to spend at the table with your family and friends.

 The dates are filled with plant-based bacon to give it that smoky, sweet flavor and stuffed with a rich and savory cashew cheese that you can whip up yourself.

This last-minute addition to your table is perfect for those of us who don’t have the desire to make anything else from scratch. 

Enjoy this as a simple dessert with yogurt or ice cream, an add-in to an endive salad, or a side sauce to roast duck or chicken.

Looks like we are in the season of pumpkin everything. This pumpkin cranberry loaf is a welcoming snack with a hot cup of tea or apple cider.

You make the graham cracker nut crust and spread it on the bottom and sides of a sheet pan. The rich autumnal-spiced pumpkin custard is poured on top, and it is baked until just done. Best of all, you can make this a few days ahead of Thanksgiving and store it in the refrigerator covered.