Make Ahead

One is never enough.

Do you have a soft spot in your heart for roasted winter squash, like butternut squash, kabocha, or acorn squash? If so, it’s high time to roast a pumpkin. If you’ve done this before then you know the results are nothing short of amazing. And spoiler alert: it’s not as tough or fussy as you might think. In fact, prepping a pumpkin is a lot easier than some other squash varieties (I’m looking at you, butternut squash).

A creamy, dreamy mac & cheese that you can prep days ahead of time and just pop in the oven.

This easy vegan number won't wilt like more fragile salads.

Say bye-bye to the blue box.

You don't even have to boil water.

Among the recipes that friends and family ask about most frequently – including how to make a proper pot of rice, how to boil eggs perfectly, or how to cook perfect chicken breast every time – how to make a decent pot of oatmeal is always up there on the list. It seems that every home cook is chasing that elusive ideal pot of oatmeal: thick but not mushy, and fluffy but not chewy.

Despite your most careful planning (did you make a detailed timeline?), cooking Thanksgiving dinner can still feel a little stressful once the big day rolls around. It holds true whether you’re having a small Thanksgiving dinner or hosting the whole extended family. That’s why we love getting a jump-start with one or several make ahead Thanksgiving sides.

Sweet potato casserole is one of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes for a reason: It serves up the vegetable in a creamy, sweet, and decadent way, and as we pile it onto our plates, it makes us feel like a kid again. Unfortunately, it’s often overthought and over-complicated, riddled with too many unnecessary steps and ingredients (I’m guilty of it, too, although this classic, meringue-topped version is delish).

Ah, pumpkin pie. It’s a recipe filled with nostalgia, a creamy combination of sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and custardy filling, baked in a homemade pie crust and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Thanksgiving isn’t the same without it.

Bonus: It’s so easy.

Baked brie in puff pastry takes “rich and luxurious” to a whole new level. Add a few friends and some good tunes playing in the background, and you’ve got yourself a bonafide party situation. When I make this appetizer as part of a big holiday gathering or for a cocktail party with lots of other nibbles, I often like to bake it in a pie plate instead of on a baking sheet.

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Apple crisp is the lazy baker’s best friend. It delivers all the flavor and satisfaction of apple pie, but in half the amount of time. Tender, lightly sweetened, warmly spiced apples get dressed up with a sprinkle of buttery old-fashioned oats that crack under the pressure of a spoon. It’s truly the only crisp recipe you need for fall. Apple crisp requires just a few basic ingredients, an abundance of apples, and a warm oven.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart: We all deserve something sweet and festive to celebrate Halloween. It’s always a fun time of year to get in the kitchen and play with your food to whip up something special. Go ahead and get the kids involved, too! There are tons of ways they can help, from stirring the cookie dough to dunking the Frankenstein fingers to mixing the Monster Munch to decorating the Halloween chocolate bark.

It's even great for beginners.

With so many beautiful and unusual squashes showing up in markets right now, I can’t seem to come home without at least one knobby, colorful, speckled squash in my bag. Happily, stuffed squash is a dish that will work for just about any winter squash I happen to pick up. You don’t really need a recipe — just a few basic steps and dinner practically makes itself. I consider stuffed squash to be one of the most perfect autumn weekend meals imaginable.

The sweet and tangy glaze is everything.

Bonus: There’s only 5 minutes of prep.

The silky texture of traditional fettuccini Alfredo is created by a balanced emulsion of grated Parmesan cheese, butter, and starchy pasta water. But if mealtime calls for serving the garlicky Parmesan cream sauce without pasta (or its cooking liquid!), you need a new approach. Don’t tell my Italian in-laws, but a dose of dairy is the secret to my five-ingredient, everyday Alfredo sauce. It’s a weeknight staple.

A roux, pronounced “roo,” is one of the building blocks of cooking. It’s a fundamental technique for new cooks to learn, and one of the first things taught in culinary school. It’s the secret to making silky sauces, rich gravies, and luscious mac and cheese. In fact, if you’ve ever made a homemade cheese sauce before, chances are you’ve made a roux — even if you didn’t realize it.

Pumpkin and butternut squash seem to get all the attention this time of year, but when it comes to orange-hued vegetables, I actually prefer the humble sweet potato. I’ll take sweet potatoes any which way, but at my Thanksgiving table I prefer mashed sweet potatoes. Some mashed sweet potato recipes call for baking the them in the oven first, then slipping them out of their skins and mashing them. Other recipes call for boiling the sweet potatoes in water.

On Thanksgiving, I don’t think any dish inspires quite as much love and jealousy as classic stuffing. Or, for that matter, technical debate over stuffing vs. dressing. Sure, if it’s baked inside the turkey it’s stuffing, and if it’s not, it’s dressing. But to me, it will always be stuffing — it sounds so much more satisfying than dressing, which brings to mind vinaigrette. And on my table, the stuffing is always some version of this classic sage and onion mix.

Lentil soup is comforting, simple, and easy to throw together. It’s my go-to meal when I want something hearty but healthy, or when I’m planning a vegetarian dinner with friends on a chilly fall day. This pared-down red lentil version is the one I make most often, and it never fails to please. Red lentils are perfect when you’re in a hurry to get a meal on the table.

There are few things more satisfying than the cool, caffeinated sip of a cup of iced coffee. But cold brew is easy to DIY, and we’re sharing all the secrets to enjoying it at home. The first is to make a big batch in advance — a gift to your future self that’s even faster than hopping in the car and whipping through a Starbucks drive-thru. The second secret? Using the same technique that Starbucks — and other big coffee shops — use to make cold brew in bulk.

When you really think about it, the whole Thanksgiving meal is one giant twofer. Next-day Thanksgiving leftovers are just as important as the perfect day-of meal. The turkey, however, is even more generous. You roast your turkey on day one; have the leftover meat for turkey sandwiches, chilis, and cheesy turkey enchiladas in the days after; and now you get this glorious sunny stock from the bones and bits leftover even after the meat is gone.

The sweet potato is arguably the most versatile veggie in the produce department. It can easily be the star of any meal, from pancakes for breakfast to the main event of dinner and can even do dessert. While baking sweet potatoes in the oven can take up to an hour, microwaving a sweet potato takes a mere five minutes. Here’s the very best way to do it, so that you can dig into your tender, steaming sweet potato ASAP. It’s lightning fast.

This old-fashioned recipe takes an unexpected turn.

Yee-haw!

Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.From here on out, creamy chicken soup from the slow cooker shall be known as change-your-life chicken soup. Try to imagine all the goodness of chicken soup — moist, tender chicken, bites of sweet carrot and peas — but wrapped in a creamy broth flecked with black pepper.

Chocolate chips in every bite.

The secret ingredient comes from the freezer.

A thick layer of buttery, sweet crumbs crowns the top.

Sweet and tangy.

What’s one of the easiest ways to feel like you have your life together? If you ask us, it’s meal prepping lunch the night before. In the grand scheme of things it’s a small accomplishment, but when all you want to do after dinner is settle in for a marathon TV session, taking the extra time to make lunch feels like a Herculean effort.

Like the boxed stuff, but so much better.

It’s a sauce! It’s a dip! It’s a dressing!

You don't even need any measuring cups for this recipe.

It's a game-changer.

Fried okra is the best okra.

Hot mulled cider is a must-have at all our fall and winter shindigs. It’s a great non-alcoholic drink option for holidays like Thanksgiving — guests of all ages never seem to turn down a mug, but grown-ups can also take the opportunity to do a little self-spiking and mix with their alcohol of choice. Slow-cooker mulled cider is the easiest way to serve a crowd.

Should we all just agree that we really go apple picking for the warm cider donuts and freshly pressed apple cider? Eating those fried donuts is one of my fondest food memories from the two years I lived on the East Coast, but unfortunately they’re harder to find now that I’m back in California. The best solution was to head into my kitchen and make a batch myself.

And you only need four ingredients.

A chipotle marinade makes the chicken extra-flavorful.

Plus, there’s ice cream.

It’ll be your new family favorite.

The most delicious alternative to the popular Starbucks drink.

It’s that good!

It uses a full pound of zucchini.

The cheesecake filling is dangerously good.

Lasagna is perhaps the quintessential feed-a-crowd casserole. There are many ways to make lasagna, but here is my own method for making it. I was so intimidated by lasagna before I first tried it. It looked like a process that would eat up my whole day. While that it is not true, it is definitely more time-consuming than spaghetti with meat sauce — but it’s oh-so-worth-it. This recipe is a hybrid of a full-on, totally from-scratch lasagna recipe and one that uses pre-made components.

Whatever regular ol’ butter can do, maple butter can do better. The touch of sweetness and caramel-y, toffee notes alter butter so magically that it’s hard to believe how simple it is to make. Because maple butter has so few ingredients, it’s essential to ensure those ingredients are good-quality. Here you’ll want real-deal maple syrup — sweet, smoky, and amber-colored.

It tastes like fall in every bite.

When it comes to an easy dinner, a sandwich is always a good choice. However, there’s really only so much you can put between two regular ol’ slices of bread. Swap that sandwich bread for a pita, however, and it’s a totally different ballgame. Sure, you could fill a pita with cold cuts as you would your usual sandwich, but that’s really just the start: Your options go way beyond that.

The most delicious leftover sandwich starts here.

It's like a cloud.

There are many ways to cook carrots, but roasting them is hands-down my favorite method. It’s one of the best vegetable side dishes that pairs well with anything for dinner. Roasted carrots might seem simple, but when done right, they can rival just about any other vegetable side, be it Brussels sprouts or sweet potatoes. When it comes to glazed carrots, some recipes call for cooking them on the stovetop, but I opt for the oven so that the carrots can do their business while I do mine.

Pronounced poh-taazh, potage is a fancy term for a thick and comforting soup cooked in a pot. Typically, it also infers that the soup is made of vegetables and is puréed until smooth. Like many French dishes, it originates from peasants and farmers who were using the ingredients they had available — in this case, any mix of vegetables. Potage is often enriched at the end with some kind of dairy.

Get ready to make these on repeat.

The no-bake cake that goes for the gold!