Thanksgiving Side Dishes From Top Chefs

From Marcus Samuelsson's cranberry cocktails to Tom Colicchio’s go-to appetizer, here are easy versions of chefs’ best Thanksgiving recipes.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Spiced Pecans

Chef: Marcus Samuelsson
Chef Marcus Samuelsson puts an Ethiopian twist on spiced pecans, which he tosses with sweet roasted butternut squash in an orange dressing.

One 3-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons berbere (see Note)
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. On a parchment paper–lined baking sheet, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the berbere; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the orange zest and juice. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

3. In a skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the pecans and toast over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and stir in the sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of berbere.

4. Arrange the squash on a platter and drizzle the dressing on top. Scatter the cranberries and spiced nuts over the squash and serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD The dish can be made up to 4 hours ahead; serve at room temperature.

NOTES Berbere is an Ethiopian ground red chile spice mix. It’s available at specialty food shops and from  kalustyans.com.

Arugula Salad with Ricotta Salata

Chef: Lidia Bastianich
For this crunchy, nutty salad, Bastianich likes to use dandelion greens, which aren’t always easy to find. For the home cook, arugula stands in for the elusive dandelion greens.

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup salted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
3 bunches arugula, thick stems discarded
1/2 pound ricotta salata cheese, shaved with a peeler
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a blender, blend the oil, vinegar, honey and 2 tablespoons of the almonds; transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve right away.

Cranberry Caipirinha

Chef: Marcus Samuelsson
In his version of the Brazilian cocktail, he muddles cranberries along with the usual lime and replaces the Brazilian spirit cachça (made from sugarcane juice) with Scandinavian aquavit (an infused spirit).

Ice
10 fresh cranberries, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 lime wedges
1/3 cup aquavit

Fill a rocks glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, using a wooden spoon, muddle the cranberries with the sugar, water and 1 of the lime wedges. Add the aquavit and a handful of ice and shake well. Strain into the glass, garnish with the remaining lime wedge and serve.

Walnut Pesto and Goat Cheese Dip

Chef: Tom Colicchio

Two-Mushroom Velouté

Chef: Joël Robuchon

The secret to this mushroom soup: a little crème fraîche.

Spicy Braised Escarole

Chef: Andrew Carmellini
Carmellini prepares this dish with homemade bread crumbs and hard-to-find Sicilian oregano. For an easier version, top spicy greens with crispy panko (packaged Japanese bread crumbs) and a touch of supermarket oregano.

More Chef Thanksgiving Recipes Made Easy.

Related Links: Gail Simmons’s Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes 
20-Minute Thanksgiving Recipes 
Thanksgiving Recipes to Make Two Days Ahead 
Fast and Easy Thanksgiving Desserts 
Top Thanksgiving Desserts