Thanksgiving, or as food connoisseurs like to call it, turkey day is a National Holiday. It is celebrated in the USA, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia on the fourth Thursday of November every year. I am sure you are quite aware of it. But still, let me walk you through a history lesson for the origin of this holiday. Bear with me!
Have you heard the Pilgrim and the Native American Story? Well, that’s the Thanksgiving story. For those of you with a question mark hanging over your heads, I’ll be more elaborate.
In the year 1621, the Pilgrims, who were the English settlers living in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, invited the Native Americans for a feast. It was a three-day harvest festival and they ate food and thanked God and each other. Hence, the name Thanksgiving.
Now, I don’t know what anyone tells you, I love this holiday. It is about gratitude, sharing, and above all, food. Food is actually a great part of this festival. I mean I just called it ‘Turkey Day’.
Surprisingly, there was no turkey at the first known Thanksgiving feast. Cut to today; we can’t imagine a Thanksgiving feast without a giant roasted turkey. Also, by popular vote, ham is the next best thing to have for Thanksgiving if you are not big on the idea of a giant Turkey.
Thanksgiving, or any holiday, is incomplete without delicious desserts. Let’s also talk about the famous sides that go with the turkey, our beautiful cranberry sauce, and thick gravy. Just talking about it is making me hungry. But with all the festivities comes the pressure. Oh, what pressure, you ask? You innocent human. The pressure of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t want to freak you out, but it is kind of a big deal.
Just to give you an idea, you have to make the roasted turkey. The cranberry sauce and gravy are just necessary companions for the turkey. Also, you can’t forget the mashed potatoes, with or without lumps (FRIENDS reference, if you know, you know). You have to have vegetables and I forgot to mention. Dessert is also kind of important.
This is overwhelming, I know, but there is a certain satisfaction in making everything in your kitchen. When everyone is helping out, that’s when it feels like a great holiday. So, obviously, you need to prepare for the holidays if you want to host a great feast and cook at home. The first thing you need to do is relax and take a breather. The next thing would be to look for amazing recipes that’ll help you achieve that stunning festive dining table.
Fret not! I am here, not to agitate you, but to solve this chaotic situation. So, the agenda is that we need recipes. Not just recipes, we need amazing recipes. May I be so bold as to suggest a world-renowned chef and fellow food connoisseur, Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay is known for his amazing recipes and mood swings. But with his amazing recipe portfolio, we can happily ignore the latter. He has an amazing array of recipes appropriate for every occasion. Don’t run around scratching your head. Fine, I’ll help you with it. For you and only you, I am compiling a list of Gordon Ramsay’s best Thanksgiving recipes here in this very post.
What's In The Post
1. Gordon Ramsay’s Roast Turkey
Let’s start with the most conventional recipe for Thanksgiving. A giant roasted turkey is many people’s definition of Thanksgiving (including mine). So, it has to be good. What if I tell you, you’ll get the most amazing roasted turkey with this recipe.
I’ll help my case by telling you that the turkey has amazing golden and crispy skin. It is stuffed with vegetables and its skin is rubbed with herby butter inside out. Also, not to give any spoilers, but it is covered and baked with rashers of bacon. So, the turkey is amazingly flavorful and moist. This recipe is synonymous with ‘perfect Thanksgiving’. Find out more about it here.
2. Gordon Ramsay’s Turkey Wellington
Are you bored of having to see the same menu for Thanksgiving every year? Well, that makes the two of us. So, why not shake things up a bit. If everybody is expecting turkey, we’ll give them turkey but in a way, they wouldn’t have imagined. I am talking about Gordon Ramsay’s turkey wellington recipe.
The ‘Wellington’ is kind of Gordon Ramsay’s forte. So, you know you are getting the best recipe there is for it. The turkey wellington is a recipe of many layers. The outermost layer is the golden and flaky pastry. Cut a little more and there is a layer of soft crepes with meat and spice stuffing. The crepes are also savory and herby. The innermost layer is of the delicious and juicy turkey.
The turkey wellington is also served with cranberry sauce and gravy. This fancy meal is just a click away. Click here to get the full recipe of Turkey Wellington.
3. Gordon Ramsay’s Turkey Breast
If you don’t want to cook up a whole turkey and just want to make a turkey for a few people, try Gordon Ramsay’s turkey breast. This recipe is great for an intimate Thanksgiving dinner as it serves two people. Perhaps, a Thanksgiving dinner date.
Gordon Ramsay’s turkey breast recipe is similar to his roasted turkey recipe. You have a seasoned turkey breast. Then, you apply a herby compound butter over and under the skin. It is then roasted to perfection and its pan juices are used to make delicious gravy for it. So, if you are looking for a traditional Thanksgiving recipe but for lesser people, I’d recommend Gordon Ramsay’s turkey breast. I have made it easy to find; it’s right here.
4. Gordon Ramsay’s Turkey Gravy
Now that we are on the topic of turkey let’s talk about its best friend, the turkey gravy. It is made with pan juices, the vegetables stuffed in the turkey, the rashers of bacon on the turkey, rosemary, and tomatoes. Cider and chicken stock are added to the gravy as well.
All of this makes the gravy very flavorful. It is simmered until it has the strongest of all flavors. Pour this gravy over the sliced turkey and thank the Lord for all the delicious food. Thank me too as I am giving you a shortcut to the complete recipe here.
5. Gordon Ramsay’s Cranberry Sauce
While we are on the topic of traditional Thanksgiving recipes, let’s talk about Gordon Ramsay’s cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce is the third wheel in the romance of turkey and gravy. You love it but can go without it.
But with Gordon Ramsay’s cranberry sauce, you won’t skip this sauce. Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for cranberry sauce has complex flavors that go together perfectly. The sauce is made with cranberries, apples, and oranges. So, there is a sweet but tangy flavor to it. There’s also star-anise and cardamom to give it a little spicy heat. Then, a dash of wine adds depth and nuttiness to the sauce. Lastly, caster sugar because you want the sauce to be mainly sweet.
I think I have made a pretty good case here. I assume you are convinced, so find the recipe for the cranberry sauce here.
6. Gordon Ramsay’s Roasted Squash Hummus
If you want a unique dip at your table, try Gordon Ramsay’s roasted squash hummus. This hummus will give a Mediterranean twist to your otherwise American Thanksgiving dinner. The squash is rubbed with a variety of spices and then roasted. The spice blend is a mix of numerous spices. You have seeds of mustard, cumin, fenugreek, fennel, and coriander. It also has cloves and cinnamon. The blend has all the holiday spices.
The squash is blended with chickpeas and tahini. A little olive oil is added so that the hummus becomes smooth. A squeeze of lemon adds a great deal of freshness and tang to the squash hummus.
Serve this delicious Mediterranean hummus with toasted pita bread or flatbread. This is a great easy starter recipe for your dinner. No need to go to the Middle East to find the recipe, it is just here.
7. Gordon Ramsay’s Honey Glazed Ham
If you want to take a slightly different route than normal but still want it to be an extravagant feast, go for Gordon Ramsay’s honey-glazed ham recipe. This is not your run-of-the-mill ham recipe. It has sweet and spicy overtones that make its flavor unique. The sweet overtones come from the honey and sugar glaze. The glaze is also responsible for the slight tang you might taste as it contains vinegar as well.
The gammon is cooked with vegetables that give it a nutty and earthy taste. It is also cooked with spices that give the ham a spicy edge. Gordon Ramsay scores the ham in a beautiful diamond pattern. This is done to stud the cloves all over the ham. It doesn’t change the taste significantly but it sure makes the ham look beautiful. If you are a party of people that prefer ham over turkey, you know what to make. Find this delicious recipe here.
8. Gordon Ramsay’s Yorkshire Pudding
If you aren’t having a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving and opt for roast beef instead, serve it with Yorkshire pudding, brown turkey, and roasted veggies. This is a pretty great dinner date idea if you ask me. Also, Gordon Ramsay gives a quick recipe for Yorkshire pudding.
Just mix milk, flour, eggs, vegetable oil, and salt. Pour it into muffin tins and bake it. There you have it. Your delicious Yorkshire pudding is ready to serve. What is great about this whole dinner idea is that it also goes with Christmas.
Now, I know I told you the recipe but what will you do about the quantities and timings of the recipe. Let’s do one thing, click here and you’ll be taken to the recipe magically. You’re welcome.
9. Gordon Ramsay’s Cauliflower Cheese
We all know fussy eaters (kids) that don’t want to eat the feast laden in front of them but want something different, even on Thanksgiving. Thank Gordon Ramsay for giving a solution to this problem as well. Instead of whipping up the old mac and cheese (*aggressive eye roll*), why not make Gordon Ramsay’s cauliflower cheese.
The base is boiled cauliflower instead of boiled macaroni. After that, make the roux and flavor it with seasoning and herbs. Ramsay adds three kinds of cheese to make it flavorful. The cheese makes the bake nutty and creamy. The cauliflower is mixed with the cheese sauce and then baked with breadcrumbs on top.
One bite into the dish and you’ll realize this is the end to the fuss of picky eaters. It is delicious, creamy, and cheesy. If you are looking for the recipe, it’s right here.
10. Gordon Ramsay’s Eggnog
Age-old holidays need age-old recipes to go with. It just creates uniformity and keeps the multiverse stable (just kidding, or am I). Anywho, Gordon Ramsay’s eggnog recipe is a traditional beverage at its best. Eggnog usually contains a type of alcohol, mainly brandy, rum, or cognac. But you can make it without the alcohol as well.
Even though it has an egg in its name, the eggnog doesn’t taste like eggs. The smell of eggs is overpowered by vanilla and spices. Also, the eggs are tempered with hot milk so you don’t get the distinct ‘eggy’ taste.
Instead, you get a smooth beverage that tastes like melted vanilla custard ice cream. If you are feeling fancy, you can serve the eggnog with whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks. Take it out once you have got pictures for your Instagram. Before you do that, have a quick look at Gordon Ramsay’s eggnog recipe here.
11. Gordon Ramsay’s Turkey and Ham Pie
Want the best of both worlds or just want to make the best out of Thanksgiving leftovers? Try making Gordon Ramsay’s turkey and ham pie. It has both turkey and ham, so you are going into ultra Thanksgiving mode.
Cook mushrooms, leeks, and ham in the butter and mix with a creamy sauce. Cover with a golden pastry and bake it until golden and amazing (*chef’s kiss*). What? This is all there is to it. Well, not really but you get the crux of it. It is easy to make and you’ll make a great pie out of Thanksgiving leftovers.
Let me make it easier for you to find the gem of a recipe. Just keep reading this sentence and click here.
12. Gordon Ramsay’s Holiday Stuffing
A Thanksgiving recipe list is incomplete without the recipe for holiday stuffing. Gordon Ramsay’s holiday stuffing recipe is quite easy. Just mix the breadcrumbs and herbs. Then, make and bake balls of it. Then, make cornmeal stuffing, and serve it the breadcrumb balls and cranberries.
The recipe is easy peasy but not cheesy. You can whip this up in just 40 minutes and make an awesome stuffing with your turkey. Find this recipe just a click away here.
13. Gordon Ramsay’s Mashed Potatoes
Another staple at the Thanksgiving dinner is mashed potatoes. They also go great with steak and roast beef. Making mashed potatoes is not rocket science. It’s basic chemistry.
Just boil the potatoes until tender and mash them along with skim milk, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper. Top with chives, place them on the table and watch them vanish. Now, there’s a magic trick they don’t show in Harry Potter. Find the recipe for Gordon Ramsay’s mashed potatoes here.
14. Gordon Ramsay’s Cornbread with Maple Bacon Butter
Gordon Ramsay’s cornbread with maple bacon butter is the perfect low-lift recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner. Just mix flour, buttermilk, cornmeal, and cheddar. Also, add jalapenos, onions, and coriander. Season well and bake it. But this is not all. You have a special partner to this cornbread.
To make the maple bacon butter, cook the bacon and combine it with maple syrup and butter. Serve cornbread with this maple corn butter. Don’t you want to eat this delicious cornbread with this butter? I do. You don’t even need to look for the recipe; it’s right here.
15. Gordon Ramsay’s Mini Apple Galettes
Last on this list is delicious mini apple galettes by Gordon Ramsay. Galettes are small, flat pastry cakes often topped with fruit. Gordon Ramsay suggests using apples that have a high heat endurance like Pink Lady. Ramsay also tells you how to make the sweet shortcrust pastry from scratch. What else do you need!
The apples are covered with spices, sugar, and zest. They become tender and caramelized once baked. It is really a lovely sight. Also, these are individual desserts so you don’t have to share them with anyone else. Looking for the recipe? Lucky for you, it’s right here.
Conclusion
So, these were some of Gordon Ramsay’s recipes for Thanksgiving. Try some or all of them and tell me which one you thought was the best. With this, I’ll take your leave. I have to go and buy a big turkey. Don’t want them to ‘stock’ out if you know what I mean. Goodbye and don’t forget to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
