Every holiday season, I look forward to the stuffing that accompanies the Thanksgiving turkey and the mashed potatoes that complement the Christmas Eve steak. Even though they’re easy to make, they’re two dishes I don’t usually eat throughout the year. To me, these are the special occasion dishes that complete the spread on a holiday dining table.
MICHELIN Chefs have their favorite festive dishes, too, from Thanksgiving sides and Hanukkah essentials, to unique Christmas plates based on cultural traditions and indulgent New Year’s Eve treats. Below, 18 chefs share the must-haves for their festive dining spreads.
Thanksgiving
“I love green bean casserole at Thanksgiving,” says Seth Stowaway, chef at Osito in San Francisco, who adds the dish was a staple at his grandmother’s house. Growing up, Stowaway shares, his family didn’t cook often so Thanksgiving was always special as his big family came together around a festive spread. “Green bean casserole is versatile—it serves as its own dish and also as a sauce for the rest of the accoutrements.”
“My favorite holiday dish is my mom’s yam soufflé with brown butter pecan crust that I make each year for Thanksgiving,” says Josiah Citrin, chef at Mélisse in Santa Monica. “It’s the perfect complement for fall dishes such as turkey, venison, or wild game; the soft, sweet, custardy texture of the yam in combination with the nutty crunch of the pecans makes one of them all."
It’s all about stuffing and gravy for Robert Curry, chef at Auberge du Soleil’s The Restaurant in Rutherford, California. “My mom always made oyster stuffing because my grandma was from the South,” he shares. “With that being said, what really holds all of Thanksgiving together is the gravy; the gravy is the essence of Thanksgiving."
At the plant-based Eleven Madison Park, Chef Daniel Humm says his team has created their own take on Thanksgiving traditions, which revolve around a roasted, stuffed honeynut squash. “It evokes just the right sense of familiarity, without trying to replicate meat—a balance that we try to strike with all of our plant-based dishes,” explains Humm. “Before roasting the squash, we fill it with a blend of marinated portobello mushrooms and a spiced chestnut stuffing, so it’s satisfying and comforting, and it combines well with any number of classic holiday side dishes.”
Long before Andy D'Amico was chef at Nice Matin in New York, one of his first jobs was at a busy hotel that served a Thanksgiving Day meal. It’s here where he discovered cranberry chutney, which he’s been making a version of every year since—for his restaurants and at home. “It's a standout as an accompaniment to turkey but shines with the stuffing, sweet, and mashed potatoes,” shares D’Amico. Plus, he adds, it can’t be beat as a spread on the post-holiday turkey and stuffing sandwich.
“Sweet potato puree with toasted meringue or marshmallow—I still find this old favorite irresistible on my Thanksgiving table,” shares Anne Quatrano, chef-owner of Bacchanalia in Atlanta. Perhaps it’s because her grandmother used to make this dish only once a year on Thanksgiving. She likes to use marshmallows as a nostalgic nod as well as white pepper and ginger to offer a spicy counterpoint to the sweetness of the dish.
Johnny Curiel, chef of Alma Fonda Fina in Denver says that he didn’t have his first traditional Thanksgiving meal until the pandemic. “I was able to not only have my first true Thanksgiving meal, but create meals for 350 homes, and I felt that cornbread was definitely a piece that was tying all together,” he shares about the reason jalapeño cornbread is his favorite holiday dish. “It has spice, texture, and creaminess to tie in all the deliciousness of what Thanksgiving really is, but at the same time incorporates some things that are close to my heart: corn & jalapeños."
In the wake of the Thanksgiving Day hoopla, Mike Mayo, chef de cuisine at Laser Wolf in Brooklyn finds solace in a turkey bobbie (leftover sandwich). “I look forward to it every year,” he says, adding that it’s been a special tradition since he was a kid when he would go over to his grandparents to eat turkey bobbies the day after Thanksgiving. “I like to make mine with oven- roasted turkey, leftover stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a slice of Cooper Sharp on sourdough."
Hanukkah
“Chicken liver mousse brings me back to every Jewish holiday growing up,” shares Jeremy Salamon, chef of Agi's Counter in Brooklyn. “My grandmother always served her version of it in a crystal bowl with water crackers. When we arrived and the spread was out on display, I knew it was holiday time.” Salamon adds that chicken liver mousse is "a nosh," or something that's put out ahead of the Hanukkah meal (with other noshes). “Everyone sits around it and digs in as they chat; it's a way to break the ice before sitting for a holiday dinner; a delicious way to kick off the festivities.”
Latkes are a Hanukkah “must” for Alon Shaya, chef of Safta in Denver. “My mother and my safta (grandmother in Hebrew) used to let me help make these during Hanukkah,” says Shaya. “I have vivid memories of the hard decisions around whether to put sour cream or apple sauce — and in which order and in what quantities. Today, I have no boundaries on toppings and do everything from caviar to whitefish salad to shaved truffles.”
Nadav Greenberg, chef of Shmoné in New York, says he’s not religious, however, growing up in Jerusalem he has nostalgic memories of grabbing a slice of Jerusalem kugel as a treat for himself during the holiday season, from Rosh Hashanah through New Year’s Eve. “I make kugel with egg noodles, caramelized sugar, a lot of black pepper, and egg to bind it all together, says Greenberg, who adds a modern twist to the classic—typically served with whisky and pickles—by adding a dollop of caviar and sour cream on top of each serving. “I describe it as an amuse bouche, since you get a whole range of flavors you’re typically craving in one bite: sweet, spicy, and you get a taste of the ocean from the caviar as well. It’s a great way to start the meal and open your palate.”
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Every Christmas Eve, Venezuelan families prepare Plato Navideño. “It consists of hallacas (a corn tamale filled with stewed pork and hen), pernil (braised pork leg), ensalada de gallina (hen or chicken salad with potatoes, carrots, and peas), and pan de jamon (Venezuelan pastry filled with ham, bacon, olives, and raisins),” explains René González, partner and executive chef of Imperfecto in Washington, D.C. about his favorite holiday dish. “As a chef, I’ve learned that food doesn’t just nourish the body, but also the soul, and there’s no better example of this than our Christmas table. Each Venezuelan family gathers around these dishes, not just for the pleasure of eating them, but because they carry the deep meaning of being together, sharing, and honoring our roots.”
“A silky potato puree, when made properly, is like the putty that literally brings all of the ingredients of a classic holiday meal together,” says Joe Garcia, chef and culinary director of Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Garcia says that a potato puree is a requirement for his holiday table from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
“One of my all-time favorite holiday dishes is gravlax with hovmästarsås,” says Emma Bengtsson, chef of Aquavit in New York City, who says that in her native Sweden, they enjoy it during all the holidays, but she especially cherishes it at Christmas on the traditional Julbord. “Growing up, gravlax was a true delicacy, something I could indulge in only on special occasions. I vividly remember wishing for it every year on my birthday. My parents would take me to a restaurant that specialized in all kinds of cured salmon, and that annual outing became the highlight of my year.” On the Christmas Julbord, gravlax serves as the perfect bridge among the various cold dishes: “After enjoying the salty and briny herring, transitioning to the succulent salmon creates a delightful contrast before moving on to the cold meats,” says Bengtsson.
Though not necessarily traditional, prefaces Matt Baker, chef of Gravitas in Washington, DC, he opts for pozole during Christmas time. “It’s a tradition that my grandmother started and ties into my roots of being born in New Mexico,” he shares about the hearty soup which he’ll make in a large batch to have it ready for guests to enjoy throughout the day. “This is a very traditional Mexican soup that is perfect for the wintertime as it’s served very hot and has a big rich flavor,” adds Baker. “The soup uses pork shoulder or pork belly, with dried corn called hominy. All are cooked in a very fragrant chili broth and topped with fun garnishes like diced white onion, chopped avocado, cilantro, radish, and lime wedges."
"I've loved eggnog since I was a kid. It's a holiday classic,” says Jeremiah Langhorne, chef of The Dabney and Petite Cerise in Washington, DC. “When The Dabney entered its first winter, I wanted to make it for our guests; we spent years perfecting our house eggnog, known as "Dabnog,” he shares about the blend of bourbon, rye, madeira, black rum, sorghum molasses, and the best eggs and dairy from farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region. “It's perfect for an after-dinner drink or you can even use it in your latte, Petite Cerise style."
New Year’s Eve
Caviar is a “timeless classic that embodies the spirit of New Year’s Eve celebrations and sets the tone for a truly special evening,” says Edgar Panchernikov, chef of Caviar Russe in New York City. “While caviar is often seen as a standalone delicacy, we believe it can also play a supporting role in a festive spread.”
For Alain Verzeroli, chef and culinary director of The Bastion Collection including L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and Le Jardinier, black truffle finds a place on his table every New Year’s Eve. “I really appreciate how highly seasonal black truffle is; I find a certain pleasure waiting for truffle season to start every year,” says Verzeroli. “One of my favorite ways to eat them are sliced on toasted sourdough with butter or a warm potato salad with finely chopped shallots, chives, and a nice sherry dressing.” However, he advises, black truffles pair beautifully with winter vegetables, proteins, and even fish so you can also incorporate them into your favorite festive dishes to “elevate your holiday to something out of the ordinary and festive.”
Hero image: @gravitasdc / Thanksgiving dinner
