When I was in my late 20s, I had the bright idea one year to throw out a “Friendsgiving” invitation to a handful of friends. “Come over the Tuesday before Thanksgiving,” I said. “I’ll put something together before we all head home to see our families.” “Sure, I’ll see if I have time that week,” said one friend vaguely. “Sounds good,” said another. “I’ll circle back once I’ve checked my calendar.” By the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I hadn’t received a single definitive yes. Oh well, I thought, I guess it was a silly idea. So I sent one more email out, just to close the loop, and I went to bed that night, sighing a little sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to put on an enormous dinner that was well above my kitchen skill level at the time. I woke up the next morning to a half-dozen responses in my inbox. Everyone who had waffled before was suddenly available. In 36 hours, I would have 19 people sitting around my dining room table, expecting the full-on Thanksgiving meal I had promised. “Don’t bring a thing!” I had foolishly written to all of them. “I’ll take care of everything!” I flew into a panic, running out to the grocery store, filling my cart with everything Thanksgiving-appropriate I could think of, and then I raced home to madly begin my prep work. By the next afternoon, I had a turkey and sides in the oven, an appetizer spread ready to go, and a tablecloth and place settings laid out, but I was exhausted and overwhelmed. I had just pulled together a Thanksgiving meal for 10 in a day and a half—and I had attempted to duplicate all of my mother’s elaborate recipes, which had left me entirely depleted. By the time I sat down with my friends, I was too worn out to enjoy any of it. There had to be an easier way. After all, Thanksgiving isn’t supposed to be about panic-cooking and driving ourselves crazy with stress. It’s not about perfection or trying to mimic traditions to the letter. It’s about spending time with loved ones, finding a bit of time to relax, and remembering all the things we’re truly thankful for. These last two years have been difficult ones. Many of us didn’t spend last Thanksgiving with family, and since the early spring of 2020, travel plans have been impacted and families separated. Things are getting back to normal, but if you’re anything like me, you’re still carrying an extra weight of worry on your shoulders about balancing life and family during a worldwide pandemic that still lingers like a question mark. Life is busy in a way that it hasn’t been before, and this Thanksgiving will be more about the gift of family and friends than ever, especially if we’re spending the holiday together with loved ones after being apart last year. So for those of us responsible for putting a meal on, how can we deliver the Thanksgiving dinner people are expecting while still managing to enjoy the holiday ourselves? To answer this question, I turned for help to two past Friends & Fiction guests who know a lot about making Thanksgiving as stress-free as possible: chef and cookbook author Vivian Howard, who owns four popular restaurants, including Lenoir, in Charleston, S.C., and Chef & the Farmer, in Kinston, N.C.; and Butterball Turkey Talk-Line expert Carol Miller, who will be spending her 37th Thanksgiving working the turkey help line this year. Both are experts at entertaining, but both are—like many of us—very busy around the holiday. Miller spends every Thanksgiving doling out advice on turkey prep as part of Butterball’s team—she puts on her own family meal the following Saturday—and Howard is busy overseeing her restaurants’ operations. “Look for help early so that you are ready on Thanksgiving Day and can enjoy your family and friends and serve up a meal they will remember,” Miller advises. In other words, perhaps throwing together a meal for 10 people 36 hours in advance wasn’t my brightest move. To Miller’s point, though, the more preplanning we can do, especially in regard to the dishes we aren’t as comfortable with, the smoother our holiday will be. And don’t be afraid to reach out for help, whether from a family member or friend, or, for turkey-related questions, from the iconic Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, whose trained experts, including Miller, answer more than 100,000 questions each year in November and December. “My Butterball family all work eight to 10 hours on Turkey Day, and at work, we are invited in to the homes of thousands of cooks who just need a little help on the big day,” Miller says. Beyond a properly cooked bird, it doesn’t matter much what else as is on the table, as long as you’re enjoying the celebration with the people sitting around it. “Thanksgiving can be whatever you want it to be,” says Howard, the author of the cookbook This Will Make It Taste Good. “Don’t let the stress of the holiday season have too much of an impact on the day. The holidays are all about breaking bread with friends and family, and being grateful for what we have.” So what, exactly, should we be preparing this Thanksgiving to keep things stress-free? Below, Miller and Howard each shared a personal Thanksgiving recipe that’s quick and easy—something we should all be looking for this year. Read on for their stress-free recipes—and three more from my Friends & Fiction co-hosts, New York Times bestselling authors Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mary Kay Andrews, and Patti Callahan Henry, all of whom are juggling book tours with holiday prep this year. Happy Thanksgiving, and may your holiday be happier and more stress-free than my half-baked “Friendsgiving” celebration of years past.
Vivian Howard’s Salt and Butter Roasted Pecans (Appetizer)
Ingredients:
2 cups pecan halves3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest Preparation
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Toss pecans, butter, nutmeg, and ½ tsp. salt on a rimmed baking sheet to coat.Bake, tossing once, until deepened in color and fragrant, 8–10 minutes.Remove from oven and toss with orange zest and remaining ½ tsp. salt. Let cool.Pecans can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
Carol Miller’s Scalloped Yams with Praline (Side Dish)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed3 tablespoons butter, softened3 tablespoons flour1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped6 medium yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.Blend together brown sugar, butter and flour until well combined add pecans. Set aside.Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish arrange yams, overlapping in vertical rows.Pour cream over yams.Bake for 20 minutes.Crumble pecan mixture over yams and continue baking for 20–30 minutes until yams are tender and topping is browned.
Kristy Woodson Harvey’s “Grandmommy’s Famous Brown Rice” (Side Dish)
Ingredients:
1 cup rice1 cup canned beef consommé1 cup canned French onion soup6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degreesMelt butter in saucepanAdd rice and sauté until toasted and golden brownAdd French onion soup and consommé and bring to a boilPour into 4.5x10 baking dish (like a loaf pan) and cover with foilBake for 45 minutes. Uncover, and then bake for 15 additional minutes.
Mary Kay Andrews’s “Edna’s Green Beans” (Side Dish)
Ingredients:
6 slices bacon, coarsely chopped2 small onions, chopped2 lbs. green beans, trimmed (Use the freshest you can find)1-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth1 tsp. dried dillSalt & freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain, reserving drippings in the skillet.Saute the onions in the drippings for eight minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown and carmelize.Stir in the green beans, broth and dill.Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with bacon, season with salt and pepper.
Patti Callahan Henry’s “Bonnie Callahan’s Shortbread for Those Who Don’t Want Pie” (Dessert)
Ingredients
1 cup of butter (The better the butter, the better the shortbread.)1 cup of sugar4 cups of flourA dash of vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degreesCream butter, sugar, and vanilla (if using) together until smooth.Add flour and mix with hands.Put in lightly buttered 8x8 glass baking dish and flatten to approx. 1 inch. Then prick with a fork in any pattern you please.Bake for 1 hour or until light brown. Cut while warm.
Check out…How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey, Step-by-StepThe Pioneer Woman’s Brined Turkey Recipe15 Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Friends & Fiction is an online community, weekly live web show, and podcast founded and hosted by bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry, who have written more than 70 novels between them and are published in more than 30 languages. Catch them and their incredible author guests live every Wednesday at 7pm ET on the Friends & Fiction Facebook group page or their YouTube Channel. Follow them on Instagram and, for weekly updates, subscribe to their newsletter. Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, and The Winemaker’s Wife. Her novels are published in 29 languages. A former reporter for PEOPLE magazine and contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz, she is the co-founder and co-host of the popular web series and podcast Friends & Fiction. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and KristinHarmel.com.
