“I was shocked by how good this was, given the shortcuts.”

Truly easy, incredibly cheesy five-star creamy mac and cheese.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 16, 2024 Julia Moskin's creamy macaroni and cheese. Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Styling: Simon Andrews. So-good, can't-miss New York Times Cooking Thanksgiving classics By Mia Leimkuhler So you're hosting Thanksgiving. Congratulations! Now what? Perhaps you've figured out your main — definitely a turkey, you're thinking. Maybe Samin Nosrat's buttermilk-brined roast turkey, or Kenji López-Alt's mayo-roasted turkey, or Kim Severson's dry-brined turkey. Or perhaps you saw Sohla El-Waylly's fried chicken feast and will be following her plan to the letter. (It's never a bad idea to let Sohla be your guide; she's the hero of our Cooking 101 video series, after all.) But back to that turkey. What to serve alongside? Your aunt is bringing sweet potato casserole and your cousin's in charge of apps (send him this recipe for deviled eggs); you're pretty sure your brother said something about a salad. There are some gaps to fill, and you want dishes that will stun and be requested next year. Time to scroll through our collection of the best New York Times Cooking Thanksgiving recipes, a thorough list of reader favorites and new classics. It's hard to think of a dish more crowd-pleasing than macaroni and cheese, and Julia Moskin's recipe is a five-star winner with more than 15,000 reviews. It is also, as many comments will confirm, truly easy to put together: There's no roux involved, and you don't need to preboil the pasta. "I was shocked by how good this was, given the shortcuts," wrote LH, a reader. "Usually easier means worse. This culinary miracle is now my go-to mac & cheese — I've made it many times." Featured Recipe Creamy Macaroni and Cheese View Recipe → That could easily be dinner tonight, as could Christian Reynoso's sheet-pan brussels sprouts and bacon (maybe tossed with short pasta, or eaten with buttered toast) or Hetty Lui McKinnon's harissa-roasted sweet potatoes and red onion. I'd happily make Melissa Clark's herby bread and butter stuffing for two to accompany a rotisserie chicken snagged from the store and a pan of Jacques Pepin's French green beans and shallots. And to go back to the fried chicken: Maybe 2024 is turkeyless and you also don't feel like frying anything. This saucy, rich and spicy Liberian chicken gravy is a part of the Thanksgiving table for the chef Thalmus Hare; Priya Krishna adapted his recipe for NYT Cooking. For some non-poultry options: Genevieve Ko's maple baked salmon, Alexa Weibel's vegetarian mushroom Wellington and Momofuku's bo ssam, adapted by Sam Sifton. Click around, make your list, watch our videos and get inspired. Thanksgiving is 12 days away — we've got this. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Buttermilk-Brined Roast Turkey By Samin Nosrat 2 hours, plus 48 hours' brining Makes 10 to 14 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Sheet-Pan Brussels Sprouts and Bacon By Christian Reynoso 50 minutes Makes 4 servings Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Harissa-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion By Hetty Lui McKinnon 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Herby Bread-and-Butter Stuffing for Two By Melissa Clark 45 minutes Makes 2 servings Michael Kraus for The New York Times French Green Beans and Shallots By Jacques Pepin 20 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Liberian Chicken Gravy Recipe from Thalmus Hare Adapted by Priya Krishna 1 1/2 hours Makes 2 to 4 servings  Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell. Prop stylist: PJ Mehaffey. Momofuku's Bo Ssam Recipe from David Chang and Peter Meehan Adapted by Sam Sifton 7 hours, plus 6 hours' seasoning Makes 6 to 10 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Vegetarian Mushroom Wellington By Alexa Weibel 3 hours Makes 8 servings Sign up for Dinner Tonight One quick and easy recipe in your inbox each night to answer that eternal question: What's for dinner? Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018