Best Recipes Featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show

Best Recipes Featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show

Kelly Clarkson always knows how to make viewers have a fun time on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The Emmy-winning talk show has everything: celebrity interviews, jaw-dropping Kellyoke performances, and cooking tutorials with some of the top chefs in the food industry. What’s not to love?

But the Grammy-winning Artist and Season 23 Coach of The Voice will be the first to admit that while she can effortlessly belt any note known to man, she often needs help in the kitchen. Clarkson’s kitchen is always chaotic, which is the perfect venue for hilarity when Clarkson and special guests learn how to make tasty recipes. Check out some of the most delicious recipes from The Kelly Clarkson Show that made Clarkson say, “I love this job!”

Tia Mowry’s Easy Sheet PanCakes

Start your day deliciously by making these simple sheet pan pancakes from Tia Mowry’s cookbook, The Quick Fix Kitchen. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hannah Waddingham, and Clarkson had a blast preparing this non-traditional recipe for the classic breakfast favorite. Don’t forget the syrup and fun toppings!  

Wolfgang Puck’s Butternut Squash Soup

It’s not every day that the world-renowned Wolfgang Puck stops by the studio, but when he does, you can bet he’s making Clarkson’s “favorite soup on planet Earth.” Puck guided Lindsey Vonn, Chelsea Handler, and Clarkson on how to make his classic butternut squash soup recipe, complete with a cranberry relish garnish. YUM-MY.

Making Lobster Rolls With Justin Hartley, Kelly and Abby Elliott

Cousins Maine Lobster co-founders Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis visited TKCS to show Clarkson, Abby Elliott, and This Is Us’s Justin Hartley how to make the perfect “Connecticut” lobster roll with warm melted butter. Hartley went a little off-book for his attempt at the New England staple, but everyone’s dish looks tasty anyway. 

Danielle Kartes’ Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

Kartes showed Clarkson, Kit Hoover, and Justin Cunningham how to make her delicious loaded twice-baked potato recipe and chipotle ranch dipping sauce. Kartes is a frequent guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, known for her simple and affordable recipes that are perfect for those hectic weekday nights when you don’t want all the fuss but still want a delicious meal. These twice-baked potatoes are life-changing!

Gordon Ramsay’s Chaotic Shrimp Scampi Recipe 

The Kelly Clarkson Show briefly turned into Hell’s Kitchen when Gordon Ramsay visited. Clarkson struggled through her portion of the demonstration and Ramsay was at his wit’s end, but the resulting dish was worth the trouble. Even if Clarkson almost tossed all the noodles out of the pot. 

Jamie Oliver’s Easy Crispy Pesto Chicken

Celebrity chef Oliver has created more than a few mouthwatering recipes, many featured in his cookbook, Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy. Hailee Steinfeld and Clarkson got a taste of his crispy pesto chicken recipe during his TKCS appearance, and needless to say, it tasted unforgettable.

Joel McHale’s Brown Butter Cowboy Steak

McHale is a hilarious guest and a well-known cook, making him a perfect guest for TKCS.The Crime Scene Kitchen Host taught Clarkson how to make his mouthwatering brown butter cowboy steak recipe with chimichurri sauce, and it was an educational experience. Fun fact: a cowboy steak is the same as a bone-in ribeye, and while cooking, “Don’t touch it!”

Danielle Kartes’s Simple Sloppy Joes

Nothing compares to a simple yet delicious savory sloppy joe. Great to prepare for diners of all ages, Kartes showed Clarkson and Soledad O’Brien how to make a tasty sloppy joe recipe from her cookbook, Rustic Joyful Food: Generations. Get ready to take your next sloppy joe night to the next level! 

Jessica Seinfeld’s Unbelievable Vegan Mac-and-Cheese

This Is Us‘s Sterling K. Brown and Clarkson got an extra special visit from Seinfeld for a demonstration of how to make her mind-blowing vegan mac-and-cheese recipe from her cookbook, VEGAN, at Times. Like many mac-and-cheese recipes, the secret to success is always in the breadcrumb topping. 

Scott Conant’s Lobster Gnudi

Clarkson got a little help in the kitchen from Eric Winter and The Office‘s Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey when Chopped Judge Scott Conant stopped by to teach them how to make lobster in butter sauce with gnudi (pronounced “noo-dee”). If you chuckled at the pronunciation of the Italian dumpling made with ricotta cheese, you’re not alone. Clarkson giggled so much that she could barely get through the cooking demo.

Danielle Kartes’ Quick & Easy Chicken Salad Al Fresco

Clarkson has a lot of love for Kartes’ meals, which means you can trust her recipes will become future staples. If you’re looking for a summertime recipe perfect for any picnic, try out Kartes’ quick-and-easy chicken salad recipe, which uses any store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of prepared chicken breasts. Kelsey Asbille and Clarkson were big fans of this one!

Joshua Weissman’s Honey Butter Fried Chicken Biscuit

Get ready to get your hands a little messy, because Weissman’s honey butter fried chicken biscuit recipe is the ultimate reward. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey landed in the Clarkson kitchen again for the YouTube chef’s delicious instruction, with Clarkson looking thrilled to taste the entire time. Complete with Weissman’s signature honey butter sauce, this chicken biscuit looks like it hits the spot. 

Kelly Clarkson’s Delicious Mulled Wine

Perfect for those cold nights in fall and winter, Clarkson recommends making her very own mulled wine recipe. “One of my favorite things about fall comes in a cup,” Clarkson explains, providing step-by-step instructions to create your own cup of holiday cheer. What better way to wash down these amazing plates?

To catch more delicious recipes like the ones above, check your local listings for The Kelly Clarkson Show. 

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The best Thanksgiving dessert recipes

The best Thanksgiving dessert recipes

If you still haven’t figured out what to make for dessert Thursday, we’re here to help. These are some of our favorite Globe Food recipes from the last couple of years, sure to serve up some inspiration. Happy baking!

Apple hand pies

Globe recipe contributor Karoline Boehm Goodnick writes that “these half-moon shaped delights are perfect for a small gathering of folks who appreciate a good pastry-to-filling ratio. In this sweet version, apples are ideal because they’re firm and easy to contain. If you love to bake pies, you’ll enjoy rolling out this dough, stamping out rounds, and making these individual cuties.” Added bonus: “Leftovers will make a great breakfast. Cold pie for breakfast is the best New England tradition of all.”

Find the recipe here.

A classic apple pie,WEBB CHAPPELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

Traditional apple pie

Of course, if you’d rather make a classic apple pie for Thanksgiving, we’ve got you covered, too. Sheryl Julian writes, “A few years ago, Jackie King of A&J King Artisan Bakers in Salem, taught us how to make the definitive, classic, juicy, two-crust apple pie. It’s loaded with Cortland apples that are tucked into two rounds of buttery, flaky pie dough that are crimped at the edges and sent to the oven until the apples are bubbling at the edges and the pastry is golden brown. If you want to try your hand at pie, this is the recipe to use.”

Find the recipe here.

Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie.Karoline Boehm Goodnick

Peanut butter pie

For something different, consider wowing your family and friends with this multi-layered black-bottom peanut butter pie. Karoline Boehm Goodnick writes: “I first learned about baking a pie on Pi Day years ago when I was working at the flagship Flour Bakery in the South End. Owner Joanne Chang, a graduate of Harvard with a degree in applied mathematics and economics, was once known for her ability to recite more than a few digits of pi, and began baking pies on March 14 (pi begins with 3.14). This recipe for black bottom peanut butter pie has several voluptuous layers — a chocolate cookie crust covered with chocolate ganache, peanut butter mousse, whipped cream, and a garnish of peanuts and chocolate.”

Find the recipe here.

Sandra Shapiro’s recipe for crustless cranberry pie.Karoline Boehm Goodnick

Crustless cranberry pie

This one is from The Recipe Box Project several years back, but one of its biggest fans here at the Globe swears “it’s delish and simple!” So we’re bringing it back. “This popular crustless pie is essentially a cake-y batter poured over fresh cranberries in a pie pan, baked until the cranberries make a saucy bottom for the buttery top. Cambridge resident Sandra Shapiro clipped this many years ago from The New York Times and writes, ‘I bake this in an attractive earthenware pie plate.’ Her recipe was called ‘Mrs. Arthur Morawski’s Cape Cod Cranberry Pie,’ and the clip said it was baked by Hester Griffin for the West Dennis Library. Similar recipes have appeared in The Boston Globe’s Confidential Chat, in Laurie Colwin’s ‘More Home Cooking,’ where it was called ‘Nantucket Cranberry Pie,’ and in Ina Garten’s ‘Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?,’ in which she adds an apple to the berries.”

Find the recipe here.

French Silk Pie.Sally Pasley Vargas

French silk pie

And in case you missed it, the Globe Food section published its modern Thanksgiving menu last week, and this French silk pie from that package is a show-stopper. Karoline Boehm Goodnick writes that “making French silk pie is a laborious effort, probably best when you are bringing dessert to a Thanksgiving feast, rather than hosting. But it is possible to work ahead, leaving only minimal tasks for the big day. The crust can be completed several days in advance; store it uncovered on the countertop until you are ready to use it. This version adds cocoa powder to a standard pie dough so you have a chocolate crust. In the filling, espresso powder deepens the chocolate without turning it into a mocha flavor; grated orange rind is a nice touch in the filling, with orange-scented whipped cream for the top.” We’ll be saving room for seconds.

Find the link here.

Need more ideas? Check these out


Chris Morris can be reached at christine.morris@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @morrisglobe.

It’s about cookies and other treats this time of year at the library

It’s about cookies and other treats this time of year at the library

With the holidays upon us, baking goodies to share with family and friends is a popular pastime for many people.

From cakes and bread to pies, cinnamon rolls and cookies, the holidays are filled with delicious treats. Your Abilene Public Library is joining in on all the baking fun this holiday season by baking cookies.

At the Dec. 13 meeting of APL’s Cookbook Club, we will have a cookie exchange. Part of the event will be sharing appetizers that we have made using recipes from library cookbooks or the library food databases, AtoZ Food America and AtoZ World Food. This will be the dinner portion of the night.

The second part will be sharing our homemade cookies with each other.

The cookie recipes can come from the databases – cookbooks at the library, a favorite cookbook at home, the internet, or a treasured family cookie recipe. Attendees will need to bring two dozen cookies to share with the others. If you are in search of a new cookie recipe, the library has a wide variety of cookbooks that could inspire you and your baking aspirations.

It’s about cookies and other treats this time of year at the library

With just a quick look at the cookie cookbooks in our collection you can find “Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection: 100+ Recipes to Take Your Sweet Treats to the Next Level” from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living, “The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies & Bars” by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen and “Crazy About Cookies: 300 scrumptious Recipes for Every Occasion & Craving” by Krystina Castella.

Kitchen Tools That’ll Bring Out Your Inner Chef This Thanksgiving

Kitchen Tools That’ll Bring Out Your Inner Chef This Thanksgiving

If it’s your year to host Thanksgiving dinner, there’s a lot to prep and cook—the turkey, the million different casseroles and sides, desserts—it all can be overwhelming. From the ultimate roasting pan to a state-of-the-art potato ricer, the nine picks below will make your life a little easier on Thanksgiving. 

(For more tools to step up your cooking game, check out Mansion Global Boutique’s Kitchen section.)

Credit: Kitchenaid

Prep work can take forever, whether you’re chopping veggies for stuffing or making homemade whipped cream for pumpkin pie. Kitchenaid’s 5 Cup Food Chopper ($69.99) is a powerhouse of a gadget that makes chopping, blending, whipping and pureeing less of a hassle.

Credit: Le Creuset

Le Creuset’s Stainless Steel Roasting Pan ($138) encourages a beautifully roasted and golden brown bird that’ll impress your guests. The dishwasher-safe and durable roaster comes with a nonstick rack for even cooking that fits up to a 14-pound turkey. 

Credit: Caraway

A roasting pan won’t be the only piece of cookware you’ll need to create a praise-worthy Thanksgiving meal. Caraway ditches the chemicals for its Cookware Set ($595) so you can feel good about the tools you’re cooking with. It comes with a fry pan, sauce pan, sauté pan and dutch oven for all your kitchen necessities. 

Credit: OXO

Smooth, silky potatoes are a must for any Thanksgiving spread. OXO’s Good Grips Potato Ricer ($28.99) is made to sit on top of bowls or pots for better leverage. Perfect for potatoes, parsnips, or any other root veggie you plan on adding to your holiday menu. 

Credit: Great Jones

Ceramic bakeware that’s functional and looks good, Great Jones checks all the boxes. Stoneware Sweeties’ ($65) playful look will add a pop of color and design to your table. The casserole and pie dish duo is perfect for sweet and savory dishes your guests will keep coming back for. 

Credit: Inka

Thanksgiving always comes with heaps of leftovers that end up cluttering your fridge and freezer. Inka’s Food Containers ($85) will help organize what’s left of your meal and keep them from leaking with its InvisiSeal technology. The sleek containers come in a set of three to 18 pieces so you can store as little or as many leftovers you might have left. 

Credit: Schmidt Brothers Cutlery/Food52

Made with German stainless steel, the Zebra Wood Steak Knives ($119.99) from Schmidt Brothers Cutlery are a sophisticated and practical addition to your table setting. Plus, the set comes in a luxe keepsake wooden box to store them until your next holiday get-together.

Credit: JK Adams/Food52

The versatility of JK Adams’ Reversible Carving Board ($102) creates the perfect surface to carve your show-stopping turkey. One side is flat for ideal carving and the other includes an indent for your roast so it doesn’t slide or tip. Grooves on each side of the maple wood board collect juices for minimal mess. 

Credit: Michael Aram

Handcrafted from stainless steel and brass, the Gold Orchid Measuring Cup Set from Michael Aram ($195) will make measuring ingredients easy and elegant. Gold orchid detailing on the stand adds a tasteful look to your kitchen.

7 Easy Cocktail Recipes For Thanksgiving

7 Easy Cocktail Recipes For Thanksgiving

Among the many things I’m thankful for is that I have a personal bartender—my husband. I just tell him what I’m in the mood for—a spicy margarita, a fresh daiquiri, or his specialty, a Bloody Mary—and he emerges a few minutes later with a Instagram-worthy cocktail that’s been created just for me.

To challenge his mixology skills, I’m always looking for new inspiration to help expand his repertoire. This Thanksgiving, I reached out to several acclaimed bartenders and spirits professionals around the country for easy cocktail recipes that pair well with Turkey Day (and all the trimmings).

Here’s what we—and by we, I mean he—will be shaking up this year.

Easy Cocktail Recipes for Thanksgiving

NEGRONI SBAGLIATO SPEZIATO

“The holidays in Italy call to mind many of the same nostalgic flavors we have here in the States. The aromas of baking spices and citrus oils remind me of the warmth of friends and family gathering together at home. At Brother Wolf, our Italian aperitivo bar in Knoxville, we are thrilled at the overdue attention being paid to the classic Negroni Sbagliato (with prosecco). Our take on the Sbagliato infuses the bitter aperitivo with traditional festive notes that perfectly complement the simple, dry, lower proofed, and lightly effervescent cocktail classico. The addition of raisins and cocoa nibs provide a warmth that rounds out the sharpness of the spices. We love this drink thrown into a large wine glass over ice—but it’s also great without the ice in a Champagne flute. Perfect for the holiday season! Also: The recipe can be batched, so far as the first two ingredients are be combined prior to. (I would add the prosecco maybe an hour prior to service.)” —Jessica King, founder of Brother Wolf, Knoxville, Tennessee

Ingredients:

1 oz. spiced Italian red bitter aperitivo**

1 oz. red vermouth

3 oz. prosecco

**Directions for the Spiced Aperitivo

1 bottle Italian red bitter aperitivo (such as Contratto Bitter, Select Aperitivo, or Campari)

2.5 tbsp. raisins

1.5 tbsp. cacao nibs

Peel of one orange

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole clove

**Directions for Spiced Aperitivo: Combine ingredients in a glass container and store for 3-5 days (to taste) before serving. For an instant infusion, combine ingredients in an iSi whipper, charge, relieve pressure, and strain.

Method: Combine vermouth and aperitivo in a wine glass with ice. Top with prosecco and gently stir. Garnish with a cloved orange slice.


JOHNNIE WALKER MIDNIGHT BLACK

“One of my favorite childhood memories growing up in Puerto Rico was drinking afternoon coffee with my grandmother. And she always accompanied it with short bread or ‘Maria’ cookies. The dark roasted sugars were wonderful with the full bodied, almost chocolatey Puerto Rican coffee. We have a long-term love affair with Johnnie Walker Black Label on the island and it makes its way into chilled coconuts and piña coladas alike. Its brown sugar, butterscotch, and vanilla notes work very well with our palates, and the smokiness shines through just enough to bring an interesting flavor without being overpowering. This may be a simple old-fashioned riff but it’s also a subtle nod to a simple little memory.” —Alberto Miranda, bartender at Nobody Told Me, New York City

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label

0.50 oz. coffee liqueur

0.25 oz. demerara or panela syrup

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

2 dashes orange bitters

Method: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir over ice for 10 seconds. Strain and pour over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with 1 lemon and 1 orange peel.


TURKEY DINNER

“In preparation for dinner, or as a digestive after, I love this cocktail all through the Thanksgiving celebration with its bright and bitter combination of flavors that cut through the traditional heavy fare of a holiday meal. And the best part is, now you finally have a use for all that leftover cranberry sauce!” —Kiowa Bryan, national director of trade and marketing at Spiribam

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. aged rhum agricole (like Rhum Clement Select Barrel) or rye whiskey

0.5 oz. lemon juice

0.5 o.z Cynar

1 large tsp. cranberry sauce

Method: Shake with ice and fine strain over fresh ice into rocks glass. Garnish with cloved spiced orange twist or candied cranberries.


SAGAMORE FIZZ

“The Sagamore Fizz blends together the best ingredients of the holiday season, cranberry syrup, rosemary, cinnamon, and Sagamore’s Maryland-style rye whiskey. It’s a simple but impressive cocktail to serve for a crowd. Just mix the rye whiskey, lime juice, and cranberry simple syrup—then offer guests a DIY garnish bar of cranberries, rosemary, and a club soda topper.” —Justin Katz, bar manager at Sagamore Spirit

Ingredients:

1 750 ml. bottle of Sagamore Spirit rye

8.5 oz. lime juice

17 oz. spiced cranberry syrup**

Club soda

**Directions for Spiced Cranberry Syrup: Boil equal parts sugar, water, and cranberries. For every cup of water, add one cinnamon stick and one rosemary sprig. Remove from heat once boiling and let sit overnight, then strain.

Method: Add Sagamore rye, lime juice, and spiced cranberry syrup to dispenser (or punch bowl) and stir. Pour over ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and cranberries.


ILEGAL CHAPULIN COCKTAIL

“The Chapulin Cocktail is perfect for the holiday season. The flavor profile is refreshing from the mint, the texture is velvety and there is just a hint of smoke from the Ilegal mezcal. I love this drink because it’s easy to make and a departure from the hot cocktails that everybody is used to during the holidays. I first had this drink during quarantine at a bar called The Grasshopper in Long Beach, California, which had this variation of the classic Grasshopper on their to-go menu. Like most people at the time, I was bummed out and didn’t have a lot of interaction with my friends during lockdown. My good friend Omar Rodriguez, who also happened to be the bar manager, knew I needed a drink and invited me to his bar to pick up some cocktails curbside. We didn’t get to sit at the bar like we usually did but at least I got a fist bump and a great cocktail out of it.” —Gilbert Marquez, global brand ambassador at Ilegal Mezcal

Ingredients:

1 oz. Ilegal Mezcal Joven

1 oz. crème de menthe

1 oz. cream

1 oz. crème de cacao

Method: Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into a stemmed glass and garnish with Mexican chocolate


NEGRONI ‘FALL-GLIATO’

“This cocktail is great for Thanksgiving and any get-together because not only do you get all those fragrant fall spices, it’s also a low abv cocktail. Since we are substituting gin for an effervescent prosecco, your guests will be able to have multiple cocktails without the immediate effect. Not to mention, it’s also very easy to prepare. Having a large-format cocktail like this is great because you won’t find yourself behind the bar constantly trying to whip up some cocktails.” —Saeed “Hawk” House, content creator and bar consultant

Ingredients:

1 750 ml. bottle of Spanish-style sweet vermouth (or your preferred sweet vermouth)

1 750 ml. bottle mulled spice Campari**

2 bottles Korbel prosecco

**Directions for Mulled Spice Campari: In a large Mason jar, combine 1 bottle of Campari and 5 tablespoons of mulling spice. Save the Campari bottle. Close Mason jar and shake vigorously. Store in the fridge for 2–3 days. Be sure to shake or agitate each day. After 2–3 days, strain the contents of the mason jar back into the Campari bottle.

Method: Combine all ingredients in punch bowl with 4 large ice cubes. Stir to incorporate ingredients. Then garnish the punch bowl with clove studded orange wheels. When serving, serve over a large cube, express an orange peel over the top, and drop it in.


CIDER SLING

“Everyone judges duplicate pies whether they admit it or not, but we know the best apple pie is the one you wash down with a Cider Sling. Hang on to this one from the dinner table to the tryptophan-induced couch session.” —Marissa Mazzotta, bar manager at The Shanty, New York

Ingredients:

0.25 oz. Allspice Dram

0.25 oz. cinnamon

0.75 oz. lemon

1.5 oz. Applejack Barrel Finished Ragtime Rye

2 oz. apple cider juice

Seltzer

Angostura bitters

Method: Pour the ingredients back and forth between two cocktail glasses to evenly distribute the flavors (otherwise known as the rolling technique). Top with seltzer and Angostura bitters.

Guy Fieri’s Thanksgiving Cooking Tips

Guy Fieri’s Thanksgiving Cooking Tips

Guy Fieri, the host of TV’s beloved Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, undisputed mayor of Flavortown, and disaster relief devotee has inspired countless flame-shirted Halloween costumes. But the holiday he’s most hyped about every single year is, predictably, Thanksgiving.

Each year, Fieri hosts between 40 and 60 people for his annual Thanksgiving dinner, which means that he’s got some real experience in cooking a fancy holiday meal for a big crowd. Eater sat down to talk with Fieri about memorably terrible Thanksgiving cooking, what home cooks can swap if they’re stymied by the turkey shortage, and randomly, why he loves Rage Against the Machine so much.

Eater: Most of us have screwed up a dish or two at Thanksgiving. Do you have any particularly memorable Thanksgiving fails?

Guy Fieri: The one that’s been really burned into my mind: We cook extra turkey every year so that we can have turkey sandwiches the next day. One year, someone handed the wrong bag to the wrong person, and the turkey ended up being left outside overnight.

The next morning we went outside and saw that the dogs had a buffet. It was turkey everywhere, a turkey massacre. You remember the movie A Christmas Story? The scene where the dogs came in and ate the turkey? It went down in that kind of form. There was a lot of finger pointing as to who left the turkey outside and who put the bag of trash in the refrigerator; people were mad. There were some hurt feelings.

So you maintain that you are not the person who left the turkey outside?

I absolutely, 100 percent, unequivocally was not involved in said disaster. I am the head chef. I’m the cook, the master of ceremonies, and I don’t participate in the cleanup. I’m as far as I can be from the cleanup. It was definitely not me, but it was a bad day.

Considering that you cook for 60 people during the holidays, and have prepared food on a large scale in your disaster relief efforts, what are your tips for folks who might be new to cooking for a crowd?

It’s important to know that recipes don’t always increase by scale. You can’t just take something and multiply it by 10 or whatever. I’d also remind people to practice. That doesn’t mean you make a full-blown Thanksgiving a week before, because you’ll be burned out on the flavors. But go ahead and make stuffing in October. Do mashed potatoes a couple of times before the holidays. Those are your opportunities to realize you don’t have something right; you don’t want to make that mistake on the big day. And maybe you’ll learn a new technique for those mashed potatoes: Maybe you’ll use a ricer and not a mixer so you don’t make potato wall spackle.

There are so many different methods for preparing a turkey. Which do you think is the best?

Usually, in the oven. The dishwasher really gets it wet; it just doesn’t work. [Insert long dad joke laugh break.]

I’m a fan of all of it. I do turkeys on my smoker: Smoked turkey, to me, is heaven. I also love deep-fried turkey, don’t get me wrong — I’m planning to do one this year for the first time in a while. I’ve spatchcocked a turkey and done it on the barbecue, but I think the real key is the brining. I do that ahead of time so it has time to dry out and you get some really nice, crispy skin. I make a compound butter that I put up underneath the skin for more flavor.

For those of us who aren’t able to make everything from scratch on Thanksgiving, what are the most suitable store-bought substitutes?

Definitely not cranberry sauce. You’ve got to make your own cranberry sauce. Same with the stuffing. And your own stock, you can’t use jarred stock. Listen, this is the big day. It’s the big game day for family cooking. Employ everyone in your house and put them to work.

I guess I’d say French’s onions, the crispy fried onions that go on top of the green bean casserole. I like to make my own, but to be honest, buying them is totally okay. King’s Hawaiian Rolls are also a good choice. You could have them on their own, you could keep them around for leftover sandwiches, or maybe even dry them and crumble on top of the green bean casserole. There’s really no need to reinvent the wheel there.

A turkey shortage is looming. What proteins should people consider cooking if they can’t get their hands on a turkey?

Ham is always one of the must-haves on Thanksgiving for me, but I do think that you need some kind of poultry. You could cheat it with some chicken if you had to, but I think lamb is also an excellent option. It would be a good stand-in for the turkey, and it’s special because it’s something that you don’t have very often.

Last question, and it’s totally unrelated to Thanksgiving: How long have you been a Rage Against the Machine fan?

I was living in Los Angeles and running a restaurant down there. One of my young managers was a Rage fan. I love a huge range of music — I love Johnny Cash, I love Tito Puente. But when I heard Rage and Tom Morello’s guitar riffs for the first time, they got to me. I was into the band really early on, starting in maybe 1994. Later, Brad Wilk, who’s the drummer, and I became really close friends. That was a really neat thing to have happen.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.