Turkey is a classic main course for Thanksgiving dinner, but that certainly doesn't mean you have to serve it every year. We've collected plenty of alternative Thanksgiving mains that can take center stage at your table, including Salmon Wellington, Crackling Coppa Roast with Fennel and Onions, and Garlic-Butter Rib Roast. Need something meatless? We've got Mince Pie, Mushroom Steaks, and a show-stopping whole Greens and Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin. Read on for those recipes, and even more alternatives to turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner.
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Leg of Lamb Cooked Over New Potatoes with Spicy Mint-Rum Sauce
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Cookbook author and scholar Jessica B. Harris serves this roast leg of lamb cooked over a bed of new potatoes.Dried lavender and fresh thyme lend floral, woodsy flavor to fresh garlic cloves in a simple paste created on the cutting board. The paste seasons the lamb before cooking and helps the dried spice crust stick to the meat. The mint sauce — what Harris calls a "jazzed-up mint jelly" made by cooking mint jelly in a skillet with a splash of rum and jalapeño — will appear very thin when hot but thickens to a glaze as it cools.
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Salmon Wellington
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Top Chefwinner Buddha Lo created this clever spin on traditional Beef Wellington. He wraps salmon loin with cabbage leaves, then layers it with shrimp, nori, and puff pastry before baking it. All those layers lend complex flavors to the final dish, not to mention a striking presentation when the Wellington is sliced.
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Picanha Roast recipe with Pink Peppercorn Brown Butter Sauce
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This roast beef with pink peppercorn sauce is infused with flavors that tap into pure supper-club nostalgia, given a frisson of heat from dried chiles.
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Mushroom, Lentil, and Chestnut Mince Pie
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This fully vegetarian mince pie recipe, with its filling of mushroom duxelles and roasted mushrooms, black lentils, and chestnuts, is perfect for a holiday feast.
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Madeira-Glazed Ham with Collard Greens
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Glistening in a spiced madeira and honey glaze, served on a bed of greens and citrus, this holiday ham is tailor-made for a special occasion meal.
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Roasted Goose
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The secret to Jacques Pépin's roast goose with irresistibly crispy skin is a little extra prep and a lengthy steam to jumpstart the rendering process.
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Crackling Coppa Roast with Fennel and Onions
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Ask your butcher for pork shoulder with an untrimmed fat cap (about 3/4-inch thick) for this recipe; the fat renders as the pork roasts, simultaneously getting crispy while basting the meat with its flavorful juices. The fennel cooks down into a rich and jammy condiment that complements every bite.
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Roasted Cornish Game Hens
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These Cornish hens are flavor-packed with aromatic herbs, fresh lemons, and garlic. Coated in a lemon-garlic-herb puree, stuffed with garlic and lemon wedges, and neatly trussed, the hens are roasted on top of a bed of fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs. The roasted birds are drizzled with butter-fortified pan juices just before serving.
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Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon with Oranges, Olives, and Herbs
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"Tart and just barely sweet, the pomegranate molasses cuts through the richness of the fish while creating a gorgeous, shimmering glaze; the olives balance the bright flavors of the salad with their soft salinity and luxe butteriness," Andrea Slonecker says. "One good pairing for wild salmon is Oregon Pinot Noir, but here, a dry or slightly off-dry Oregon Riesling is perfect. Replete with zingy acidity, it perfectly counterbalances the richness of the fatty, flavorsome fish and stands up to the bright salad and tart, fruity glaze."
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Garlic-Butter Rib Roast
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This impressive, flavor-packed rib roast is perfect for a celebration. The secret? A compound butter made with garlic, anchovies, herbs, and shallot. Half of it is slathered all over the roast before it goes into the oven; the other half is rolled up into a log, chilled, and then sliced into medallions to serve with each slice of beef. Special order the rib roast from a local butcher, asking for one with nice marbling and an even fat cap.
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Timpano
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Layer pasta, tender roasted vegetables, and plenty of cheese in crispy dough to create this show-stopping vegetarian main course (inspired by the movie Big Night) perfect for holidays or any special dinner.
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Leg of Lamb with Fingerling Potatoes and Leeks
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Incredibly easy to prepare, this bone-in leg of lamb is coated with an herby, pleasantly salty crust before marinating in the refrigerator for about eight hours. The dry brine results in a juicy, tender, and deliciously garlicky lamb roast.
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Herb-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce
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Originally served at Seattle's Hotel Sorrento by chef David Pisegna, this throwback salmon dish stands the test of time. We simplified the original recipe but didn't change a thing about the velvety, wine-blushed beurre blanc; keep it warm and serve it immediately for the best results.
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Roasted Lamb Chops with Brown Sugar-Rum Glaze
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With plenty of garlic and rubbed sage to brighten savory, gamey lamb, these roasted chops are bold and balanced. If the glaze begins to set before serving, gently warm it over low heat. Chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls serves these lamb chops at his epic dinner parties at his apartment in Harlem.
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Greens-and-Cheese-Stuffed Cinderella Pumpkin
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Inspired by Cassie Piuma's squash spanakopita at her restaurant, Sarma, in Somerville, Massachusetts, this stuffed pumpkin is filled with a nutty, creamy blend of Gruyère and feta cheeses; sweet, anise-scented fennel; and hearty green lacinato kale for a stunning vegetarian main dish fit for any holiday table.
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Pork Loin Braised with Mushrooms and Wine
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Fistfuls of fresh herbs, fragrant strips of orange peel, and plenty of garlic perfume in this comforting Corsican dish. The jus is vibrant and richly seasoned; ladle extra over the polenta on each plate.
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Braised Duck Legs with Spaetzle and Mushroom Ragout
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Inspired by German celebratory harvest meals from centuries past, this comforting braised dish trades the traditional goose leg quarters for easier-to-source duck, served on a bed of buttery-crisp spaetzle and saucy mushrooms. A beurre manié — a quick mash of softened butter and flour — is the key to thickening the delicious sauce in this braise.
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Buttermilk-Marinated Quail with Herbed Raita and Blood Oranges
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"What I love about this recipe, in terms of the ingredients and method, is that the mint and charred flavors are reminiscent of summertime despite the chill of winter," Maneet Chauhan says.
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Classic Duck Confit
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Cooking duck confit may sound like something best left to restaurant chefs, but the process is simple, and results in tender, delicious meat that melts in your mouth with each bite. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to a month, so feel free to double this recipe.
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King Oyster Mushroom Steaks with Pesto and Almond Aillade
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Chef Julia Sullivan employs a duo of cast-iron skillets to prepare these tender, crispy-edged mushroom steaks; one for cooking the mushrooms, the other for pressing them flat so they cook evenly. Buttery roasted almonds balance the sharper notes of garlic and lemon in this rustic French sauce.
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Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine–Shallot Sauce
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Steak who? This bone-in pork chop riff on the classic French au poivre preparation is so good, we may never go back to beef. Using a blend of peppercorns, not just classic black, adds notes of floral and vegetal spice to this simple dish. Splurge on the Pierre Poivre N.7 from La Boîte master spice blender Lior Lev Sercarz, or grind your own. Be sure to grind the peppercorns just before cooking to release the fresh aroma.
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Beef Chuck Eye Roast with Paprika-Herb Rub
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This simple, flavorful beef roast — rubbed with thyme, paprika, and cumin — is made with chuck eye, a cut from the chuck portion of the rib-eye muscle.
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Spiced Brown Sugar Ham with Apple Jus
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The secret to this super-tender ham is keeping it wrapped in foil while it's cooking and resting, letting it reabsorb any moisture released during the cooking process. "If you can't pick up the foil-wrapped ham without burning yourself, then it's not done resting!" says pork pro Kevin Gillespie, chef at Revival in Decatur.
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Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Lavender
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Chef and cookbook author Melia Marden's recipe for roasting boneless leg of lamb uses the classic combo of rosemary and garlic, adding chopped fresh lavender, and serving with a savory, tart jam made with shallots, Medjool dates, honey, and apple cider vinegar.
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Honey-and-Lemon-Glazed Roast Chicken
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Inspired by the beautifully browned Peking duck, Piero Incisa Della Rocchetta brushes chickens with a mixture of soy sauce and honey from the beehives in his Patagonia vineyards.
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