Impress your guests and eat like a Charlotte chef this Thanksgiving

The holidays are here, and it’s time to dig out those tried-and-true family recipes, along with a few things to spice up your Thanksgiving tables across the Charlotte area this year.

And yes, we’ve seen the memes: “Just get to the recipe already.” So here we go.

From glazed meatballs to a bone-in rib roast and dessert, here are recipes and tips from some of Charlotte’s top food and drink experts.

Appetizer/salad course

Bourbon Cherry Glaze Meatballs, Craig Barbour, Roots Catering + Cafe

For an appetizer, Craig Barbour, executive chef and owner of Roots Catering + Cafe, makes Carolina Bison cocktail meatballs with bourbon cherry glaze. You can make your own meatballs, or save time with a frozen product.

Barbour’s Bourbon Cherry Glaze recipe

Ingredients:

1 small onion, small diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1/4 cup dried cherries

12 ounces canned crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup bourbon

Method of preparation:

In a medium sauce pan, place the oil and onion over medium-high heat and saute until the onions begin to caramelize. Add in the garlic and saute for 20-30 seconds. Add in ¾ of the bourbon, the dried cherries, the tomato, the black pepper, and the brown sugar. Simmer, stir frequently for 5 minutes. Using a stick or standard blender, blend until smooth. Place back on the burner, on low/medium to simmer. Taste for salt and season as needed. Add the salt in at the end and don’t use all of it unless it needs it; different cans of tomatoes have different salinity levels so you have to season accordingly. Add in the last ¼ cup of bourbon and simmer for 5 minutes.

“These are delicious and easy because they can be prepared ahead of time,” Barbour said. “Make the meatballs, put them in a slow cooker and douse them in sauce. This frees up time allowing the host to socialize and enjoy time with guests.”

Salad with spiced nuts and cranberry vinaigrette, Bruce Moffett, Moffett Restaurant Group

Bruce Moffett, chef and owner of Moffett Restaurant Group, said he loves to serve an arugula and endive salad with spiced nuts and homemade cranberry vinaigrette for the holiday.

Recipe for Moffett’s arugula and endive salad

Ingredients for the cranberry vinaigrette:

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

½ cup of fresh orange juice

½ cup of port wine

½ cup of sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup vegetable oil

Ingredients for the spiced nuts:

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon honey

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch ground cinnamon

½ cup walnuts or pecans

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Ingredients for the salad:

2 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette (Moffett recommends his recipe from the Bruce Moffett Cooks cookbook.)

1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and halved

1 (5-ounce) container baby arugula

1 Belgian baby endive, sliced

½ cup blue cheese crumbles

Pinch kosher salt

Method of preparation for the cranberry vinaigrette:

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine the cranberries, orange juice, port and sugar, and stir together. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the cranberries begin to burst. Remove the pot from the heat; using a slotted spoon, remove half of the cranberries and set them aside. Return the pot with the remaining cranberries to the stove top over medium-high heat and cook until the berries break down about 6 minutes. Carefully pour the hot cranberries into a blender and add the Dijon mustard. With the blender still running, slowly drizzle in all of the oil, then increase the speed to high speed and emulsify. Pass the dressing through a fine fine-mesh strainer and set aside.

Method of preparation for the spiced nuts:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, honey, cayenne and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, toss the nuts with oil; add the spice mixture and toss to coat. Spread the nuts onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them; nuts quickly go from toasty to burnt if left unattended. Let cool.

To assemble the salad:

Prepare the lemon vinaigrette. Shave the apple halves thinly using a mandolin.

Toss the arugula and endive in a large mixing bowl. Add the blue cheese crumbles, reserved cranberries and spiced nuts. Toss the mixture with the lemon vinaigrette and a pinch of salt, then add the shaved apples and gently toss once more. Pile the salad high in the center of a plate. Using a squeeze bottle or a small spoon, dot the cranberry vinaigrette onto the salad to form a circular pattern. Serve immediately.

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Holiday main courses

Bone-in rib roast, Matt Barry, executive pitmaster at Midwood Smokehouse

One year, Barry did a bone-in rib roast — “because I was ‘turkey-d out’ after cooking 220 of them between all the Midwood Smokehouse stores,” said Matt Barry, executive pitmaster at Midwood Smokehouse.

Barry’s Rib Roast rub and recipe

Ingredients:

Dry English mustard

Dried thyme

Dried oregano

Dijon mustard

Method of preparation for the rib roast:

Mix the ingredients. Next, slather the roast in Dijon mustard added to the rub.

“From there, I smoked it at 225 degrees for about an hour until it was about 110 degrees and removed it from the heat to let it cool completely overnight,” he said.

“On Thanksgiving, I cut the roast into steaks and finished it on the grill, searing each side for about four minutes each. Certainly not a traditional meal, but it was incredible,” Barry said.

Deboned Turkey Roast with mushroom stuffing, Joe Huang, Bang Bang Burgers

Joe Huang, owner of Bang Bang Burgers, debones a turkey and stuffs it for an elegant roast that evokes turducken, offering a chance to use the bones for stock and gravy. “Everybody gets a little bit of the thigh and the breast, so your slices are very uniform,” he said.

He added, “It’s not a really sexy complicated recipe, in the sense that there’s a lot of complicated ingredients,” but it focuses more on technique. (For more assistance on deboning the turkey, check out this YouTube video from FoodWishes. )

Ingredients for the mushroom stuffing:

1 pound rough chopped fresh mushrooms, such as white button, cremini, shiitake, oyster or a combination

2 small shallots diced (about 2 ounces total)

1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped

4 Tbs. (or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 Tbs. chopped parsley

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salt to taste

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Method of preparation for the stuffing:

Melt butter in a saute pan. Add shallots and cook until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until excess water is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pull mushroom mixture off the heat and add parsley and breadcrumbs. Combine and mix thoroughly, season with salt and pepper

Deboned Turkey Roast

1 small turkey, 8-10 lbs

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

mushroom stuffing recipe

Butchers’ twine

Method of preparation for the turkey roast:

Debone a whole turkey keeping the skin, breasts and legs and thigh completely attached Lay out whole deboned turkey and season with salt and pepper. Spread mushroom stuffing evenly over the inside (the meat side, not the skin side).

Carefully roll the entire deboned turkey into a roll with the skin side out and the leg and thigh over the chicken breasts. Using the butchers twine, tie the stuffed whole deboned stuffed turkey into the shape of a rolled roast with skin on the outside.

Roast turkey in 350 degree oven for approximately 2 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Thanksgiving side dishes

Cornbread dressing with giblet gravy, Lisa Brooks, owner, Heart & Soul Personal Chef Service

For Lisa Brooks’ family, Thanksgiving is like “Sunday dinners on steroids,” she told CharlotteFive. “It’s really the one time, honestly, that the whole family comes together — and everyone really helps with that meal.”

Her favorite dish on the table? Her family’s cornbread dressing with giblet gravy. ”If I go back for seconds, it’s always just the dressing and gravy,” she said.

Brooks’ Cornbread Dressing with Giblet Gravy recipe

Ingredients for the dressing:

1 pan basic cooked cornbread (no sugar)

1 pound turkey sausage

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 bag Pepperidge Farm dressing mix

1 small jar dried sage (or 2 ½ tbsp)

4 cups broth from giblets (or chicken stock)

¼ cup oil

2 eggs

Ingredients for the gravy:

giblets from 1 turkey or chicken

4 cups cold water

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour

2 cups pan drippings or chicken broth

½ cup milk or half-and-half

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Method of preparation for the dressing:

In a large bowl, crumble the cooled, cooked plain cornbread. Brown 1 pound of turkey sausage and drain. Add to bowl. Add the soups, onions, celery, bell pepper, dressing, sage, oil eggs and broth, and mix well. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Method of preparation for the gravy:

Remove liver from giblets and refrigerate. Place giblets in saucepan, cover with 4 cups cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Add the liver and simmer for another 30 minutes. Drain in a colander, allow to cool; chop and set aside. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until butter barely begins to turn golden. Slowly stir in drippings or chicken broth and milk or half-and-half. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in hard-cooked eggs and chopped giblets, and serve.

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Sweet potato casserole recipe, Lisa Brooks, owner, Heart & Soul Personal Chef Service

Sweet potato casserole ingredients:

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. orange liqueur

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

Ingredients for the topping:

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

4 Tbsp. (or 1/2 stick) butter

Method of preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water, then bring to a boil on the stovetop. Boil for 45-55 minutes until soft. Drain the boiling water and run the potatoes under very cold water. The skin should peel off easily.

Place peeled potatoes into a mixer bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the potatoes on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat on high speed until smooth and combined. Spread filling into prepared casserole dish. Crumble topping ingredients together by hand and place on top of casserole. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

Thanksgiving dessert

Mac’s Speed Shop Peach Cobbler

Technically, this Peach Cobbler recipe from Mac’s Speed Shop may be a summer recipe. But it calls for the use of frozen peaches, and since when do Southerners turn away a good cobbler?

Mac’s Speed Shop Peach Cobbler recipe

Ingredients for cobbler filling:

2.5 pounds frozen peaches

2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice

1.5 cups granulated sugar

1/2 Tbsp kosher salt

3/4 cup AP flour

4 ounces melted butter

1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients for cobbler topping:

1 cup AP flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tbsp kosher salt

2 ounces butter

2 whole eggs

Method of preparation:

Allow peaches to thaw to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Lightly spray aluminum half pan with pan spray. Spread cobbler filling evenly in the pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, remove aluminum foil, and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

When you’re ready to bake:

Mix all dry ingredients together. Cut butter into dry ingredients, using hands to rub butter and flour mixture — it should look lumpy. Mix in the eggs and incorporate. Using two spoons or a 1 ounce scoop, dollop the topping evenly on the room temperature filling — it should resemble polka dots. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn and check the cobbler after 30 minutes. Remove cobbler from oven, and the topping should be hard to the touch.

Pumpkin cheesecake, Jonathan Shuler, Dilworth Tasting Room

Jonathan Shuler, executive chef at Dilworth Tasting Room, travels for Thanksgiving, so he brings sides and a dessert that travels well, such as pumpkin cheesecake with caramel and graham cracker crumble. He serves his with a dollop of ice cream and candied pecans.

Shuler’s Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe

Ingredients for the crust:

150 grams (or 5.29 ounces) all purpose flour

200 grams (or 7.05 ounces) graham cracker crumbs

70 grams (or 2.47 ounces) powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

220 grams (or 15.5 Tbs.) soft butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients for the pumpkin filling:

32 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream

15 ounces pumpkin puree (or sub roasted butternut squash)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Method of preparation for the pumpkin filling:

In mixer, add sugar and cream cheese, then mix until completely smooth, scraping down the sides. Add one egg at a time. Then add pumpkin puree, making sure everything is smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. Fill pie crust and place in pan with water, covering halfway up the cheesecake. Place it in the oven at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. without opening the oven. When the time is up, turn the oven off and keep the door closed for 1 hour. Cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Ingredients for the caramel:

1 Tbs. butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

2 cups heavy cream

Method of preparation for the caramel:

Spray a small sauce pot with pan spray. Melt butter, then add corn syrup and sugar and cook lightly until brown. Add heavy cream and bring to a boil until smooth. Add a pinch of salt.

Ingredients for the graham cracker crumble:

4 ounces (or 8 Tbs.) room temperature unsalted butter

4 ounces (or 8 Tbs.) flour

4 ounces (or 8 Tbs.) crushed graham crackers

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pinch nutmeg

2 ounces (or 4 Tbs.) brown sugar

Method of preparation for graham cracker crumble;

Mix all ingredients together by hand — it should be chunky. Bake at 325 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

[RELATED: Family in town for the holidays? Here are the best places to take them around Charlotte.]

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally published in 2019, and it has since been updated.

This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription

Erin Breeden

The Charlotte Observer

Erin Breeden was the editor of Carolina Bride and is now a freelance writer and a proud business owner. She loves writing stories focused on the food and beverage scene in Charlotte, luxury travel and the stories of unsung heroes and unique characters in the Queen City. Follow along with her adventures on Instagram (@erinmbreeden) or Twitter (@erinbreeden).