Maggie Ruggiero

Chicken soup is an automatic crowd-pleaser, but this Mexican-inspired tortilla soup does the classic one better. Homemade broth is key here, providing a base for brown rice, black beans, and chunks of sweet potato. Cooling pieces of avocado play off of a warm, earthy undercurrent of chipotle chiles.

This full-bodied stew will bring the crowd running when you lift the lid. First, pieces of chuck are browned to develop their flavor, then they’re braised in a red-wine beef broth. Adding the potatoes and carrots toward the end of cooking keeps their character and color bright.

Fresh and a little spicy, these greens complement the more opulent dishes in this menu.

To the traditional orange-cranberry combination, we’ve added Mediterranean touches: dates for their honeylike sweetness and a splash of balsamic vinegar to balance the flavors.

If you're hankering for a spectacular centerpiece for a vegetarian meal, look no further than this hearty pie. Flaky pastry gives way to cremini mushrooms and chewy farro (an ancient Italian grain) bound together by ricotta..

For too long, vegetarians have passed the turkey-gravy boat at the table and swallowed spuds plain. No longer. The rich accompaniment to these creamy smashed potatoes is bolstered by soy sauce, which adds a welcome dose of umami to the vegetable stock. Fragrant with roasted garlic, this gravy delivers.

It's an amazing phenomenon: Even after we push back from the table, feeling sated after the Thanksgiving feast, we want to linger and enjoy one last nibble. This time or year, chestnuts are clementines are an excellent pair for a final bite. And all that peeling makes this extra indulgence seem worthwhile—at least you're working for it.

Truth be told, it’s hard to reinvent the Thanksgiving wheel year after year. But this crust—anise seeds baked into sweet pastry dough—is a little kiss of Italian spice; it takes pumpkin pie to a whole new level.

Ruggiero was so smitten with the kohlrabi salad at St. JOHN Bread & Wine, in London, that she snapped a photo of her plate and vowed to create her own version back in the States. Kohlrabi, which looks a lot like an alien spaceship, is as crisp as celery and has a pleasant mustardy flavor. Here, paper-thin slices get some additional zip from capers. The salad is so refreshing, it’s an ideal interlude between the extravagant meal and the dessert to come.

Made from an amber dessert wine, Moscatel vinegar has apricot overtones and a faint, complex acidity. When food editor Maggie Ruggiero, who developed this menu, discovered it, she called it her “white-balsamic-vinegar fantasy” and was dying to use it in something. Parsnips were in season, and their earthiness paired beautifully with this vinegar. In this easy agrodolce, the parsnips become caramelized and infused with an intriguing sweetness.

Fresh ginger and pear infuse a robust old-world favorite with newfound vibrancy.

We love the many textures and flavors of this spicy coconut curry with butternut squash, spinach, and cashews. Bottled red curry paste keeps it supermarket-friendly.

Like the classic steak preparation for which they are named, these crisp panko-crusted ribs cook fast, but they're surprisingly tender on the inside.

This quickly braised lamb brings a bit of French country straight into your kitchen.

Oatmeal lovers, be warned: This warm couscous topped with fragrant fruit compote is an incredibly easy way to start the day with real panache.

Nuggets of sausage give a little meatball action to this hearty, no-fuss soup chock-full of healthy escarole and lentils.

Cremini mushrooms give added meaty depth to flavorful (yet inexpensive) chicken thighs in a rustic but light ragù.