Welcome! My name is Jessie-Sierra, and I’m a former ballerina turned cookbook author and food TV host, who believes in connecting through hospitality - creating food and hosting experiences that leave lasting memories with those we love! I craft original recipes, stories, and gatherings, while adding a touch of beauty to the everyday.
Pull up a chair and here’s a little bit of coffee & cake. My kitchen is welcome to all. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or novice host, we can learn more in this space. If you are looking for a community of people who share your passion for family dinners and being the person who hosts, join me. You’ll never leave hungry!
I’ve been the person who hosts for about 16 years now and oh, how it has gone by in a flash! From youngish newlywed to frazzled mom of teenage boys and a boisterous 4th grader, I’ve had my wins and my colossal failures. But, year after year, I’ve learned something with each Thanksgiving shindig. I’ve refined and elevated my menu. Timed things so I’m not stuck in the kitchen. Added more flavor and nuance to my dishes. Now I can spend time my friends and family, you know, actually enjoy the party I’m hosting!
How, you ask? Planning, prepping, and a damn checklist.
My Traditional Thanksgiving Menu
If the thought of cooking Thanksgiving dinner makes your heart race, this menu will bring it right back down.
I always tease people that I only know how to cook for an army, meaning lots of different dishes and hefty portions. But over my years of entertaining in-person and virtually (ahem, Covid), I’ve actually been able to adjust my “abundant” table to cater to a smaller family. I have found that creating dishes that each serves 6-8 people is a good middle ground. Scale these recipes up as you need to, or add a few more side dishes, if you are expecting a bigger crowd.
What I love most about holiday dinners is blending the familiar and traditional flavors with brand new twists. Instead of a “plain Jane turkey”, we do an easy “wet brine” that marinates in a salt + herbs + spices + apple cider mix, kept on ice for a couple of days before roasting. The brine not only seasons the meat, but helps get the skin extra crispy too. Another fan & family favorite is my New England Style Cranberry Sauce, sweetened with maple syrup and orange juice. Juicy and tart, this old-school style of cranberry sauce will be a hit.
The Recipe Links
Most of these recipes I’ve previously released via my blog, Substack, or my TV Features, but several are from the pages of my seasonal cooking and home entertaining book (shameless plug ahead), Seasons Around the Table; Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes (Schiffer Books, 2024).
Tap the links to find the recipes, and stay to poke around my website for more recipe ideas too!
Winter Charcuterie Board
Pear & Manchego Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts
Wet Brined Roasted Turkey
Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Turkey Sausage & Cranberries
New England-Style Cranberry Sauce with Maple & Orange
Creamy Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Apple, Pear, & Blackberry Pie with Oatmeal Crisp Topping
Chai Spice Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream (coming to Substack on 11/23)
Cranberry Aperol Spritz
Apple Orange Bourbon Sour with Allspice Simple Syrup
Cider/Soft Drinks
Add-Ons for More Than 10 Guests;
Roasted Olive Oil & Garlic Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar
Harvest Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Brown Sugar Streusel
Corn Bread (special shout out to NewEngland.com for the excellent recipe!)
Pecan Praline Cheesecake with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Each of these recipes are pretty simple to prep and even easier on the grocery bill. What’s better for a busy host? Most of the recipes can be made entirely (or at least partially) before the big turkey dinner. You have this holiday in the bag!
Thanksgiving isn’t about perfection…it’s about connection…
… and having an “order of operations” helps!
I like lists. Particularly, I like check lists and grids where I can easily see what is finished and what is yet to be done during the days and hours running up to a big occasion. This includes the high stress/ high risk holiday hosting days, and especially my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.
That’s my no-panic hosting plan!
The above graphic lays out my tried and true Thanksgiving battle plan. I like to choose recipes that can be made slightly in advance and if the dish does need to be put together in the hours before supper, that it’s an easy and flavorful recipe.
Remember, not every recipe needs to be the Star;
Pick only 2-3 recipes that are more complex, and supplement the rest of the menu with easy and flavorful side dishes or desserts, that won’t compete for your time and attention.
Recipes that I do leave for just before dinner include;
Mashed potatoes
Assembling the sourdough stuffing
Sweet potato casserole
Anything fresh (salads) and green (Brussel sprouts or green beans)
Apple Cider & Port Gravy
The more preparation that you can accomplish ahead of time - making sure to not lose any flavor, quality, or presentation - the better!
Cooking Through a Holiday Season That Feels More Expensive Than Ever
I’ve shared one of my favorite ingredient-focused Thanksgiving menus, while keeping price consciousness in mind. In light of so many people and families being impacted by rising food costs and dwindling access to food programs, I need to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Not only is hunger a very real problem right now, it has sadly always been. In the year 2025, in the greatest country in the world, we shouldn’t have children living with rumbling stomachs and parents making choices whether to eat or keep the heat on.
Writing about cooking and gathering is innately personal, as well as a collectively shared experience. We can’t pretend that our neighbors aren’t facing challenges, but we can do something to help them get through it.
A Word on Food Banks
There are so many wonderful organizations, businesses, and private donors helping those that need a little more this year. If you need it, get it. There isn’t any shame in asking for help and receiving it.
Here are a couple of resources to find your nearest food bank or pantry*;
Feeding America
FoodFinder
Findhelp.Org
*I am not affiliated with any of these groups.
My Quick Tips to Keep your Wallet Happy
Shop sales, several weeks in advance. Staple ingredients (like butter, flour, sugar, spices, and most baking ingredients) come on sale regularly. With the average price of a pound of butter hitting $4.79, buying during sales periods and freezing those extra boxes will come in handy later on.
Stay away from processed or prepared foods. Although super convenient and time saving, to save money, avoid prepared side dishes (I’m looking at you, frozen candied yams). Same for heavily processed foods (dry stuffings or jarred pie fillings). Not only are they money wasters, often times they just don’t taste as good as the real thing. Pick and choose what you buy already-made.
Thanksgiving can be on a Saturday. One of the ways my husband and I adapted to married life during his medical residency, was holding our Thanksgiving on the Saturday or Sunday after the actual holiday. This gave my husband a chance to be there at the table (he worked every Thanksgiving Thursday, for about 10 years in a row). As an added bonus, almost everything Thanksgiving meal-related, was on sale at the grocery store when I went shopping on the Friday after. Grocery stores will be trying to move their stock, so this is a great time to pick up a turkey, produce, boxed broths, and any specialty items at a steep markdown. Remember, the timing of your turkey supper is entirely up to you!
Look to frozen vegetables and fruits if fresh is too expensive in your area. I’m fortunate to live in a part of New England where the farm to table lifestyle is alive and well. Locally grown produce is often more affordable than their trucked in counterparts. If you don’t have resources for local produce, look to the frozen food aisle. This was a lifesaver during my growing up years. Flash frozen vegetables retain their flavor very well, and they have all of the same nutritional value as fresh veggies and fruits. Grab a bag of frozen cranberries or green beans without worrying. If you are planning to cook spinach for anything, I would argue that frozen spinach is easier to work with, and impossible to distinguish from fresh.
Get to know your local farm stand. If you are more rural, visit and support your local farmers. Look for traditional ingredients like greens, Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, and even a farm raised turkey, at your local farmstead or farm store.
Jessie, there are so many helpful and practical tips here! I love a checklist as well so that graphic is great!!!
Those pies sound amazing!! Love it!