In my family, when it comes to baking pies, we rarely make one at a time. Madness, I know! But most pies freeze very well for up to several months and pumpkin pie is no exception.

I never saw either of my grandmas make just one pie, as there were always a large number of people to feed at their tables. In my family’s humble opinion, pumpkin pies always need to be made in twos, at a minimum. Even at a small holiday gathering of four or five people, there will be guests wanting a second slice of pie. Like my husband, Mike. Plus he has no qualms about eating cold pumpkin pie out of his hand, like pizza. One day his metabolism is going to catch up with him, but until that happens, I’ll just fume about how he manages to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast and stay slim.

My perfect pumpkin pie recipe uses one large can of pumpkin puree, split between two pies—this is the perfect amount to avoid the pies from overflowing. I’m also giving away a family secret here: we use both evaporated and condensed milk, so that you use up the entire cans at once and get the best of both worlds in terms of taste and texture.

For a truly traditional flavor, use pumpkin pie spice, as it includes allspice, which is often left out of pumpkin pie recipes yet makes all the difference taste-wise.

These are a simple, drop-style of biscuit that bakes up soft and delicate with an almost cake-like texture. They are ideal to serve alongside a bowl of soup or chili or in place of a roll at dinner.

My grandmother would prepare a big batch of pumpkin soup for the adults to eat while the kids went out to get their treats for the night, and my mom took on this tradition when we were growing up. This is my rendition of the recipe she has been using for decades.

Caramel apples are a great treat to make with the kids, but keep in mind that the caramel will be very, very hot. If you’re doing this with younger kids, it’s best if an adult dips the apples and lets them cool a moment before the kids dip them into whatever dipping items they wish.

Turn the Sweet Potato Soup Base into a meal with spicy chorizo, hearty chickpeas, and vibrant green kale. This makes a truly beautiful bowl of soup. If you’d rather keep this soup vegetarian, try the grain-based chorizo substitute from Field Roast, one of the first meat substitutes I’ve actually liked. It’s available in natural food stores in almost every state and through www.fieldroast.com. 

Hands down, my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the stuffing. I like to make it in the slow cooker because it comes out extra moist with crisp edges. Prep perk: This comes in handy when you run out of oven space for large family gatherings. Because the lid of the slow cooker traps a lot of condensation, I place a kitchen towel under the cover, which catches the steam, so the stuffing doesn’t get mushy.

These tacos are piled high with everything I love—grilled skirt steak, red cabbage, and avocado—but the real star is the pickled red onions. They add a zesty tang and crunchy texture, as well as a lovely splash of pink color. I usually let them marinate longer than mentioned here (I tried to keep the recipe within 30 minutes). If you have the extra time, by all means, let them marinate for a few hours.

Certain recipes commit themselves to memory, and apple crumble is one of them. Once you have made it a few times you will be able to whip it up easily, even without the recipe. It is simple to make and quite forgiving if some of the ratios are slightly off. There is an intuitive element to savoury cooking that is difficult to replicate in pastry making. So much of what we do is based on science and exact measurements, so it is rare that you are able to tweak as you go along, but this is a recipe that allows you to do that. We love the idea of offering recipes that may well become a part of your roster of go-to desserts.

Thanksgiving just doesn’t feel the same without this creamy casserole, so I have re-created it Against all Grain–style, without the heavy cream, MSG, or gluten. I could eat the mushroom sauce in this dish by the spoonful.

My friend Sarah Chase worked with the Butterball hotline for years. For Thanksgiving they test various methods to figure out the best way to cook turkeys and every year the same method wins: 325 degrees and no basting! Lots of truffle butter under the skin also makes this the moistest turkey you’ll ever eat. The best news is that the pan juices are so delicious with fragrant truffles that you don’t even need to make gravy.