A Fashionable Feast: 9 Designers Share Their Signature Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving Recipes

The holiday season is finally upon us, and in just a week—over here in America, anyway—we’ll be celebrating the long weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday. And whether or not you actually celebrate Thanksgiving (or some iteration of it like Friendsgiving), you might be on the hunt for some last-minute recipes to impress both your guests and family at your upcoming holiday dinner.

To leave your Thanksgiving day with as little stress as possible, we’ve recruited our favorite fashion foodies, from Peter Som to Rachel Antonoff, to share their signature recipes from cocktails to dessert. Some recipes, like those from Christopher John Rogers and Conner Ives, are family traditions dating back generations, meaning that this Thanksgiving, you might just be eating exactly the same dishes as your favorite designer’s family.

For others, their recipes were inspired by the world around them. Jamie Okuma used sage, as the leafy herb is grown as an essential part of Indigenous culture. It also helps that it is the “best compliment to dressing and stuffing,” according to Okuma. Meanwhile, Henry Zankov was inspired by a meal from one of his favorite spots in Venice Beach, Gjelina, for his butternut squash and mint pesto salad.

From Vogue straight to your dinner table, nine designers share their favorite Thanksgiving recipes below.

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images

Adam Lippes’s Maple Bourbon Sour

• 2 oz good-quality bourbon
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz pure maple syrup
• Dash of Angostura bitters
• Egg white (optional for a velvety froth)
• Garnish: orange peel or a rosemary sprig

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice (or without first if using egg white, then again with ice). Strain into a coupe or rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with an orange peel twist or rosemary.

“Sage is the best compliment to dressing and stuffing. It’s so wonderful that I can walk out of my house and source our native white sage that grows all over our land for this special dish.”

Collage by Vogue. Images: Jamie Okuma, Huy Luong

Jamie Okuma’s Sage and Apple Dressing

• 1 1/2 dried loaves
• Multi grain/seeded loaf of bread
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 2 teaspoons of fresh ground pepper
• 2 24 oz chicken bone broth
• 2 sets of innards and 2-4 turkey necks for turkey innards broth (separate recipe to follow); reserve innards for dressing after simmering for broth
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 yellow onions
• 1 whole celery stock plus 5 stems
• 1 carrot
• 1-2 Lucy Glo apple (or any apple according to taste)
• 2 tablepoon fresh minced sage; reserve 10 whole leaves to make crispy sage

1. Prepare 2-3 hours prior to starting the dressing.
2. This step can also be omitted for time using jarred bone broth and water instead. You just will not have the innards to add to the dressing.
3. Roughly chop one onion, whole celery stock, carrot.
4. Add all chopped ingredients to a medium stock pot. Add all turkey innards, necks, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, 2 24 oz of chicken bone broth. Add enough water to cover all ingredients should the bone broth not cover all of it. Simmer on a very low flame and occasionally stir for 2-3 hours. Pull out turkey innards and necks, cool. Drain vegetables out of broth and reserve broth.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cube size to your liking the loaves of bread, set aside.
3. Pull off and shred turkey neck meat, finely dice gizzards set aside. Dice remaining onion, celery, cored apples. Set aside.
4. In a large frying pan add 6 tablespoons of butter to the pan, melt, then fry the 10 sage leaves until crispy, reserve.
5. Add onions, celery, and apples to the frying pan.
6. Cook until translucent, add fresh sage, cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add meat, stir, add bread cubes, stir and cook for a minute or two. Add about 3 cups of reserved broth to rehydrate bread cubes. Depending on how moist you like your dressing you can add more broth if desired. Once all ingredients are incorporated, place into a buttered 10” x12” deep baking dish. Place remaining pads of butter on top of dressing and bake for 35 minutes. Once it finishes pull out and top dressing with reserved crispy sage leaves and serve.

“The following recipe was adapted from a lunch I had at Gjelina in Venice Beach, California.”

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Henry Zankov

Henry Zankov’s Roasted Butternut Squash with Mint-Pomegranate Pesto

• Medium-sized butternut squash
• Two pinches of cumin powder
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/5 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
• 1.5 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt, or more as needed

1. Slice your butternut squash with the skin removed. Roast in oven with sea salt and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil at 375 degrees until tender/semi soft.

1. Blend the cumin powder, mint, shallot, olive oil, Parmigiano Reggiano, lime zest, and lime juice. Top with pomegranate seeds and add sea salt to taste.

“This recipe has been passed down in my family from my grandma to my mom, and I always have a memory of breaking up the bread with them the night before or the morning of. Since I live in London I’ve missed the last 11 years of Thanksgiving. I’m taking a bit of time to go home and develop the next collection, so I’ll be able to have Thanksgiving with my family again this year. I’ll surely be ripping up the bread with my mom.”

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Conner Ives

Conner Ives’s Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Makes 8-10 servings

• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup butter (unsalted)
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 Loaf white bread (day old)
• 1/2 loaf wholewheat bread (day old)
• 3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth or water

1. Break day old bread into large cubes by hand or in a food processor. Alternatively you can use 8-10 cups of dry bread cubes.
2. In a saucepan cook celery and onion in butter till tender but not brown (about 10 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and stir in poultry seasoning or sage and salt and pepper.
4. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion mixture.
5. Drizzle with enough broth or water to moisten, tossing lightly.
6. Bake in a covered baking dish at 350 degrees F oven for 25-30 minutes.

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Christopher John Rogers

Christopher John Rogers’s Seafood and Sausage Gumbo

• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup parsley
• Chopped 2 pounds okra
• 2 bay leaves

• ¼ teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon rosemary Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Black pepper
• Onion powder and garlic powder, to taste

• 1 pound smoked sausage 1 (16 oz.)
• 1 can claw crab meat
• 4 live gumbo crabs (cleaned)
• 1-pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• Additional water as needed
• Hot cooked rice, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Roast the sausage: Place the smoked sausage in a 9x13-inch baking pan. Roast in the oven, turning halfway through, until browned.
3. Roast the okra: In a separate pan, roast the okra in the oven, turning occasionally, until it is no longer ropey (slimy). Set aside.
4. Make the roux: In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the flour (no oil or butter needed). Stir continuously until the flour turns a milk chocolate color. Be careful not to burn it. Set aside.
5. Sauté the vegetables: In a large pan, heat butter and olive oil. Add chopped onions (yellow and green), bell pepper, celery, garlic, and parsley. Sauté until vegetables are wilted. Set aside.
6. Build the gumbo: In a large gumbo pot, combine chicken stock, a bit of water (if needed), roux, and sautéed vegetables. Bring to a boil. Season with thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste.
7. Simmer in stages: Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add roasted sausage and okra. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add shrimp, claw crab meat, and live gumbo crabs. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
8. Final seasoning: Taste and adjust salt and spices as needed.
9. Serve hot over cooked rice.

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Peter Som

Peter Som’s Charred Carrots with Gochujang Honey Butter

Serves 4

• 1 ½ pounds carrots (about 15 carrots), trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• ½ cup roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing
• Flat leaf parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 450F and position the rack to the top third of the oven.
2. Cut any larger carrots in half lengthwise and arrange all on a parchment lined sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and use your hands to mix so that carrots are evenly coated.
3. Roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing carrots and rotating pan halfway thru, until carrots are tender and just charred in spots.
4. While carrots are roasting, add honey, butter and gochujang to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whisk to combine.
5. When carrots are done, remove from the oven and immediately pour gochujang mixture atop and use tongs to toss and so carrots are thoroughly coated.
6. Transfer to a serving platter,sprinkle hazelnuts atop, then finish with orange zest and flaky sea salt and garnish with flat leaf parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

“Cutting vegetables—whether in intricate designs or fine slices—is meditative to me. I also love squash and how it can lean salty, sweet, or anywhere in between”

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Laura Kim

Laura Kim’s Butternut Squash Crostini

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled
• 1 shallot, sliced into thick rounds
• 1 whole garlic bulb, halved horizontally
• Olive oil
• Salt + pepper
• Fresh rosemary sprigs
• Sage
• Honey, to finish
• 4 slices candied bacon (see quick method below)
• 1 baguette, sliced into crostini

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prep the squash: peel the skin, cover with olive oil, salt and pepper, bake for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix together the butter, maple syrup, and chopped sage.
4. Remove the squash from the oven. Thinly cut the squash crosswise as deep as possible but without cutting all the way through.
5. Place the sliced squash, shallots, garlic, and rosemary in a cast-iron skillet. Drizzle with the butter, maple syrup, and sage marinade. Roast at 425°F for 35–45 min until caramelized.

1. Bake bacon with brown sugar at 375°F, 15–18 min. Chop!

1. Toast baguette slices with olive oil for 6–8 min.
2. Add squash onto crostini. Add shallot. Drizzle honey for sweet/savory flavor. Adorn with candied bacon shards and flaky salt.

“When hosting a gathering for Thanksgiving, we like that these mini pears are individually served. Everyone gets their own little treasure and it’s also easy to take with you if you’re already too stuffed for dessert.”

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Tanner Fletcher

Tanner Fletcher’s Thanksgiving Poached Pear Tart

Serves: 6

• 3-4 pears of choice
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/2 lemon

• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons wildflower honey
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk of choice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• Egg wash: 1 egg and 2 tablespoons water
• 6 fresh bay leaves, for garnish
• 6 whole cloves, for garnish
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan add the water, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves and lemon. Bring to a low boil over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Tip: Choose a moderately sized saucepan that can contain all the pears while fully submerging them without needing to use more water.
3. Wash, peel, and halve the pears. Using a melon baller or measuring spoon, scoop out the seeds of each pear half. Use a paring knife to slice out the core completely. There should be no core material remaining. The inside of each half should have a bowl where the seeds were and a small canal where the stem once was.
4. Tip: You will only use 3 pears, however, if you prepare 4, you can choose the best looking halves to use in the final product. Some pears may have bruising or errors in cutting out the middle.
5. Add the pears to the saucepan. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Tip: Cut a piece of parchment paper in the same size as the saucepan with a hole in the middle and place on top of the simmering pears. This will help keep them fully submerged and ensure they simmer equally.
7. When a knife or fork pierces the pears with no resistance, remove the pears to a plate to cool.
8. Continue to cook the liquid until it is reduced by half or more and begins to thicken. Set aside to use as a wash later on.
9. Tip: if the liquid is not thick enough, gradually add more sugar until a light syrupy consistency is achieved.

1. Place all the tart filling ingredients into a mortar and grind with a pestle until you form a rough paste. Grind for about 5 minutes until the mint begins to color the paste.
2. Tip: If preferred, this step can be done in a food processor.
3. Place all the tart filling ingredients into a mortar and grind with a pestle until you form a rough paste. Grind for about 5 minutes until the mint begins to color the paste.

1. In a small ramequin, beat the egg and water to make the egg wash. Set aside.
2. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry and cut it into 6 rectangles, which are slightly bigger than the length width of the pears.
3. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the 6 rectangles evenly on the sheet.
4. Add a half of a pear (filling side down) in the middle of each pastry rectangle. Then, using a paring knife, score around the perimeter of the pear.
5. Add a whole clove under the top of the pear to visually appear as the pear s stem.
6. Brush the egg wash over each of the puff pastries. Only wash the pastry, not the pear. Then brush the reduced poaching liquid on the pears, not the pastry.
7. Place the pear pastries in the freezer for 20 minutes. Do not skip this step as it is necessary for success. Puff pastry needs to be chilled, when going into the hot oven in order for it to rise properly. Chilling the pastry ensures the buttery layers remain separate and flaky.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the top ⅓ of the oven.
2. Remove the pears from the freezer. Before placing in the over, brush another layer of the poaching liquid on top of the pears only (not the pastry) and bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry has risen and browned. Tip: Apply the poaching liquid liberally as this will create the shiny glaze on the pears.
3. Remove from the oven and brush both the pears and pastry with the poaching liquid and bake until the glaze is set. 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Remove the pastries from the oven and glaze the pears with the poaching liquid one final time.

1. Once cooled, add a fresh bay leaf just below the stem on each pastry.
2. Find your favorite antique dessert plate and serve with vanilla ice cream.

“I am going to my aunt and uncle’s house. We’ve been doing Thanksgiving there every year since I was little and it’s truly one of my favorite days of the year. Key lime pie has been my favorite since a family trip to Longboat key when I was a kid, but it got kicked into high gear some years ago on a Florida trip with my friend, Andy. When we got home, I started recipe experimenting. Something like 200 versions later, here we are!”

Collage by Vogue. Images: Getty Images / Courtesy of Rachel Antonoff

Rachel Antonoff’s Key Lime Pie

• 170g graham crackers
• 48g sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup key lime juice
• 3 egg yolks

• 120g heavy whipping cream
• 1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla exract

1. Crush the graham cracker either in a food processor or by hand (put them in a sealed bag and use a rolling pin). Stir in the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
2. Melt the butter and let it cool just slightly and then add to the dry mix and stir together until combined.
3. Empty into a pie tin and then use the bottom of a measuring cup to work it into shape.
4. Place in the freezer for roughly 15 min (so it doesn’t fall apart in the oven).
5. Bake the crust for 6 minutes at 350 and then let it cool completely.

1. Empty the full can of sweetened condensed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer, or you can do it manually with a whisk and bowl.
2. Add the egg yolks (really make sure there are no egg whites at all!) and mix well.
3. Slowly add the key lime juice with the mixer on the lowest setting. The juice slightly cooks the egg yolk and you’ll see it thicken (it’s cool!). Once it has thickened, empty it into your cooled pie crust
4. Bake for 8 minutes and 30 at 350 and then let it cool completely on the counter before putting it in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours, but ideally, overnight.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla with the whisk. It takes a while, but watch it like a hawk because it stays in the whipped cream phase so briefly before it moves on to the butter phase.