Potato

Also great with salmon or mahi-mahi. Rewarm the mashed potatoes in the microwave before using them in this recipe, adding more warm milk as needed if they are too thick.

This elegant soup doesn't look or taste anything like leftovers.

Who says a gratin has to arrive on the table in a baking dish? In this version, the potatoes, spices, and cheese are layered and baked in a springform pan, giving the dish a cake-like look.

Leaving the skins on small red-skinned potatoes adds wonderful color and texture and makes this dish even easier to prepare.

Chef Kent Rathbun of Dallas's Abacus restaurant created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Dallas chef Kent Rathbun created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. It makes an elegant first course for Thanksgiving dinner.

Parsnips, celery root, and sweet potatoes bring depth to this unfussy gratin. Best of all, it requires no "arranging"—you just spread the root vegetables in the baking dish.

These beef pies make an immensely satisfying meal or snack on the go. The ready-to-use puff pastry bakes up golden and flaky—the perfect accompaniment to the rich, meaty filling.

A smooth chestnut purée and plenty of butter make these mashed potatoes a must-have at the holiday table.

Don't be surprised if these spears prove even more popular than the classic mash—they brown up beautifully, and it's hard to resist the siren call of bacon.

Light in texture yet satisfyingly rich, this elegant one-dish brunch surprises with its earthy depth.

These showcase all that's great about Indian food: They're vibrant, light, and fragrant. For a spicier patty, add a second stemmed and minced serrano chile.

Charmoula is a tangy, spicy sauce—in this case, made with cumin, cilantro, garlic, and lemon—that's traditionally served with meat in Morocco.

Simmering in milk coaxes the very best out of celery root, giving this silky puree a flavor that's both mellow and full.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Amy Sedaris's I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. For Sedaris's tips on throwing a Halloween party, click here.

Editor's note: The recipe below originally appeared in One Potato, Two Potato by Roy Finamore with Molly Stevens. It was reprinted, along with the introductory text included here, in The 150 Best American Recipes by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens. __ Probably the most frustrating part of preparing Thanksgiving dinner is the last-minute potato mashing and gravy making. If you have this recipe in your arsenal, you can knock off the mashed potatoes 2 days ahead and have them sitting pretty in the refrigerator, ready for a last-minute heating. But that's not the only time you need these potatoes; they're also great for a buffet or for any crowd. These luxurious mashed potatoes have a couple of other virtues, too. They're light and fluffy because they're whipped with an electric mixer, and they're incredibly luscious because they have sour cream and butter, plus cream cheese to give them a little edge. __