Pecans lightly brushed with egg whites are baked into cheesy, buttery wafers with a touch of chile flakes. Get the recipe for Pecan Cheese Wafers »

Creamy pumpkin filling over a ginger cookie crust provides a comforting balance of sweetness and spice.

Red cabbage is braised in bacon drippings and enlivened with red wine vinegar and caraway seeds, making it a perfectly balanced holiday side.

Crispy pancetta, peppery arugula, and sweet sautéed shallots give a fall spin to panzanella. Get the recipe for Autumn Panzanella Salad »

Toasted cumin seeds, mint, and lime juice intensify the sweetness of simple baked root vegetables. Get the recipe for Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips»

Shallots are quick-pickled and sautéed with green beans in this refreshing side.

Creamy baked yams mashed with butter, lime juice, and honey make an easy, bright autumn side dish.

Pecan Cream Cake

This simple, satisfying side rounds out any Thanksgiving dinner.

Fresh and dried fruits steep in hazelnut liqueur for three days to make the filling for this holiday pie. Suet, a traditional mincemeat ingredient, adds moisture and richness, but vegetable shortening works just as well.

Roasted Onion and Chestnut Compote »

Potato chips give this treat from Mary Sue Milliken’s Border Grill restaurant unexpected salt and crunch.

A decadent mix of chocolates and ginger ups the ante on a classic Southern pie. Get the recipe for Chocolate Ginger Chess Pie »

A cool and tangy crème fraîche dressing adorns roasted beets for a simple, colorful side dish. We like to use a combination of red and golden beets for presentation. [See the recipe for Roasted Beets with Orange Crème Fraîche »

Our colorful vegetarian take on terrine features smoky roasted vegetables, tangy goat cheese, and a sun-dried tomato pesto.

When making these buttery little biscuits, opt for a true American cheese—fourth-generation Wisconsin cheesemaker Sid Cook, of Carr Valley Cheese, advised us to use a three-year-old extra-sharp cheddar. Get the recipe for American Cheddar Cheese Biscuits »

Browned butter accentuates the flavor of earthy walnuts and a sour cream topping offsets the richness of the filling for a balanced, delectable dessert.

A sauce of unabashedly flavorful ingredients including evaporated milk and, yes, Velveeta cheese, makes for a spectacularly rich take on creamed spinach. Get the recipe for Spinach Madeleine »

Coleslaw gets a makeover as a filling and hearty casserole that test kitchen assistant Sarah Ruth Maier grew up eating at family functions. Get the recipe for Van Valkenberg Hot Slaw »

Kugel—the creamy egg noodle casserole that’s a staple of Jewish holiday cooking&dmash;gets a Midwestern topping of cornflakes in this Thanksgiving side dish.

Fresh ginger gives the filling of this pear pie a warming kick of spice, balanced by the buttery crumble of sweet streusel.

Don’t limit traditional pie spices—clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg—to the dessert table. In this cheesy, rich gratin, the spices take a savory note alongside kale, sweet potatoes, and sharp white cheddar.

Jalapeños and cilantro punch up classic cornbread.

Coconut Lime Custard Pie

Inspired by the briny flavors of veal piccata, this elegant side dish is simplicity itself: blanched green beans tossed in a vinaigrette of capers, bright lemon, and a beautiful olive oil. Get the recipe for Green Beans with Lemons and Capers »

This sweet potato casserole is an especially festive, over-the-top take on the Thanksgiving classic, topped with a crisp pecan crumble and dotted with marshmallows. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble »

This batter also makes delicious muffins, perfect for a day-after-Thanksgiving brunch.

Sweet, translucent roasted onions marry beautifully with the bechamel and Gorgonzola in this rich casserole.

Soft, tear-away dinner rolls are as easy to make as they are delicious.

This light, Lebanese lentil salad is flavored with lemon juice, cumin, allspice, and parsley.

These fluffy, brioche-like rolls are traditionally served on Jewish holidays, but they’re perfect for any occasion. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Katie Robbins’s story Season of Rejoicing. Get the recipe Challot (Challah Knots) »

In this simple, elegant salad, the spicy flavor of thinly sliced raw kale is offset by creamy Pecorino cheese, bright lemon, and sweet-tart dried currants.

Braising—with a healthy dose of soy—is one of our favorite ways to bring out the texture and flavor of winter squash.

This recipe blends roasted brussels sprouts with a silky mornay sauce. A panko topping with lemon zest adds crunch and zing.

Walnuts, apple, and sliced beet add crunch and flavor to this wintertime salad.

A jolt of heat from fresh ginger is balanced by sweetened soy sauce and nutty sesame seeds in this Japanese-style string bean dish. See the recipe for Green Beans with Sesame Sauce »

Red wine adds depth of flavor and gives the tart its rich, burgundy color. See the recipe for Torta di Sant’Antonio »

A double-crusted apple pie will hold up perfectly to a scoop (or two) of melty vanilla ice cream. See the recipe for Apple Pie »

This sweet, tart fruit pie is a beautiful showcase for the flavors of fall and winter. It’s great on a holiday table, and is at its best when served alongside a plate of cheese: the rich quince flavor balances beautifully with a wedge of funky, crumbly blue beside it on the plate.

This sweet-tart winter salad is a simple way to add elegance to a Thanksgiving dinner. ** See the recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberries and Candied Pecans »**

Chunks of Spaghetti squash reveal a beautifully yielding texture and a savory, subtle flavor that’s perfectly offset by a rich walnut-miso glaze. Prepare the squash ahead of time, and then pop them under the broiler for 3 minutes when you get to your host’s kitchen. Get the recipe for Broiled Spaghetti Squash with Walnut-Miso Glaze »

Uniquely shaped yeast breads are sold as a market specialty in the south of France.

Served at Brooklyn restaurant Vinegar Hill House, grizzly bear pie is a wry twist on the usual walnut pie: its deliciously sweet filling is based on honey, and a light sprinkle of flaked sea salt lends a touch of depth. ** See the recipe for Grizzly Bear Pie »**

Earthy rutabagas and aged Gruyere add intrigue to a classic potato gratin. Get the recipe for Potato and Rutabaga Gratin »

These fluffy biscuits are honey-sweetened with an herbal fragrance from rosemary and thyme.

When making maple sugar pie, fold any extra dough over the side of the pan for an extra-thick crust. Serve a warm slice with a heaping of whipped cream. ** See the recipe for Maple Sugar Pie »**