The 19 Best Ina Garten Thanksgiving Recipes, from Apps to Dessert

You have a lot to be thankful for: friends, family and, of course, the Barefoot Contessa. How could you not be when she's given us so many mouthwatering recipes? (Hi, Beatty's chocolate cake.)

Here, you'll find 19 of the tastiest, most impressive Ina Garten-approved Thanksgiving recipes that you can (and should) make for your holiday dinner. They're easy enough for newbie hosts to master on their first go, yet still elegant and worthy of a special feast. I'm talking Tuscan turkey roulade, potato galette, cinnamon-spiced shortbread and everything in between.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4 to 6

Two ingredients and a fresh fruit garnish—you can handle that, no? “Making a raspberry royale is simple," Garten wrote in an Instagram caption when she shared this number in June. "Pour one teaspoon of red raspberry liqueur into each Champagne glass. When guests arrive, pop the cork and fill each glass with Champagne. I don't do it here, but you can also add two or three raspberries as garnish. I love a drink that looks elegant but it's so easy to make!"

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

It never hurts to serve a timeless classic on Thanksgiving. "If you're inviting friends for brunch this weekend, surprise them with a French 75," Garten suggested in an Instagram caption. "It's freshly squeezed lemon juice, cognac, simple syrup and of course, good Champagne. It's delicious and will get the party off to a great start."

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

Garten has said that a whiskey or bourbon sour is her go-to cold-weather cocktail, and it's vibrant, sweet-tart flavor is both warming and palate-cleansing, making it a great pairing for charcuterie boards (bring on the funky bleu cheeses!), heavy casseroles and, of course, bourbon pecan pies (like the one at the very end of this story).

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, vegetarian
• Serves: 4 to 6

Think of this bubbly skillet as cheater's fondue. "Who doesn’t love hot melted cheese with crusty French bread for dipping?" Garten inquired on Instagram. "My baked Fontina is always a big hit and perfect for a Super Bowl party. I actually take the skillet out of the oven and just serve it right in the pan!"

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make-ahead
• Serves: 8

Wondering how Ina does it all? She's an expert planner—and a big believer in make-ahead meals for Thanksgiving. "I hate running around on Thursday like a chicken with my head cut off (or, for this holiday, a turkey!)," she shared on Instagram. The Monday before Thanksgiving, she follows this turkey recipe and prepares the gravy to go along with it. On the big day, she pours a quarter-inch layer of gravy on an oven-safe serving platter, then sets the carved bird atop it, warming it in the oven for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. To quote the Contessa, "How easy is that?"

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, make ahead
• Serves: 6 to 8

For the contrarians, beef will always win out over poultry on Thanksgiving—and this take will be remembered by your relatives for years to come. "It can be prepped early in the day and put in the oven two hours before everyone sits down," Garten wrote on Instagram. "The basil Parmesan mayonnaise can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to a week."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 35

Garten shared this recipe to Instagram ahead of Easter, but ham is just as welcome at Thanksgiving, if you ask me. It serves a whopping 35 people, so if you're hosting a crowd, look no further. (And if you aren't, simply scale down to a smaller ham and halve the glaze.) "All you do is mix together six ingredients for the glaze, pour it over a fully cooked, spiral-cut smoked ham and bake it for an hour," Garten notes.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

"I'm always tempted to hibernate when it's cold, but having a dinner party is exactly the kind of fun I need instead," Garten shared on Instagram. She recommended pairing it with her skillet-roasted lemon chicken and salted caramel brownies, but potatoes go with just about everything, so feel free to mix it up.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 12 bars

Apple pie is a Thanksgiving staple, but no one will see this casual spin coming. It's easier to portion out—and send people home with leftovers. "When everyone is getting store-bought treats for Halloween, I like to surprise people and serve something delicious and homemade," Garten suggests. (Why does that not surprise me?) Might I suggest serving them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 6 to 8

"My dear friend Anna Pump used to say, 'no one remembers what you serve for dinner, but they always remember dessert,'" Garten joked on Instagram. She's right, of course—and this masterpiece is no exception. Your guests will have no clue you used store-bought pie crust, promise.