9 Thanksgiving recipes that’ll jazz up your menu

Thanksgiving Recipes

Native New Orleanian Poppy Tooker presents a classic Big Easy Thanksgiving dinner natives will recognize and newcomers will savor. The renowned chef, cooking teacher and radio-show host shares nine recipes that aptly represent the rich flavors and history of the region—and are sure to jazz up your Thanksgiving menu. Ready to add authentic Southern flair to your Thanksgiving feast? Let’s dig in!

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Shrimp Salad Recipe

Classic Louisiana shrimp salad

“This is the perfect way to start a meal; the flavors are so bright,” says Poppy.

Poppy Tooker's Seafood Gumbo Recipe

Seafood gumbo

“This is my most-sought-after recipe. Nobody takes a cooking class in New Orleans from me without learning how to make gumbo,” says Poppy. Serve this classic Creole dish over cooked rice.

Stuffed Squash Recipe

Stuffed mirlitons

“When my great-grandmother died, she didn’t leave written recipes,” says Poppy. “So I cooked everything I remembered eating at her table, including these mirlitons, and had my daddy taste it until he said, ‘Yes, this is just like Mamman’s.’ “

Deep-Fried Turkey With Spicy Bourbon Marinade Recipe

Poppy's fried turkey with spicy bourbon marinade

“I will never roast a turkey again in this lifetime, and it’s my bet, once you fry your first turkey, your bird will never be relegated to the oven again,” says Poppy.

Mamman's Oyster Rice Dressing Recipe

Mamman's oyster rice dressing

“Bread stuffing would never have had a place in the rural parts of Louisiana where Mamman was from because wheat didn’t grow there,” Poppy explains. “Down here, we’re all about rice.” Poppy also offers these additional side dishes to add to your Thanksgiving table: Meat Dressing and Peas in a Roux.

Bread Pudding With Bourbon Sauce Recipe

Bread pudding with hard sauce

“Mamman’s bread pudding made a big impression on me as a small child when it would come to the table dripping with sauce and filled with plump raisins and pecans,” Poppy remembers.

Café Brûlot Coffee Drink Recipe

Café Brûlot

“Café brûlot is from the Armagnac region of France, where they call it café diable,” says Poppy. “I learned to make this from enjoying it at classic New Orleans restaurants, like Antoine’s and Galatoire’s, where it’s a standard ending to any festive meal.”

Additional sides to try: Meat Dressing and Peas in a Roux.

  • Credits:

  • For more of Poppy's culinary magic, stop by her website: poppytooker.com

Poppy Tooker is a lifelong New Orleanian who champions New Orleans food and culture. She hosts Louisiana Eats!, a weekly, NPR-affiliated radio show, and appears every Friday on Steppin' Out, an arts and entertainment show on WYES television. In between shows, she writes about food, teaches classes and makes sure her three Chinese pugs are fat and happy!