In large heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the butter, onions, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 5 min. Add the garlic and thyme and cook an additional 2 min.

Add stock and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in couscous, then reduce soup to a simmer. Cover and simmer until couscous is tender, about 10 min. Stir in turkey then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with grated Parmesan and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Heat oven to 375°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over two sides. In large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Add butter and vanilla to flour mixture; stir until butter is incorporated and dough begins to clump together. Press two-thirds of mixture into bottom of prepared pan, spreading into an even layer. Bake base layer for 10 min.; remove from oven.

Spoon cranberry sauce on base then spread into even layer. (Cranberry sauce will sink slightly into base since it is warm.) Sprinkle pieces of remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake bars until top crumb mixture is golden and set, 25–30 min. Remove bars from oven; cool completely in pan before slicing.

In bowl, combine potatoes, cheddar, scallions, egg and a pinch of salt and pepper until well-combined. Place breadcrumbs in separate bowl. Scoop a heaping Tbs. potato mixture and roll it into a ball, then roll ball in crumbs. Repeat rolling and breading process with remaining mashed potato mixture.

Line baking sheet with paper towels. Add 2" oil to large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat. Attach deep-fry thermometer. Once oil reaches 360°F, add several potato balls and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. (Do not overcrowd pot.) 

Using slotted spoon, transfer mashed potato bites to paper towel-lined baking sheet and immediately season with salt. Fry remaining potato balls in batches, returning oil to 360°F between each batch. Serve with cranberry sauce or gravy for dipping.

Make Crust: Invert bottom of 9-inch springform pan (to create flat bottom; it will be easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side. Butter pan. Mix crumbs, pecans, 1/4 cup each granulated and brown sugars, 2 pinches salt and butter in bowl until combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom and 1" up side of pan. Chill 20 min.

Make Filling: Put oven rack in middle position; heat oven to 350°F. Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, vanilla and 1 Tbs. bourbon (if using) in bowl until combined. In second bowl, stir together 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add cream cheese and beat with mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 min. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture; beat until smooth. Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks). Bake until center is just set, 50–60 min. Transfer to rack; cool 5 min. (Leave oven on.)

Make Topping: Whisk sour cream, remaining 2 Tbs. granulated sugar and 1 Tbs. bourbon (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake; bake 5 min. more. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hrs. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hrs. Remove side of pan; bring to room temp. Top with pecan halves and serve.

Heat oven to 300°F with a rack in middle of oven. In small bowl, combine oil, garlic, herbs, zest, salt and pepper. Stir until it’s well mixed.

In large cast-iron skillet, spread carrots, onion and potatoes into single layer. Add 3 Tbs. of the herb mixture to veggies and toss them to coat. Spread veggies out again. Lay chicken on top of veggies, breast side up. Top with rest of herb mixture, using a brush to spread it all over surface of chicken, plus in all the crevices.

Now it’s time to slow-roast this bad boy! Roast for 3 hrs., occasionally using a baster or brush to baste chicken with its juices. Let chicken rest for 20 min., basting it once during that time. Serve it right on table with two serving forks; the chicken should pull apart very easily! (And the veggies/potatoes in this pan are absolute heaven!)

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. In medium saucepan, combine heavy cream and half-and-half. Fully heat mixture over medium heat but do not let it boil. Add onion, thyme, salt and pepper to hot mixture and whisk to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for a few min. to let flavors meld.

Add flour and whisk to combine, then remove pan from heat. Layer one-third of potato slices in buttered dish. Sprinkle one-third of ham on top and one-quarter of each cheese. Pour one-third of cream mixture on top then repeat layers twice more. Sprinkle final one-quarter of cheeses after last cream layer.

Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 40 min., then remove foil and bake until bubbling and golden, about 20 more min.

IMPORTANT: Allow casserole to sit for at least 15 min. before serving to let sauce settle and thicken. Cut into squares or scoop out with a big serving spoon!

Heat broiler with rack in bottom half of oven. In medium pot, heat milk until just under a gentle boil. Remove from heat; stir in butter to melt. Whisk egg yolks in small bowl, then temper them by slowly drizzling in about 3 large spoons of hot milk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour tempered eggs into saucepan, whisking constantly.

In blender or food processor, combine 3 cups cheddar, grated mozzarella, Parmesan and American cheese slices. Sprinkle in paprika, salt and pepper. Pour hot milk mixture into blender. Blend it on high for 30 sec., until cheese is melted and sauce is totally smooth. It should be pretty thin and pourable but will still have a nice silkiness.

Pour macaroni into large bowl and pour sauce on top. Stir to mix. Pasta should be very saucy; splash in pasta water as needed. Taste a spoonful and add more salt and pepper to taste. Butter 9 × 13-inch baking dish; add half of saucy macaroni, then half of remaining cheddar and half of diced mozzarella. Pour in rest of macaroni and top with rest of cheddar and diced mozzarella. Broil until cheese is bubbling and starting to turn brown, about 10–12 min., watching to make sure it doesn’t burn. Serve immediately while it’s hot and saucy!

Heat oven to 375°F. Line a pan with foil; set a rack in pan. Make meatloaf: Place bread in bowl and pour milk on top. Set aside for a few min. for bread to absorb milk. In large bowl, combine beef, eggs, Parmesan, parsley, pepper, kosher salt and seasoned salt. Smash up bread to ensure it’s moistened, add to bowl with meat and mash up mixture until mixed. Place in prepared pan; form into a 12 x 5-inch loaf. Place a piece of bacon on the end of meatloaf, tucking ends of bacon underneath meatloaf. Repeat with rest of bacon. Tuck sides in a bit more so that bacon is taut. Bake for 55 min.

While meatloaf is in the oven, make topping and sauce—the best part! In small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Stir until combined and give it a taste. Add more hot sauce if you want!

Remove loaf when 55 min. is up. Spread on two-thirds sauce, brushing some on sides. You want it thick on top of loaf. Bake loaf until internal temp. reaches 160–165°F, 20 to 25 min. Sauce should still look thick on top and caramelized around edges. Let loaf rest for 10 min., then slice it and serve it with remaining sauce.

Cut chicken into 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, and 2 wings. To large bowl, add buttermilk, then shake in a good amount of Tabasco (about 2 Tbs.) and sprinkle in a palmful each of garlic salt, onion powder, sweet paprika, all-purpose seasoning and black pepper, plus a couple pinches of cayenne pepper and mix it up. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add eggs and whisk until smooth. Add chicken to bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Over medium-high, heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 inch of oil, until oil is 350°F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, a pinch of flour should sizzle immediately.) Put wire rack on baking sheet. Heat oven to 350°F. To shallow bowl, add flour, cornstarch and baking powder, and then sprinkle in a palmful each of garlic salt, onion powder, sweet paprika, all-purpose seasoning and pepper and a couple pinches of cayenne pepper. Mix well. When oil is ready, get chicken from fridge. Starting with biggest pieces, lift them out of bowl and let extra buttermilk drip off. Then, coat pieces in flour. Now, dip back into buttermilk, and back again into flour, making sure each piece is coated. In batches, place pieces in oil but don’t crowd them. Adjust stove to keep oil at 300°F while you’re frying, so chicken can cook nice and even.

Cook until each piece is golden, 10–15 min. total, then move to rack. If chicken isn’t cooked through, put baking sheet in oven and bake until chicken is done. Meanwhile, continue to fry chicken and finish any pieces in oven as needed. Let chicken cool 5–10 min., then sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Slice kernels off ears of corn or use frozen corn. Finely chop onion so you get 1⁄4 cup and chop garlic. Add corn, onion and garlic to large bowl, then add Cheddar, cream, flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder, a couple pinches each of all-purpose seasoning, onion and garlic powders, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix together until you get a batter that’s a little thicker than pancake batter.

Pour enough oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to cover the bottom by ½ inch. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 300° to 350°F. (If you don’t have a thermometer, a drop of batter should start sizzling immediately. While you’re at it, eat your test fritter and make sure you’re happy with seasonings.) Line a plate with paper towels.

When oil is ready, add heaping Tbs. of batter to pan, making sure not to crowd fritters (8 to 10 per batch). Fry fritters, not messing with them except to flip them once so they get good and crisp, until golden brown and cooked through, 3–4 min. per side. You’ll know it’s time to flip them when tops start to bubble and bottoms release easily from pan. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, move finished fritters to paper towels. Repeat with rest of batter. Sprinkle fritters with salt and pepper. Chop a couple fresh chives up nice and small and shower them on top. Aren’t they just perfect?