Not sure what to cook to make this year's Thanksgiving special? Check out the following recipes from some reputable chefs.

Tyler Florence's Thanksgiving Turkey Hack

ABC News reports that Food Network host and author of cookbook "Inside the Test Kitchen," Tyler Florence, has a great new way to roast a Thanksgiving turkey faster and ensure it is not dried out. He teaches a British turkey roasting technique called "Spatchcock" where the backbone is removed from the turkey. According to Florence, the technique makes the turkey cook in just 90 minutes. Best of all, the turkey meat is will not get overcooked.

  • Total time to prepare and bake: over 2 hours
  • Servings: 10 to 14
  • Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

If you get the turkey from a butcher, ask him to spatchcock the turkey for you.

  • 1 10- to 16-pound turkey, thawed
  • Grapeseed or vegetable oil, as needed
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 bunches sage
  • 1 to 2 bunches thyme

Special Equipment

  • Poultry shears or parrot-beak pruning shears
  • Piping bag or 1-gallon freezer bag
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with a flat rack that fits inside

Prepare the Turkey

If the butcher did not spatchcock the turkey, you will need to remove the heart and giblets and reserve. Discard the liver. Flip the turkey breast-side down on your cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone. It will take a little force to pull the backbone out of the turkey. Save the backbone, if you like, for turkey stock. Once the bone is removed, open up the bird slightly and set it on the cutting board with the skin side up. Position the thighs so they lay flat.

Insert your fingers between the skin and the breast meat, separating the two while keeping the skin intact. Create a pocket for the stuffing without ripping the skin. Work your fingers from the top of the thigh to the neck.

Rub grapeseed or vegetable oil over the entire turkey skin, then season generously with salt and pepper. Do the same to the bird's inside.

If you are using stuffing, Florence recommends pureeing it and placing it inside a piping bag or large freezer bag. Snip off the tip or one corner. Stick the corner of the bag between the skin and meat of the breast and, with a zigzag movement, begin placing the stuffing underneath. Do this for each side of the breast. Massage the skin to ensure the stuffing forms an even layer.

If you have leftover stuffing, place it inside the neck cavity.

Roast the Turkey

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Place a large rack on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, and sprinkle the sprigs of thyme and sage on the rack. The turkey should be set skin-side up on top of the herbs.

For a 10-pound turkey, place it in the oven and roast 1¼ hours. For a 16-pound bird, roast for 1½ hours. The skin ought to be a golden brown.

Measure the temperature by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest portion of the thigh and then the breast, making sure to keep the thermometer tip away from the bone. The desired internal temperature ought to be 135 degrees.

Use foil to tent the turkey. Continue to roast for about 20 minutes until a temperature of 155 degrees is achieve in the breast.

Remove the turkey from the oven. Allow it to set for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Carve and Serve the Turkey

Florence suggests slicing the legs off first. It is easier if you separate them where the thigh and drumstick intersect.

Slice the dark meat next. Remove each breast whole using your largest knife; starting at the breastbone and carving down and along the ribcage.

Once the breasts are removed, slice them lengthwise so each guest receives a stripe of stuffing and crisp, browned skin.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Food & Wine's star chef Michael Symon offers this easy recipe that will tantalize your guest's taste buds with the flavor of browned butter and crème fraîche.

  • Total time to prepare and bake: 1 hour
  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 3 1/2 pounds white or all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup crème fraiche

Cooking Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes over moderate heat until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.

Return the potatoes to the pot and cook over high heat for 1 minute to dry them out slightly. Pass the potatoes through a ricer and return them to the pot.

In a small saucepan, cook the butter over moderate heat until the milk solids turn dark golden, about 4 minutes. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the brown butter to the potatoes along with the milk and crème fraîche and stir well.

Season with salt and stir over moderate heat until hot.

Drizzle the remaining brown butter over the potatoes and serve.

Maple-Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Martha Stewart Living recommends this favorite holiday side dish for its simplicity and exquisite taste. Roasted sweet potatoes are combined with butter and maple syrup in a food processor.

  • Total time to prepare and bake: 1 hour and 10 minutes
  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 7 medium)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the sweet potatoes. Use a fork to prick holes all over each sweet potato. Place potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake until tender; approximately 1 hour.

Test tenderness by piercing the potato with a knife. When potatoes have cooled, halve each and use a spoon to scoop out flesh. Discard the skins. Place the potato flesh in a food processor, add syrup and butter, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

Taste of Home suggests this nicely seasoned stuffing that doesn't require a lot of prep time and tastes good whether stuffed in the bird or baked separately.

  • Total time to prepare and bake: 55 minutes
  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients

  • 3 large onions, chopped
  • 6 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1/2 cup butter, cubed
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-1/2 pounds day-old French bread, cubed (27 cups)

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onions and celery in a large skillet with butter until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Place the onion, celery and garlic in a large bowl and add the sage, broth, poultry seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in bread cubes until well mixed.

Grease a 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon the stuffing into the baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.

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