TODAY Show Brings 20 All-Star Chefs Together To Share Best Thanksgiving Recipes

We’re officially a week out from the big day — the food holiday to end all food holidays, turkey’s time to shine, the Super Bowl of side dishes — Thanksgiving.

So, as you start defrosting your turkey — National Thaw Day is the Thursday before Thanksgiving! — it’s time to figure out your Thanksgiving menu.

You’re going to need to decide how to cook your turkey, which cocktails to shake up, which appetizers and side dishes to serve, which wines to pair with everything, and with which desserts to end the meal.

To make your life easier, we’ve compiled a list of 20 of our most popular Thanksgiving recipes from all-star chefs. Many of these tried-and-true recipes have been on our website for years, becoming Thanksgiving staples in many of your homes.

Martha Stewart, queen of Thanksgiving, is kicking off the festivities with her roasted turkey in parchment, a moisture-locking technique she swears by. She usually prepares it with stuffing, but you could also pair it with Bobby Flay’s cornbread dressing and Elizabeth Heiskell’s quick turkey gravy.

Spice up your spread with Priyanka Naik’s chile-infused cranberry sauce (then use the leftovers to make Alejandra Ramos’ cranberry sauce margarita) and Jordan Andino’s habanero-studded sweet potato casserole. Speaking of casseroles, Siri Daly knows how to make a mean green bean one, and Melissa Clark turns mashed potatoes into a cheesy one. To make sure you get your greens, JJ Johnson offers up his collard green salad, while Marcus Samuelsson brings his caramelized Brussels sprouts to the table.

Of course, you’ve got to save room for dessert — even if that means taking a quick, tryptophan-induced nap between courses — because you’ll to want to sample Christina Tosi’s pumpkin pie bars (if you don’t feel like making a whole pie) or Maya-Camille Broussard’s German chocolate pecan pie (if you’re feeling up to the task).

With these chefs’ and home cooks’ recipes — many of which can be made ahead — this Thanksgiving will be the best ever.

Use the leftover ingredients from other dishes you’re making for Thanksgiving to make this flavorful appetizer. It’s a great make-ahead dish, as it can sit in the fridge for up to 48 hours, allowing the flavors to meld.

Tart cranberry sauce and a cinnamon sugar rim add a fall twist to the classic margarita cocktail. Note that this recipe works best with jammy or whole-berry cranberry sauces — not the jellied variety.

When entertaining, you can multiply the cocktail into a larger batch and keep it chilled in a pitcher without ice until it’s time to serve. You can also make the cinnamon sugar for the rim a few days in advance so everything is ready to go when your guests arrive.

Alejandra’s tip: When shaking this (or any!) cocktail, the trick is to shake until the cocktail shaker is fully frosted. Always use metal cocktail shakers, which are more effective than glass or plastic shakers.

Here’s an unexpected but totally genius way to cook your turkey for Thanksgiving. Martha Stewart’s parchment bag technique yields moist meat and crisp, golden skin every time. (She uses her Classic Stuffing in this recipe.)

“If you’re like me and can’t get enough of the turkey legs at the Thanksgiving table, why not cook up some extra?” says Matt Abdoo. “This state fair-style roasted or smoked turkey leg recipe is a great option to add to your Thanksgiving feast. They are economical, cook quickly and are always juicy and delicious!”

Matt’s tips: Unwrap the turkey the night before to get the crispiest skin. Brine turkey legs for extra moisture and seasoning.

This easy gravy is great, whether or not you have pan drippings from your turkey. Even if you fried it or bought your turkey precooked, you can still have amazing gravy.

Cooking this mushroom-cornbread dressing in a cast-iron pan gives it a wonderful golden-brown crust. Plus, you can serve it right in the pan, saving you another dish to clean at the end of Thanksgiving dinner.

“While a green bean casserole is a classic Thanksgiving staple, this version gets elevated by ditching the canned soup for a homemade mushroom stock that’s full of umami flavor,” says Siri Daly. “And while there’s nothing wrong with store-bought crispy onions, you’ll never go back once you realize how easy and delicious these fried shallots are. It’s a dish that always finds its way onto our table, and I hope you…