Her biggest suggestion for Thanksgiving Day? Do as much in advance as you can.
Key Points
- Julia Child suggests baking stuffing in a squash for added moisture.
- Child basted the stuffing with turkey juices to add more flavor to the dish.
- Child’s recipes, like 10-minute cranberry chutney, offer quick options for holiday meals.
It’s time to start planning your Thanksgiving dinner menu, and while a perfectly roasted turkey is probably at the top of your holiday wish list, the side dishes you place on your Turkey Day table are just as important as the bird.
From roasted Brussels sprouts and green bean casserole to mashed potatoes and savory stuffing, there are plenty of traditional Thanksgiving sides to consider. But while many consider stuffing to be a holiday must-have, it’s a dish that can dry out fast if you’re not careful.
Among the things we’re thankful for this year? A tip for making great Thanksgiving stuffing that comes from iconic chef and cookbook author Julia Child.
According to the National Museum of American Historya Business Week reporter asked Child for her best Thanksgiving cooking tips during a 2000 interview. One of them was a little surprising to us—when it comes to the debate between whether stuffing should be cooked inside or outside of the turkey, Child has a method all her own. According to the chef, the best way to prepare Thanksgiving stuffing is to bake it in a “great big fat squash,” basting it with turkey juices.
While Child’s description of the best baking vessel for stuffing sounds funny, it makes sense to us. Squash is a vegetable that’s naturally packed with moisture, so hollowing out an acorn or spaghetti squash and using it to bake stuffing is a great way to infuse a bit of extra juiciness into your dish.
Not to mention, an autumn squash filled with golden brown stuffing sounds like a pretty gorgeous dish to place on your holiday table.
Basting the stuffing with turkey juices while it cooks in the squash isn’t just about adding additional moisture to a dish that’s prone to drying out—it’s also a good way to make sure your stuffing is flavored by your turkey without cooking the stuffing directly inside the inner cavity of the bird.
Child also shared some of her top words of advice for hosting the holiday dinner: Prepare as much as possible ahead of time to keep things simple on the day of the meal.
That recommendation includes making pumpkin pie filling in advance and trimming and cutting any vegetables you plan to cook with before the actual holiday. Sides like cranberry sauce can also be prepped and refrigerated beforehand.
Aside from her stuffing recommendation, Child has plenty of other recipes that are perfect for Thanksgiving, from her 10-minute cranberry chutney to her surprising no-cook holiday appetizer of Goldfish crackers.
The chef also shared a treasure trove of cooking tips that can be applied to a Turkey Day menu, from the best way to roast vegetables to how to make a delicious apple tart. If you’re looking for more celebrity and famous chef inspiration for your Thanksgiving menu, we’ve got you covered with menus from Elizabeth Taylor, Ina Garten and more—not to mention some of our own favorite recipes.