Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday—a celebration of gratitude, food, and family. From choosing your turkey all the way through to dessert, CIA chefs are here to help set you up for holiday cooking success.
Through this multi-part virtual mini boot camp, we’ll put you through the paces, providing advice, tips, and techniques you can only get from the chefs and experts at the CIA. This video series can be consumed in small bites, or all at once—whatever works best for your schedule.
Downloading our Thanksgiving Prep Timeline (PDF) is a great way to get started! Looking for more holiday recipes? We’ve curated some of our favorites.
Selecting/Seasoning a Turkey
Chef Sofia Sada Cervantes shares her pro tips from choosing the right size turkey, to brining and seasoning it to perfection.
Roasting a Turkey
Turkey is often the centerpiece of the table, so it’s important to nail that roast! Chef Sada lets you in on some CIA secrets to perfectly roasting your turkey.
Mashed Potatoes
Chef Hinnerk von Bargen demonstrates how to make mashed potatoes that will wow your guests—the ideal varieties to use, additions to make them extra creamy, and how to add your own flavor variations.
Roasted Vegetables
Chef Hinnerk von Bargen shows you how to prepare roasted vegetables that will have guests coming back for seconds.
Plant-Forward Grain Casserole
Chef Hinnerk von Bargen puts a plant-forward twist on the holiday vegetable casserole with a grain, butternut squash, and apple casserole.
Cranberry Sauce
Chef Melissa Fritz guides you through the basics of homemade cranberry sauce and how to customize it to suit your taste.
Gravy
Chef Sada shows you how to save some time the day-of with a make-ahead gravy.
Stuffing
In- or outside the bird? Chef David Kamen answers this age-old question, and shows you his favorite version of this classic side.
Pie Dough
Chef Melissa Fritz gives us a crash course in pie dough.
Pie Fillings
Chef Lilla Bernal demonstrates two pie fillings—pear cranberry and pecan—while giving you the fundamentals you need to make fillings of your own.
Baking a Pie
Chef Lilla Bernal shows you what to look for in a finished pie and how to know when it’s under baked.
Wine Pairings
What’s a holiday dinner without the wine? Fabien Jacob shares what sort of wines go best with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Hungry For More?
Check out our ProChef Virtual Boot Camp. Get the same virtual training—designed for industry professionals—right from your kitchen! Learn more >