Cook Up Some Inspiration with WTTW’s Thanksgiving Cooking Show Lineup
Meredith Francis
November 19, 2025
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and there is a bounty of cooking shows you can watch on WTTW or stream with your WTTW Passport membership. Get inspired and pick up some useful tips, recipes, and ideas for your holiday table.
Click the schedule links for additional air times.
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: Thanksgiving
Monday, November 24 at 2:00 pm on WTTW | Stream with Passport
Milk Street celebrates Thanksgiving! Matthew Card prepares a Two-Hour Turkey that saves you time in the kitchen and frees up your oven for other Thanksgiving favorites. Rosemary Gill streamlines sides with Milk-Simmered Mashed Potatoes. Last but not least, Christopher Kimball shares his best pie-making secrets with his all-time favorite Double Crust Apple Pie.
New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton: Thanksgiving
Monday, November 24 at 2:30 pm on WTTW | Stream with Passport
Learn the secrets of New Orleans cooking with Chef Kevin Belton. During this episode, Chef Belton cooks up stuffed mirlitons, Cajun turkey, and dirty rice.
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: Everyone Is Wrong About Pie!
Tuesday, November 25 at 2:00 pm on WTTW | Stream for Free
Pie school is in session! Christopher Kimball shows off his tried-and-true recipe for pie pastry, then uses the crust to make a pumpkin pie with a caramelized pumpkin filling (and a splash of bourbon for good measure). We answer your questions about blind baking and investigate pie pan performance. Then, we ditch the pans altogether and make a freeform Three Berry Crostata.
Sara’s Weeknight Meals: Thanksgiving 101
Tuesday, November 25 at 2:30 pm on WTTW | Stream with Passport
Every Thanksgiving, America tunes in to hear Sara Moulton answer their turkey questions live, and now her public television viewers will get her infallible guidance. She covers the essentials of how to buy, defrost, brine, roast, and time the bird in Top 10 Thanksgiving Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Your Thanksgiving dilemmas are solved with Sara's One-Size-Fits-All Stuffing (you pick the mix-ins!); how to prep delicious wine-infused Gravy in Advance and how to keep and re-heat tasty Mashed Potatoes. Sara is your one-stop shop for Thanksgiving advice!
Lidia Celebrates America: A Nation of Neighbors
Tuesday, November 25 at 8:00 pm on WTTW
Across America, chef Lidia Bastianich shines a light on how everyday people give back through food. By immersing herself in their personal stories and communities, she highlights how selfless acts foster both connection and fulfillment on both sides.
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: New Holiday Vegetables
Wednesday, November 26 at 2:00 pm on WTTW
Milk Street transforms vegetables for the holidays. First, we make Buttery Hazelnut and Winter Squash Tian, shingling thinly sliced pieces of butternut squash for an impressive presentation. Then, we call on cornstarch to make Crisp Oven-Fried Cauliflower with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce and use the “braise and glaze” technique for Moroccan-Spiced Glazed Carrots flavored with garlic, honey, and cumin.
Pati’s Mexican Table: Turkey Day
Wednesday, November 26 at 2:30 pm on WTTW | Stream with Passport
Pati and her family celebrate Thanksgiving in the Jinich house. Pati cooks for and hosts the Jinich family traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all of the essentials – turkey, stuffing, veggies, the works – all with a Mexican twist, of course.
America’s Test Kitchen: Turkey Two Ways
Wednesday, November 26 at 3:00 pm on WTTW
Host Bridget Lancaster makes host Julia Collin Davison Turkey Thigh Confit with Citrus-Mustard Sauce. Tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Bridget and Julia to a tasting of cranberry sauce. Test cook Becky Hays makes Bridget the perfect Skillet Turkey Burgers.
Cook's Country: Friendsgiving Mains
Test cook Bryan Roof prepares Slow-Roasted Ducks with Blackberry Sauce for host Toni Tipton-Martin. Tasting expert Jack Bishop breaks down the best uses for different tinned fish. And test cook Lawman Johnson makes a rich Bean Bourguignon for host Julia Collin Davison.
America's Test Kitchen: New Thanksgiving Favorites
Test cook Lan Lam makes host Bridget Lancaster a crowd-pleasing Stuffed Spatchcock Turkey. Equipment expert Adam Ried reveals our top pick for slicing knives. And test cook Erin McMurrer makes host Julia Collin Davison a crisp Shaved Celery Salad with Pomegranate-Honey Vinaigrette.
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television: The Pies of Yelapa
Stream with Passport
Christopher Kimball takes a trip to Jalisco, Mexico to explore beach-side pies. Back in the kitchen, Chris and Milk Street cook Erika Bruce demonstrate three variations of these pies using a Hot Water Crust. From Yelapa-Style Sweet Corn Pie to Yelapa-Style Chocolate Pie and Coconut Macaroon Pie, this episode has a pie for everyone.
Steve Raichlen’s Project Smoke: Thanksgiving Comes Early
Stream for Free
Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to try these new twists on holiday favorites: whiskey-brined turkey smoked over maple wood; bacon-stuffed barbecued onions; smoky creamed corn; fiery jalapeno cranberry salsa; and a smoky bacon-apple crisp for dessert. No oven required! These recipes call for a ceramic smoker, upright barrel smoker, electric smoker, and stovetop smoker.
Jacques Pépin’s Thanksgiving Celebration
Stream with Passport
Get a peek at how one of the world's greatest French chefs prepares Thanksgiving dinner in his American home. It begins with Salmon Tartare and velvety Salmon Gravlax cured with cognac. Then, it's on to the main event: a Roasted Turkey with apple cider glaze and Bread-and-Mushroom Stuffing. Two autumn desserts complete the feast: a Chocolate-Bourbon-Prune Cake and Pears Poached in Citrus Juice.
Welcome to My Farm: An Old-Fashioned New England Thanksgiving
Stream with Passport
Lisa prepares a holiday meal for friends, but instead of turkey, she decides to highlight some traditional New England Thanksgiving recipes including spiced cranberry sauce, popovers, seafood chowder, and a sweet Indian pudding. And of course she shares some of the scraps and leftovers with her chickens so they can enjoy their own holiday feast.
Reactions: How to Fry a Thanksgiving Turkey without Burning Your House
Watch the Short Video Here
There's a lot of science that goes into cooking that bird. But before you whip out that deep fryer, you're going to want to watch this video. So, we’re bringing you the do’s and don’ts of turkey frying, all the better to help you not burn your house down this year.
