The Cook’s Country Team Has Some Controversial Thanksgiving Opinions

Dinner rolls are the choice for Eden Faithfull, the fluffier the better for soaking up all that gravy. 

Biscuits are the go-to for Senior Photographer Steve Klise. In his words, “Butter. Full stop. Let’s go.”

Matthew Fairman says, “Neither. There’s no room for bread on Thanksgiving unless the bread is in my dressing. I’m not eating rolls, not filling up on carbs. I need all the real estate on my plate for other things (but I could make space for bread pudding).”

Lawman Johnson is firm that “dressing goes on a salad; it’s stuffing.” 

Matthew says “It’s obviously dressing; we’re not stuffing it in anything. That’s a recipe for overcooked turkey and for steamy, probably un-food-safe stuffing.”

Bryan Roof says this is one of the easiest questions he’s been asked all year: “Cornbread, of course.”

Matthew is Team Cornbread, especially when some oysters are thrown in there.

Morgan Bolling admits that even though she grew up in the South she is all about white bread as the base of her stuffing. It’s a blank canvas and she thinks cornbread can be too sweet and crumbly. 

Eden is Team Dark Meat, stating “The fattier, the more flavorful, the better.”

“Why do I have to choose?” is the response from Matthew. “Let me say this . . . most people are overcooking their turkeys . . .” He goes on to state that when white meat is cooked well, it’s delicious, especially when injected with butter as in his fried turkey recipe.

Bryan has one of the hottest takes of them all: “How about no turkey please? I prefer duck at Thanksgiving.” He is known around the test kitchen for smoking upward of eight ducks each Thanksgiving. 

Amanda Luchtel says she loves the canned stuff. Her grandma used to make a Jell-O version with canned cranberry sauce and that was next-level spread on a dinner roll.

Matthew also says jellied, saying it’s important—but not important enough—to make homemade (though guests are welcome to bring homemade so long as they know he will also have jellied sitting on the table).

Bryan is adamant that there’s no cranberry sauce on his table. He makes chimichurri sauce to go with smoked ducks, stating it’s “the way Thanksgiving is meant to be.”

Amanda is diplomatic. Her choices depend on the pie. “Pumpkin gets whipped cream for sure. Pecan, ice cream, and apple, ice cream.”

Bryan is Team Whipped Cream—if he even has pie—saying ice cream changes the nature of the dessert. But when pressed further, he said he might not even serve dessert. “I may just have cheese.” 

Ice cream is the choice for Nicole Konstantinakos. She is all about that cold ice cream on the warm pie.