Alton Brown’s Thanksgiving Hot Takes May Shock You

Alton Brown has a culinary career that spans decades. It includes successful Food Network shows like Good Eats and Iron Chef America, best-selling cookbooks and multiple nationwide tours. But coming up is Brown’s newest book, Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations as well as his final food science tour, Alton Brown Live: Last Bite, which will run from February 2025 through May.

“I don’t like the whole ‘farewell’ vibe, but I always promised myself that four tours would do it and I plan on sticking to that,” Brown tells EatingWell. “There’s going to be more personal material on this tour and a bit more science. As always, the second act demo will be large and unusual. In fact, it’s the biggest thing we made, and we’ll be making a food that pretty much every human in America adores. Oh, and there are puppets, which is always a good thing.”

Before he prepares to set forth on the road, we chatted with Brown all about food’s favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. While he admits that he’s “careful” with what he eats while on tour, Thanksgiving is a feast worth overeating. From his favorite dessert, sides and holiday hot takes, here’s what to know about Brown’s Thanksgiving dinner spread.

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving dish and a go-to way to prepare it?

I’m known for my turkeys and every year I spatchcock one, salt it, let it sit in the fridge for a few days to dry (the secret to crisp skin), then roast it hot and fast. If I do just one thing, it’s that.

Is there anything on the table that you like to change a bit from the traditional way with a special ingredient or prep style?

I’m a traditionalist so I try to just scratch those itches, though I am very picky about my gravy, which contains cognac and is always kept in a thermos…the gravy, not the cognac. 

What vegetable side is Thanksgiving not complete without?

Cranberry sauce. 

Canned cranberry sauce or homemade?

Homemade. Always. I love my recipe because it’s super simple and very tart. 

Are you pro- serving snacks for grazing before the meal, or against it?

I personally think the whole meal should be grazed. I don’t like the whole load-your-plate-then-sit-and-gorge thing. As for snacks, I like hot dips and usually do my hot artichoke dip. That and maybe some spiced pecans. We live in Georgia, so we have access to the good stuff. 

Best pie to serve on Thanksgiving?

Pecan, followed by sweet potato, which is really better than pumpkin. 

Any Thanksgiving dish that you’re not a fan of?

Stuffing. I just…no. 

For first-time hosts, do you have any tips for keeping the gathering simple and as stress-free as possible?

Spread out the duties. Just make one or two dishes and let people bring the rest. That allows everyone to share the labor as well as the joy. Also, make a medium-boozy punch. Oh, and allow no political conversations whatsoever; nothing ruins the day quicker. Oh, and one other thing: do not baste the bird, as it just slows things down.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.