Giada De Laurentiis Uses This 1 Ingredient to ‘Save’ Almost Any Thanksgiving Dish

Giada De Laurentiis is the Italian darling of the Food Network. The star adores sharing her home-cooked meals and recipes with fans, and she’s shared plenty of holiday cooking tips over the years, too.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, De Laurentiis doesn’t mess around. She knows the special day is centered around the feast, and she recommends one specific ingredient to make sure making the meal goes smoothly. Here’s what she said.

Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network answered fans’ burning Thanksgiving questions

For Food Network fans planning on cooking up their Thanksgiving Day feast, De Laurentiis has always been there to help support from afar. Back in November 2019, she took to YouTube to answer fans’ burning questions about making the big meal.

During the Q&A, De Laurentiis received a number of questions ranging from how to create the best sides to how to keep the turkey moist. She noted sometimes she doesn’t go the traditional turkey route. Instead, she makes her turkey braciole. “I stuff it with cheese and herbs and breadcrumbs,” she explained. “I roll it up like a little jelly roll, and then I cook it for a couple of hours in tomato sauce.”

De Laurentiis also received a number of questions regarding one of the mots important sides — potatoes. She explained she thinks russet potatoes are her favorite for mashing. “The only reason for loving the russets is that is it foolproof,” she added. “They are nice and starchy and dry.” And when it comes to runny mashed potatoes, De Laurentiis recommends baking them again in the oven with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

She thinks you should have this 1 ingredient to ‘save’ any holiday dish

While herbs, spices, butter, and patience are all required for creating the perfect Thanksgiving feast, De Laurentiis still has one ingredient she can’t live without. It’s the one thing that can save potatoes, gravy, stuffing, or turkey in a bind. And it’s chicken broth.

“Have plenty of chicken broth on hand. It works miracles!” De Laurentiis said, according to Refinery29. “Use it to make the gravy, loosen mashed potatoes that have become too stiff, or to moisten the stuffing as it bakes in a casserole. If you keep a quart of chicken broth hot on the back of your stove as you assemble the meal, you can save almost anything.”

Aside from extra stock, De Laurentiis also recommends asking for help if needed. “I’ve found that just about everybody has something they do well, so let them show off their pie-baking or green-bean-casserole-making skills by contributing to the dinner,” she added. “Just be sure to coordinate the menu so you don’t end up with five pumpkin pies.”

De Laurentiis recommends skipping this altogether on Thanksgiving

While De Laurentiis says yes to extra chicken stock, Refinery29 notes she believes you should be extra careful with your table setting situation. Any setting that includes tall centerpieces will impede on guests’ ability to connect with one another while eating. And any scented candles will also throw everything off, as guests should be smelling the delicious aromas of the feast.

“No scented candle,” De Laurentiis said. “One of the great pleasures of Thanksgiving is when people smell the wonderful aromas of the meal as they walk in.”

We’re sure De Laurentiis will answer fans’ burning questions in 2020 just as she did in 2019. It looks like we’ll all be prepared to create a fantastic meal!

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