Food

Chef reinvents 'GMA' anchors' favorite Thanksgiving recipes

A gourmet ingredient to elevate mashed potatoes and more.

November 25, 2024, 7:50 AM

As "Good Morning America" gets ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, our anchors shared some of their favorite foods for celebrity chef Robert Irvine to reinvent recipes with a fresh spin.

Chef Robert Irvine during Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Invesco QQQ at Hall Des Lumieres on Oct.19, 2024 in New York City.
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, FILE

Check out their top holiday dishes and Irvine's full recipes below.

I recreated my mom's stuffing to have a taste of home this Thanksgiving: Here's how it turned out

Robin Roberts: Canned jellied cranberry sauce

"To take canned jellied cranberry sauce up a notch, we have lifted up and brightened its flavor with the addition of orange marmalade and apple cider vinegar," Irvine said.

Cranberry Orange Compote

Yield: 6 portions

Ingredients
14-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup prepared orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and serve.

George Stephanopoulos: Mashed potatoes

"Mashed potatoes are supposed to be indulgent, and the addition of crème fraiche makes the texture smooth and rich, while the addition of sautéed garlic adds a depth of flavor," he explained of the upgraded dish.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Crème Fraîche

Yield: 8 family style portions

Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon potatoes, peeled
Salted water, as needed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and diced
1/2 cup crème fraîche
3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic, sauteed with butter in advance
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Dash ground white pepper

Directions
Boil the peeled potatoes in the salted until tender, around 15 to 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the heavy cream in a separate saucepot.
Drain the cooked potatoes, and place them back into the pot they were cooked in and add the heated heavy cream and the rest of the ingredients.
Using a hand mixer on medium high speed, whip the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and serve.

Lara Spencer: Pumpkin cheesecake

"Using ricotta in this recipe not only makes the texture more creamy, the cake itself is more delicate and less heavy than some traditional cheesecakes, so you can feel a little less guilty about indulging at the end of this big meal. You can have your cake and eat it, too!" Irvine said.

Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake

Yield: 6 to 8 portions

Ingredients
Unsalted butter, as needed (for greasing the pan)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla seed, removed from pod
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)
Dash of kosher salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Prep an 8-inch springform pan by greasing the sides and bottom with butter and sprinkling with sugar to coat inside evenly, discarding any excess.
In a large bowl, blend ricotta and pumpkin puree until smooth, then whisk in sugar and flour.
Add eggs, whisking in one at a time. Then add vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, Grand Marnier and salt.
Once mixed, pour batter into pan.
Bake for 75 minutes or until set (firm, not jiggly). Once baked to a golden brown, remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes before refrigerating.

Ginger Zee: Cranberry muffins

"These muffins take a holiday favorite to the next level by adding more of the flavors of the season," Irvine said. "Ginger adds a welcome warmth and beautifully compliments the tart cranberries, while molasses adds richness but also moistness to the muffin."

Cranberry Gingerbread Muffins

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup frozen cranberries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners (or butter and flour to prevent sticking). Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sour cream, molasses, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Fold the cranberries into the batter. The batter will be thick.
Divide the muffin batter among the paper-lined muffin pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Rebecca Jarvis: Pecan pie

"A great way to elevate a pecan pie for the holiday is by topping it with a delicious whipped cream that will not break!" Irvine said. "This take on whipped cream incorporates the more savory flavors of fresh cracked black pepper and fresh sage, and these herbaceous notes perfectly complement the sweetness of the pie."

Pecan Pie with Cracked Pepper-Sage Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Yield: 6 to 8 family style portions

Ingredients
1 large prepared pecan pie
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh coarse-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced

Editor’s Picks

These pecan pie bars are a perfect friendsgiving or Thanksgiving treat

Recipes to fill your Thanksgiving dessert table

Tips to make Friendsgiving dishes ahead, transport with ease and reheat when ready

Directions
Place the heavy whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, fresh coarse-ground black pepper, and the minced fresh sage into a chilled stainless steel mixing bowl, and whip the mixture together on medium-high speed with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft peaks form.
Serve right away with the pecan pie or refrigerate for later use.

GMA Kitchen Picks

By clicking on these shopping links, visitors will leave Goodmorningamerica.com. These e-commerce sites are operated under different terms and privacy policies than Goodmorningamerica.com. ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.