16 Festive Main Dishes That Are So Much Better Than Turkey

Recipe: Easiest Roast Turkey

Recipe: Fried Turkey (basically cheating)

Whole ducks are available at some supermarkets, and pretty much any butcher can order one for you if you call at least a week in advance. Duck meat is a little gamey without being funky, and the fatty skin keeps the meat from drying out. Also, unlike chicken and turkey, you don't have to cook a duck well-done (although this particular recipe does specify to cook to 165°F). Recipe here.

For anyone who shows up at every Thanksgiving dinner ever and just thinks, "Where's the beef?" Recipe here.

A capon is, by definition, a young rooster that has been castrated to improve the quality of its meat. They're a little smaller than the average turkey — 8 to 11 pounds, as opposed to turkeys, which are usually anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds — but still plenty if you're having 12 people or fewer for dinner. This recipe is heavy on the sage, because, 'tis the season. Recipe here.

This decadent but simple dish will go perfectly with all your favorite Thanksgiving sides. Recipe here.

Basically an enormous, autumnally-dressed piece of bacon that you're allowed to eat as a main. From Ottolenghi himself. The recipe serves 6 to 8 but can easily be scaled up if you buy a bigger piece of pork belly. Recipe here.

Lamb shanks literally fall off the bone when you cook 'em right. And, all that sauce is just begging to be sopped up into a pile of mashed potatoes. This recipe is for four shanks, so you'd probably have to double or triple it. Recipe here.

The truly great part about the "other white meat" is that it cooks so much faster. Which means more oven space for sides. Recipe here.

The truly magical part about this on is that EVERYONE GETS THEIR OWN HEN. Like, "Hi! Welcome to my Thanksgiving table. Here's a hen!" So freaking cool, you guys. Recipe here.

Alright, a crown roast is a little dated and very, well...Martha. But, it's maybe the most elaborately impressive centerpiece you can have on a holiday table. (Like I said, very Martha.) Recipe here.

Scoring the duck skin (making small slices in the skin but not cutting all the way through) helps the fat render out (basically, melt). This makes the skin crispy instead of soggy. Recipe here.

You're bound to ruffle some feathers if you serve a whole fish for Thanksgiving. But, a) a whole salmon looks awesome and serves twelve, and b) fish don't have feathers, silly! So it's basically a moot point. Recipe here.

Every season is breakfast season. Recipe here.

Asian-inspired aromatics like star anise and cloves make this an untraditional choice that maybe won't pair so well with mashed potatoes and stuffing. But, there are plenty of sweet potato and Brussels sprout recipes that would go great with this braised duck. Recipe here.

A cut worthy of thanks. Recipe here.

The recipe calls for shredding the meat into pulled pork after cooking, but a really sharp knife can cut it into impressive (if slightly messy) slices. Recipe here.