Poultry

A mixture of cottage cheese, lowfat yogurt and lemon juice replaces the sour cream in the traditional version of this dish. Ground turkey makes an especially good choice for those watching their cholesterol intake.

Bacon was a staple meat for the pioneers. (They stored it in bags surrounded by bran for insulation.) As a result, the cured meat has found its way into a variety of heartland dishes. This all-American bird embellished with sage and bacon is a good example. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Have the butcher bone the turkey, providing two boned breasts and two boned leg-thigh pieces. Each should weigh about 1 1/2 pounds. Save the bones for turkey stock.

In this recipe, the oven does the frying, eliminating most of the fat, and all of the messy splatter of traditional pan-frying. This quick and easy supper will be a sure family favorite, especially if you serve it with steamed green beans, sliced tomatoes, and biscuits.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The popular North African chili paste known as harissa is featured in a braised-chicken dish from Laura Dewell, chef-owner of Pirosmani restaurant in Seattle.

These chicken wings need to marinate for at least 8 hours — we recommend putting them in the refrigerator before you go to bed so they'll be ready for roasting the next day. The deep, almost beeflike flavor of these wings comes from the red wine in the marinade; both the wings and the mayonnaise get a boost from the Spanish smoked paprika.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Saltines and a salad of romaine, spinach and red bell peppers tossed with vinaigrette are all that’s needed to complete the entrée. Boston cream pie is just right for dessert.

The crostini — toasted baguette slices topped with tomatoes and Parmesan — are a delicious accompaniment to the simple chick. Uncork a bottle of sparkling wine for a special touch.

Everyone wants the juiciest turkey possible for Thanksgiving, and we find that brined or kosher turkeys are best for this. If you'd like to try brining, stir together 8 quarts water with 2 cups kosher salt in a 5-gallon bucket lined with a large heavy-duty plastic garbage bag, then soak raw turkey, covered and chilled, 10 hours. (Kosher turkeys, which are salted during the koshering process, are just as succulent and flavorful as brined ones.) If you are making this entire menu in a single oven, bake the stuffing and sweet potatoes and reheat the potato parsnip purée while the turkey stands after roasting.

Fans of Buffalo wings will understand why we suggest serving these chicken cutlets with Crunchy Iceberg and Watercress Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing . Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

A sprinkling of cinnamon brings even more depth of flavor to the caramelized onions that garnish this exotic dish.

A 3 1/2-pound chicken works well, too, in this dish from Syracuse.

From Daniel Boulud and Alex Lee, the former executive chef at Daniel in New York.

Roasted green chilies add spice to this do-ahead dish, which happens to be a great way to use up leftover chicken.