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THREE CHEFS, THREE TRADITIONS: HOW FAMILY, FOOD & GRATITUDE SHAPE THEIR THANKSGIVING TABLES

ByCarpenter, Jenna

Thanksgiving is a holiday shaped by food, memory, and the simple joy of gathering. It’s a holiday rooted in the kitchen starring the recipes we grew up with, the people who taught us to cook, and the traditions that shape who we are. For many of our the FLIK Independent School Dining chefs, food isn’t just nourishment; it’s a way of honoring family, preserving memories, and creating new ones with the next generation.

This season, we’re spotlighting three FLIK Independent School Dining chefs whose most cherished holiday dishes carry deep roots and meaningful stories. From well-worn family recipes to creative takes on classic flavors, each dish reminds us that food is one of the most powerful storytellers we have.

A Lifetime at His Mother’s Side

For Chef Adam White, Regional Chef, holiday cooking began long before he was tall enough to see over the countertop. The kitchen was where he learned not only the basics of cooking, but also the joy of helping.

His mother worked tirelessly through the holidays, and young Adam saw cooking as a way to lighten her load—and to be part of the magic happening on the stovetop.

I loved the smells in the kitchen and of course the eating, but more than anything, I just wanted to help my mother. She worked so hard.

Adam White

The centerpiece of those memories is a dish once known simply as Mom’s Stuffing. Adapted from a James Beard recipe and lovingly tweaked over time, it became the heart of the White family Thanksgiving table. Now, after years of refinement and new additions, the recipe has been renamed Pop’s Stuffing and passed down once again—this time to Adam’s daughter, Sarianne.

It’s more than stuffing. It’s a legacy.

A recipe shaped by three generations, carried by the aromas of onions, herbs, and nostalgia.

Pop’s Stuffing

Pop’s Stuffing

Ingredients

  • 3 large onions, diced (¾ inch)
  • 1 head celery, diced (¾ inch)
  • 8 to 15 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2 to 3 eggplants, diced (¾ inch)
  • 2 lbs butter
  • 2 lbs dried apricots, diced (½ inch)
  • 3 bunches sage, finely chopped
  • 4 lbs Jimmy Dean sage sausage
  • 2 large bags Pepperidge Farm classic cubed stuffing (or toasted brioche or sourdough)
  • 2 to 3 qts chicken stock
  • 1 small bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 lbs frozen Italian chestnuts
  • Optional: 1 cup dried currants; 1 cup diced dates

Instructions

  1. Cook sausage in a large sauté pan, breaking it into small pieces. Transfer sausage to a bowl and strain the fat, reserving it.
  2. Add half the reserved fat and half a pound of butter to the pan and sauté onions, celery, and garlic.
  3. Toss eggplant with the remaining fat and roast at 375°F until golden.
  4. Combine sausage, vegetables, herbs, roasted eggplant, chestnuts, and apricots.
  5. Melt the remaining butter. Mix everything with stuffing mix in a large bowl and moisten with butter and chicken stock.
  6. Transfer to one large or several small roasting pans. Dot the top with small pieces of butter.
  7. Bake at 350°F until golden brown and heated to at least 150°F.
  8. If roasting a turkey, baste the stuffing with turkey drippings for added richness.

Bridging German Roots with American Traditions

For Chef Sebastian Muenkwitz, District Chef, the holidays blend two cultures, two celebrations, and two chapters of his life. He grew up in Germany, celebrating Erntedankfest, a harvest festival steeped in gratitude and hearty seasonal dishes. “It wasn’t about turkey or cranberry sauce; it was about celebrating what the land gave us that year,” he recalls.

Spaetzle—pillowy, hand-pressed German noodles—was always at the center of the feast.

My mom and I made spaetzle together every year. The kitchen was warm and loud and messy, and she always said you could measure love by the flour on the floor.

Sebastian Muenkwitz

His mom cooked them with joyful chaos: flour on the counters, eggs rolling away, the two of them laughing as dough splashed into boiling water. The scent of nutmeg and melted butter filled the kitchen, and stealing a few early bites became their unofficial tradition.

Years later, Sebastian found a way to connect past and present. He created Sweet Potato Spaetzle with Brown Butter and Sage—a dish that softens the lines between his German heritage and his American life. Today, he makes spaetzle with his own daughters, who wait eagerly by the stove for the first pieces to float—a mirror of his childhood moments.

Sweet Potato Spaetzle with Brown Butter and Sage

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ cups mashed roasted sweet potato
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 20 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Optional: ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  1. Mix eggs, egg yolks, milk, and sweet potato. Add flour, salt, and nutmeg to form a thick batter.
  2. Press the batter through a spaetzle maker into simmering salted water. Cook until pieces float, about 2 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to chill.
  3. Brown butter with sage until aromatic and nutty. Toss chilled spaetzle in the browned butter and finish with salt and lemon juice.
  4. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

Turning Leftovers Into Something Worth Celebrating

While many people love Thanksgiving dinner, few get excited about the leftovers. Chef Tom Sharkis, Executive Chef at St. Luke’s School, set out to change that.

Hosting Thanksgiving every year means his fridge is inevitably packed once the holiday wraps. But instead of repeating the same turkey-and-stuffing reheats, he created a new family favorite: Turkey, Cranberry & Stuffing Meatballs—Thanksgiving 2.0.

“My family and I usually get bored of Thanksgiving repeat, so with the holiday leftovers I am able to turn boring leftovers into a great meal that everyone looks forward to every year.”

Made from ground turkey, sage, cranberry sauce, eggs, and leftover stuffing, these meatballs show how creativity and sustainability can go hand-in-hand. They breathe new life into classic ingredients and turn leftovers into a celebration of their own. After they’re browned in a pan and simmered in reheated turkey gravy, they transform into a dish that feels both familiar and completely new.

Served with mashed or sweet potato sides, Chef Tom’s Thanksgiving 2.0 Meatballs have become a tradition in their own right—one that celebrates creativity, family, and sustainable cooking.

Thanksgiving 2.0 Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 4 oz cranberry sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 8 oz leftover stuffing
  • 2 tbsp chopped sage
  • 4 cups turkey gravy (reserved for cooking)

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients and form into meatballs.
  2. Sear the meatballs in a sauté pan until golden brown.
  3. Transfer to a baking dish, pour turkey gravy over the top, and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Serve with leftover mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes and your favorite Thanksgiving sides.

Traditions That Nourish More Than the Plate

The stories and recipes from Adam, Tom, and Sebastian remind us why Thanksgiving is so important. It is a day shaped by family, rooted in tradition, enriched by culture, and elevated by creativity. It is also an opportunity to cook mindfully and bring people together with food that feels personal.

Whether it’s a recipe handed down through generations, a fusion of cultures, or a clever reinvention of leftovers, each dish shared by our chefs reflects what makes the holidays special: family, memory, and gratitude.

At FLIK Independent School Dining, we believe food is a powerful connector. These stories remind us that every chef brings not just skill, but heart, to every kitchen, every school, every meal.

From our FLIK family to yours, we wish you a season filled with warmth, tradition, and unforgettable flavors.

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