Bacon

Epicurious asked chef Tom Colicchio for this recipe from 'Wichcraft, the sandwich shop in his growing collection of Craft restaurants. It's the perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey — and a good excuse to roast a turkey any time of year. To create those leftovers, try Tom Colicchio's Herb-Butter Turkey.

Chunks of bacon give this English classic newfound appeal.

If crawfish are hard to find, shrimp make a good stand-in.

This is the ultimate turkey sandwich.

Lewis Rossman of Half Moon Bay, California, writes: "I'm a chef, and Mediterranean is probably the best way to describe the kind of cooking I do at my restaurant, Cetrella. There's an emphasis on seafood, plus several dishes inspired by places I've visited like Provence and Catalonia. This is one of my favorite recipes from the menu. It also happens to be the thing I make at home all the time." Thinly sliced lemon — peel and all — gives this dish bright flavor. (No need to peel the lemon since roasting softens the rind.)

What to drink: Roberto Santibañez recommends a Petite Sirah (a full-bodied, peppery red wine varietal) from L.A. Cetto in Mexico's Guadelupe Valley. Or try the Guenoc Petite Sirah from California's North Coast.

Dallas chef Kent Rathbun created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. It makes an elegant first course for Thanksgiving dinner.

Don't be surprised if these spears prove even more popular than the classic mash—they brown up beautifully, and it's hard to resist the siren call of bacon.

These tiny birds, stuffed with creamy goat cheese, make fun yet elegant turkey stand-ins. Since the quail are small and there's not much meat on each one, plan on serving guests two to three per person, and encourage them to chew the meat off the bones rather than trying to cut it off with a knife and fork.

Hearty and full of flavor, these open-face egg sandwiches (large crostini) are even great for dinner.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Seduced by Bacon. To read more about the book, click here. These salmon fillets are a great main course when you want something special and don't have a lot of time. They are super-easy and quick to make as well as delicious. . . . There are some fine ready-made sauces, called Chinese barbecue sauce, in Asian markets and even on supermarket shelves.

Bacon and scallops always pair beautifully, but it's the mixture of sugar and spice that transforms these easy-to-make hors d'oeuvres.

Garlic and raisins blend beautifully in a dish that's a welcome substitute for the basic broccoli-and-butter side.

Lentilles du Puy are lighter than other lentils and hold their shape especially well during cooking.