A White House Thanksgiving: Release Date, Recipes, And More - What We Know So Far
Maybe this Thanksgiving, Americans can agree to come together in unity and celebration, despite the political differences that divide them. If that one uncle wants to wear his MAGA hat to the turkey-day family gathering, just let him. Once the meal is done, the whole family, Democrats and Republicans alike, can sit in front of the TV and tune in to "A White House Thanksgiving" with first lady Dr. Jill Biden on Discovery+ and Food Network (via FN Dish).
Can this be the uniting television event America needs right now? President Joe Biden did get 51.3% of the popular vote in the 2020 election, according to NBC News, and most people, anyhow, believe he is the nation's legitimate president (not most Republicans, however, per Newsweek).
As television viewers anticipate the premiere of "A White House Thanksgiving," Joe Biden faces his worst approval numbers ever as president, according to Reuters. So who knows how successful Food Network will be with this holiday special? Then again, the show isn't really about the president. The players who get billing in "A White House Thanksgiving" are all women, which seems totally appropriate. Men in the White House haven't been all that popular in recent years.
What is the release date for A White House Thanksgiving?
The holiday special "A White House Thanksgiving" will premiere on the same day on both Food Network and its partner streaming service Discovery+, according to FN Dish. The show first airs on the basic cable network at noon Eastern and Pacific time on Saturday, November 20. The show launches on Discovery+ the same day and, of course, will be available to the streamer's subscribers any time, on demand. Food Network has not released a schedule for later airings of "A White House Thanksgiving" on its channel, after the noon November 20 premiere.
If you have Discovery+, then you most certainly have the option of tuning away from the usual Thursday football games and turning on "A White House Thanksgiving" for a different sort of TV event on the holiday. Who knows? Maybe it can be a family-bonding experience. As Jill Biden's special guest on the show said (don't go away! — more about her later), "I hope this special is a reminder to all of us about what we all have in common. Love one another."
Who will appear on Food Network's White House Thanksgiving special?
Who, exactly, is imploring Food Network and Discovery+ viewers to focus on love this holiday season? Jill Biden's special guest on "A White House Thanksgiving" is country singer Trisha Yearwood, according to FN Dish. Food Network didn't need to search very far to find Biden's guest, either. Yearwood has hosted "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" on the network since 2012, per IMDb. Nor is Yearwood out of her depth hobnobbing with presidents' wives. She helped introduce Michelle Obama to the stage when the former first lady's book tour stopped in Nashville, according to the Tennessean. And Yearwood's husband, a country singer you may have heard of named Garth Brooks, sang during Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, at Jill Biden's request (via The New York Times).
A trio of female White House staff members will join Jill Biden and Yearwood on "A White House Thanksgiving." Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will prepare Thanksgiving dinner's main event, and Executive Pastry Chef Susan Morrison has a dessert in store that the president is sure to love. A White House Thanksgiving party needs the right atmosphere, and that will come together under White House Chief Floral Designer Hedieh Ghaffarian.
The Bidens may be new to the White House, but their executive chef is not. Comerford was hired by George W.'s wife Laura Bush in 2005 as the first female and first Asian executive chef ever at the White House, and she's been there ever since, according to Elysian.
What recipes will be featured on A White House Thanksgiving?
The women of the White House and guest Trisha Yearwood will show America exactly how turkey-day dinner is done on the Food Network and Discovery+ special "A White House Thanksgiving." Chef Cristeta Comerford will prepare a thyme roasted turkey, per FN Dish – a smart choice to stick to tradition, as some Republicans (and Democrats in the poultry states) may not be ready yet for Tofurky. For dessert, pastry chef Susan Morrison will break out the White House's apple crisp recipe. The crisp will be topped with chocolate chip ice cream because it's Joe Biden's favorite flavor. (Maybe the presidential kitchen has some Jeni's White House Chocolate Chip left over from the inauguration, per People.) Yearwood has a good cooking game, too, as she has proven over the years on "Trisha's Southern Kitchen." She's making the turkey gravy, while Jill Biden prepares her grandmother's savory stuffing recipe.
It all promises to be wholesome, nonpartisan fun, and viewers may learn a good Thanksgiving meal tip along the way. Dr. Jill Biden may have a doctorate in education, but she's learning with the rest of us in the kitchen. "I hope everyone watching comes away feeling that cooking a Thanksgiving meal is something anyone can do," she said in the FN Dish press release, "but if you're still nervous about making the gravy, like I am, you're in good company!"