Yes, the entire Thanksgiving turkey was coated in crushed Cheetos.

Another year, the family tried Funyuns.

Blake later admitted he couldn’t remember whether Zuma or Apollo came up with that particular idea, although he surprisingly thought the result tasted fairly similar to a traditional turkey.

Then came a bacon-wrapped version after one of the boys spotted a photograph online.

By the time Blake appeared on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” in 2023, he explained that the kids often found unusual recipes on TikTok and elsewhere online.

His assessment of the Cheetos turkey was refreshingly simple.

“There’s really no point to it.”

Still, anyone adventurous enough to try something similar can easily create a snack-crusted turkey at home.

For a Funyuns-inspired version, the turkey can be brushed with butter or oil before being covered with finely crushed onion-flavored rings. A loose foil wrap helps contain the juices during roasting, while uncovering the turkey near the end allows the exterior to brown.

A Flamin’ Hot Cheetos version works similarly, except the bright red crumbs are pressed over the buttered bird before it is roasted, sometimes inside an oven bag.

After Blake’s snack-covered turkey experiments, Donna Kelce’s famous rolls may sound relatively traditional.

They aren’t.

Jason Kelce has spoken openly about how much he loves the sweet rolls his mother makes during the holidays.

During his appearance on Mythical Kitchen’s “Last Meal,” Jason explained that the meats and side dishes at the family table might change, but Donna’s rolls had become essential for him and his brother Travis.

“She made them one year, we love them so much, and my wife still gets upset because my mom will come over and this is like the only thing I want.”

Jason quickly tried to soften that statement by complimenting wife Kylie Kelce’s green bean casserole.

“She’ll make this beautiful green bean casserole, which is delicious, Kylie, I love that, but I mean that’s like the thing right there.”

So what makes Donna’s rolls so special?

Marshmallows.

A marshmallow is coated in melted butter and cinnamon sugar before being wrapped inside crescent dough.

As the roll bakes, the marshmallow melts, leaving behind a sweet, hollow center.

The idea is closely associated with the classic Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs recipe that won the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.

Some versions finish the warm rolls with a simple vanilla glaze and chopped nuts.

Kelly Ripa, meanwhile, has a very different approach to at least one Thanksgiving classic.

During a November 2025 episode of “Live With Kelly and Mark,” she joked about her family’s cranberry sauce tradition.

Her technique?

Open the can.

Slide the cranberry sauce out.

Then follow the ridges left by the can when slicing it.

Simple.

But Kelly’s other holiday dishes require considerably more effort.

In 2021, she and her son Michael Consuelos prepared Hasselback potatoes au gratin on “Live with Kelly and Ryan.”

Kelly described the dish as:

“It’s a creamy, cheesy potato that’s thinly sliced and crispy on top that my kids for years and years have begged me to make.”

The potatoes are sliced almost completely through so that they open like an accordion.

Parmesan, Gruyère, butter, thyme, and heavy cream transform them into a rich holiday side dish with crispy edges and a creamy center.

Her father, Joe Ripa, has his own Thanksgiving specialty involving meat or chicken simmered with garlic, bell peppers, hot peppers, oregano, mushrooms, and plenty of tomato sauce.

Then there is Kathy Hilton, whose Thanksgiving morning menu operates on an entirely different level.

In 2024, Kathy told People that she liked beginning Thanksgiving with her grandchildren while watching the parade.

And breakfast was not exactly modest.

“I make a special brunch, and I’ve got everything. I’ve got the eggs, scrambled eggs with caviar. I have pancakes, I have waffles, I have bacon.”

Scrambled eggs with caviar before Thanksgiving dinner certainly sets expectations high.

Kathy has also described serving baked russet potatoes with butter, sour cream, and generous portions of caviar.

For larger gatherings, she has served potato latkes with similar toppings.

And when Kathy says generous, she means it.

She has discussed purchasing several kilos of caviar for events involving roughly 200 guests, with enough left over for late-night snacks or breakfast the following morning.

A simpler version of her signature potato starts with a hot baked russet.

The potato is split open, loosened slightly with a fork, then topped with butter, chilled sour cream, and caviar.

The contrasting temperatures and textures turn an ordinary baked potato into something far more luxurious.

Mila Kunis has discovered that sometimes families are much less interested in upgrading a classic dish.

Speaking with Bon Appétit in 2017, Mila explained that her mother taught her to improvise in the kitchen and make use of whatever ingredients were available.

Her husband, Ashton Kutcher, even nicknamed her a “leftovers ninja.”

But Thanksgiving proved that creativity has limits.

Mila tried making green bean casserole with fresh beans and mushroom ragù.

Her family rejected the upgrade.

They wanted the familiar version made with canned green beans, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, and French’s fried onions.

Mila eventually surrendered.

“I got outvoted, so that’s the one thing that’s not from scratch.”

Sometimes tradition wins.

Another dish appearing at her family’s Thanksgiving table has been corn soufflé or corn casserole.

One popular version combines whole-kernel corn, cream-style corn, egg, butter, sour cream, and corn muffin mix before baking everything together until golden and softly set.

And while some families focus on experimenting with recipes, Kathie Lee Gifford has described Thanksgiving food as something much more emotional.

In 2025, she spoke about beginning her holiday cooking three days ahead.

Her menu was inspired heavily by dishes her late mother made every year, including stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and yam soufflé.

Kathie Lee joked that her mother had not started out as a particularly accomplished cook.

“She couldn’t boil water when she married my daddy when she was nineteen, but boy, her stuffing is unsurpassed.”

For Kathie Lee, preparing the same foods is about keeping family memories alive.

She planned to prepare food for both of her children’s families, even though she could not spend Thanksgiving Day with everyone at the same time.

She explained:

“That’s what I’m looking forward to just being with my loved ones and eating the food that my mother and their grandmother and great grandmother every single year made and blessed us with.”

Perhaps her most meaningful observation was the simplest.

“Most recipes will last long after I’m gone.”

That may be the best explanation for why Thanksgiving recipes matter so much.

Some families experiment with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Others insist the green bean casserole must taste exactly the way it did twenty years ago.

Some wrap marshmallows inside crescent dough.

Others put caviar on baked potatoes before the turkey even reaches the table.

The ingredients may be wildly different, but the reason people remember these dishes is usually the same.

They become connected to people.

A grandmother’s rolls.

A mother’s stuffing.

A father’s special recipe.

A dish the children demand every year.

And sometimes even a bright red turkey covered in crushed snack food becomes part of family history.

So this Thanksgiving, there may be room beside the traditional turkey and mashed potatoes for something a little unexpected.

Just remember: if you decide to cover the turkey in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, even Blake Shelton admits there may not actually be a point to it.