10 Days of Thanksgiving: Breads + Rolls

Buttermilk Ham + Cheese Biscuits
Photo: FoodandWine.com

Between the mashed potatoes, stuffings, rich gratins, gravy and desserts, breads can easily go forgotten as a Thanksgiving side dish. But there's something wonderful about a warm, steaming crescent roll, a flaky biscuit topped with melting butter, or a slice of slightly sweet zucchini bread studded with walnuts.

Make no mistake, bread is a means to an end on Thanksgiving. It's a vehicle to sop up gravy, cranberry sauce and, perhaps most importantly, serve as the bookends for an incredible next-day leftover sandwich (arguably the best part about Thanksgiving). Personally, I'm making the Buttermilk Ham + Cheese Biscuits (recipe below), filled with tiny bits of diced ham and nutty Gruyere cheese. If the photo to the right is any evidence, the day-after obligatory sandwich will be just as good as the day-of fixin's.

1. Cornbread with Bacon Crust
Crumbled bacon makes an irresistible top crust on this slightly sweet cornbread.

2. Buttermilk Ham + Cheese Biscuits
Food and Wine recipe writer Lee Hefter gets so caught up in cooking Thanksgiving dinner that he hardly has time to eat it. He has a turkey-and-stuffing sandwich on these biscuits while he's cleaning up.

3. Spiced Zucchini + Walnut Bread
Sabrina Henderson of Gardena, California, writes: "After 17 years of making dinner for my family, I don't cook as much as I used to. These days what I really enjoy doing is baking. Not only is it more leisurely, but people enjoy the results so much. About twice a month my husband takes some of my homemade cookies to his colleagues who always ask when I'm going to send something their way. The staff in the doctor's office where I work will often ask me the same thing. My zucchini bread is a special favorite. I joke with people and tell them I'll bring it in, but only if they behave."- Bon Appetit

Raised Pumpkin Bread with
 Pumpkin-Pecan-Cranberry Swirl
Photo: FoodandWine.com

4. Mom's Crescent Rolls
These rolls have been a staple at blogger Tasty Kitchen's family Thanksgiving table for years. They're promised to be light and delicious.

5. Raised Pumpkin Bread with a Pumpkin-Pecan-Cranberry Swirl
The festive twist on cinnamon-swirl bread makes this loaf special enough for a holiday brunch, but don't limit yourself. A toasted, buttered slice can warm up any chilly morning.