Thanksgiving: A time for family, friends and feasting! Joshua Murray couldn’t agree more, though as director of food and beverage at Conrad Washington, DC, he’s usually the one preparing the feast for his family and friends — and a hundred or so lucky hotel guests.

Says Murray, “I didn’t have a lot growing up, but I had amazing parents and a great family. The one thing I could always count on was the dinner table. We would have friends over and … the feeling of sharing, talking about life — good or bad — and being grateful was what it was all about.”

That warmth and gratitude is exactly what chef Murray hopes guests experience when they enjoy a meal on-property — especially for Thanksgiving. He says, “When [guests] dine with us on the holidays we want to invoke their memories [of past holidays] and create lasting new ones. With our open kitchen we want them to feel like they are part of our family here at Conrad.”

Whether you’re celebrating at home or in Estuary’s elegant dining room, a memorable side dish for any Thanksgiving table is the stuffing. Murray’s stuffing recipe combines flavorful ingredients like rich croissants, earthy mushrooms and a velvety cream and beef stock (though you can easily sub in vegetable stock!) mixture. Slivers of sage, thyme and parsley add a bright look and taste to this hearty stuffing recipe.

Oh, and a tip for home chefs charged with making Thanksgiving dinner: If you cook your stuffing inside the turkey, stuff the bird with it warm right before it goes in the oven. This helps get the internal temperature of the stuffing up quickly and ensures a moist bird.