Happy Thanksgiving - Our Favorite Holiday Recipes
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! We hope that you have wonderful experiences with family and friends this holiday and eat so much delicious food. We also hope that you show off your amazing screened porches this holiday season and have dozens of memorable moments there with the ones closest to you.
While many of you probably already have numerous dishes that have been passed down from generation to generation in your family, we wanted to provide you with some equally delectable recipes for today’s feast. Plus, who says Thanksgiving food is only for Thanksgiving?! Read on for our favorite holiday recipes.
Turkey
https://www.dimitrasdishes.com/easy-roast-turkey-gravy-foolproof-recipe/
Main Ingredients:
1 (10-12-pound turkey), rinsed and patted dry
2 onions, peeled and quartered
3 carrots, peeled and washed
3 celery ribs, washed and dried
6-8 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups low- sodium chicken broth
Herbed butter:
6 ounces salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon dried crushed oregano
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
Turkey Cavity:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 head garlic or 12 garlic cloves
Small bunch fresh oregano or thyme
Small bunch fresh sage
Gravy:
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ -1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pan juices
2-3 cups chicken stock (enough to equal 4 cups liquid w/the pan juices)
Directions:
Turkey Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Remove the neck and giblets from the inside cavity of the turkey. Wash the turkey inside and out with cold water and dry well with paper towels. Set it in a try with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Use your fingers or a spoon to carefully separate the skin from the turkey breast to create a pocket for the marinade.
Place the onions, carrots, celery and 8 garlic cloves on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and pour 2 cups of chicken stock over the vegetables.
Place the turkey on top of the bed of vegetables.
Season the turkey cavity with salt, red pepper flakes, and cumin powder. Stuff with garlic cloves, oregano, and sage.
Combine all of the herbed butter ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.
Rub the turkey all around with the herbed butter especially under the skin. Season the exterior liberally with salt and some pepper and a tablespoon of dried crushed oregano.
Cross the legs together and tie them with butcher’s twine and tuck the wings under the bird.
Tent the turkey loosely first with parchment paper then topped with aluminum foil. Roast covered for 2.5 hours.
Remove the foil and parchment paper and insert a thermometer between the leg and thigh and roast another 1.5 - 2 hours or until the temperature registers 165°F. Raise the oven temperature to 350°F for the last 45 minutes of roasting to get the skin golden and crisp.
Baste with the pan juices every 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving, to retain all of its juices.
Gravy Instructions:
Pour the pan juices through a strainer. The vegetables can be served alongside the turkey or frozen for later use. Place the pan juices into a gravy separator or place in a bowl in the refrigerator/freezer. The fat will rise to the top and can be easily removed. Combine the pan juices (without the fat) in a pitcher or bowl and add enough chicken stock to equal 4 cups total.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add flour while whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the liquids into the pot and whisk well to combine. Season with some salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and simmer until thickened. Check the seasoning. Transfer to a gravy boat and serve alongside the turkey.
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Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
4 cups sugar
4 cups water
8 cups fresh cranberries
1 cinnamon stick, optional
1 tbsp orange zest, optional
Directions:
Bring water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add cranberries and cook them in the sugar syrup until they pop open. If making jellied cranberry sauce, turn off the heat and allow it to cool slightly before blending with an immersion blender. Skip this step for whole berry sauce.
Add in the cinnamon stick and simmer the cranberry sauce for about 15 minutes, until it begins to thicken and sheets off the back of a metal spoon. Add the orange zest (if using) in the last few minutes of cooking.
Ladle the cranberry sauce mixture into canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and seal with 2 part canning lids.
Either store in the refrigerator for immediate use, or process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.
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Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato Ingredients:
3 pounds sweet potatoes cleaned (about 3-4 sweet potatoes)
4 Tablespoons butter melted
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
6 Tablespoons butter melted
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans (optional)
2 cups miniature marshmallows (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with the tines of a fork, then place them on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft. Larger sweet potatoes may take longer to cook.
Let the sweet potatoes cool enough to easily handle them, then scoop out the insides into a large bowl (if using roasted sweet potatoes). Add the butter, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mash with a potato masher or beat using a hand mixer until smooth. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to it and smooth them out evenly using a rubber spatula.
In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and chopped pecans. Mix them together with a fork, then sprinkle over the top of the mashed sweet potatoes.
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake the sweet potato casserole for 25-30 minutes, until heated all the way through and the topping begins to brown.
Remove the sweet potato casserole from the oven and sprinkle with the marshmallows. Set the oven to broil, then return the casserole to the oven and cook just long enough for the marshmallows to toast on top. Watch carefully as this can happen very quickly.
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Green Bean Casserole
https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/classic-green-bean-casserole/
Ingredients:
4 cups green beans
10.5 oz can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or white cheddar cheese)
1 1/2 cups crispy fried onions, divided
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
If using fresh green beans, trim the ends and put in a microwave safe bowl with about two tablespoons of water. Cover loosely with clear wrap and microwave for 5-7 minutes, or until they begin to get tender. Keep in mind that they’ll continue to cook in the oven. When done, cover the green beans in cold water to keep them from cooking more.
If using frozen green beans, microwave until thawed, then drain them.
If using canned green beans, drain them.
In a large bowl, combine the green beans, soup, milk, pepper, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, cheddar cheese and 1 cup of crispy fried onions.
Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2 quart dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Top the casserole with the remaining crispy fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes:
Can use canned fresh or frozen green beans. If using canned, you’ll need two 14.5 oz cans. If using frozen, a 16 oz bag of green beans is about 5 cups.
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Pumpkin Pie
Crust Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
4 tablespoons ice-cold water
Filling Ingredients:
15 ounce can (1 ¾ cups) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), or use homemade pumpkin puree
3 eggs
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup whole milk
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Crust Instructions
Place flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. (Alternatively, the pie dough may be made by hand in a large bowl using a pastry cutter to blend in the butter and a fork to bring the dough together.)
Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the largest pieces of butter are the size of small peas, about 8 pulses. Add the ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together, adding more water by the teaspoonful as needed.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and form into a round disk. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer dough round to a 9-inch pie dish that is 2 inches deep by wrapping it part way around the rolling pin. Trim the dough edges as needed around the pie plate and then fold edges under. Use your fingers to crimp the edges of the pie crust as desired. Place pie crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
Pie Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add the cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes. Halfway through baking, check on the pie and loosely tent the pie with foil or use pie protectors as needed to prevent over-browning of the crust. The pie is done when the center jiggles just a bit when you wiggle the pan. The pie will continue to set up as it cools.
Cool pie on a wire rack for at least 3 hours and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for a few hours or overnight before serving. The pie flavor will develop overnight and it will taste even better on the second day. Store pumpkin pie in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
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Tag us and let us know what you’re thankful for this holiday season!
And, if you try one of these recipes, let us know how it turns out.
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