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Unless you have access to multiple ovens, only a very large turkey will do when you've got a crowd coming to dinner. But finding a container large enough to brine a gargantuan bird can be tricky, and turning the bird in the oven (our usual method for evenly cooked meat) can be tricky.
We wanted the Norman Rockwell picture of perfection: a crisp, mahogany skin wrapped around tender, moist meat. And it had to be easy to prepare in a real home kitchen. We chose a Butterball turkey, which has already been brined for juicy flavor (a kosher bird, which has been salted, works well, too).
A combination of high and low heat produced a tender, juicy bird with deeply browned skin. We boosted the savory flavor with the addition of onion, carrot, and celery, and a quartered lemon added bright, clean flavor.
After roasting, we allowed the turkey to rest so the juices could redistribute. If you are reluctant to rotate the turkey, skip the step of lining the V-rack with foil and roast the bird breast side up for the full time. Serve with Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy (recipe follows).
Roast turkey for a crowd
Servings: 20-24
Start to finish: 3 hours 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes for resting)
INGREDIENTS:
3 onions, chopped coarse
3 carrots, chopped coarse
3 celery ribs, chopped coarse
1 lemon, quartered
2 sprigs fresh thyme
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (18- to 22-pound) turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved for gravy, if desired
1 cup water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 425 F. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and poke several holes in foil. Set V-rack in large roasting pan and spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
Toss half of onions, carrots, celery, lemon, and thyme with 1 tablespoon melted butter in medium bowl and place inside turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wings behind back. Scatter remaining vegetables into roasting pan.
Pour 1 cup water over vegetable mixture. Brush turkey breast with 2 tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle with half of salt and half of pepper. Place turkey, breast side down, on V-rack. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
Roast turkey for 1 hour. Remove pan from oven; baste with juices from pan. Using dish towel or 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate turkey breast side up. If liquid in pan has totally evaporated, add another 1/2 cup water. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. Return turkey to oven and continue to roast until breast registers 160 F and thighs register 175 F, about 2 hours longer.
Remove turkey from oven. Gently tip turkey up so that any accumulated juices in cavity run into roasting pan. Transfer turkey to carving board. Let rest, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Carve turkey and serve.
TURKEY GRAVY
You can't serve turkey without gravy (and if you ask us, the same goes for mashed potatoes and stuffing, too), but this key part of any holiday feast is often left to the last minute, frantically cobbled together once the bird emerges from the oven.
Our make-ahead gravy relieves some of the stress of holiday hosting and even boasts bigger turkey flavor than your typical gravy recipe. Good gravy comes from good stock, so we started by roasting turkey parts with chopped carrots, celery, onions, and garlic.
Once the meat was deeply browned and the vegetables caramelized, we transferred everything to a Dutch oven. Chicken broth and white wine plus some sprigs of thyme promised flavorful, savory complexity.
Following a lengthy simmer, we strained out the solids and proceeded with our gravy making (though the stock can be refrigerated or frozen for later use). We used the stock's fat to build a roux, browning a cup of flour in the heated fat before whisking in the stock.
The finished gravy boasted all the body of a traditional preparation, but it was ready with time to spare and offered incredible meaty depth. If you wish to make this gravy at the same time as your turkey, you may add the giblets and neck along with the thighs or wings. Discard the strong-tasting liver before using the giblets.
For more flavor, after roasting the turkey, skim the drippings from the pan and slowly add them to the gravy (tasting as you go so the gravy does not become overly salty).
Make-ahead turkey gravy
Makes about 2 quarts
Start to finish: 4 hours 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
6 turkey thighs, trimmed, or 9 wings, separated at the joints
Reserved turkey giblets and neck, optional
2 medium carrots, chopped coarse
2 medium celery ribs, chopped coarse
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
1 head garlic, halved
Vegetable oil spray
10 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
2 cups dry white wine
12 sprigs fresh thyme
Unsalted butter, as needed
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Defatted turkey drippings, optional
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 F. Toss thighs; giblets, if using; carrots; celery; onions; and garlic together in large roasting pan and spray with vegetable oil spray. Roast, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.
Transfer contents of roasting pan to Dutch oven. Add broth, wine, and thyme sprigs and bring to boil, skimming as needed. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until broth is brown and flavorful and measures about 8 cups when strained, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer into large container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids.
Let strained turkey broth settle (if necessary), then spoon off and reserve 1/2 cup of fat that has risen to top (add butter as needed if short on turkey fat). Heat fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until bubbling. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until well browned, 3 to 7 minutes.
Slowly whisk in turkey broth and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until gravy is very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Add defatted drippings, if using, to taste, then season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Nutrition information per serving of turkey: 567 calories; 287 calories from fat; 32 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 215 mg cholesterol; 500 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 66 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of gravy: 92 calories; 39 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 69 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 2 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Roast Turkey for a Crowd in "ATB Holiday Entertaining ."
Necessary precautions may require we break from tradition this holiday season in order to curtail the spread of COVID-19. How does this affect Thanksgiving dinner? Possibly fewer people at the dinner table, which probably means you won’t be dragging out the huge roasting pan reserved only for the annual 20-plus pound turkey.
A sizable, gloriously golden brown turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table; so, how could anything less takes it place? There are ways.
An alternative to a whole turkey is cooking a turkey breast in a crockpot. The slow cooking makes the turkey nice and juicy. No, it won’t come out of the pot golden brown, but that is rectified by running the breast under the broiler for a bit until the skin is nicely browned and crisp.
CROCKPOT TURKEY BREAST
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon each dried thyme and sage
1 large onion sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 stalks celery cut in half
1 head garlic sliced in half horizontally
1 cup chicken stock
1 whole turkey breast
salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Stir together the butter and herbs.
Loosen the skin of the turkey; spread butter mixture under the skin and on top.
Salt and pepper the breast.
Place onions, celery and garlic head in bottom of crock pot. Add chicken stock.
Place turkey, breast side up, on top of vegetables and cook, covered for 3 to 4 hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached in the thickest part of the breast.
Remove to an oven safe dish. Preheat broiler to high and place turkey on lower rack of oven. Broil just until turkey is nicely browned about 5 to 8 minutes.
Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Use drippings to make gravy.
Investing in a small turkey might be an opportunity to try something a bit different since there is less to lose if you’re not happy with the outcome. It’s safe to say this recipe is a bit different, but you won’t be unhappy with the results.
BEER BASTED TURKEY
INGREDIENTS:
12 lb turkey, giblets and neck removed
1 12 oz bottle of good beer
1 cup chicken stock
1 large onion cut into wedges
3 carrots, quartered
3 celery stalks, quarters
2 heads of garlic cut in half horizontally
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon each dried thyme and sage
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Place turkey, neck and giblets in roasting pan. Generously salt and pepper inside and out. Rub butter over bird and under skin. Sprinkle with herbs.
Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under. Scatter vegetables around the turkey. Pour beer and stock over all.
Cover turkey with foil. Roast, covered for 3 hours. Uncover and roast to 165 degrees basting frequently. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest 15 minutes before serving.
Use the roasted garlic pulp and drippings to make a flavorful gravy.
Cornish hens could be the answer to the turkey dilemma. There is nothing that will tickle kids more than having their very own chicken. If you’ve always wanted to deep fry a turkey but were daunted by the process, the small size of Cornish hens takes the fear out of frying. They roast up beautifully on the grill. Present these Cornish hens on a beautiful platter garnished with fresh herbs and cranberries and you might not miss the turkey!
CORNISH GAME HENS WITH WILD RICE STUFFING
INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice or long grain and wild rice blend
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecan or walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced apple
salt and pepper
4 Cornish hens
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Saute the onions and celery until softened. Stir in rice, thyme, parsley, nuts, cranberries, and apples. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool.
Salt and pepper outside and inside of hens. Place 1/2 cup of the stuffing into the cavity of each hen. Tie the legs of each bird together with kitchen twine.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Melt the remaining butter with the vinegar. Brush the birds all over with the butter mixture and season with salt and pepper. Put the hens in roasting pan, breast side up and roast until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170 F — about 80 minutes. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
By leaning in to the change of pace that this year presents, it becomes that much easier to make the most of this unique Thanksgiving at home — and maybe even make it a holiday to remember.
CRANBERRY BAKED BRIE
What’s simpler than throwing a wheel of cheese in the oven? This low-key appetizer is perfect to pick at through the day alongside your partner, roommate, sibling or whoever else you’re spending this “holiday at home” with. Even better, the topping for this dish is completely customizable.
Ingredients:
1 wheel of brie cheese
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Roasted pecans and lemon zest, to garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place your brie wheel on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Unless you’re melting the cheese into a bread bowl or other contained area, leave the wax on. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the center of the wheel jiggles when you shake the pan. While it’s cooking, combine the cranberries and maple syrup over medium heat on the stovetop to make a compote. Use a spatula to move the brie to a plate, top with the cranberry compote and garnish before digging in.
***
SWEET POTATO ROLLS
It just doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving without sweet potatoes on the menu, but serving them alongside the classic variety can be overkill for just a couple of people. Instead, I decided to experiment with a twist on the classic potato roll accentuated by butter and rosemary. Perfect fresh out of the oven; perfect for making leftover-sandwiches the next day, and easy to boot.
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato, cooked (approximately ½ cup)
1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons milk, warmed
1 tablespoon yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
2 to 3 cups flour
Butter and rosemary (dried or fresh) to top
Directions:
Bake and mash your sweet potato (this can be done the day before) and allow it to reach room temperature. Heat the water and milk mixture on the stovetop to about 100 to 110 degrees and combine with the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar. Leave the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it begins to develop a foam on top. As the yeast proofs, mix together the sweet potato, egg, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a separate bowl. Then, combine the melted butter and the yeast mixture before folding it into your other ingredients. Add in 2 cups of flour and the salt, and knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. When your dough becomes a smooth ball that just barely sticks to your kneading surface, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover.
Allow it to rise for about an hour (maybe longer if your house is cooler) before kneading once again and rolling out the dough. Use a mason jar lid or cookie cutter to form equally sized rolls, place them in a 13- by-9-inch baking dish, and allow to rise for another hour. When they’re nearly ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle on rosemary before allowing the rolls to cool.
***
BROWN BUTTER MASHED POTATOES
Whether whipped, with lumps, or swirled with peas and onions, potatoes are a Thanksgiving classic. Considering the small selection of dishes, however, amplifying a few flavors can elevate this side from “standby” to “standout.” The addition of browned butter, herbs and a generous sprinkling of parmesan provide just the right amount of creaminess and crunch that — while mouthwatering on its own — can also be combined with anything else on the table.
Ingredients:
3 to 6 potatoes, depending on variety and desired serving size
4 tablespoons butter, used two at a time
Milk or cream, as needed
Butter and herbs of choice
3 cloves garlic
Salt, to taste
Parmesan, to top
Directions:
Chop your potatoes and boil on the stovetop until they are easily pierced by a fork. Strain the potatoes and combine them with 2 tablespoons butter, salt and a splash of milk. Blend with a mixer or hand-masher, adding milk until you reach your desired consistency. Heat about two tablespoons of butter, whole garlic cloves, and chopped herbs over medium heat until the butter begins to brown slightly — about 5 minutes. Top your mashed potatoes with the browned butter as well as parmesan, and place it in the oven to get crispy on top (and creamy inside) as the rest of your meal finishes.
There are certain vegetables that I bring home and have a stare-off with for a while before cooking them.
I think sweet potatoes top the list, partly because they will last forever, so the staring contest can go on for quite some time. And partly because they have eyes. Oh, yes, you are right, I am so funny.
While I love sweet potatoes simply mashed with some butter and milk and not much else, that can be boring.
Then, because of the naturally sweet nature of these potatoes, the tendency is to go for seasonings and flavors that underscore or amplify the sweetness. But that gets predictable as well.
Anyway, in my quest for different, for savory, and for not a lot of extra thinking, I picked roasted garlic as the newest uncomplicated addition to sweet potatoes. I'm fairly certain this recipe is going to wiggle its way into the regular rotation. Start with about 8 cloves of the roasted garlic, which will give the dish a nice but not too intense garlicky flavor, and add more if you want a more pronounced hit of garlic.
There are many types of sweet potatoes, and if you are a fan, have at it and get to know the different kinds. The exteriors and interiors range considerably in color, but most common are shades of white, tan and all sorts of oranges.
In this recipe, I tested with an organic sweet potato with a very pale cream interior (kind of the color of Yukon golds). Next time I might look for orange sweet potatoes, since I am a sucker for the color and it makes a holiday table feel like a holiday table to me.
If you haven't ever tried making roasted garlic, just do that today. Start the garlic before you start the potatoes, so the garlic will be roasted when you are ready to mash. It's stupidly, stupidly easy. And such a simple way to change up the flavor of everything from a crostini topping to a sauce to a chicken dish.
If you want a milder garlic flavor in the potatoes, cut back on the number of cloves you mash in.
Mashed sweet potatoes with roasted garlic
Serves 8
Start to finish: 1 hour, including roasting the garlic
Roasted garlic
INGREDIENTS:
1 head garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
Generous pinch salt
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the top off the head of garlic so that the top of the cloves are exposed. (You can do as many of these as you want, at the same time.) Place each head on a square of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and wrap up the cloves well in the foil. Bake for about 45 minutes until the garlic is very soft.
When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic from the papery wrapper, pressing up from the bottom to pop it out.
Mashed sweet potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
Coarse or kosher salt to taste
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk or half and half (or a combo), warmed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, allow the water to return to a simmer. Adjust the heat so the water remains at a simmer, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Drain the potatoes. Either return them to the pot with about eight cloves of the garlic, or to taste, and mash with an immersion blender or a potato masher, or put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill with the desired amount of garlic, doing this so the riced potatoes fall back into the pot. Add the olive oil, butter, milk, salt, and pepper, and stir to thoroughly combine. Serve hot.
Nutrition information per serving: 229 calories; 73 calories from fat; 8 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 14 mg cholesterol; 344 mg sodium; 36 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
If you don't like cranberries, Thanksgiving is probably your worst nightmare. It's basically the only time of the year that they make an appearance, and if you don't eat cranberry sauce, well, why even bother? After all, the undisputed best part of Thanksgiving is assembling the perfect bite of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Not being into cranberry sauce doesn't mean that you can't or shouldn't appreciate what is great about it. Cranberry sauce works because it's the lightly sweet, ultra-tart foil to the other rich foods on our plate. Think about it. Your plate has turkey smothered in gravy (rich), stuffing (so rich), mashed potatoes (the king of rich), plus whatever other butter-covered, cream-filled, buttermilk-soaked foods your family makes every year.
But that bite of cranberry sauce helps to cleanse your palate of that somewhat grimy feeling that can come in between bites of biscuit and corn pudding. For the same reason, it's the perfect spread for your post-Thanksgiving sandwich (the undisputed second-best part of Thanksgiving).
But despite totally cornering the market on Thanksgiving fruits, cranberries are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to saucing your holiday table. These three chutney recipes from The Culinary Institute of America are fresh alternatives to sliced "can-berry" that hit the same spot from a different angle.
Chutneys are typically a sweet, sour, and savory combination of fruits, vegetables, and spices that are cooked to a stewed consistency. CIA Chef John Kowalski explains, "Chutney contains fruit and sugar to give it a sweet taste, and almost all chutney contains vinegar and perhaps onions to give it a corresponding sour flavor. Like jams and jellies, chutney can be chunky or smooth. In India, spicy chutney is usually served with curry and often with cold meats and vegetables."
The Fall Vegetable Chutney, which is similar to an Italian caponata, uses the last of the season's farmstand ingredients, like tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant. Because chutneys are cooked until they're soft, it's a great opportunity to use some of the produce you may have stored away in the freezer.
All of these recipes are great as written, but they're also a good jumping-off point for your own experimentation. The Mustard Fruits recipe uses dried dates, apricots, and apples, but you can use any of your favorite dried fruits, like raisins, pears, or figs. And the Cranberry-Pineapple Chutney would be just as delicious with mangoes and the addition of savory ground cumin.
Whether you make one of these relishes or all three, keep in mind that they are the perfect make-ahead items. Prepare the chutneys a week ahead of time, and you'll find that they only get better once the flavors have time to mingle.
And they aren't only good on the dinner table. Use the Cranberry-Pineapple Chutney as a pairing with dried sausages or p t s, the Mustard Fruits for a savory baked brie, and the Fall Vegetable Chutney for a crostini topper with a sprinkle of goat cheese. With all of these uses, you might even find room on the table for the cranberry sauce.
Fall vegetable chutney
Makes about 3 cups
Start to finish: 40 minutes (Active time: 15 minutes)
INGREDIENTS:
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, combine the bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper flakes, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the sauce has reduced to a syrup consistency, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Mustard fruits
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Start to finish: 55 minutes (Active time: 20 minutes)
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup apricots
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup dried apples
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, vinegar, water, mustard, garlic, and salt. Stir to combine, then add the apricots, dates, and apples. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fruits are soft and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cranberry-pineapple chutney
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Start to finish: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pineapple, chopped (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 serrano or jalape o pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, combine the pineapple, cranberries, peppers, raisins, vinegar, water, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pineapple is soft, the cranberries have burst, and the sauce is syrupy, about 15 minutes (the mixture will thicken more as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition information per serving of the Fall Vegetable Chutney: 13 calories; 1 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 21 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of Mustard Fruits: 38 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 43 mg sodium; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of Cranberry-Pineapple Chutney: 27 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 18 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. There's no three-month-long hype leading up to it and no three-day cleanup required afterward. It's a time to see relatives you might not have seen since last year and a chance after dinner to sit and chill — and maybe catch a football game or two.
Every family has its own turkey day traditions and many of mine go back to my childhood. We were a small family, so it was usually only my parents and I, my grandmother (who lived with us), my mother's sister and her husband and my father's brother.
The dining room table normally was tucked against a wall in the family room, which was supposed to be the formal dining room. It only became the formal dining room three times a year — Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.
The thick pads to protect the table's surface would come out of storage, along with the lace tablecloth, cloth napkins, the "good" china and crystal glasses, and the real silverware (gleaming from Mom polishing the heck out of it a few days before). As soon as I was old enough, it was my task to set the table. I did it with care, making sure everything was lined up perfectly.
It was also my task to make place cards so people would know where to sit — not that we didn't already know. It never changed. Most years, I created little cards colored with crayons. Some years were a little wild and I would trace my hand and make colorful "turkeys" from the outline. There is a family photo of all of us grinning and wearing Native American headbands and feathers one Thanksgiving.
When we got married, my husband Guy and I started doing the Thanksgiving Day dance. We would got to my parents' for dinner at 1 p.m. and then depart for my in-laws for another dinner at 5 p.m. It was then over to Guy's sister's home for dessert and coffee. By the time we rolled back into our own home, we were more stuffed than the roasted guests of honor that day.
When we had our son, we put a halt to all the traveling and two dinners by asking everyone to our home. Guy's sister and her family opted out, which left us with a very cozy 14 people for dinner.
It was hectic — our home has a galley kitchen and a small dining room. Guy and I would literally run into each other as we prepared the dinner — which included a 24-plus-pound turkey and all the trimmings. Our dining room table was extended by using a folding table or two and someone would end up sitting on a desk chair on wheels or a patio chair.
The traditions were there — I used my "good" china (yes, I did have settings for 12!) and my good goblets and silverware. There was lace tablecloths and cloth napkins on the table and tall taper candles burning. There were also decorations crafted by our son at each place setting.
This year, there will only be fewer of us — the rest have passed on and their absence is felt every year. I'll still have the fancy table settings; I now use my mom's china, crystal and silverware (which I have to polish this weekend) and lace tablecloths my aunt crocheted for me. There will be fewer side dishes and a much smaller turkey, and the conversation will be much quieter than other years. But the thing that matters, being together with the ones we love, will be the same.
My recipes this week come from my aunt, the late Marion (Kean) Duprey. She and her husband lived out of the area for most of my life and returned to North Adams when they retired.
A special holiday treat was her monkey bread, so warm and gooey, served in lieu of breakfast on the special day. It's very easy to make, thanks to the use of store-bought refrigerated biscuits.
MONKEY BREAD
4 packages refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 per package)
Mix together and set aside:
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Boil 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 stick butter or margarine until the sugar melts. Let cool.
Cut each biscuit into four pieces and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Put into a greased and floured bundt cake pan, three layers high. Nuts and/or raisins can be added on each layer of biscuit dough.
Pour any remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top layer. Then pour the brown sugar mixture over all.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Another of Aunt Marion's holiday treats was her walnut pie. I can just see it swimming in freshly whipped cream ...
CALIFORNIA WALNUT PIE
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 cup large or half pieces of walnuts
Mix brown sugar and flour in saucepan. Add corn syrup, butter and salt, and cook over low heat until butter is melted. Beat eggs with vanilla, and stir in sugar, flour and butter mixture. Pour into pie shell and sprinkle with walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until filling is set in center.
On Thanksgiving Day, why not follow presidential custom and grant your turkey a pardon? Sure, the big bird has always been at the center of the traditional feast, but cooking it is almost always a headache.
The problem is how long to cook it. Sometimes a 16-pound turkey is cooked to perfection in three hours flat. Sometimes it requires three hours and 45 minutes. This unpredictability makes it tough to plan the cooking of the other items on your menu and to figure out when the meal itself can begin.
That's why I'm proposing Cornish hens instead of turkey. They're at least as scrumptious as turkeys, but they're much smaller — weighing in at 1 pound to 2 pounds — making them easier to cook. They roast up much more quickly, and you don't have to wrestle them into a roasting pan to make them fit. With hens that are on the large size, you get two servings out of every bird. (After the bird has cooked and rested, slice it in half, starting at the mid-line of the breastbone.)
Stuff birds that are 1 to 1 1/4 pounds with one-third cup stuffing instead of the half-cup, and start with a cooking time of 25 minutes. You'll know they're properly cooked when the internal temperature, taken in the thickest part of the thigh, registers 165 F.
You'll be roasting these hens at a high heat, 450 F, so make sure your oven is very clean or your kitchen will smoke up. Also, use a roasting pan with high-ish sides to keep the spitting fat and juices from spraying everywhere. Once you've pulled the hens from the oven, they must rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes to guarantee a moist bird. If you try to slice it in half too soon, the juices will come streaming out.
The stuffing recipe yields a little more than you'll need for four large hens. So when the hens are resting, spread out the extra stuffing in a pie plate and heat it up in the oven — covered, if you want it moist, uncovered, if you want it crispy.
Miniature roast birds for Thanksgiving
Start to finish: 2 hours, 15 minutes (40 active)
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS:
For the stuffing:
1/2 pound firm white, homemade-style sandwich bread
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely diced celery
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 cooked breakfast sausages (about 6 ounces raw), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the hens:
4 Cornish hens (about 2 pounds each)
Oil for brushing the skin
For the gravy:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Giblets from the hens (save the livers for another use)
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 medium carrot, sliced thin
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups chicken broth
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
Make the stuffing:
Preheat the oven to 250 F. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes and spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them until barely golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
In a medium skillet, cook the onion and celery in the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and butter to a medium bowl. Stir in the herbs, lemon zest, bread, sausages and enough of the stock to moisten the cubes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Make the hens: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Stuff each hen with 1/2 cup of the stuffing and tie the legs. Rub the oil over all the hens and arrange them in one layer on a rack in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast the hens for 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg thigh joint registers 165 F. Transfer the hens from the roasting pan to a platter and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the gravy: While the hens are roasting, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the giblets, onion and carrot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the giblets and vegetables to a small saucepan. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine, scraping up the brown bits; simmer until reduced by half. Add the wine and chicken broth to the saucepan; bring to a boil. Simmer until the hens come out of the oven. Strain out the giblets and vegetables, return the liquid to the saucepan and bring it to a boil. In a small bowl whisk together 1/3 cup water and the flour and add it to the liquid in a stream, whisking. Add any juices from the platter with the resting hens. Simmer the mixture for a 5 minutes; salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Cut each hen in half and transfer to 8 plates with the stuffing side down. Pour some of the gravy over each portion and serve the remainder on the side.
Nutrition information per serving: 369 calories; 138 calories from fat; 15 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 141 mg cholesterol; 680 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 32 g protein.
Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "HomeCooking 101."
Are you the sort of person who insists that Thanksgiving mashed potatoes can only be served straight up buttery, or are you willing to allow room for a little creative adulteration in the name of bigger, bolder flavor?
Either way, we've got you covered. We started by creating a master recipe for basic, buttery-creamy mashed potatoes that are delicious just as they are. Stick with this version if you think mashed potatoes with anything beyond the basics (and a few lumps) is just a distraction. But in case you're the type who gives thanks for the wild side of things, we also offer you six ways to jazz up our basic recipe.
But before we tackle any of that, you first have to consider your potato varieties. Which variety you use depends on the type of mashed potatoes you want. If you prefer super fluffy, pure white mashed potatoes, russets are a good choice. If you're going for ultra-buttery, use Yukon Golds. And if you like to leave the skin on all or some of the potatoes, red bliss are a good choice because their thinner skin mixes into the mash (Yukon Golds are a good middle ground, but russets are too thick).
How you mash the potatoes also changes the consistency of the dish. For ultimate fluffiness, squeeze the potatoes through a ricer. Food mills also make very smooth potatoes. If you're going for chunky (or left the skins on), you'll want to use a hand-held potato masher. Then there's the mixer. Some people use it, but it's not a great choice. It can easily overwork the potatoes, breaking down the starches and producing the dreaded gluey potato syndrome. If you insist, go easy.
Perfect mashed potatoes
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
5 pounds potatoes, peeled or not, cut into 1-inch chunks
Kosher salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 to 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, warmed
Ground white pepper
Directions:
Place the cut potatoes in a large pot, then add enough cool water to cover by at least 1 inch. Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook until the potatoes are very tender and a fork penetrates them easily. Timing will vary by potato variety, but should take between 10 and 15 minutes. Be careful not to let the potatoes cook beyond this point; you want them tender, not totally broken down.
Drain well in a colander, then return the potatoes to the pot. Set the pot over medium heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan now and again, to cook off excess moisture. Remove from the heat and mash.
Once the potatoes are mashed to your liking, stir in the butter and 1 cup of the warmed half-and-half. If you like a wetter mashed potato, add the additional half-and-half. Season with salt and white pepper. Serve or use a variation below.
Nutrition information per serving: 260 calories; 70 calories from fat (27 percent of total calories); 8 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 410 mg sodium; 44 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Sour cream and onion
Use sour cream in place of the half-and-half and mix in 1 bunch of chopped scallions. Add a splash of milk to adjust the consistency, if needed.
Brown butter-rosemary
In a small saucepan over medium-low, cook 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter until the milk solids on the bottom of the pan turn light brown and smell fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. They will continue to cook a little longer, so be careful not to burn them. Stir into the potatoes in place of the room temperature butter and add 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary.
Blue walnut
Stir in 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts and the zest of 1/2 lemon.
Deviled
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons Dijon or spicy mustard, 1/4 cup prepared horseradish and 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives.
Hunters
Stir in 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, 1 cup crumbled cooked sausage and 1/2 cup finely chopped salami.
Dirty
Slice the top off 2 heads of garlic, just so the tips of the cloves show under the papery skins. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap loosely in foil. Roast in the oven at 350 F for 45 minutes, or until very tender. Meanwhile, thinly slice and saute 2 large yellow onions in a little butter over medium heat until well browned, about 20 minutes. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the skins and mash with a fork. Stir into the potatoes, along with the caramelized onions, and a hefty dose of ground black pepper.
During fall — and particularly at Thanksgiving — we often find ourselves searching for just the perfect side dish. We want recipes that will be at home next to a roasted chicken or turkey, or maybe a beef roast or ham. We want recipes that are crowd-pleasers, recipes that shimmer with the glow of comfort food. We want side dishes that people inch toward while contemplating second helpings.
This is the side dish you are looking for.
I knew I wanted something corn-based, and then got a bit torn between spoonbread and corn pudding. Both dishes are popular in the South and appear regularly on holiday dinner tables. Basically, spoonbread is cornbread that is soft enough to eat with a spoon and is made from a cornmeal base. Corn pudding is more of an egg- and dairy-based pudding with corn kernels studded throughout.
I couldn't decide. So I combined both thoughts into one dish. Let's just say the "Should I have seconds?" question was answered with a definitive "Yes!" Purists from the South might cock an eyebrow at me. But I invite them to give it a shot (and acknowledge cheerfully that strict culinary authenticity is not my strongest suit).
Whipping the egg whites is an extra step, but one that ensures the resulting dish will be light and fluffy. You do want to serve this dish warm from the oven so that it holds its slightly souffle-like texture. Having said that, a scoop or two reheated in the microwave the next day — and paired with a green salad tossed with vinaigrette — is one of the finer lunches I can imagine.
Spoonbread corn pudding
Start to finish: 55 minutes (20 minutes active)
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra
3 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups corn kernels (from 3 to 4 ears of corn or frozen kernels)
Large pinch cayenne pepper
4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions:
Heat oven to 400 F. Butter a shallow 1 1/2- or 2-quart baking dish.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the butter, 3 cups of the milk, the sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal in a slow, steady drizzle. Whisk in the corn kernels and cayenne and continue whisking for another 4 or 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Add about 1/2 cup of the cornmeal mixture to the bowl with the egg yolks and stir quickly to combine. Turn the yolk mixture into the bowl with the rest of the cornmeal mixture and ?whisk to combine. Fold about 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the cornmeal mixture, which will lighten the batter, then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites so that they are almost incorporated. You will see a white streak or two, which is fine.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is browned and puffy. When you shake the pan the spoonbread should jiggle slightly, though not so much that it looks liquidy in the middle. Remove and cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.
Nutrition information per serving: 230 calories; 110 calories from fat (48 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 135 mg cholesterol; 320 mg sodium; 24 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 8 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/
Why make one pie when you can make two galettes?
Impress your family and friends on Thanksgiving with one of these sweet or savory tarts, using either your favorite pie or flaky puff pastry crust, or — shhhhh ... we won't tell anyone — a store-bought crust from your freezer. You'll get extra presentation points for carefully formed patterns on the pleasing open-face style of galettes, exposing the goodness diners are about to enjoy. These are perfect appetizers, or desserts for a smaller crowd looking for something a little sweet after the big meal.
PLUM GALETTE
If you are thinking about taking our advice and adding one of these to your table this Thanksgiving, but find yourself uncomfortable or unwilling to take a risk on something new at one of the most important meals of the year, let me reassure you: This galette is fool-proof. I had so many worries going into it: Would leaving the peel on make the galette stringy? Would all of the juice run out of the fruit and turn the whole thing to soup? Without a top crust, would the soup wind up decorating the bottom of my stove?
My first forays into making this beauty featured plum slices that were thick, thin, peeled and with skins still on. The end products, no matter my methods, were exactly the same and exactly right. Leave the skins on, they bake beautifully soft. Slice and dice how you like: the almond-flour combo does an amazing job of containing the escaping juice. The only misstep I took was trying to move it too quickly, causing it to crack and fall apart. Leave to cool entirely before moving off the baking mats!
Note: If you are having trouble locating plums, the recipe can be adapted to any stone fruit.
— Meggie Baker, calendar editor
(From Food and Wine)
Ingredients:
1 premade pie crust, chilled
1/4 cup sugar in filling, another 1/3 cup sugar on top
3 tablespoons ground almonds
3 tablespoons flour
4 to 6 sliced plums
apricot preserves to glaze (optional)
1 egg for an egg wash (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice your plums, as thinly or as thickly as you like, leaving the skin on for color.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar, ground almonds and flour.
Roll your dough out into a circle, then cover with mixed dry ingredients, leaving a bare inch of dough around the outside.
Fill with plums, then fold crust up and over. Take care not to break the crust, and to leave a fairly wide rim. Using colder dough helps the galette keep its shape.
Cover with final 1/3 of sugar. If you prefer tarter pies and galettes, you can skimp on the sugar a little bit here.
Bake for 1 hour, on a silicone mat or nonstick paper.
CHOCOLATE-PECAN GALETTE
This galette came out great the first time but did make the bottom crust just the slightest bit soggy. I upped the amount of chocolate chips and moved carefully after cooling, and served chilled. While delicious, this galette is on the sweet side, so you're certain to please the chocolate lovers in your family with this creation. — Meggy Baker, calendar editor
(From Martha Stewart's Chocolate-Pecan Tart)
Ingredients:
1 premade pie crust
2/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups pecan halves
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
Caramel topping (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla.
Roll out chilled pie crust, and layer with chocolate chips, leaving an inch of space around the outside edge. Fold crust over and up.
Pour filling over chocolate, then sprinkle pecans on top.
Bake 45 to 60 minutes on a silicone sheet or nonstick paper.
Note: This recipe uses a wet filling, and I found it useful to shape my galette and bake it inside a large round cake pan.
PEAR AND LEEK GALETTE WITH GOAT CHEESE AND WALNUTS
The savory free-form tart celebrates the season with flavors fitting for any Thanksgiving appetizer. The walnuts offer a nice change in texture from the richness of the creamy mixture. — Becky Drees, Features designer
(From ColeyCooks.com)
Ingredients:
1 prepared pie crust
1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
2 medium leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced, white and light green parts only (about 3 cups)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 large pear, thinly sliced (you may need 2 pears if small)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash (optional)
Directions:
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add Dijon mustard, cream and 1 teaspoon rosemary. Cook until the cream has reduced by half and the mixture is thick, about 5 to 8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Let cool completely.
When ready to assemble the galette, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is about inch thick and 14 to 16 inches around. Gently roll the dough up on to the rolling pin and transfer it to the center of the sheet pan. It may hang off the sides slightly.
Spread the cooled leek mixture evenly around the dough, leaving a 2 inch border on the outside. Crumble goat cheese on top, then arrange the pears in a circular pattern. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of rosemary, salt, pepper and chopped walnuts.
Carefully gather the outer border of dough and fold it up and over the filling to form a 1 to 2 inch crust. Brush the outer crust with egg wash if desired (this will produce a prettier, more golden brown crust).
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
GREEN BEAN GALETTE
This savory galette earned rave reviews from tasters in the newsroom who said it would absolutely be making an appearance on their Thanksgiving table. Note: There's no need to pre-cook the green beans, but definitely caramelize the onions and toast the breadcrumbs before baking. — Becky Drees, Features designer
(From www.meandthemoose.com)
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry
6 oz gruyere, grated
8 oz fresh green beans, trimmed
large onion, or 3 to 4 large shallots, sliced very, very thin
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup whole wheat panko
teaspoon salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. After the pastry has thawed completely (either overnight in the refrigerator or for 45 minutes at room temperature), unfold gently and roll out on a piece of parchment into a large rectangle to fit your sheet pan. Set paper and pastry on sheet pan.
Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat and add the onions, cooking until they begin to brown and caramelize. Add the breadcrumbs and salt and saut until fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes.
Lightly score a 1-inch border around the edge of the pastry using a sharp knife. This will help the border to rise when baked and create a raised edge for the filling in the middle. Sprinkle half the cheese within the order and then arrange the green beans facing the same direction. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Spread breadcrumb mixture over the green beans and brush the outside edge with a small amount of butter and crumbs you've left in the pan.
Bake for 18 to 23 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Simply put' it isn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.
But that doesn't mean you can't vary from the side-of-the-can recipe. This version is inspired by bee sting cake from Germany (called bienenstich), which has a crunchy honey and almond topping. Pumpkin bee sting pie starts with a honey-sweetened filling. It's baked until the filling is set, then topped with a honey-almond-coconut mixture, then popped back into the oven and baked until the topping is crispy and golden. The result is a crunchy, creamy, spiced dessert worthy of a second slice.
PUMPKIN BEE STING PIE
Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes
(15 minutes active)
Servings: 8
15-ounce can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
For the topping:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
Heat the oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the pumpkin puree, eggs, cream, honey, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Pour into the pie shell and bake until almost completely set at the center, 50 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping. In a small bowl, combine the almonds and coconut.
In small saucepan over medium, combine the honey and butter. Heat, stirring often, until the butter is melted. Pour over the almonds and coconut and stir until well coated.
Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the almond mixture evenly over the top.
Return the pie to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
Cool before serving.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 475 calories; 234 calories from fat; 26 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 114 mg cholesterol; 57 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 7 g fiber; 275 mg sodium.
Heading into crisper weather, I start to crave the holiday classics that beg to be made this time of year. One of my favorites is stuffing (technically "dressing" since I haven't stuffed it in the turkey ever since Alton Brown talked me out of it over a decade ago when I read his recipe for roasted turkey). Seasoned cubes of dried bread sautéed with celery, onion, herbs and butter, then baked up to crispy-outside-soft-inside perfection?
Yes, please!
Except ... My extended family has three vegetarians and my daughter is gluten-free. So my challenge was how to make a dish that scratches the stuffing itch for them without making it seem like the ugly duckling of the Thanksgiving table. The solution ended up being a roasted vegetable medley that I promise will be the most-requested recipe of your holiday. It is that good, and full of nutrients, too.
To make that happen, I rely on a mix of roasted vegetables for a caramelized sweetness that feels roasty and homey. And I add meaty mushrooms sautéed in garlic and the trifecta of holiday cooking herbs: rosemary, sage and thyme. A Granny Smith apple cut into tiny cubes brings just enough acid for depth, while a surprise little hero tucked into the recipe — toasted walnuts — adds texture, along with some nice healthy fats to fill up vegetarians who will be skipping the turkey.
Easy, healthy and satisfying. Your healthy or vegan or gluten-free guests will feel satisfied, not sidelined.
VEGGIE OVEN HASH
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) cubed butternut squash (1-inch cubes)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 cups (1/3 pound) small cauliflower florets
2 cups (1/3 pound) small broccoli florets
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (cut in half if slices are larger than bite-sized)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Directions:
Heat the oven to 400 F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with kitchen parchment or foil.
Mound the squash on one of the prepared baking sheets then drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of oil. Toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Arrange in an even layer, then roast until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, turning once or twice.
While the squash is roasting, mound the cauliflower and broccoli on the second sheet. Drizzle them with 2 teaspoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, then arrange in an even layer and roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the cauliflower is golden. All of the vegetables should finish roasting around the same time. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and celery and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms, then saute until the mushrooms are starting to get tender, about 7 minutes. Add the apple, thyme, rosemary and sage, then cook another 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender (but not floppy). Stir in the lemon juice, remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the slightly cooled roasted vegetables and the toasted walnuts. Stir and adjust seasoning if needed.
Nutrition information per serving: 140 calories; 80 calories from fat (57 percent of total calories); 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 150 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." http://www.melissadarabian.net
To brine or not to brine? High heat or low and slow? Jellied or whole berry? And of course, to stuff or not to stuff?
They are, of course, the perennial Thanksgiving debates. So let us give you a little clarity this year. And if your relatives disagree and want to argue about it, you can blame us.
If you have the space and time, brining is fine. If you don't, it's not worth the trouble (and you can replicate the results by just dumping a bottle of soy sauce over the bird before and during roasting anyway). For temp, start high, then cut it back to finish low and slow. As for the berries... Are you older than 10? Then whole berries are the only option.
Ah, but the stuffing. That one is more complicated. It's hard to argue with the fact that a stuffed bird is more beautiful. Not to mention the stuffing from a stuffed bird packs way more flavor. Of course, if you don't cook it properly, that flavor also packs a fine chance of food poisoning. And then there is the trouble and mess of doing the actual stuffing, and the fact that you've now rendered the dish unfit for any vegetarians at the table.
So we advocate having it both ways. Make up one giant batch of stuffing, then use part of it to stuff your bird while popping the rest into a well-buttered baking dish. The trick to keeping the stuffed stuffing safe to consume is to make sure it is hot when it goes into the cavity of the turkey (and using a thermometer to make sure it reaches 165 F at the center by the end of cooking).
As for the baking dish batch, keep it moist and delicious with a little extra broth drizzled over the top. If there are vegetarians in the mix, be sure to use vegetable broth. No veggies at the table? Ditch the extra broth and instead drizzle the finished stuffing with some of the pan drippings from the roasted turkey. Chances are that batch will be even more flavorful than the stuffing that was actually stuffed.
Now that you're prepped to stuff (and not), we've got you covered with a master recipe for classic bread stuffing, as well as four ways to adulterate it most deliciously.
Classic stuffing
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth (or vegetable if making some or all of the stuffing vegetarian-friendly)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
8 cups toasted or stale bread (cut into 1-inch cubes)
Heat the oven to 375 F. Butter a large baking pan or casserole dish (such as a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan).
In a large deep skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the broth, salt, pepper, sage, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the bread cubes. If desired, reserve some for stuffing the turkey. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is toasted.
Stuffing that is cooked in the bird must reach 165 F by the end of cooking. Use an instant thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing to get an accurate reading. Stuffing that is cooked in a baking dish should be drizzled with pan drippings from the roast turkey just before serving (unless it is intended for vegetarians). The stuffing also can be modified with the following variations:
Nutrition information per serving: 210 calories; 110 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 30 mg cholesterol; 450 mg sodium; 20 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Sausage and grape
Brown 1 pound of loose breakfast sausage in the butter before adding the onions and celery. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of halved red grapes when adding the bread cubes.
Seeded rye and apple
Toast 2 tablespoons caraway seeds and 1 tablespoon fennel seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant. Add with the butter and proceed with the recipe. Use marbled rye or pumpernickel for the bread cubes, along with 2 peeled, cored and diced apples.
Cranberry chestnut
Add 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 1 cup lightly chopped roasted and peeled chestnuts along with the breadcrumbs.
Extra rich
Beat two eggs and 1/2 cup heavy cream together in a bowl. Whisk a ladle of the warm broth mixture slowly into the egg mixture. Remove the pan of broth mixture from the heat and add the egg-broth mixture back into it. Mix well. Use brioche or challah for the bread cubes.
Just because Thanksgiving mostly is about tradition doesn't mean that we aren't open to going off script when it comes to side dishes and exactly how to cook the big bird.
But the gravy? It's where innovation goes to die! Generally, we're content to just pour some store-bought chicken broth, along with a little butter and flour, into the pan in which the turkey was roasted, then call it a day. In truth, I love a pan gravy as much as anyone, but you can make a much more exciting gravy with just a little more work.
We were taught in cooking school that your sauce will only be as good as the liquid you add to it. In the case of turkey gravy, that would be turkey broth. What can be done to amp up its flavor?
To start, you want to brown the turkey parts that have been packed inside the bird — the neck and the giblets (that is, the heart and the gizzards). Then, slice off the bird's wings — which nobody eats anyway — and add them to the other parts. (Do not add the liver; it will make the stock bitter. Instead, just reserve or freeze it until you can sauté it in butter and serve it on toast. Yum!)
Browning these turkey parts, in the company of some carrots and onions, develops complex flavors. This is called the Maillard reaction. It's what happens when amino acids combined with the sugars found in meat and many vegetables are heated above 300 F. Concentrated juices from these ingredients will collect in the bottom of the pan as you brown them. When you deglaze the pan, you dissolve those juices and add them to the browned ingredients, further deepening the stock's flavor.
You may be surprised to find tomato paste among this recipe's ingredients, but tomatoes happen to be a terrific source of umami. Umami is the fifth taste, after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. It is usually described as "meaty." The carrots in the stock also contribute umami. Briefly sauteing the tomato paste in the skillet helps to brown it and develop its natural sugars.
Having cooked up your stock in a separate pan, you're eventually going to want to add to it the juices that streamed out of the turkey while it roasted and use the fat that accumulated in the pan while you basted the bird. Again, this is how you intensify the gravy's turkey flavor.
By the way, don't despair if your turkey is missing the happy little package of giblets and neck bone usually found inside the cavity; you'll still have the turkey wings. Just cut them off and supplement with some chicken wings. You'll need about eight ounces of poultry parts in total. Finally, I recommend making the turkey stock a day or two in advance of the feast. It will make the big day itself a little less stressful.
Bigger and better turkey gravy
Start to finish: 4 hours 15 minutes (35 minutes active)
Makes 5 cups
Ingredients:
The neck, wings and giblets (about 8-ounces total) from an 18- to 24-pound turkey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, medium chopped
1 medium carrot, medium chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
The drippings, 1/2 cup fat and pan juices from an 18- to 24-pound roasted turkey
Butter, melted (if there is not enough fat from the roast to make the gravy)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons instant flour (such as Wondra)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
Carefully chop the neck and wings into 1-inch pieces and pat them and the giblets dry. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the turkey pieces and giblets, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and add 1 cup of water to the skillet. Deglaze the pan over high heat, scraping up the brown bits with a spatula, until all the bits have been dissolved. Pour the mixture over the turkey parts in the saucepan. Add the chicken broth and 2 cups water to the saucepan.
Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, skimming the scum that rises to the surface with a skimmer or slotted spoon, until there is no more scum, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the celery, thyme and bay leaf, then simmer gently for 2 hours. Strain the stock through a colander, pressing hard on the solids. Discard the solids and measure the stock; you should have 4 cups. If you have more, return the liquid to the saucepan and simmer until it is reduced to 4 cups. If you have less, add water to the stock to make 4 cups. Cool, cover and chill until it is time to make the gravy.
When the turkey is cooked and resting on a platter, pour all the liquid in the roasting pan into a fat separator or large glass measuring cup. Pour or skim off the fat from the cup and reserve it; leave the cooking juices in the fat separator. You will need 1/2 cup of the fat for the gravy; if you don't have 1/2 cup, supplement with melted butter.
Set the roasting pan on top of 2 burners set over medium-low. Add the fat, followed by the flour. Whisk the mixture, preferably using a flat whisk, for 5 minutes. Add the reserved cooking juices from the roasting pan and two-thirds of the turkey stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. If the gravy needs thinning, add more of the turkey stock and the juices that accumulated on the platter where the turkey has been resting.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition information 1/4 cup: 70 calories; 50 calories from fat (71 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 170 mg sodium; 4 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 1 g protein.
Mushroom gravy
Proceed with the master recipe up to the point of adding the fat to the roasting pan. Add half the fat and 1/3 cup minced shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add 8 ounces of assorted sliced mushrooms and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining fat and the flour and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add 1/3 cup dry sherry, Madeira or tawny port, or 1/2 cup red wine, (this is optional; you can leave the alcohol out) along with the reserved cooking juices and two-thirds of the turkey stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. If the gravy needs thinning, add more of the turkey stock and the juices that accumulated on the platter where the turkey has been resting. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Mustard-herb gravy
Proceed with the master recipe up through the point of cooking the fat and flour for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine (this is optional; you can leave the alcohol out) along with the reserved cooking juices and two-thirds of the turkey stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking. If the gravy needs thinning, add more of the turkey stock and the juices that accumulated on the platter where the turkey has been resting. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil, tarragon or sage. Season with salt and pepper.
Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals" and has written three cookbooks.
This Thanksgiving, you'll be thankful for veggie-filled side dishes that fill your vegetable quota for the day, but cut your work load in half.
Sure, we all want that Thanksgiving table filled to its edges with dishes of delicious goodness. But when you get right down to it, cooking a turkey, stuffing, gravy and countless vegetable side dishes takes a lot of work, and a lot of oven space that some of us simply don't have. Instead of serving four different vegetable side dishes, try one of these easy vegetable-filled recipes that give your guests plenty of vegetables all in one dish. Added turkey-day bonus? You can make these ahead of time and reheat the day of.
Squash crumble
Makes 8 servings
A mainstay on the Button Thanksgiving table for many years — and now brought to our friends' home for turkey day, this recipe originally came from The Associated Press. The natural sweetness of butternut squash makes it a wonderfully versatile ingredient. Squash crumble can be served as a side alongside the turkey and the traditional fixings or topped with ice cream or whipped cream for a delicious, somewhat-healthy dessert. (True confession: I've eaten it for breakfast, too!)
(Submitted by Margaret Button, associate features editor)
INGREDIENTS:
For the filling:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 baking apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
For the topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
5 tablespoons butter, cold
1/2 cup pecans
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
To make the filling, in a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the squash and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix the squash and apples. Add the brown sugar mixture, toss well, then transfer everything to the prepared baking dish.
To make the topping, in a food processor combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the pecans and pulse to chop and combine. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples and squash. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the squash and apples are tender.
***
Spaghetti squash casserole
Adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.
This recipe originally called for mushrooms, but you can use any sauteed or roasted vegetables you have on hand, which makes it perfect for using up leftovers, or for squeezing as many veggies as you can in one side dish for Thanksgiving. The sweet, gooey spaghetti squash acts as a binder for this deceivingly rich recipe — your guests will think you used a pound of cheese in this casserole!
(Submitted by Lindsey Hollenbaugh, features editor)
Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 bag of fresh spinach (or frozen)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cans of diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup cottage cheese (I used chive flavored, cottage cheese, yum!)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add 1/2-in. water and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper; saute until onion is tender and spinach has wilted. Add tomatoes; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
Scoop out the squash, separating strands with a fork. Combine the squash, tomato mixture, bread crumbs, cottage cheese and parsley.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown.
***
Caramelized-vegetable salad
Prep 10 min. Total 30 min.
From bettycrocker.com
Caramelized onions, beans and potatoes are a sweet and fragrant topping for leaf lettuce in this warm veggie salad.
(Submitted by Meggie Baker, calendar editor)
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound green beans, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 large onions, chopped (2 cups)
1/4 cup balsamic or cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups bite-size pieces leaf lettuce/spinach
Freshly ground pepper, if desired
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 inch water to boiling in 4-quart Dutch oven. Add potatoes, green beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender; drain and set aside.
While vegetables are cooking, melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions in butter 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour onion mixture over potatoes and green beans; stir until coated.
Arrange lettuce on large platter. Arrange warm vegetables on lettuce. Sprinkle with pepper.
Meggie's notes:
Other good veggies to try: Asparagus, turnip, carrots. Recipe is root-veggie friendly. Just up the caramel and reduce the lettuce.
Cookbook author Deanna F. Cook doesn't want you to worry about making a mess.
This holiday season, Cook — author of the cookbook "Baking Class: 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake!" (Storey Publishing) — wants you to get the kids involved.
"Let kids have fun in the kitchen," Cook said. "Don't worry about the mess, although be sure they help with the cleanup. Enjoy the process of baking together."
If you're new to letting little chefs help in the kitchen, the author suggests having them do simple jobs at first — measuring flour or rolling out the dough — and eventually they'll move on to being able to bake almost an entire recipe (more time for you to perhaps, enjoy the holidays?).
"You just need to stand by if they need help," she said.
Have your aspiring bakers make classic cut-out cookies and decorate them, or homemade breads are also fun to make, she said. Or, you can try these mini apple pies, which Cook said are great homemade gifts for friends or teachers.
"Even if the apple pies come out lop-sided, they will still be proud," she said.
And even more important than the final outcome of each recipe is the time spent together learning an important life skill that will, literally, serve your children for a lifetime.
"Baking is one of the sweetest parts of childhood," Cook said. "Many happy childhood memories are made in the kitchen."
Teeny Tiny Apple Pies
Makes 12
These tiny treats will fit in the palm of your hand. These are made with apples, but you can use raspberries or blueberries instead.
Here's What You Need
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (or 1 cup berries)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange juice
2 unbaked piecrusts (see page 108)
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
Here's What You Do
1. Mix the chopped apple, sugar, cinnamon, and juice in a bowl. Set it aside for about 10 minutes to get nice and juicy.
2. Roll out the piecrust between two pieces of plastic wrap.
3. Cut out twelve 2 -inch circles with a round cookie cutter or rim of a glass. Press each one into a cup of a mini muffin pan. You don't need to grease the cups.
4. Add 1 rounded tablespoon of filling to each cup. Dot with a tiny piece of the butter.
5. Gather the dough scraps and roll them out. Use tiny cookie cutters to make decorative shapes or cut thin strips for lattice toppings.
6. Add a top crust with slits, a cut-out shape, or a lattice top. Crimp the edges together with a fork or your fingers.
7. Beat the egg with the milk in a small bowl. Brush the mini pies with the egg mixture. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the crusts are golden-brown.
8. Let the pies cool for just a few minutes in the pan, and then carefully remove each one by running a sharp knife around the edges and popping it out of the pan.
Perhaps there may be fewer people sitting around the table this Thanksgiving, that doesn’t mean we should skimp out on dessert. Have your pie — or cake, or trifle — and eat it too.
With the size of the gatherings being potentially smaller this year due to COVID-19 concerns, hosts and hostesses may find themselves reducing the size of the turkey, the number of side dishes and the size of desserts.
The Eagle asked three foodies in the Berkshires to come up with desserts that would serve four to six people. Linda Williams, owner of Linda’s Pastries in Pittsfield, Jessie Kratz, baker/owner of The Shire Cottage Bakery in Adams, and Tinky Weisblat, a local TV personality and cookbook author, shared some of their decadent — but smaller — dessert recipes that are still big on flavor.
“Whenever we celebrated Thanksgiving, my mother always made pumpkin pie so it’s a tradition,” Williams said. “I really like cheesecake and since it’s pumpkin it seems like a perfect Thanksgiving dessert if someone wants something other than a pie.”
Kratz said she suggests making a Maple Pecan Creme Brûlée because, “Creme Brûlée is one of those desserts a lot of people only have when they are out to dinner at a restaurant, but it’s actually surprisingly easy to make.”
She added, “The Cranberry Cheesecake Trifle is both sweet and tart, and combines flavors from fall and the holidays with a fun dessert that kids can help make. The options for different layers and flavors are endless with a trifle. You can make it fancy with different types of glasses or casual with mason jars or cute little dishes.”
CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE TRIFLE
(Recipe by Jessie Kratz, baker/owner of The Shire Cottage Bakery)
CHEESECAKE MOUSSE
Ingredients:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup crushed gingersnap or shortbread cookies
Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, combine softened cream cheese and sugar, until light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in the whipped cream to the Cream Cheese mixture.
Refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.
CRANBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 10 to 12 minutes until cranberries burst and soften.
Set aside to cool for 15 minutes, then pour into a blender or food mill and puree until smooth.
Pour into a bowl and chill at least 2 hours or until completely cooled.
To serve: Layer crushed cookies, cheesecake mousse and cranberry sauce evenly in glasses or mason jars, ending with the cranberry sauce, then sprinkle the top with crushed cookies.
MAPLE CREME BRULEE WITH CANDIED MAPLE PECANS
(Recipe by Jessie Kratz, baker/owner of The Shire Cottage Bakery)
MAPLE CREME BRULEE
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated maple sugar (see note)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Scald cream with vanilla in saucepan.
In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated maple sugar (see note below) and egg yolks as soon as cream comes to a scald.
Temper the scalded cream mixture with the egg and sugar by slowly adding the hot cream to the egg mixture and mix until just combined.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup with a pour spout.
Arrange ramekins in a roasting pan and fill each ramekin 3/4 full with custard. Carefully place in center of preheated oven then add enough hot tap water to come at least halfway up the ramekin.
Bake until the custards are firm with a slight jiggle in the center, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool in the water until you can handle them.
Refrigerate covered for at least 4 hours.
Sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar and use a torch, or place under the broiler until sugar is caramelized.
Note: If you do not have granulated maple sugar, you can substitute with the exact amount of brown sugar and add 1/2 teaspoon of maple extract.
CANDIED MAPLE PECANS
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a small non-stick frying pan, bring maple syrup, salt and butter to a boil. Turn heat to medium and boil for 2 minutes.
Add in the chopped pecans and cook for 1 minute. Pour onto a plate to cool, then break up into pieces.
To serve: Top your Maple Creme Brulee with Candied Pecan crumbles.
Note: Creme brulee can be made in 2 to 3 days in advance, keep refrigerated until needed, then top with granulated sugar and torch immediately before serving.
APPLE-CRANBERRY CRUMBLE
(Recipe by Tinky Weisblat, local TV personality and cookbook author)
“Crumble is one of my favorite desserts. It is MUCH easier than pie and less rich than a crisp. For added depth of consistency, substitute oats for some of the flour.”
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 cups apple slices
2 cups cranberries
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) sweet butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the fruit in an 9-inch pie pan. (Make sure you have a cookie sheet under the pan; the fruit can get juicy in the oven!) Add the 4 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Toss if you can.
Combine the flour and the salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers. Add the brown sugar and mix again until crumbly.
Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the fruit, pressing down lightly. Bake until the crumble is golden brown and crisp (30 to 40 minutes, depending on your oven).
The crumble may be served warm or cold. And leftovers are great for breakfast!
6-INCH PUMPKIN PIES
(Recipe by Linda Williams, owner Linda’s Pastries)
Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time. 20 minutes. Cook time. 1 hour
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
3 tablespoons cold ice water
For the filling:
2 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk, half-and-half or heavy cream
1 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Whipped cream for topping
Directions:
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a cup with 3 tablespoons ice water and set aside. Mix together the flour and salt. Pour the 4 tablespoons melted butter into the flour mixture and blend together with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time. Use a fork and then your hands to form a ball. When the mixture forms together, but is still a bit crumbly, it’s ready to roll out.
Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface and roll out the dough until it is 2 to 3 inches larger than your pie plate. Carefully place the dough into a 6-inch pie plate, letting the edges overhang. Trim the edges but leave at least an inch or so overhanging the rim of your pie plate. Crimp the edges around the top edge.
For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the egg mixed with the milk (half-and-half or cream), and 1 tablespoon melted butter and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon and pie spice and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Bake for 60 minutes or until the center is almost set. It will be puffed up, but will settle as it cools. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Serve with whipped cream.
6-INCH PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
(Recipe by Linda Williams, owner Linda’s Pastries)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature and not cold to touch
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature and not cool to touch
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Small batch whipped cream and cinnamon for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap the outside of a 6-by-2-inch or 6-by-3-inch springform pan with foil.
In a large bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Pat into the bot and up the sides of the springform pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, for 1 minute each or until smooth (do not over beat). Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
Transfer the batter to the crust (if using a 6-by-2-inch pan, it will fill to the top). Place the pan inside an 8-by-8-inch or larger pan. Pour hot water into the outside pan until the springform pan is halfway submerged in the water. Be careful you don’t get water inside the foil.
Bake 65 to 75 minutes or until the edges are set and brown, the center is mostly set with some wiggling, and internal temperature reaches 150 degrees F. Remove from the oven and carefully run a knife along the edge to loosen the cheesecake.
Cool 15 minutes in the water bath. Remove the pan from the water bath and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before garnishing and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
If you are going to go to the (admittedly little) trouble of brining your Thanksgiving turkey, be sure to set the bar higher than simply adding moisture. Granted, this is the primary goal of a brine. Soaking the bird in a salty solution prior to roasting, does help plump the meat and keep it moist during cooking.
But this also is a great opportunity to add plenty of flavor to the turkey.
To make the most of that opportunity, we decided to brine our turkey in apple cider, brown sugar, sage and black pepper.
The flavor ends up being at once subtly sweet, but also boldly savory. And that is a combination that makes the meat a perfect partner for all the classic Thanksgiving sides.
CIDER-BRINED TURKEY WITH SAGE GRAVY
Start to finish: 2 1/2 to 3 hours (plus brining)
Makes a 12- to 14-pound turkey with gravy
For the turkey:
12- to 14-pound turkey
1/2 gallon apple cider
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
For the gravy:
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
3 tablespoons instant flour, such as Wondra
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
Salt and ground black pepper
Place a 2 1/2 -gallon zip-close plastic bag upright in a large bowl. Place the turkey in the bowl, then pour in the cider, salt, brown sugar, sage and peppercorns.
Seal the bag, squeezing out as much as possible as you do so.
Massage the bag to mix the ingredients in the liquid. Refrigerate and let brine for a minimum of 8 hours, turning the turkey now and again.
When ready to roast, heat the oven to 350 F. Fit a roasting pan with a rack.
Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then set it onto the roasting rack. Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the temperature of the breast reaches 160 F and the thighs reach 170 F. If the turkey begins to darken too much, over it loosely with foil.
Transfer the turkey to a serving platter, wrap with foil, then set a couple layer of bath towels over it to keep it warm.
Remove the rack from the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop (you may need two burners) and bring the juices to a simmer.
Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the broth into the pan, whisking continuously. Then add the flour and whisk to combine.
Simmer for 5 minutes, while continuing to stir. Season with sage, salt and black pepper.
Nutrition information per serving: 420 calories; 170 calories from fat (40 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 185 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 56 g protein; 480 mg sodium.
Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to let kids share in the making of a meal that brings family and friends together in such a meaningful way.
When I was a kid, my job on Thanksgiving was to dress the turkey by stringing cranberries to make a necklace to lay on top of the roasted turkey and to make the paper frills to put on the turkey legs.
When my children were young, they, too, took part in the Thanksgiving preparations every year with their own little jobs. Homemade butter was my son's contribution to the Thanksgiving dinner and my daughter's specialty was buttercream mints. They both took great pride in bringing their creations to the table.
Making buttercream mints is so easy for kids to make. You can just let them mix the ingredients together in a big bowl with their hands if you're brave.
Thanksgiving buttercream mints
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1-pound box confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon mint extract
- Food coloring
DIRECTIONS:
- Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy
- Gradually add sugar and cream, beating until well blended. The mixture should be a consistency that will allow you to roll it into smooth balls. If too dry, add another tablespoon of cream or more sugar, if too soft.
- Add mint extract to taste.
- Tint mixture with a few drops of food coloring and knead well to blend color.
- Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper and dusted with confectioners sugar.
- Use the tines of a fork to gently flatten into patties.
- Allow the mints to air dry for a day or two, uncovered. These will just melt in your mouth.
Making butter is super easy with this mason jar recipe and almost a magical experience for kids as they watch the cream turn into butter right before their eyes!
Homemade butter
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 quart mason jar
- Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Butter is all about the cream, so you want to use the best. Highlawn Farm Heavy cream, in my opinion, is the best; it's local and unbelievably rich.
- Pour cream into the mason jar and let the kids start shaking it. It will take around 5 minutes, give or take; but, eventually, the cream will separate into a solid mass, which is the butter, and a liquid, which is buttermilk
- Drain the butter in a strainer, reserving the buttermilk for cooking, if desired.
- Give the butter a good rinse with cold water.
- Knead in a pinch of salt to taste and it's ready to eat.
Happy Thanksgiving!
For a gentle rethinking of that basic recipe, consider Cranberry, Apple & Walnut Conserve from Gourmet magazine. This recipe tames the tart cranberries with serious apple overtones, including a dash of Calvados (apple brandy).
Care to be wild? Try a raw cranberry relish from Real Simple magazine.
Or if your tastes are more moderate, try chipotle-cranberry compote from Cooking Light.
CRANBERRY, APPLE
& WALNUT CONSERVE
(Start to finish 25 minutes, 15 minutes active)
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups turbinado sugar
3-inch cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Three 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries (about 2 1/2 pounds, or 11 cups)
3 Gala or Pink Lady apples
2 cups walnuts, toasted, cooled and broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
In a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, simmer the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, allspice and half of the cranberries, stirring occasionally, until cranberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes. Add half of the remaining cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and core the apples, then cut them into a 1/4-inch dice. Add to the pot, along with the walnuts and remaining cranberries. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the Calvados and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool to warm or room temperature. Discard the cinnamon stick.
Makes about 12 cups.
(Recipe from the November 2006 issue of Gourmet magazine)
RAW CRANBERRY RELISH
(Start to finish 40 minutes, 10 minutes active)
2 navel oranges, washed and patted dry
1 cup dark or golden raisins
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
Peel one orange, discarding the peel. Leave the peel on the other orange. Cut both oranges into wedges. Place the oranges and raisins in a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add the cranberries and pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed.
Transfer the relish to a serving bowl. Stir in the liqueur. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
(Recipe from the November 2006 issue of Real Simple magazine)
CHIPOTLE CRANBERRY COMPOTE
(Start to finish 2 hours, 30 minutes active)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Two 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon chipotle chili, canned in adobo sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large saucepan over a high heat, combine the sugar, orange juice and cranberries. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until cranberries begin to pop. Stir in the chipotle, orange rind, cinnamon, coriander and salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until mixture is thick. Chill before serving.
Makes 14 servings.
(Recipe from the November 2006 issue of Cooking Light magazine)
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Which is worse? Green bean casseroles or steamed green beans with butter? The former usually is insipidly gooey and not even remotely retro enough to be ironically cool. The latter is, well, steamed green beans with butter. Hard to get excited about that. Consider enlivening this beleaguered bean with Gourmet magazine's recipe for green beans with ginger butter. Though not dramatically different than the steam-and-eat versions, this recipe adds a vibrant note with lemon zest and matchsticks of fresh ginger.
Or completely rethink this dish with a recipe for roasted green beans tossed with bacon, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and roasted red peppers from Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.
THANKSGIVING
GREEN BEANS
(Start to finish 25 minutes)
1/4 pound bacon (about 5 slices), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Couple dashes hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mustard and hot sauce, stirring it into the bacon fat. Return the skillet to high heat, add the beans and cook, tossing occasionally with tongs, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
Stir in the red peppers and half the bacon, tossing until warmed through, about 1 minute.
Transfer to a serving plate and top with remaining bacon.
Makes 8 servings.
(Recipe from the November 2006 issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine)
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
To give this dish a mild tweak of personality, consider Real Simple magazine's recipe for roasted butternut squash puree.
Roasting sweetens and intensifies the squash's flavor, and a bit of honey, butter and thyme go a long way to pulling this dish from the doldrums.
For a more radical rethinking, try Bon Appetit magazine's butternut squash and apple bisque.
This soup pulls squash from the sidelines and lets it lead the meal as the perfect light starter.
For the middle ground, try the roasting without the pureeing. Country Home magazine's recipe for simply roasted squash mixes things up by ditching butternut in favor of large chunks of the more visually appealing kabocha or acorn.
ROAST BUTTERNUT
SQUASH PUREE
(Start to finish 1 hour 30 minutes, 20 minutes active)
3 butternut squash, each about 2 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 small shallots, halved
4 tablespoons honey
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim the ends of the squash, then halve lengthwise, discarding the seeds. Place the squash, cut-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Season with salt and pepper, then top with shallots, honey, thyme and butter. Cover the squash with foil and roast until softened, 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Working in batches, scoop the squash flesh and shallots from the peels into a food processor.
Puree the squash mixture until smooth, then transfer to a serving bowl. Repeat with remaining squash and shallots. Serve warm.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
& APPLE BISQUE
(Start to finish 1 hour)
3 tablespoons butter
5 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled and seeded butternut squash
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or low-salt chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1 cup whipping cream, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the squash, onion, carrot and celery, and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the apple, allspice, broth and cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. In a blender, puree the soup, in batches if necessary. Return soup to the pot. Add 1/2 cup cream, and bring to a simmer. Thin soup with additional broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls, then drizzle with cream. Garnish with parsley.
Makes 6 servings.
SIMPLY ROASTED SQUASH
(Start to finish 35 minutes)
2 kabocha squash or large acorn squash (3 1/2 to 3 3/4 pounds each)
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Several sprigs fresh watercress or oregano
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Cut each squash in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds. With a large knife, cut each half into 1 1/2- to 2-inch wedges. Arrange the wedges on the baking sheets, the brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake the squash 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork and browned around the edges. Transfer the squash to a serving platter. Drizzle with additional olive oil, and garnish with watercress or oregano.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
That simple dinner table peacekeeping gesture speaks volumes about Americans' passion for this once simple side, which Quinn, now the editorial director for food for Martha Stewart Living magazine, says is second only to turkey as the quintessential Thanksgiving food.
"It carries their ethnic heritage," she said recently. "It carries their regional heritage. It bridges the gap between bird and side dish."
And in recent years, that gap has been bridged by a growing variety of tastes and textures. Here are a number of recipes for turkey's favorite partner.
While opinions differ on whether to cook the stuffing inside or outside the bird, here's a compromise: Cook it in the turkey, then scoop it out, put it in a pan and stick it in the oven to crisp while the turkey is resting.
If you cook the stuffing inside the bird, be certain sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
PORK STUFFING WITH WILD RICE
& ROASTED CHESTNUTS
(Start to finish 1 hour 15 minutes,
30 minutes active)
2 tablespoons butter, plus additional for coating pan
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup roasted, shelled chestnuts, chopped
2 pounds ground pork
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh savory
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, cooked according to package directions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly coat the inside of a standard load pan with butter.
Melt the butter in a medium skillet, then add the onions and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a second skillet over medium heat. Add the chestnuts and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Place the ground pork in a mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if mixing by hand). Add the eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, sage and savory. Add the onion and celery mixture, chestnuts and rice. Mix until just combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the stuffing to the loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 F. Allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.
Makes about 10 cups.
(Recipe from Bill Phillips, American Bounty Restaurant, Hyde Park, N.Y.)
CORNBREAD & APPLE
STUFFING
(Start to finish 2 hours,
30 minutes active)
Giblets from a turkey
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cored and chopped apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
13x9-inch pan of cornbread
4 slices white bread
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup pan drippings from cooked turkey
Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the giblets and boil for 45 minutes. Pour off water and set giblets aside to cool. When completely cooled, chop into small pieces.
Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onions, apples and cranberries, and saute 5 minutes. Stir in broth and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes.
While the onions and fruit boil, preheat the oven to 350 F. Use remaining butter to coat a large baking pan.
Finely crumble cornbread into the baking pan. Tear the slices of white bread into small pieces, and mix with cornbread by hand. Add eggs and pepper to the bread mixture, and mix well by hand.
Pour the broth and fruit mixture over the cornbread, and use a large spoon to mix well. Add half the giblets, and mix well. Remaining giblets can be reserved for another use, such as adding them to gravy.
Bake the stuffing for 1 hour, or until lightly crisp around the edges. Baste occasionally with pan drippings.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
(Recipe from Arnd Sievers, Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, N.Y.)
FARRO & SAUSAGE
STUFFING
(Start to finish 45 minutes)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, meat crumbled
1 fennel bulb, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1/4 cup chopped fronds
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups farro (also called spelt, available at most natural foods stores)
10 ounces kale, ribs discarded and leaves thinly sliced (about 11 cups)
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Zest from 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until deep golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add the fennel, onion and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until fennel and onion are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine, then cook until reduced by half.
Stir in 2 cups water, the farro, kale, stock, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the fennel fronds, half of the rosemary, the remaining oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until farro is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the sausage and remaining rosemary and fennel fronds. Season with pepper and additional salt, if needed.
Serve, or immediately pack loosely in turkey cavity, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of the stuffing registers 165 F.
Makes about 8 cups, or enough to stuff an 18-pound turkey.
(Recipe from the November 2004 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine)
TABBOULEH STUFFING
WITH DRIED FRUIT
(Start to finish 30 minutes)
3 cups bulgur wheat
3 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoon ras el hanout (a Middle Eastern seasoning available at gourmet shops, larger grocers and online spice shops)
1 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced dried prunes or dates
1 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup turkey gravy
Place the bulgur wheat in a large bowl. Add 3 cups boiling water, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 to 12 minutes.
In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until tender. Remove from the heat.
Remove plastic wrap from bulgur, and add onion-mushroom mixture. Mix well, then season with salt and pepper. Add the sage, ras el hanout, celery, prunes, apricots and cranberries. Mix well, then mix in the gravy and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Stuff the turkey with the mixture, or put it in a lightly buttered pan and bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 5 to 6 servings.
(Recipe from Sterling Smith, the Sterling Inn, New Rochelle, N.Y.)
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
For mild palates, consider manchego smashed potatoes from Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. If you're hankering for something completely different, try baked potato soup from CookingLight.com.
Prefer to straddle the middle? Try two-potato mash from Cooking Light magazine.
This recipe swirls traditional mashed potatoes with mashed sweet potatoes spiked with brown sugar and cinnamon.
The result is beautiful and delicious.
MANCHEGO SMASHED POTATOES
(Start to finish 20 minutes)
4 pounds baby red or baby Yukon Gold potatoes, large ones halved (peeled or not, to taste)
Salt
4 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup milk or cream
12 ounces manchego cheese, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
In a deep pot, cover the potatoes with water. Cover the pot, and bring the potatoes to a boil. Uncover the pot, salt the water, and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the butter, milk and cheese, and smash to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings.
BAKED POTATO SOUP
(Start to finish 1 hour 30 minutes,
30 minutes active)
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Pierce potatoes with a fork, then bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Cool, peel, place in a medium bowl and coarsely mash. Set aside.
Place flour in a large, heavy pot. Gradually add milk, whisking it until the flour is blended.
Heat milk mixture over medium heat until thick and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup of the cheese, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup of onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Do not boil.
Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. Serves 8.
TWO-POTATO MASH
(Start to finish 25 minutes)
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
1 cup fat-free sour cream, divided
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
22-ounce bag frozen mashed potatoes
2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and arrange on paper towels in a microwave. Microwave on high for 12 minutes, or until tender, rearranging potatoes after 6 minutes. Let stand for 6 minutes.
Peel and mash in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup sour cream, sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
Heat frozen mashed potatoes in microwave-safe bowl, omitting any added salt or fat. Add the milk, remaining sour cream, butter, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Spoon over the mashed potatoes, swirling with a spoon to get a marbling effect. Serves 12.
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The stuffing is simple, too. Instead of butter, use olive oil (still fatty, but much healthier) and fat-free chicken broth. As for the turkey, skip the skin and stick with white meat for an exceptionally lean protein.
As for dessert ... in most pie recipes, it's the crust that is the fatty culprit. Most prepared pie crusts, for example, have 7 grams of fat per serving (an eighth of a pie). Most pumpkin pies have 10 grams of fat per serving.
But pumpkin pie filling is relatively low in fat, getting just a few grams per serving from the eggs and milk.
My mother used to bake the filling in a casserole dish and call it pumpkin pudding. Made with whole milk and whole eggs, it has just 3 grams of fat per serving. Use egg whites and fat-free milk and you end up with a nearly fat-free dessert.
I've adapted her recipe to be baked in individual ramekins to make the presentation a little nicer (and cut cooking time).
PUMPKIN PUDDING
(Start to finish 1 hour,
5 minutes active)
14-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup whole milk
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 425 F. Bring a large teapot of water to a boil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs, then add them to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until smooth.
Arrange 8 ramekins in a shallow baking dish (about 2 inches deep) or lasagna pan. Spoon or ladle the pumpkin mixture into the rame-kins. Place baking pan in oven.
With the oven open, carefully pour the hot water into the baking pan until it reaches about halfway up the ramekins. Push the baking pan to the center of the oven, and bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, or until pumpkin is set.
Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven, and remove the ramekins. Serve warm or cool.
Makes 8 servings.
Copyright © 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This is not another Thanksgiving leftovers recipe.
OK, well, it gets off on a technicality, since I did use the rest of my leftover turkey breast when I made it this weekend. But this is the second time I’ve made this soup this month, because it’s that good. It also happens to be an excellent vehicle for leftovers.
I like Thanksgiving food, but I get tired of eating the same thing again and again, and I’m currently pregnant, so microwaving meat is a no-go for me. This soup is excellent on its own, but I knew earlier this month that I would redo it with leftover turkey. It’s ready in about 45 minutes (or less) and it’s really adaptable to whatever leftover veggies you may have on hand. I think it would also be great with pork or ham, though, you’d want to simmer it a little longer so the pork gets nice and stringy.
The first time I made this, I had no jalapenos, so I substituted red pepper flakes. This past weekend, I added some carrots, because we all need more vegetables in our diet, and I had them on hand. I made broth with leftover Thanksgiving crudités — fennel, celery, the end of a Machengo cheese wedge and some leftover chopped onion from making potato pancakes. I didn’t have black beans, so I used other beans. If you want a thicker soup, throw in a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. The possibilities are endless here, but you come out with a really delicious, healthy soup that is in no way reminiscent of Thanksgiving.
Happy holidays! I hope you close out the year with new flavors, a huge plate of cookies, and some healthy, simple meals to hold you over in between.
TURKEY (OR CHICKEN) FAJITA SOUP
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 red or green pepper, chopped 2 medium carrots, diced 2 cans black beans (or other — I used pink beans and pintos this weekend) 1 jalapeno, diced (omit if you don’t want the spice) 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 1 cup frozen corn 1/4 cup salsa 10- to 12-ounce can tomato puree (or half a large-size can) 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken (pork or ham would also work well here. You can also add chicken raw and cook for 15 minutes longer, then shred and add back into your soup pot.) 4 cups broth of your choice Olive oil for pot
Directions:
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large soup pot and heat on medium until oil is hot, then add onion, jalapeno, garlic, pepper and carrots. Saute 5 minutes or so, until vegetables are soft and onions begin to look translucent. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin and turmeric, then cook 1 to 2 minutes longer before adding tomato puree, corn, beans, salsa, broth and turkey/chicken. Stir together, then let simmer for 30 minutes, until soup has reduced to your desired consistency.
Serve with crusty bread or tortilla strips.
I love Thanksgiving. As someone who loves to cook, it’s my favorite holiday. Notwithstanding the difficult facts about the early history of our country and the false mythology that evolved around it, I feel a special sense of gratitude when we gather for a special meal with an extended group of loved ones.
But not this year. I am sure I am not the only one saddened that there will be fewer chairs at the table.
Still, I love turkey! My kids love turkey, stuffing, and gravy so much that when they were young I would sometimes make it for a random Sunday dinner, which was always a good plan for a busy week ahead yielding leftovers for subsequent meals. So this year I will, indeed, make turkey, stuffing, and gravy, and some other sides, but surely I will have more leftovers than usual.
For lunch on the day after Thanksgiving, my first leftover meal, every single year, is a turkey sandwich with stuffing (bread on bread!), cranberry chutney, and some mayonnaise. As much as I love the big meal itself, I dream of this sandwich!
When the family tires of sandwiches or wants something more substantive for dinner, I like to make a shepherd’s pie with Thanksgiving leftovers using turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry. You can even include leftover vegetables you served at Thanksgiving. Although the version pictured here uses regular mashed potatoes, I’ve also made it with leftover sweet potato casserole.
My family likes stuffing so much that in addition to what goes in the bird, I make more in a large glass baking dish (which should technically be called dressing). But that sometimes means I have too much left over. You can freeze squares of stuffing to serve another time with a roast chicken or pork chops. But a bread-based stuffing (regular bread, not cornbread) can also stand in for the stale bread normally used in the classic Tuscan soup, ribollita.
This soup in its original form can be vegetarian or even vegan. My stuffing includes sausage and chestnuts which works with the flavors here, but vegetarian stuffing would work just as well.
Even though our gatherings will be smaller this year, I hope we can all still find moments of gratitude to enjoy a special meal with ample opportunities for delicious leftover creations!
THANKSGIVING SHEPHERD’S PIE
Serves 3-4 – Can be doubled!
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more, or cooking spray, for the pan
1 small onion, chopped fine, about 1/2 cup
Pinch of salt
A few grindings of black pepper
2 cups leftover turkey, chopped fine
1 cup gravy
1/2 cup leftover vegetables, such as peas, green beans, or root vegetables, chopped if necessary
1/2 cup cranberry sauce or chutney
2 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a medium sauté pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper, and sauté until the onion is softened and beginning to brown on the edges, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the chopped turkey and cook, stirring, just until it gets warm and incorporated with the onion. Add the gravy and your leftover vegetables, and mix to combine. Remove from the heat.
Prepare a square 8-by-8-inch baking dish with a little more canola oil or cooking spray. Spoon the turkey mixture into the pan, scraping out all the gravy with a spatula. Carefully spread a thin layer of cranberry on top of the turkey mixture. Top with the mashed potatoes or sweet potato casserole. If the potatoes have gotten thick in the refrigerator, scooping small spoonfuls over the top will be easier. Smooth the top of the potatoes or sweet potato layer and dot the top with butter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
RIBOLLITA WITH LEFTOVER STUFFING
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 ounces pancetta (1 thick slice), chopped (omit for vegetarian or vegan)
2 cloves garlic, one minced, one whole
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 quart chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock, homemade or store-bought
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound frozen chopped spinach
1 bay leaf
1 piece Parmesan rind, optional (omit for vegan)
3 to 4 cups leftover bread stuffing, or torn stale bread, loosely packed
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the onion becomes golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to cook for a minute or two. Add the herbs and stir to moisten and release the flavors.
Pour about 1/2 cup of broth into the pot and stir to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Add the rest of the broth, tomatoes, beans, spinach, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind (if using). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind, bay leaf and whole garlic clove. The soup can be made to this point and kept in the refrigerator for another day.
If the soup has been in the refrigerator, heat on the stove or in the microwave before adding the stuffing. Add the stuffing and stir so it can absorb the soup. If heating a single bowl, you will use about 1/2 cup of stuffing, loosely packed, per serving.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Hours after eating Thanksgiving dinner, my craving begins for the most anticipated part of the feast, the turkey sandwich. I love it all, but I love the leftover turkey sandwich most.
My sandwich is simple: a skim of butter on one slice of Pepperidge Farm bread, mayo on the other, sliced turkey and lots of salt and pepper. That with a warmed slice of apple pie is my idea of a Thanksgiving feast!
The day after Thanksgiving, I might want to get a little fancy with one of these delicious turkey sandwiches.
A classic Monte Cristo is basically a ham-and-cheese sandwich dipped in an egg custard and fried. In this recipe, turkey is substituted for ham. You’ll need a knife and fork for this sandwich.
TURKEY MONTE CRISTO
INGREDIENTS:
For each sandwich:
3 slices white bread
Mayonnaise
2 slices cheese; swiss, gouda, cheddar — whatever you like
Thinly-sliced turkey
Leftover cranberry sauce
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
Fried egg, optional
DIRECTIONS:
Spread 2 slices of bread with mayonnaise. Top each with a slice of cheese and some turkey. Put the third slice of bread on top of one stack and spread with some cranberry sauce Flip the remaining stack on top, cheese-side down, making a triple-decker sandwich.
Trim crusts from sandwich. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to compact the sandwich and prevent egg mixture from seeping in.
Whisk eggs and milk together. Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dip sandwich in egg mixture to coat evenly. Gently place it in the skillet, and fry, turning once, until golden brown. Serve immediately.
If it sounds good to you … and it is good … top the sandwich with a sunny side-up fried egg.
DAY AFTER TURKEY SALAD SANDWICH
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup celery, diced
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
4 cups leftover turkey, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon curry powder, optional
1/3 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts or almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed lettuce greens
Sliced bread
DIRECTIONS:
Stir together all ingredients except greens and bread. Sandwich filling along with greens between two slice of bread. Serve.
CRANBERRY PULLED TURKEY SANDWICH
INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup cranberry sauce, whole or jellied
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Cayenne pepper to taste
4 cups shredded leftover cooked turkey meat
Mayonnaise
Cooked bacon
Hamburger buns
Dill pickle slices
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat and cook onions until translucent and starting to brown.
Remove onions and set aside.
In same pan stir together cranberry sauce, maple syrup, ketchup, cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, over medium high heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir turkey into sauce and heat through.
Spread mayonnaise on buns and top each with turkey, bacon slices, onions and pickle slices. Serve.
The official Butterball turkey hotline calculator claims that a Thanksgiving dinner for six adults and two children — with leftovers — requires a 10-pound turkey. Now, we all know that is not what most people are going to buy.
The reality is, we want to have plenty for everyone, and it's just as easy to cook a 20-pound turkey as it is a 10-pounder, so we go big. And if we're going to roast a bigger turkey, we usually increase the stuffing and side dishes accordingly. This results in ... a plethora of Thanksgiving leftovers.
We asked our readers for their favorite ways to use these leftovers. Many people said they are all about the leftover turkey sandwiches. There were also recipes for turkey tettrazzini and a hot and creamy turkey sandwich. We narrowed our search down to two really intriguing recipes for recycling that turkey dinner. Congratulations to our winners: Karen Fisher of Pittsfield has won $50 to Stop and Shop and Walter Moreau of Pownal, Vt, has won $50 to Hannaford Supermarkets.
And we all win with these recipes that are sure to eat up those Thanksgiving leftovers and make some room in the fridge for the next holiday's foods.
Turkey pizza
Created and submitted by Walter Moreau of Pownal, Vt.)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1-pound pizza dough
11/2 cups turkey gravy
11/2 cups stuffing
3/4 cup cranberry sauce(optional)
2 cups chopped, shredded or thinly sliced turkey
11/2 cups chopped leftover vegis (optional)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice
olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Place pizza pan or pizza stone in oven and heat to 450 degrees.
Remove pan or stone from oven and place stretched dough on it.
Sprinkle about 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese on dough and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until just starts to get a light crust.
Remove from oven and add ingredients as listed above.
Drizzle cheese topping with olive oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
Thanksgiving hash
(Here's a simple and delicious recipe for Thanksgiving Hash. *Use whatever vegetables you have leftover! (I use carrots to add a bright color to the hash . — Karen Fisher of Pittsfield)
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion
2 cups leftover cooked turkey
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups leftover stuffing
1 cup leftover cooked vegetables*
pinch of salt and pepper
cup fresh parsley leaves
cup leftover cranberry sauce
DIRECTIONS:
In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add onion and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Stir in turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and vegetables, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 20 minutes, turning occasionally and pressing with spatula, until browned. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with cranberry sauce. Enjoy!
While I don't host Thanksgiving, I somehow end up with an entire Thanksgiving meal in my refrigerator the day after.
Thanks to my mother's ability to overcook, every year my husband and I are sent home with Ziplock bags of leftovers. Most of the fixings I don't mind piling on my plate for a few dinners after - I, for one, can never have enough green bean casserole. But when it comes to turkey, I can only eat so much of it in sandwich form. So years ago, I set out to find the perfect casserole recipe to give my leftover turkey a second or third life on the table.
This turkey, ham and Swiss cheese casserole is a Black Friday staple in our house. It's a mild combination that can be adjusted to include any vegetables you'd like, frozen, canned or fresh. And if you don't have leftover ham (I never do) a ham steak from the supermarket does the trick.
Turkey, ham and Swiss casserole
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
8 ounces mini fusilli or farfalle pasta, macaroni, or other pasta shapes
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced ham
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf marjoram or thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups diced turkey
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, optional
For the topping:
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 . Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water following package directions. Drain and rinse; set aside. Heat butter in a large skillet and saute the onion and celery over medium-low heat until softened. Add ham and stir in flour until well combined. Gradually stir in the milk until thickened. Add marjoram, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cheese, turkey, and peas and carrots, if using.
Add the cooked pasta and blend thoroughly. Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter; sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and topping is browned.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving spent with family along the Connecticut coast (what great beach weather!). The food was delicious, company wonderful and we counted every blessing with much gratitude.
Among the many things I am thankful for, albeit a rather minor one in the grand scheme of things, is this new recipe for a roasted vegetable pie. It was a fabulous accompaniment to Friday night's post-tree decorating dinner and I can see great uses for it in the future, both as a side dish and main course, not to mention delicious as leftovers for lunch.
My husband's cousin, Steve, is a great cook and served this alongside a beef roast. It was satisfying enough for our vegetarian daughter as an entrée, and full of vegetables to set off the meat. It makes a great addition to a holiday table and travels well to a party. The filling can be a combination of whatever vegetables and seasonings you like — I am envisioning potatoes, cauliflower and peas roasted in curry and garam masala for my next one. Substitute feta or goat cheese for the parmesan and you have an entirely different flavor profile.
Roasted Vegetable Pie
Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry, thawed
3 cups winter squash, peeled and cubed
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into medium pieces
½ teaspoon dried oregano (or more, to taste)
½ teaspoon dried thyme (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 8 ounce package cream or neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss vegetables and herbs in olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Unfold and, using a rolling pin, roll out one piece of pastry into a 18x18-inch square. Drape into a 12-inch greased springform pan, tucking it against the sides. Mix the cream cheese with the parmesan and spread on the bottom of the pastry. Add vegetables, smoothing the top. Unfold and roll out second sheet of pastry and cut out a circle about 14" in diameter. Place pastry circle over vegetables, tucking against top and sides. Trim both bottom and top pastry even to 1 ½" above vegetables, seal with egg wash, fold and crimp. Brush top of pie with egg wash and slash with a sharp knife to vent.
Bake pie at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until pastry is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 40 minutes (cover loosely with foil if pie seems to be browning too quickly). Take from oven and allow to sit 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from springform pan and transfer to serving plate.