THANKSGIVING FEAST RECIPES

Memorializing the best Thanksgiving feast. Turkey haters, prepare to have your mind changed after trying this perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside moist on the inside turkey. Once a hater myself, I too have been converted.

One of the few good things that have resulted from the covid lockdown is that we've had to learn how to cook. This is my third time and year preparing a Thanksgiving turkey and I gotta say I've been pleasantly surprised how well it's turned out each time. This post is more of a guide for myself to reference once a year when it's time to host Thanksgiving. The secret is to spatchcock the turkey. More on that later. 

Bread Rolls

-1 cup warm water

-⅓ cup olive oil

-¼ cup sugar

-2 tablespoons yeast

-1 egg 

-2 tablespoon softened butter

-½ teaspoon salt

-3 cups bread flour 

-⅛ cup milk room temperature

Preheat oven to 400*F.

In mixer bowl, combine water, oil, sugar, and yeast. Let sit until yeast is bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add egg, softened butter, and salt then mix.

Add flour and mix, one cup at a time until you have a soft dough that isn’t sticky. Knead for 5 minutes with a stand mixer.

Divide dough into 18 even pieces, and form into balls. Place in a greased pan and cover with a kitchen towel.

Let rise 30 minutes in a warm place until puffy. 

Lightly brush with milk and bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes or just until browned.     

Sausage Balls

-1 lb Jimmy Dean's Hot Pork Sausage

-8 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese - grated

-2 1/2 cup Bisquick Mix

Combine all ingredients and mix well in stand mixer with paddle beater

Roll into balls, about 1 to 1-1/2 inch in diameter and place directly in sheet pan

Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or just until browned. 

Pasta Salad

-1 box of Tricolor pasta, cooked and drained

-Italian Salad Dressing

-Sliced Olives 

-Red onion, diced

-Green bell pepper, diced

-Pepperoni or salami, sliced in half

-Pepper jack cheese, cubed 

Add all ingredients to a large bowl.

 

Mashed Potatoes

-2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and quartered

-1 clove garlic, finely chopped

-1 cup milk

-2 tablespoons butter

-salt and ground black pepper to taste

          Peel potatoes and soak in water

Boil potatoes in a large pot of water until potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted.

Drain potatoes and add to warm milk mixture, blending it in with a potato masher until potatoes are smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. 

Spatchcocked Turkey

-1 8-10 lb turkey

-Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Defrost turkey in the refrigerator. Remove giblets, tail, excess skin, and back bone from turkey with kitchen shears and save for gravy below. Push down on breastbone and flatten.

Pat dry with paper towels, add olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to both sides. Refrigerate overnight 

Roast on 450°F until internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 1 hour)

     

Gravy

        -Turkey bones and giblets

        -onion

        -celery

        -pan juices from roasted turkey

        -flour

        -salt and pepper to taste 

        In a pressure cooker, make turkey broth using turkey bones, giblets, water, onion, celery. Strain and set aside.

        In the roasting pan or sauce pan, heat pan juices, broth, and stir in flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

        TIP: Make sure flour is cooked through otherwise you'll end up with bitter gravy :(

Cranberry Sauce

    12 ounces cranberries

    1 cup white sugar

    1 cup orange juice

    orange zest

    1 tablespoon cointreau

Stuffing/Dressing

    1½ stick unsalted butter plus more for baking dish

    1 lb. good-quality day-old white bread, torn into 1" pieces (about 10 cups)

    2½ cups chopped yellow onions

    1½ cups ¼" slices celery

    ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

    2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage

    1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

    1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

    2 tsp. kosher salt

    1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

    2½ cups turkey broth

    2 large eggs

Step 1

Preheat oven to 250°. Grease a 13x9x2" baking dish with unsalted butter and set aside. Scatter 1 lb. good-quality day-old white bread, torn into 1" pieces (about 10 cups), in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 10 mins until dried out. Let cool.

Step 2

Meanwhile, melt ¾ cup unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 2½ cups chopped yellow onions and 1½ cups ¼" slices celery. Stir often until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add bread; stir in ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, 2 tsp. kosher salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle in 1¼ cups broth and toss gently. Let cool.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk 2 large eggs and remaining 1¼ cups broth in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared dish and bake 40 minutes.        

    

If you made it this far and are wondering... what is Thanksgiving without pie?? Where's the dessert?? Thanksgiving feast prep is hard ya'll. Thankfully we've always had someone join us for our feast and bring yummy sides (green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and etc) and dessert (pumpkin pie, pecan pie, cranberry pie, banana pudding, etc.). This post will be updated with more recipes.

Enjoy!