This Thanksgiving you may want to try something new and different. A flavored turkey, game hens, or even a casserole as the main dish. For side dishes, try something that you have not made before just to be adventurous, and dessert can be expanded far beyond pumpkin pie.
Today I am sharing recipes that may help get your creative juices flowing. A kicked-up green bean casserole and a wild rice stuffed acorn squash. There are several recipes using cranberries, but I love cranberries, so just bear with me while they are available. I've even included a cranberry pie recipe.
Remember, to read the full column please go online to finish reading every recipe included today.
This same glaze mixture would also work nicely with a turkey breast on boneless turkey roast, just adjust cooking time accordingly.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine garlic powder, salt and pepper. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; spread half of the seasoning mixture under the skin. Sprinkle skin with remaining mixture. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together.
Juice the orange, reserving the rind. In a large bowl, mix cranberry sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey, marmalade, soy sauce and orange juice. Remove 3-1/2 cups mixture for sauce; refrigerate, covered, until serving.
Rub remaining cranberry mixture under turkey skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks. Place herb sprigs and reserved orange rind in turkey cavity.
Arrange onions in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place turkey over onions. Roast 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170-175 degrees. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.)
Remove turkey from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard herb sprigs and orange rind. Place reserved sauce in a small saucepan; heat through. Serve with turkey.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On the stove top, cook about 6 slices of bacon in a cast iron skillet. Set aside skillet with 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Roughly chop bacon.
Put skillet with 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings on medium heat. Add greens, onions, and bacon. Saute just until the greens are bright green and wilted. Set aside.
Slice the pork tenderloin lengthwise 3/4 of the way through and open like a book. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid splatter and use a mallet to pound the tenderloin to 1/2- inch thickness.
In the center of pork, spread greens, cranberries, walnuts, and goat cheese. Fold each side of the pork over to create a roll. Tuck the ends of the pork in to seal in the stuffing.
Reheat skillet on the stovetop. Carefully place tenderloin in your heated skillet seam side down to sear. This will close your seam. Sear top side also just so it will cook evenly in the oven.
Place stuffed tenderloin in an 8- x 11-inch baking dish seam side down. Brush lightly with remaining bacon drippings to keep the tenderloin moist while baking.
Bake for 40 minutes or until your meat thermometer reads 140-145 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2- inch slices to serve.
Notes: You may need to use kitchen twine or toothpicks to temporarily hold your seam.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour into a 9- x 13-inch, lightly greased casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until set.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute onion and fennel in 1/2 cup butter until tender. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in chestnuts, pear, broth, dried fruit, seasonings and remaining butter; cook until butter is melted. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3-4 minutes or until dried fruit is softened.
Place in a large bowl. Stir in bread cubes. Whisk eggs and milk; drizzle over stuffing and toss to coat.
Transfer to a greased 13- x 9-inch and a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan. Cut 1-1/2 lemons into six wedges. Rub a lemon wedge over each hen; place wedges in roasting pan. Peel and cut garlic cloves in half. Rub cut side of a garlic half over each hen; place in cavity with five additional garlic halves. Rub 2 tablespoons oil over each hen; sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix basil, rosemary and thyme. Sprinkle half over hens; place remaining herbs in cavities. Cut remaining lemons into 12 slices; place over hens. Roast 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170 degrees.
This recipe could be used for someone who does not like turkey or for a change from traditional turkey and dressing.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add bacon fat to a cast iron skillet and place into the oven while it preheats.
In a mixing bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, buttermilk and eggs and stir to combine. Remove skillet from oven when it reaches temperature and add the cornbread batter. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Combine cornbread, crackers, onion, celery, and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (This can also be done early in the day before baking ham).
The next day after ham bakes, add the chopped ham, pan juices (if using), stock and eggs to the dry mixture stored in the refrigerator. Mix well to combine until everything is moistened. Use additional stock if needed.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place ham dressing mixture into a casserole dish and place into the oven. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until set as desired and slightly browned on top.
A delicious way to prepare baby carrots is to steam them, then drizzle with an orangey glaze that makes them candy-sweet.
In a large saucepan, place steamer basket over 1 inch of water. Place carrots in basket. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a low boil; steam, covered, 12-15 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine marmalade, brown sugar and butter; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in pecans and extract.
Place carrots in a large bowl. Add marmalade mixture and toss gently to coat.
In a saucepan, bring the cranberries, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until berries burst. Strain through a food mill or sieve into a large bowl.
Stir in the gelatin, lemon juice and orange juice. Cool until mixture coats the back of a spoon.
In a small bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into cranberry mixture. Pour into a clear glass bowl. Chill until set. Garnish top with frosted cranberries, if desired.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray an 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Place Brussels sprouts, shallots and bacon on sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast uncovered 30 to 35 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until Brussels sprouts are fork-tender and bacon is cooked.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine vinegar and brown sugar. Stir with whisk until sugar is dissolved.
Remove sheet pan from oven. Drizzle with vinegar mixture; toss to coat.
This green bean casserole recipe is garnished with everyone's favorite topping: bacon! Serve your Thanksgiving turkey with a scoop of green bean casserole with bacon and a pile of mashed potatoes for the perfect holiday meal.
In an extra-large skillet cook beans in boiling lightly salted water about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain again; set aside. Meanwhile, in a small bowl pour the 1 cup boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
In the same extra-large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a small bowl lined with a paper towel; crumble bacon. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in skillet; discard the remaining drippings. Cook cremini mushrooms in the reserved drippings over medium-high heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in green beans.
Meanwhile, use a fork to remove the dried mushrooms from the water (do not discard liquid). Chop the mushrooms; add to green bean mixture.
For sauce, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in all but about 2 tablespoons of the mushroom liquid (discard the liquid at the bottom of the bowl, which may be gritty). Stir in half-and-half. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Transfer crumbled bacon, green bean mixture, and sauce to separate airtight containers. If desired, at this point you may cover; chill for up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir the sauce into the bean mixture. Spoon into a 2-quart square baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with bacon. Bake for 5 minutes more.
This is a nice make-ahead side dish and is pretty on the plate when serving.
Mix all ingredients well and spoon into cupcake papers placed in a muffin pan. Freeze. When frozen, remove from muffin pan and place in Ziploc bag. serve frozen or just slightly thawed.
For the Sweet Potatoes:
For the Topping:
Peel and slice sweet potatoes. Place in pot and cover with water, bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until fork tender. Drain well and place in large mixing bowl.
Add butter and beat until smooth. Add in vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. Beat again until well combined. With mixer going, add in eggs, one at a time. Stir in coconut.
Spoon this into an 8- x 8-inch casserole dish and bake at 350 for twenty minutes.
For topping, while casserole is baking, place flour and brown sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir together. Cut in butter with a long tined fork until well incorporated. Stir in pecans.
After twenty minutes, remove casserole from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over the top. Return to oven and bake until lightly golden, 30-40 minutes.
Place turnips, potato and enough water to cover in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain; return to pan.
Mash vegetables to desired consistency. Stir in remaining ingredients.
This is a delicious cranberry relish, made with fresh cranberries and other fruit.
Rinse off the cranberries and apples. Coarsely chop the cranberries in a food processor, being very careful not to puree them, but just coarse chop.
Core the apples and place them in the food processor. Chop the cranberry and apple together.
Peel the orange and pull the sections apart and place it in the food processor. Chop for a very short time.
Pour the cranberry mixture into a large glass bowl that has a lid. Drain the mandarin oranges and add them to the bowl. Pour the can of crushed pineapple into the bowl. Stir all the fruit together, combining well. Add the sugar to the bowl and stir. Finely chop the pecans and stir them into the cranberry relish.
Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash crosswise in half; remove and discard seeds. Cut a thin slice from bottom of each half to allow them to lie flat. Place on baking sheets, hollow side up; brush tops with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until almost tender, 30-35 minutes.
In a large saucepan, combine rice with contents of seasoning mix, broth, sage and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender and liquid is almost absorbed, 23-25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute celery and onion in remaining oil until tender. Stir in cranberries, pecans and parsley. Remove from heat. Stir in rice mixture.
Fill each squash half with about 1/2 cup rice mixture. Return to oven, uncovered, until rice is heated through and squash is tender, 12-15 minutes.
Easiest Ever Creamed Corn
Place butter in large skillet over medium heat to melt. Add frozen corn. Stir and continue cooking over medium heat for a few minutes, until mostly thawed. Add in whipping cream and sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent cream from scorching, for ten to fifteen minutes, until corn is cooked through and sauce is thick.
Roll and fit the crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the cranberries and orange zest in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped (about 5-7 pulses). Stir in 3/4 cup of the sugar and spread into the bottom of the crust.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the eggs, flour, vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Pour over the cranberry mixture.
Tap the pie plate on the counter a few times to remove some of the air bubbles. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the filling is set, about 50-60 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. Top with whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, and/or some sugared cranberries, if desired.
For Sweet Potatoes:
For Custard:
For Topping:
Place sweet potato filling ingredients into large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread into bottom of 8- x 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
Place all custard ingredients into medium heavy sauce pot and stir well. Place over medium low heat, whisking constantly, for five minutes, or until just warm. Will be very runny.
Using a measuring cup, gently scoop and pour custard over sweet potatoes.
Place 8x8 baking dish in center of larger baking dish and pour water into larger dish until it is about an inch deep.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out almost clean. Carefully remove from oven and remove baking dish from water. Allow to cool by placing on a heavy dish towel or wire rack. Once cool, cover with foil and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight. Before serving, remove from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour. Sprinkle brown sugar over top and turn oven to low broil.
Place dish on a baking sheet and put in oven, about 5-inches from broiler, for 5-7 minutes, or until sugar is mostly melted. Remove from oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving to allow sugar to harden. Note: Not all sugar will melt but it will form a thin coat across the top of the dish.
Since cranberries are a favorite of mine, and I love pineapple upside cake, why not put the two of them together to make a perfect dessert through the holidays?
Melt butter in a 10-inch iron skillet. Add 1 cup sugar; cook and stir 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat. Spoon cranberry sauce over butter mixture; sprinkle pecans over all. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat egg yolks until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar; beat well. Blend in orange juice. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. Carefully spoon over topping in skillet. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in skillet; invert onto large serving plate. Serve warm.
To showcase abundant fall cranberries, make this beautiful lattice-topped pie. A dollop of orange cream complements the slightly tart flavor.
For the orange cream:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together first eight ingredients.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of crust to a 1/8-inch.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim crust even with rim. Add filling.
Roll remaining crust to a 1/8-inch-thick circle; cut into strips. Arrange over filling in a lattice pattern. Trim and seal strips to edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Brush lattice with egg; sprinkle with additional sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil.
Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees. Remove foil; bake until golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining ingredients; beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with pie.
Have a great week and a very blessed Thanksgiving. Until next time, happy cooking.
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