From sides to sweet potato cupcakes, we’ve got you covered on everything but the turkey for the ultimate Thanksgiving spread
By Jessica Stringer | Photography by James Stefiuk
Thanksgiving Chestnut Turkey Stuffing
Dick Barrows, former chef at the now-shuttered Kitchen
“Growing up in suburbia in the 1950s and ’60s, I came home from school and could smell my mom’s good cooking wafting out from dual exhaust fans that my dad had installed. She had “The Joy of Cooking” and other cookbooks, but most of her recipes were in her head. While I liked most of the meals she prepared, my fondest memories are of the traditional dishes: brisket on Passover, a rib roast for our birthdays and the Thanksgiving turkey with her chestnut stuffing. Mom always used whole chestnuts, which she painstakingly scored by hand before heating them in a pan and peeling them. She then chopped them together with onions, celery, spices and bits of the bird’s giblets and liver. The stuffing was a full-day project for which she required very little help. Our family Thanksgiving would not be complete without this stuffing. It’s not cheating to use prepeeled chestnuts which saves a good bit of time. There are many kinds of stuffing but we stick with the family tradition and it’s always chestnut stuffing inside our Thanksgiving turkey.”
What you’ll need:
4 cups mirepoix (diced celery, carrots and onion), divided
5 cups toasted bread cubes
2 cups roasted chestnuts, diced
The turkey liver
1 cup dried cherries
3 Tbsp. chopped sage and thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Make turkey stock with the neck and giblets along with 2 cups of mirepoix and water. // Simmer for 1 hour until it smells wonderfully turkey. // Sauté the 2 cups mirepoix until translucent. // Finely dice the turkey liver and sauté. // In a large bowl, put the bread cubes, mirepoix, chestnuts, cherries and herbs. // Add the turkey stock gradually until the mixture is moist but not overly mushy. // Season with salt and pepper. // Fill the turkey cavity just before roasting. // In a separate ovenproof pan, put the remaining stuffing and bake in a 350°F oven for 1 hour.
Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Vanilla-Balsamic Glaze (Gluten-Free)
Rachel Ruvo, AgonyOfDeWheat.Com
“I will be hosting my 18th Thanksgiving this year. We have had as few as four guests and as many as 25. Regardless, my goal is to make it feel intimate and cozy but still special. Recipes like this one embody all of those feelings in one dish. The balsamic reduction can be made well in advance and the toppings can be pre-measured to make this dish come together quickly before serving.”
What you’ll need:
1 lb. Brussels sprouts (outer leaves and sliced length-wise)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Topping:
1/4 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (I use Ian’s Panko)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Glaze:
1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Heat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; place Brussels sprouts on baking sheet and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. // Toss to coat and place cut side down. Roast for 25 minutes. // Remove from oven and sprinkle with topping ingredients. Place back in oven and roast for 5 more minutes. // To make the glaze, pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer until it is reduced by half, coats the back of a spoon or is the
consistency of maple syrup. // Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Drizzle sprouts with balsamic glaze and serve. // Note: I don’t recommend using the Glutino brand of breadcrumbs. They have a cornmeal consistency and won’t work well in this recipe. The Ian’s Panko seems to be readily available at the supermarket and really shines in this dish.
Spicy Gravy Turkey
Vandana Turage, Momma T’s Southern Indian Spices
“Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among almost all religions after harvests and at many other times. I was born and raised in South India in a joint family, who lived together as a big group in the same house, with my parents, two brothers, one sister and my four uncles (my dad’s brothers) and my two aunts (my dad’s sisters). It was fun when festivals and holidays approached and my mom used to cook various authentic recipes that she got from my grandma, as well as snacks and sweets, which were very rare for us to eat and enjoy. I had a chance to help my mom while she was cooking, and I learned how to cook and create new recipes for myself. For this upcoming holiday season, I came up with this recipe using the spice mixes that I have created and have been selling at the Chapel Hill Farmers’ Market as a specialty vendor. I’ve shared [this recipe] with my friends who have tried and enjoyed it.”
What you’ll need:
12-oz. coconut cream or 11/2 cup of plain yogurt
1-inch piece ginger, peeled
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp. Momma T’s Garam Masala
1 Tbsp. Momma T’s Original Powder
4 oz. tomato paste
1 jalapeño (optional)
1 lb. turkey (medium-size pieces with skin)
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 dry bay leaf, medium size
1 large onion, chopped
Cilantro to garnish
Add the first 6 ingredients and jalapeño (if desired) to a blender and blend well into a fine paste and set it aside. // In a pressure cooker or a big pot, add the cleaned and cut turkey pieces and salt. // Fill with water until immersed and cook for 25 minutes on medium. // In a saucepan, add vegetable oil and heat. Once the oil is warm enough, add the bay leaf and chopped onions and sauté for a minute. //Add the ground spice paste and turkey pieces and mix well. If needed, add a cup of water to adjust the gravy consistency. // On a medium flame, cook for 10 more minutes. Bring out of flame. // Add some more salt to taste if needed; garnish with chopped cilantro. // Serve hot on plain cooked rice or with naan or tortilla.
Acorn Squash Gratin
Claudia Sanders, Good Intentions Culinary Services
“ This recipe was created out of the true mother of invention — necessity. A few years ago, I was visiting my twin sister in Chicago for Thanksgiving. The weather was cold, dreary and drizzling. After the trip to the grocery store on Wednesday, we pledged not to leave the house again until after Thursday. We decided to make our sweet potato dish on Wednesday and just reheat before serving. But after looking everywhere, we realized that the sweet potatoes never made it home. Rather than bundle up and venture back out to the grocery store that would – we knew – be a madhouse of people who were waiting last minute, we got creative. My sister and I decided to skip the crowd and raid our cornucopia arrangement that included winter squash and decorative gourds! The acorn squash was to be a nice substitute for the sweet potatoes since it was orange and sweet. We chose to roast the squash in order to coax out the sugars, and then used the ingredients that we had on hand for the rest of the recipe. The result was absolutely delicious. The following day at Thanksgiving, our guests raved about the mash, and it has been a staple dish for Thanksgiving ever since. We were also very pleased to learn that acorn squash has half the calories, sugars and carbohydrates of sweet potatoes, so that means you can splurge on dessert!”
What you’ll need:
One acorn squash
Olive oil, salt and pepper
1 whole head of farlic
Butter
4 Tbsp. pine nuts, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup food quality finely grated Parmesan, divided
1 scant cup panko (can substitute gluten-free panko)
Heat oven to 375°F. // Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds, sprinkle cut sides with salt, pepper and olive oil. // Cut off the top one-eighth of the head of garlic, leaving skin on. Place acorn squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet covered with foil and “hide” the garlic under one of the halves. // Bake until squash gives when pressed (about 30 to 40 minutes). Remove from oven and turn over, then let cool. // Once cool enough to work with, scoop the flesh from the squash into a bowl, then squeeze the roasted garlic into the bowl and add a big pat of butter (it is Thanksgiving after all) and mash with a potato masher until smooth. // Add salt and pepper to taste along with half the Parmesan and some finely chopped pine nuts. // Place in a greased casserole dish and spread evenly. (At this point, this dish can be covered and put in fridge for a day or two. Bring to room temperature before placing in oven for final cooking.) // Mix the panko, remaining Parmesan and pine nuts with more salt and pepper and distribute evenly over squash mixture. // Place in 350 F oven covered for 15 minutes (or until just bubbling), then remove cover and let brown on top another 10 minutes (put under low broil but don’t let it burn).
Toasted Pecan-Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrie Brogren, Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies
“Cupcakes might not be the most elegant dessert for Thanksgiving, but they are definitely a crowd-pleaser and these Toasted Pecan-Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream are perfect for a family gathering or a fall picnic. I have cupcake recipes for just about any occasion and this is one of my favorites. The crunchy texture of the toasted pecans and the rich cream cheese buttercream strike the perfect balance, while the sweet potato make them extra moist.”
What you’ll need:
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 16-oz. can sweet potatoes
2/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I prefer the organic Madagascar vanilla extract)
3 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
In a shallow baking pan, toast pecans at 350 F for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once at about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. // In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat sugar and butter together at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended. // In another large bowl, whisk together sweet potatoes, orange juice and vanilla. Set aside. // In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. // Add half of the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture and beat with electric mixer on low until blended. Add the remaining half of flour mixture and beat again just until blended. // Fold in most of the toasted pecans with a rubber spatula. The remaining small amount of toasted pecans can be used to garnish the cupcake tops after frosting. // Line a muffin or cupcake pan with baking cups and spoon batter into cups until about 2/3 full. // Bake at 350 F for about 28 to 30 minutes. Cool for about an hour before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
What you’ll need:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla until blended. Spoon frosting into pastry bag and frost cupcakes (or simply frost by hand). Garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped pecans.
