My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes!
It’s going to be a different holiday season this year. Our family, like many others, can’t all be together for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Had a good cry over the weekend thinking of not seeing everyone and having our family traditions.
The holidays will be smaller, with lots of zooms I’m sure, but I will cherish them nonetheless and be grateful that we are all heathy and safe.
I started thinking back on my favorite Thanksgiving recipes I’ve made over the years and wanted to share them. These dishes were made with love and brought me so much joy to make for the people I love most.
Rye, Chestnut and Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients:
6 cups day old rye bread with seeds, cut into small cubes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, minced
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
⅓ chopped fresh herbs. I like to use a combination of sage, rosemary & thyme
½ cup dried cranberries
1 jar (10 oz) peeled whole roasted chestnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup vegetable stock
2 large eggs, beaten
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large skillet on medium heat, melt butter and add onions, celery, carrots and herbs. Sauté until vegetables soften (about 5 minutes). Stir in chestnuts and cranberries. In a large bowl, place pieces of bread. Add vegetable mixture, parsley and vegetable broth. Mix well and let cool to room temperature. Mix in eggs, salt & pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spoon mixture into a well buttered, large glass baking dish (10 x 2 inches). Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the top is crispy.
Acorn Squash & Coconut Custard
Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise with seeds fully scooped out. Also cut a small piece off the bottom of each squash so they will sit flat during baking
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 cup canned coconut milk. Be sure to shake well first
½ cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
Dash of cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle each piece of squash with olive oil, salt & pepper and sprinkle with sage. Roast squash in the oven for 40 minutes until they soften and brown a little bit on top. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Let squash fully cool to room temperature (about 45 minutes).
While squash is cooling, make the custard. Whisk coconut milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, salt & pepper. Mix well. Pour evenly into each acorn squash and bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours. Before serving, melt butter and drizzle on top with hazelnuts. Top with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Roasted Duck Breasts with Grilled Plums
Ingredients:
4 duck boneless breasts (around 12 oz each) trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons thyme
6 ripe plums cut in half with pits removed
Olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Brush plums all over with olive oil, honey and season with thyme, salt & pepper. Heat cast iron griddle on medium high heat. Place plums cut side down to get grill marks. Cook for 3-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Turn plums over and cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside and keep warm in a bowl under foil, preserving any juice.
Cut small slits into the skin of the duck breasts about 1 inch apart without cutting fully through the meat. Season both sides with rosemary, salt & pepper. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add oil. Add duck breasts with the skin side down and cook for about 7 minutes until the skin is crispy. Turn breasts over and cook for another 7-10 minutes, depending on desired rareness. Remove duck breasts from heat, set aside on a cutting board and let rest.
Slice duck into thin pieces, plate and serve with plums. Use any excess juice from the plums and drizzle over plates.
Parmesan Potato Gratin with Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
3 lbs large russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, set aside in large stacks
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, add butter, oil and thyme. Stir until butter is fully melted and thyme is fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large greased cast iron skillet or baking dish, arrange stacks of potato slices. Season with salt & pepper and brush the top with ½ of the butter, oil and thyme mixture. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes and remove from oven.
Brush remaining butter, oil and thyme mixture. Sprinkle cheese and pine nuts on top. Cook for another 3 minutes until cheese is melted and pine nuts are browned.
Creamed Spinach with Roasted Hazelnuts
Ingredients:
Olive oil
5 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups vegetable stock
½ cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons cream cheese
Sprinkle of nutmeg
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ cup chopped hazelnuts
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a medium baking dish. In a large Dutch oven on medium, heat a small amount of olive oil. Add spinach in batches and cook until slightly wilted. Remove from heat and set aside. Add more oil, onion and garlic and cook until fragrant and onion is translucent (about 5 minutes). Season with salt & pepper and stir in flour. Add vegetable broth and half-and-half and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping any browned bits off the bottom.
Continue to stir until mixture thickens up (about 3-5 minutes). Add cheese, nutmeg, orange zest and stir until smooth. Add more salt & pepper if desired. Remove from heat. Squeeze out excess moisture from the spinach with a clean kitchen towel. Add spinach to the creamy mixture and mix well.
Spoon spinach dish into greased baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with hazelnuts and bake for an additional 5 minutes until they are golden brown.
