Tips for a Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

You'll find the same basics of oven temperature, timing, seasonings and gravy making in any household cookbook, so I won't repeat them here. What I want to share are the background tips I've picked up over the years for making a perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Brining a Turkey

Why not give brining a try this Thanksgiving? Yes, the recipe here is fairly long; but it includes all the instructions you'll need -- even for making stock, which you'll then use to prepare gravy from the delicious pan drippings. But you'll find the process itself surprisingly simple -- and the results delightful

Turkey Two Ways Holiday Recipe

It's hard to please everyone when you roast a whole turkey. To get perfectly cooked dark meat, you run the risk of overcooking the white meat; and if you favor white meat, the dark could turn out undercooked. I have a simple solution that will keep everyone happy: Cook the dark meat and white meat separately, braising the legs and roasting the breast, as I do in Turkey Two Ways Recipe

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Mushrooms, Farro, Pecans and Dried Cranberries

Here's a vegan entree that's perfect for Thanksgiving. Stuffed Delicata squash is a rich, flavorful, elegant dish that goes beautifully with many of the usual Thanksgiving sides

Cornbread Stuffing with Brussels Sprouts and Squash

With the holidays coming up, the search is on for new twists on the standard dinner elements. One place to make an impression is the side dishes, and this cornbread stuffing is no exception

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Orange-Raisin Sauce

The deep orange color of sweet potatoes is a calling card for its stash of antioxidants called carotenoids--the major one being beta-carotene, which can be turned into vitamin A in your body

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving: Stuffing or Dressing?

As Thanksgiving draws nearer, one of the most-asked questions cooks hear is what kind of stuffing or dressing they plan to make to go with their turkey. And the next-most-asked question is probably: What's the difference between a stuffing and a dressing, anyway?

Savory Stuffing Recipe

Save time, calories and fat by using an herb-seasoned stuffing mix and substituting butter with low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth. In addition to extra celery, onions and garlic, add some leeks -- they fight heart disease and cancer -- and you'll end up with low-fat stuffing rich in nutrients and antioxidants

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

I vowed to make some time this month to nourish myself in between all of the holiday cooking madness. This simple yet tasty bruschetta came about from that promise

Pumpkin-Caramel Ice Cream Pie

After a big holiday dinner, a slice of this pie is a refreshing finale. Pumpkin-caramel ice cream pie is now required for our Thanksgiving dessert table, much the same as the turkey is for the main course

Maple Pecan Tart with Dried Cherries

Pecan pie is a seasonal favorite. Yet even if you bake it once or twice a year, it's still a good idea to tweak your recipe to keep things interesting. This pecan tart recipe might be just what you're looking for

3 Super Stuffing Recipes

While the tried and true breadcrumb stuffing goes well with virtually anything, wild rice stuffing partners best with such fowl as goose, turkey, chicken and Cornish game hens. Apple-cranberry cornbread enlivens duck, goose, pork and turkey. As for the zesty gingerbread, that compliments turkey perfectly.

Chicken-Apple Sausage, Chestnut, Dried Fruit and Nut Stuffing

In my home, stuffing is a highly prized part of the holiday dinner, so I make at least two kinds. The recipe below is a must-have every year. I usually cook it in a large ovenproof casserole, assembling it ahead of time and baking it before serving. This recipe is great for stuffing a 16-pound turkey

Thanksgiving Turkey Oyster Dressing Stuffing

Many of us are planning the final touches for the feast, especially the stuffing or dressing for the main-course turkey. And included in that decision is the question of whether you'll make a stuffing or a dressing.

Spiced Sweet Potato, Cranberry and Pecan Cake with Orange-Cinnamon Glaze

I adore fresh cranberries. And since cranberry season peaks between October and December, now is the perfect time to use them in this Spiced Sweet Potato, Cranberry and Pecan Cake with Orange-Cinnamon Glaze recipe

Parsnips with Horseradish and Chives

This Parsnips with Horseradish and Chives recipe works next to a turkey or with poultry or braised meet for weekday meals. It beautifully captures the flavors of autumn

Best Thanksgiving Sides Recipes

Every year as Thanksgiving rolls around, I begin to think about how I will cook my turkey. Once I make that decision, it's on to my favorite part of planning our Thanksgiving meal: the sides

Cream Vanilla Sweet Potatoes Recipe

One way to expand your holiday recipe list this year is to use vanilla in savory dishes like Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes, in addition to cakes and cookies. Vanilla helps to enhance the inherent flavors of sweet potatoes, rather than concealing their flavor in sweeteners.

Sweet Potatoes: 3 Sweet Potato Recipes

Sweet potatoes are one of those delightful foods that are nutritious as well as enticing. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, and they contain vitamins C and B6 as well. And, with more exotic varieties becoming widely available, they can be wonders to behold.

4 Tips for Classic Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

We've tested and developed many mashed potato recipes, discovering a few tips to getting the classic fluffy result without the aid of tons of butter and full-fat milk

How to Make Perfect Gravy

Gravy goes on nearly everything on my plate at Thanksgiving dinner. The most important thing about gravy is that it be lump-free. The secret to lump-free gravy? What do you do if lumps form anyway?

Making 'Risotto' Without Rice: Sweet Potato Risotto

For autumn and the approaching holiday season, I'd like to share yet another risotto-style dish made with a naturally starchy ingredient: sweet potato

Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas

This acorn squash has some Latin flare. A tangy, spicy lime and honey glaze contrasts deliciously with naturally sweet acorn squash, while peanuts and pepitas add earthiness and crunch. This sauce also works wonderfully on butternut squash and sweet potatoes

The Cranberries

It is possible to for you to get more creative than that with a homemade cranberry sauce, while still not adding significantly to your cooking efforts

Try Cranberry-Quince Compote and You'll Never Go Back to the Can

Many of us have become accustomed to the cranberry sauce that slides out of a can. But it's really not that elegant. Cranberry sauce, compote, or chutney made from scratch is so much more special

Cranberry Chutney

The following chutney recipe omits the usual vinegar because the cranberries yield enough tart flavor on their own. The recipe calls for enough red pepper flakes to deliver substantial heat, but you can reduce the amount if you prefer.

Sage Biscuits

Although sage isn't a traditional biscuit ingredient, it's appropriate when you want a bread to pair with turkey. Imagine the robust flavor of turkey stuffing; you'll get a hint of that in the biscuit recipe that follows.

Old Fashioned Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is one of the first things I look for when it comes time to hit the Thanksgiving dessert table. This nut-filled classic is the very definition of ooey-gooey decadence, and always has been. This version is just as rich and sugary as ever, but with one small change: I ditched the corn syrup

Pumpkin Pie Bars

For the holiday that more than any other is associated with food and feasting, I've got a delicious new pumpkin dessert to add to my menu. Several weeks ago, while discarding some old files, I came across a hand written recipe for pumpkin pie bars that a student had given me more than 20 years ago. Somehow it had been tucked away and left undiscovered.

Ginger Creme Brulee

Some might say creme brulee cannot be improved upon in its classical form of cream, egg yolks and sugar. But ginger adds a zesty kick -- but be sure to follow the instructions carefully. This recipe is gluten-free, and makes a perfect light dessert for after heavy holiday dinners.

Deep-Dish Pumpkin Pie with Cranberry Marmalade

It may be one of the most popular American desserts from Halloween through Thanksgiving and into the New Year. But not everyone loves pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Bread

Quick breads are usually flavored with fresh or dried fruit, vegetables, cheese, herbs or nuts that give the bread its distinctive flavor. Chocolate and pumpkin flavors are combined in this surprising sweet-spiced quick bread

7 Secrets to Trim Thanksgiving Costs

Here, some tips to help you trim Thanksgiving costs -- without skimping on your celebration.

Warm Mulled Cider

Office parties, trim-the-tree fetes, caroling nights, friends' gift exchanges ... there are countless occasions for entertaining once December arrives. Most of us, though, find ourselves with little time to undertake anything but the simplest of recipes during this hectic season. At our house warm mulled cider is a holiday staple. It takes only minutes to prepare

Fresh Pumpkin And Oyster Soup Recipe

I propose you plan to begin Thanksgiving dinner with my Fresh Pumpkin and Oyster Soup, served in a pumpkin shell! It will make a big impression, yet is fairly simple to prepare.

Turkey and Succotash Cream Soup

Succotash. The name, from a Narragansett Indian word for boiled corn kernels, can't begin to explain the dish that tastes better than you'd imagine. Succotash is a combination of corn and beans and sometimes tomatoes, depending on regional availability and preferences. The formula may seem plain, but when you put the basics together you get a dish that's comforting and tasty.

Roasted Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Soup with Herbed Sour Cream Recipe

I am partial to this Roasted Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Soup with Herbed Sour Cream Recipe when the weather turns cold. Winter squash and sweet potatoes are a complementary blend for a soup. Easy to put together and satisfying for your family or friends, this bright orange puree has lots of interesting flavor notes

Roasted Sweet Potato and Onion Soup

If you crave a little less frantic activity and a little more together time, plan a dinner around roasted vegetables. Roasted vegetables are perfect as the base for another dish, such as the following Roasted Sweet Potato and Onion Soup recipe

Turkey Vegetable Cobbler with a Medley of Mushrooms Recipe

You have more turkey leftovers than you know what to do with. Here's my answer. This comforting, old-fashioned, yet sophisticated version of pot pie includes a hefty sprinkling of mixed herbs and big chunks of turkey. A golden cobbler-style dough enriched with Parmesan crowns the top. You can also make this with chicken any time of year

Turkey-Butternut Tortilla Soup with Zesty Lime Sour Cream

Turning the usual excess of turkey meat into a soup is a great idea. I love adding the color and sweet taste of butternut squash. Putting this together with fresh corn kernels and tortillas and then pureeing those, makes for a nicely textured, sweet tasting soup

Thanksgiving Fun for the Family

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is primarily about family (and eating). However, the holiday was originally about giving thanks for the bounty of food that was to help folks through the lean winter months. These kid-friendly ideas will help get your family back to Thanksgiving's roots

 

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