Mark Bittman's Make Ahead Gravy

 Make ahead gravy is an essential part of my Thanksgiving dinner. I make a turkey stock weeks in advance, saving some drippings, so that I can make the gravy a day or two before Thanksgiving.

Once you've got the homemade stock, then the gravy is easy as can be. A stick of butter and an onion, some flour to thicken, and just whisk the gravy in until you have the consistency you desire!

The pack up the gravy, saving a little extra stock so that you can thin the gravy on the big day, and you're all set! On Thanksgiving, simply heat up the gravy in a pan, adding the saved stock to thin if necessary and you're all set.

An essential and delicious part of the Thanksgiving feast that can be made relatively fuss-free and easy as can be! I love this recipe!

                                                        

Mark Bittman's Make Ahead Gravy

Adapted from The New York Times

Serves 6-8

 1 stick butter

1 chopped onion

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper, to taste

4 to 5 cups warm chicken or turkey stock

chicken or turkey drippings

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the onions, stirring constantly, and cook until flour is golden to brown. Adjust heat so mixture does not burn.

Gradually whisk in 4 cups of stock until mixture thickens and is smooth. If it is too thick, add more stock. Cool. Cover and chill.

When ready to serve, reheat mixture over low heat, stirring. Scrape bottom of chicken or turkey pan and add drippings to gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve, adding more stock if necessary to thin.

 Pilgrim Plates @ I Heart Cooking Clubs

 

 

Ina Garten's Maple Roasted Honeynut Squash {The Best Autumn Side Dish}!

 

It turns out my new love is these precious baby honeynut squash. Wowza! They are so delicious...sweet and creamy and just so savory and comforting! I've been eyeing these little honeynut squash in cookbooks for awhile now, but I just saw them at Costco yesterday and I might've squealed. They're so little they fit in your hand and well, I knew instantly that I was making Ina's Maple Roasted Honeynut Squash!

Be careful cutting them in half lengthwise, because it is quite difficult and we don't want any accidents. That would just get in the the way of your complete and total enjoyment of these little precious gems!

 I've seen recipes where you can top these beauties with toasted nuts and/or seeds, cheeses, and all things spicy like chipotle or red pepper flakes. HOWEVER, I would urge you to try Ina's recipe, made simply with: the squash, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt and pepper. It simply can't be beat. These are just so dang good. They're like addictive good. Sweet and savory, creamy, and just oh so comforting. The little squash cavity holds all the buttery brown sugar goodness and you can just spoon bites and dunk it away. It is insanely delicious. Trust me, because I was meant to eat one half and I ended up eating two halves, or one whole baby squash. If you're a squash lover, please get your hands on these babies and try this recipe. It's heavenly!

Maple Roasted Honeynut Squash

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Serves 6

3 honeynut squash (2-1/2 to 3 pounds total)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, small diced

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise through the stems. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Place the squash halves on a sheet pan, cut-sides up, distribute the butter and brown sugar evenly among the cavities of each and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve hot. 

Pumpkin Party @ IHCC

{Celebrating Thanksgiving} Corn Spoonbread with Goat Cheese and Chives

 

Spoonbread...have you ever tried it? If you have, then you know it's really nothing like cornbread. If you haven't, think of it as a savory pudding or cornmeal souffle. It cannot be cut into slices like cornbread, but instead is scooped out with a spoon. The bites closest to the edge have a firmer texture while the bites closest to the center are moist and light in texture. Spoonbread can be flavored as you would any souffle, with different cheeses and herbs. Ellie's recipe features goat cheese and chives, which pairs perfectly with my Thanksgiving dinner, but feel free to change it up as you like. 

Here the goat cheese is mixed into the warm cornmeal and melts into the base of the mixture, leaving behind a wonderful tangy flavor. That tangy flavor is balanced by the burst of sweet flavor from the fresh corn kernels. Finally, the chives (quite possibly my favorite herb) are magical. Not only are the chives pretty, but they kick the spoonbread up a notch with their subtle oniony flavor. Give this a try in place of your corn or cornbread this Thanksgiving. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

 Corn Spoonbread with Goat Cheese & Chives

Adapted from The Washington Post

Serves 6

2 cups low-fat milk (1 percent) 

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 2 ears) 

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal 

3 ounces soft goat cheese (chevre; 1/2 cup

 1/4 teaspoon salt 

3 tablespoons finely chopped chives 

2 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks 

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Use cooking oil spray to grease a 2-quart souffle dish or high-sided baking dish.  Combine the milk and corn in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to medium and gradually stir in the cornmeal. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes or until the mixture thickens to a dough-like consistency. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the cheese and salt until evenly distributed (the white should disappear). Transfer to a mixing bowl; let cool for 15 minutes, then whisk in the chives and egg yolks until well incorporated.

Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer; beat on medium-low speed until foamy, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.

Fold a third of the beaten egg whites into the cornmeal mixture to loosen it a bit, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites just until no trace of white is left. Transfer to the baking dish; bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until slightly puffed, golden brown on top and just set.

Theme: Scentsational Sides!

{Celebrating Thanksgiving} Brussels Sprouts with Juicy Bits of Pork

Nothing against bacon, but these juicy chunks of pork compliment Brussels sprouts WAY better than bacon ever could. In fact, I dare say this Brussels sprout dish could turn any I-don't-like-Brussels-Sprouts person into a fan. A perfect proportion of succulent juicy pork bits to sprouts ratio makes for one satisfying dish.  I could hardly wait for my fork to spear each bite. Small slice of turkey for me, please. My Thanksgiving dinner will be all about this dish.

Do yourself a favor and save the bacon for breakfast.  

Brussels Sprouts with Juicy Bits of Pork

Adapted from How To Cook Everything Fast

by Mark Bittman

Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons butter

about 1/2 pound ground pork*

1-1/2 pound Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup water, chicken broth or wine

salt and pepper, to taste

*Note: The recipe says you can use chorizo, sausage, or bacon in place of pork, but I opted for the succulent juicy flavor of ground pork because I thought it would compliment the traditional Thanksgiving sides like cornbread and potatoes best. It ended up being the most incredible combination of flavors.

Trim the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes.  Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet, followed by the 1/2 cup of water, chicken broth or wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until just tender. Check on them a time or two and add a bit more of your liquid (water, broth, or wine), if necessary.  

When the sprouts are just about done, remove the cover and raise the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring just once or twice, for a couple of more minutes. The liquid should evaporate and the sprouts should be starting to get brown. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot.

{Celebrating Thanksgiving} Sweet Potato Casserole with Meringue Topping

 

Let's talk about Thanksgiving real quick. I think we can all agree that it's A LOT of work. In fact, if you're hosting Thanksgiving then odds are you will be preparing for over a week. After you've hosted years upon years of Thanksgiving dinners you may very well start to feel burned out. Burned out on the work, the cleaning, and quite frankly, the same typical ingredients and recipes. You may even have years where you refuse to cook a turkey with all the fixings and opt for other dishes, such as prime rib, ham, and spaghetti and meatballs. I've been there. In fact, I've opted out of traditional Thanksgiving for the past 5 years.

Perhaps the break was just what I needed because I have a renewed interest in all things Thanksgiving this year! I have a few fun and unique ways to serve up those traditional ingredients and I'm excited to be sharing them in the weeks to come.

This week I have a very pretty and fun take on the old sweet potato casserole. Gone is the heavy casserole dish packed with butter, sugar, nuts, and marshmallows. Say hello to the new sweet potato casserole with simple ingredients: sweet potato, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, and a tiny bit of sugar need to make the meringue topping. The sweet potato is definitely the star of this new and healthy casserole. The addition of egg makes the sweet potato layer quite fluffy and the meringue topping adds a beautiful texture and touch of sweetness. I think this casserole would be a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving table. 

Sweet Potato Casserole with Meringue Topping

Adapted from Comfort Food Fix

by Ellie Krieger

Serves 8 sevings

3-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (5 medium) peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/3 cup honey

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8x8 casserole dish (or an 10" cast iron skillet as I've used).

Place the sweet potatoes in a large steamer basket fitted over a pot of boiling water.  Cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the honey, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg,and salt and whip using an electric mixer. Spread the sweet potato mixture into the prepared dish.

In a small bowl, using the electric mixer, beat together the egg white and cream of tartar until foamy. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for about 10 seconds between each addition. Then continue to whip until stiff peaks are formed and the mixture is glossy and smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a pastry bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off, pipe 1-inch dollops on top of the casserole. Bake until the meringue is browned on top and the casserole is warmed through, 40 to 45 minutes.

Theme: Anyway You Slice It!