Giving Thanks: 6 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Your Feast

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O Canada! We’re talking turkey and dishing up the finest of Thanksgiving feasts with these festive recipes.

Butternut Squash Soup
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1. Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup with Cinnamon Croutons

Ingredients
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp melted butter
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
6 ½ cups vegetable broth

Cinnamon Sugar Croutons
2 cups French bread cubes, ½-inch cubes
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
1) For the butternut squash and sweet potato soup, preheat oven to 400ºF. Toss butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and coated with non-stick cooking spray. Roast for 30 minutes stirring midway through until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

2) In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, cooking until softened about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Continue cooking 1 minute more. Stir in squash mixture, add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree the soup using a hand held blender.

3) For the cinnamon sugar croutons, preheat oven to 350ºF. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, toss the bread cubes with melted butter. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Add cinnamon-sugar mixture to the bread cubes and toss thoroughly. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, stir and continue to bake 4 minutes more, until bread cubes are crispy. Top each serving of soup with a couple of croutons.

Serves 8-10

brussels
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2. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple Dressing

Ingredients
Brussels Sprouts
4 cups fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Maple Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
1tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, gently toss Brussels sprouts with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 10 minutes, flip Brussels sprouts and continue to cook 10 minutes more, until tender and golden.

2) While Brussels sprouts are roasting, prepare maple dressing. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, salt and pepper. Remove sprouts from oven and place in a large bowl. Gently toss with maple dressing until well coated.

Serves 4

turkey
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3. Quick, Easy & Delicious Turkey Recipe

Ingredients
Turkey Marinade
1 (1.38oz/39g) envelope onion soup mix
2 cups apricot jam
1 cup French salad dressing
1 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

16-18 lb whole turkey
1 turkey-size (19″x23″) oven bag
1 tbsp flour

Moist Bread Stuffing
2 egg breads (challahs), crusts removed and cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 14 cups total)
1/4 cup butter
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/4 cup melted butter, for topping

Sweet Cranberry Sauce
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup orange juice or cranberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions

THE TURKEY
1) Keep only bottom rack in oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) In a medium bowl, combine envelope of onion soup mix, jam, French dressing, honey mustard, paprika, garlic powder, celery salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

3) Make sure the turkey cavity is empty. Rinse and pat the turkey dry. Sprinkle the bottom of the oven bag with flour and shake around the bag to prevent the bag from bursting during cooking. Place the oven bag in a large roasting pan with sides at least 2-inches high. Place the turkey in the bag and pour onion soup mixture over the turkey, making sure the entire turkey is covered with sauce. Seal the bag with the twist tie provided in the package. Cut 6 slits (each 1/2-inch long) in the top of the bag to allow the steam to escape. NOTE: You do not turn or baste the turkey during cooking.

4) Place the turkey in the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180°F and the breast of the turkey at the thickest point reaches an internal temperature of 170°F. Don’t be surprised if the turkey takes under 2 hours as the bag dramatically speeds up cooking time…go by the thermometer dial, not the time in the oven.

5) When the turkey is done, slit the bagand lift out the turkey placing it on a large cutting board. Allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

6) For the gravy, take the sauce that remains in the roasting pan and strain it into a large saucepan. Allow it to sit for a few minutes and then skim off any fat that has come to the surface. Over high heat, reduce sauce to desired consistency. Taste for salt and pepper and pour over sliced turkey.

Serves 10-12

THE STUFFING
1) Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes or until golden, swapping tray positions and rotating halfway through baking. Set aside to cool.

2) Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

3) In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté 10 minutes or until golden. Stir in sage, thyme, chicken broth and soy sauce, simmering for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

4) In a large bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in onion-celery mixture. Add bread cubes and cranberries, gently tossing to coat, ensuring all bread is soft and moist. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 45-50 minutes, until top is golden.

Serves 8-10

SWEET CRANBERRY SAUCE
1) Rinse and drain cranberries. In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, orange juice, sugar, brown sugar and dried cherries. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until cranberries pop open and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Spoon off any foam that has formed and cool to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 2 cups cranberry sauce

 

stuffing
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4. Sweet & Savoury Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

2 egg breads (challahs), crusts removed and cut into 1-inch cubes (approximately 14 cups total)
1/4 cup butter
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
4 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/4 cup melted butter, for topping

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes or until golden, swapping tray positions and rotating halfway through baking. Set aside to cool.

2) Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

3) In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery. Sauté 10 minutes or until golden. Stir in sage, thyme, chicken broth and soy sauce, simmering for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

4) In a large bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in onion-celery mixture. Add bread cubes and cranberries, gently tossing to coat, ensuring all bread is soft and moist. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 45-50 minutes, until top is golden.

Serves 8-10

sweet-potato-casserole
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5. Praline-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients
5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Streusel Topping
1 cup flour
2 /3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup melted margarine
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp cinnamon-sugar, for topping

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11×7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Place quartered sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, simmering for 15-20 minutes or until very tender. Drain well, place potatoes in a large bowl and mash.

3) For the streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, margarine and cinnamon.

4) Stir 1 cup of streusel into mashed sweet potatoes. Add brown sugar, vanilla, egg whites and evaporated milk, stirring to combine. Spoon into prepared baking dish, sprinkle with remaining topping and cinnamon-sugar. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Serves 8

pecan-pie
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6. The Perfect Pecan Pie

Ingredients
Butter Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter, chilled
4 tbsp cold water

Pecan Filling
4 large eggs
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Pecan Topping
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Using your hands or a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually drizzle cold water over flour mixture. Toss the mixture with a fork to moisten until the dough comes together. Gently gather dough into a ball. On a floured work surface, roll dough out into a circle that is 1-inch larger all around than an upside down 9-inch pie plate. Once rolled, ease dough into a 9-inch pie plate to evenly line the bottom and go up the sides. Fold overhanging dough under itself to form a rim. Transfer to freezer for 10 minutes while preparing filling.

3) For the filling, in a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt. Mix in chopped pecans and spoon into chilled pie crust. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

4) While pie is baking, prepare topping. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey and butter over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. Stir in pecan halves and remove from heat.

5) Once pie has baked for 45 minutes, remove from oven and gently spoon topping over filling. Return to oven for 15-18 minutes baking until topping is golden. Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil if they are browning too much.

6) Cool pie completely before serving, allowing at least 3 hours to set.

Serves 8-10

 

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com