Thanksgiving Menu Ideas for 2018

Thanksgiving is next week! Of course I love gathering in the kitchen and around the table with my friends and fam and being all thankful and all that... but I really, really love the menu planning leading up to the event. We went way overboard last year with a trillion different side dishes, which was fun and tasty but overwhelming, so this year we’re cutting it way back and keeping it pretty simple (but still delicious, obv). We're not even doing yams/sweet potatoes! My sister and I both eat various forms of sweet potatoes weekly, so we axed them from the Thanksgiving menu! Controversial! 

Fall Queso with Pumpkin and Chorizo #virtualpumpkinparty

It’s Sara’s annual Virtual Pumpkin Party! So, in the name of all things pumpkin, here’s a very bastardized queso dip.

I started out with a classic American style queso dip. You know, runny melty cheese, peppers, spices, yadda yadda. You dip chips in it. Basic. But then I wanted to make it even more basic with pumpkin and all the fall flavors. Chorizo is an obvious addition to queso, and that had me thinking about all those Thanksgiving recipes out there for stuffing with chorizo, pecans, and dried cherries. Fall! So there you have it. It’s cheesy queso, with pumpkin puree and chorizo mixed in, and topped with more chorizo, pecans, dried cherries, and green onions. It would be so good served at a fall dinner party or to nosh on before Thanksgiving!

We’re using a half cup of pumpkin puree, so you'll have some leftover...but luckily there a lot of other savory and sweet pumpkin recipes out there for #virtualpumpkinparty, so head over to Cake Over Steak to check them out!

Fall queso dip with pumpkin and chorizo 

Splash olive oil 2 tablespoons diced white onion 1 jalapeño, diced ¼ lb fresh chorizo (Mexican fresh style, not cured Spanish style) ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Pinch salt, pepper, and cinnamon ½ cup pureed pumpkin ¾ cup half and half (1/4 cup of it set aside) 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Trader Joe’s Mexican blend) For topping: Toasted pecans Dried cherries Sliced green onion

Heat olive oil in a medium to large pot over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño, and sauté until onion is translucent. Add chorizo and cook through. If desired, remove a little bit of the chorizo to reserve for topping and set aside. Add garlic powder and a pinch of salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Add pumpkin puree and stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium low. In a small bowl, mix reserved ¼ cup half and half with cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved, set aside. Stir remaining half and half into pot until combined, then add cornstarch slurry, stirring until mixed. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Add more salt, pepper, and cinnamon to taste, and more half and half or cheese to adjust consistency as desired. Top with toasted pecans, dried cherries, sliced green onion, and reserved chorizo. Serve with tortilla chips.

Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding

When I was a kid, June was by far my favorite month. School got out for the summer, it was my birthday, we had that perfect spring weather—sunny and warm but not full on summer hot—and our field was filled with little purple flowers. And did I mention my birthday is in June? Of course I loved summer and also other months with holidays (particularly ones where I received gifts and/or cake and/or cookies), but I didn’t see how anyone could love any month better than June.

Thanksgiving Menu 2015

THANKSGIVING WEEEEEEEK (forget Oprah voice, we're singing that with Jean-Ralphio flush-with-cash voice)! I’m hosting for the first time, and I’m so excited! I usually help my ma out in the kitchen, and make one or two dishes, but I've never been in charge of the full meal, or the turkey. I'm stooooooooked to do the turkey! I'll probably post some updates on Instagram (is this what Snapchat is for? Ugh. I just feel too old for Snapchat... I mean... be real, it's just for d**k pics, right??), to let you know how it all turns out. If you need any last minute inspiration, here’s my menu!

Corn Pudding with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

When I was growing up, my little family of four—my parents, my sister, and I—created some very, very strong holiday traditions. Like, the kind where if one tiny thing changed, we revolted. We were so rooted in those traditions and rituals that giving them up has been hard. Last Thanksgiving, our first without my dad, was really, really hard. He wouldn’t be there to cut the turkey, to joke with my sister and me about the fuckingyams, to give his annual thanksgiving toast. So, to counter the sadness and weirdness of his absence, my mom invited tons of people. Like 30. Or more. It was a huge party.

Thanksgiving Feels

I'm feeling ALL THE THANKSGIVING FEELS. 

Mini Cranberry Tarts

My mom has such a generous heart. Mel’s kitchen has always been open-invite, for any meal, any holiday, any time of year. If you need a place to eat at Thanksgiving, she’ll never turn you away, and you’ll always leave happy, with a full belly.

This year’s Thanksgiving will be no different in that regard. In fact, we’ll have a very full house. There will be one very important person missing this year, but we’re hoping to fill our hearts (and my mom’s home) as much as possible by surrounding ourselves with friends. Lots of friends. Like… around 20 people.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

I’m back… and with PIE!

A lot has happened around here in the last couple of months, and I struggled a little with how I wanted to come back, and what I wanted to say. In the wake of so much sadness (my dad passing) and so much joy (my wedding), I just couldn’t seem to put pen to paper (or…fingers to keyboard) about food.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Roundup

Thanksgiving is only two days away!? How did that happen? I had all these great plans for you. A few more T-day side dishes, some desserts, maybe even a cocktail. But then this crazy thing happened that fully derailed everything… I GOT ENGAGED. Our whole relationship has been a crazy whirlwind of excitement… we met, fell in love, moved in together, and got engaged. So fast.

 

Just kidding about the fast part… we’ve been together since spring of 2004, when we were wee little freshman babies in college. Most people probably think we’re already married. The general response to our engagement has been “IT’S ABOUT TIME!”

But more on that later, because it’s almost Thanksgiving! So, let’s discuss stuffing. Or dressing, which is technically what it’s called when baked separate from the bird. This is how I prefer it, because it’s not a soggy lump of a mess, but instead it’s crispy in places, soft in places, all around amazing. But I still call it stuffing.
 

First, the bread: start with super crispy dry bread, whether it’s 2-days old or popped under the broiler to crisp up. Try classic French bread, or mix it up with cornbread, ciabatta, or a combo! Second, the additions: I think there are 6 main categories here. Mushrooms, fruit (cranberries and apples), winter veg (squash, sweet potatoes), pork (bacon, sausage, chorizo), nuts (chestnuts, pecans, walnuts), and herbs (thyme and sage are classics).
 

Since I didn’t have time to make a million stuffing recipes for you, I scoured the internetz for some really tasty looking recipes that you can make as-is, or use for T-day inspiration! A little something for everybody. Happy cooking!

• Kale and Mushroom Bread Pudding via A Thought for Food: Savory bread pudding is a lot like stuffing/dressing, just a bit eggier. This one looks amazing.
• Apple and Herb Stuffing via Smitten Kitchen: Two of the main stuffing additions, together in one glorious dish.
• Andouille Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing via Food 52: This sounds like an amazing year round stuffing with a southern twist.
• Butternut, Sausage, and Fennel Stuffing via Gimme Some Oven: I want to eat this for every single meal this winter.
• Ciabatta Stuffing with Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Mushrooms via Food 52: Another recipe that takes several of the addition categories and mashes them all together for perfection.
• Pancetta Sage Stuffing Muffins via A Cozy Kitchen: WHAT! Stuffing in adorable hand-held muffin form. Genius.

 

Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Quick Bread

Warning: this post contains explicit language & delicious bread.

I don't think I've told you guys about the fucking yams yet, have I? Well, it happens to be my very favorite holiday story. 

So, to set the stage… my parents certainly didn't have the mouth's of angels when I was a kid, but the F-bomb was a place they never went. I think I heard my mom say it once my whole childhood, when a thrift store wouldn't accept her donation (she was really riled up that day). Then, when I was in like, 7th or 8th grade, Amanda, Mel, and I spent one super hot summer reading through Stephen King's The Green Mile out loud together. That's what you do out in the country when you don't have cable TV…sort of like old timey radio stories. So we all took turns reading chapters. We were at one super intense part in the story, my mom was reading and Amanda and I were leaning forward in anticipation of what would come next. All of a sudden, Mel stopped reading, her face got super red, and then she continued "Eff-You-See-Kay, Percy Said!" Amanda and I looked at each other, then fell on the floor laughing. She couldn't even read the F-word out loud to us, she had to spell it out. Needless to stay, we lost our steam after that, and it took us awhile to carry on with the story. 

So, fast-forward to a few years ago. It's Thanksgiving day, and Mel is hard core stressin'. We have a house full of people, and she's pulling everything out of the oven, just about ready to serve dinner. From the living room, we hear a giant crash in the kitchen, so we all run in, and Mel is standing there, covered in yams. Orange mush on the walls, the floor, every where. My dad asks "what happened?" And then she bursts into tears and wails "THE FUCKING YAMS!" So, of course, Amanda, John, and I all die laughing. And then, to make her feel better, one of us says "we don't really like the yams anyway." If bullets could shoot out of peoples eyes, that's what would have happened at that moment.

The next year, Amanda and I wandered out Thanksgiving morning in shirts we had made with a cartoon yam and Mel's new catchphrase "THE FUCKING YAMS." Needless to say, this time her tears were laugh-tears, and the phrase sort of just stuck. So now every year we make sure we add some sort of fucking yam to the Thanksgiving menu. 

But the truth is, we weren't lying when we told her that we didn't really love the yams. The mushy, sweet, marshmallow covered yams. So ever since that day, we try to do something new with them. Roasted sweet potatoes, scalloped sweet potatoes, etc. This year, I figured we could go in a whole new direction, and make a sweet potato quick bread!

I based this off of the pumpkin quick bread in my trusty Fannie Farmer cookbook, and was inspired by the recipe just below it for cranberry quick bread. Full of nuts and tart cranberries, with warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, this bread is perfect for the main meal, the dessert table, or even breakfast the next day.  

Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Bread

Based loosely on a Fannie Farmer recipe

Plan ahead so your puree has time to cool before mixing with the egg, otherwise you'll have weird cooked egg pieces. To make the sweet potatoes, I just peeled and cubed one orange sweet potato, then steamed it (in a veg steamer) for about 15 minutes, until it was super tender, and then mashed with a pastry blender until smooth. You can also roast a whole, unpeeled sweet potato, or try boiling the peeled chunks, ala Martha Stewart (minus the salt & pepper).

1.5 cups flour (I used half whole wheat, half all purpose)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sweet potato puree, cooled 

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup water

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

2 teaspoons course turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350, and butter a loaf pan.

Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, stir together potato puree, oil, eggs, spices, and water until properly mixed. Add sweet potato mixture to dry ingredients, and stir until just combined, don't over mix. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Pour into loaf pan and sprinkle course sugar over top. Bake 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack. 

Roasted Vegetables with Harissa Yogurt

Hey guess what!? I mentioned this on my Loves Food, Loves to Eat Facebook page, and also on twitter, but if you're not following along at either of those places (you should be!) then I'll tell you here too. I'm doing NaNoWriMo! NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month, and it takes place every November. I've been very, very slowly writing a story for the past two years, and decided to use NaNo as an excuse to push through and finish it. The goal with NaNo is to write 50,000 words, which is the average size of a novel. I'm up to 30,000! Anyway, my novel has nothing to do with food. It's a mystery type story. My mom likes it so far, so…I'll consider that a success. Stay tuned, maybe I'll let you read it someday. 

But anyway, enough about that. Let's talk about your Thanksgiving table. There's the turkey, the mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing/dressing, something orange, green beans of some sort, bread rolls, and cranberry sauce. Right? 

Well, I like to also add some roasted vegetables with a little spice. These vegetables, delicata squash, carrots, parsnip, and onions are roasted until they're all caramelized, and the coconut oil adds just a hint of sweetness. Then the whole thing is topped with harissa yogurt, which is cool, sweet, and spicy all at once. Throw some crunchy, juicy pomegranate arils on top, and it's ready to serve.  

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Harissa Yogurt 

1 delicata squash

1 large carrot, peeled and cubed

1 parsnip, peeled and cubed

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can drained, rinsed chickpeas (not pictured..*)

2 teaspoons coconut oil, melted

salt & pepper

6 oz plain greek yogurt

1/2-1 teaspoon harissa spice blend (dry)**

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons olive oil

juice from half a lemon 

Pomegranate arils (the fruity seeds)

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice delicate in 1/2 inch slices, and clear out center of each slice with a spoon. Separate and save the seeds (like with pumpkin seeds). 

Toss squash slices, squash seeds, carrots, parsnip, and onion with coconut oil, and spread out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a fairly generous amount of salt and pepper (you can also sprinkle on spices here if you'd like. I've tried za'atar and thyme, both were great!).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until everything is tender. If you want more color on it, stick under the broiler for thirty seconds to a minute (keep an eye on it).

Stir together yogurt, harissa, honey, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add salt to taste.

Serve vegetables hot, topped with yogurt mixture and pomegranate arils.

This is also pretty good cold the next day, or tossed with arugula for a little salad. But, since it's cooked in coconut oil, once it's refrigerated, the coconut oil hardens again. 

*Edit: Aw man! I completely forgot that when I made this before I added 1 can of drained, rinsed chickpeas! I would definitely recommend doing that. 

**I've tried both the spice blend and the paste in this, and prefer the dry spice blend. You can buy it bulk in a lot of places or try this. 

Papa's Marinated Green Olives

THANKSGIVING! Just a few weeks away! I have a few recipes that you can adopt for your Thanksgiving table this year, and the first is so, so perfect: a simple little snack that also happens to be a really special family recipe for Evan. 

Every time Evan and his family visited his paternal grandparents, his grandpa, Frank "Papa" Piro made his signature marinated olives. Evan said these olives were always a highlight of the trip. And he said that as a kid, he was amazed that his Papa could make olives, he had no idea how he did it! PS. Evan was a really cute little boy, and this is my favorite picture on Earth. Those sandals! 

Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet Papa or Mamo Piro, but luckily I get to hear tons of great stories from Evan and his family, and we ended up with a copy of the recipe for Papa's Olives! 

These are so easy and flavorful—just a jar of store-bought green olives, marinated in garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and oregano. We like to make a jar and just keep them in the fridge for snacking, but they would be such a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving feast—a simple snack you can prepare ahead of time, before you get all crazy with the turkey and ninety seven side dishes. 

Thanksgiving is for giving thanks, so this one, this thank you is to Evan's family, for making me one of their own, being supportive and caring and welcoming to my family, letting me whisk Evan away all the time, sending me awesome hilarious childhood pics (Thanks Mary Ellen!), and for sharing their amazing history and traditions with me. And for these olives.

Papa's Olives

You can make these right in the jar they came in, or if you buy canned olives, just mix it up in a bowl or other jar! The flavors intensify as they sit and meld, but feel free to add more garlic, pepper flakes, etc, as your tastes desire! 

1 6-7 oz jar or can of green olives, drained

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Add garlic, pepper flakes, olive oil, and oregano to jar, and shake to mix well. For a pretty presentation, serve in a little dish, or transfer to cute jars for gifts (!!). 

Thanks!

It's that time of year again, Thanksgiving... time to give some thanks. I’d like to say thanks to all of my readers, family, and friends who support my blog, read my stories, and eat my food—you’re awesome, every one of you. I’d like to thank my coworker Mandy for taking me to the Seattle Magazine Best of 2010 Bash last week (and my company for paying for it), where I (over)indulged in amazing food from local chefs, and had glass after glass (after glass) of local wine. Thank you, Tom Douglas, for serving that amazing crispy duck with hoisin sauce in a steamed bun—I’ve been dreaming about it. While we’re on the subject of duck, thank you to Ben and V for that wonderful dinner at Poppy where I got up the nerve to try duck again (the first time, years ago, was NOT good)…now all I want is duck! Thank you to Evan for ordering the Chicken and Waffles with unbelievable maple brown butter sauce the other night at Ventana (and to Chelsea for having her birthday party there)—now I’m inspired…be on the lookout for chicken and waffles gracing a blog near you sometime very soon! Thanks to Brit for serving up the first turkey of the season at a lovely dinner party. Thank you to Amanda for, well…everything…but especially for the two days’ worth of meals I had thanks to your condo-anniversary party leftovers (rosemary meatballs, pumpkin and walnut lasagna, tomato and parm flatbread). Thank you Mel and John for saying we can make this chicken liver paté at Thanksgiving this year…and sorry to Amanda for that…hopefully you won’t read this. And, thanks to all the food bloggers and recipe writers for your constant inspiration and motivation.

Also, thanks to Brian and Allie for the idea behind this super delicious stromboli.

Sweet caramelized onions, earthy sautéed mushrooms, and nutty butternut squash are rolled up, amongst layers of cheese and dough… trust me, once you make this, you’ll be thanking me (and Brian and Allie). And, if you choose to serve this at the appetizer table this Thanksgiving, your guests will be thanking you. Pay if forward folks, pay it forward.

Butternut, Caramelized Onion, and Mushroom Stromboli

Makes 2 Strombolis

Dough:

1 .25 ounce packet of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2.5 cups flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence

Filling:

1/2 of 1 large butternut squash- peeled and cubed in small pieces
1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced
1.5 cups chopped mushrooms (I used chanterelles)
2 cloves chopped garlic
1.5 cups grated jack cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 tablespoons)
olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
salt
rosemary
pepper
cayenne
nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On a sheet pan, toss squash with a splash of olive oil to coat, and top with a hearty pinch of rosemary, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Roast until tender--around 15 minutes.

In a skillet heat about 1.5-2 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, add onions and cook until just starting to caramelize, then add mushrooms, and finish cooking through until desired state of deliciousness. Salt and pepper lightly. Combine squash and onion mixture, and season to taste (if needed). Let cool.

For dough: In mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, herbs, and oil. Beat until smooth. Roll into a ball and let rest until ready to assemble. Punch down the dough and divide in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a large rectangle. Spread half of the squash mixture across the dough leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle half the cheese (jack and parm) over the top. Starting with the long end, roll up the dough into a roll, pinching the edges to seal. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Let the dough rise 10-15 minutes.

Bake (in 450 degree oven) until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle each stromboli with additional Parmesan cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Boozin’ It Up

I like dessert. And I like booze. And I really like boozy desserts. For the record, I also really like saying “boozy desserts,” but I suppose “drunken desserts” also has a ring to it. I don’t know about you, but for me, the holidays are made for boozing, and for dessert. Last year I gave you the ooey, gooey, alcohol infused chocolate Kahlua cake. This year, just in time for Thanksgiving and family boozin’ (wait, you don’t booze with your fam at Thanksgiving?) I present to you…

Spiced custard. Nuts. Rum. What more do you need, people!? The answer is nothing…or whipped cream. Either of those answers is correct.

I made this dessert as a substitute for pumpkin pie. Ok, now people hate me… but it’s true: I could care less about pumpkin pie. It has a funny texture, it tastes boring, and it’s just not that exciting. Our Thanksgiving table will have pecan pie for sure (the best of all pies, in my opinion), pumpkin loaf—a delicious pumpkin-cake and cream cheese filling roll of delight (see, we’ll still have a pumpkin item on show)—and now… deliciously boozy little custards. Hey, I put pumpkin pie spice in them…doesn’t that count?

I suppose you could call this dessert pots de crème, because technically, that’s what it is. Little pots of cream, or custard, baked in a water bath, and chilled prior to serving. But when a big family Thanksgiving rolls around and you’re feeding a crowd that consists of teenage boys that like to hunt and play sports (and dads that like to hunt and watch sports) pots de crème (aka poh duh KREHM) might not be the most popular choice at the dessert table. That’s why I will be serving Spiced Custard Cups with Drunken Pecan Sauce. Sure, that name doesn’t leave much to the imagination, but at least you know what you’re getting. And everyone likes to hear that there’s booze in their dessert…right?

Spiced Custard Cups with Drunken Pecan Sauce
Serves 6-8

For the Custard Cups:

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cinnamon stick
A generous pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
3 egg yolks
2 whole eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Combine both milks in a saucepan and gently heat until slightly frothy. Turn to low and add cinnamon stick, pie spice, and nutmeg--steep for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and continue steeping for about 10 minutes, until milk is lukewarm. Remove cinnamon stick. Whisk together the eggs and yolks then whisk this into the milk mixture. Pour mixture into ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish. Fill baking dish with water (be careful not to get water in ramekins) halfway up side of ramekin. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until solid but still slightly jiggly. Cool until set (overnight is best).

For the Pecan Rum Sauce:

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cinnamon stick
3/4 cups toasted pecans (whole and pieces)

Combine water, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick, and stir in rum. Add pecans. Cool and pour over cool custard cups. Chill overnight and serve with a dollop of whipped cream (if you're feelin' fancy).

The Three Lives of a Turkey

Thanksgiving is pretty awesome, obviously... I mean, why else would I dedicate a 50th post to a Thanksgiving photo montage?! While I love Thanksgiving… in my family, what happens AFTER Thanksgiving is just as special and steeped in tradition as Turkey Day itself. I'm not talking about throwing around the ol' pig-skin or watching football (although we did win Apple Cup...go Huskies!), I'm not talking about spending time with distant relatives or catching up with home-town friends (although we did grab a beer), and I'm definitely not talking about working off the big dinner or sleeping in and unwinding... I'm talking about Black Friday and leftovers, baby!

Amanda, Mel, and I wake up at 3:30 am on Black Friday (Amanda’s favorite holiday of the year) to join in on the retail craziness. Door-busters, mega-sales and madness aside, we mostly just love the wild adventure that only happens once a year. When we get home, car heavy with shopping bags and bellies full of doughnuts and pastries, we usually crash for a few hours while John watches football, and then wake up to the preparation of what may be an even more exciting turkey feast than Thanksgiving itself. TURKEY ENCHILADAS!

Mel makes killer turkeyladas—corn and flour tortillas filled with creamy sauce, shredded turkey, lots of cheese, and slathered with verde sauce and black olives (topped with a heaping spoonful of sour cream). Served with cheesy baked refried beans, Mel’s homemade salsa, and Juanita’s tortilla chips, Black Friday Turkeyladas are just the spark your taste buds need after all those rich Thanksgiving flavors the day before. This year, we had a much smaller Thanksgiving crowd than usual, which—lucky for us—left us with plenty of leftover turkey, even after our Black Friday enchilada binge.

What to do with all that delicious leftover bird!? We saved out some white meat for basic turkey sandwiches, and we put the remains toward some very un-basic turkey sandwiches. BBQ Pulled Turkey sandwiches! Amanda found the recipe in November’s Bon Appétit, and I definitely think it has potential to join our turkey leftover tradition.

The bacon studded sauce mixed with the shredded turkey was tangy, smoky, and delicious, not to mention reminiscent of one of my favorite sandwiches—pulled pork! Piled high with sweet, fresh, and crunchy homemade slaw on top of a soft wheat bun and served alongside potato chips, pulled turkey sandwiches feel homey and simple, while lending a totally different taste profile to Thanksgiving leftovers.

Traditional roasted turkey with all the Thanksgiving fixings; cheesy, Mexican-flared turkey enchiladas; and smoky BBQ’d pulled turkey sandwiches—if you’re gonna eat a turkey once a year, this is by far the best way to do it.

Barbecue Pulled Turkey Sandwiches
(from Bon Appetit)

Slaw:

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

Whisk mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and celery seeds in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cabbage; toss to blend. Cover bowl and chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Barbecue sauce:
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
1 cup tomato puree (we used home canned tomatoe sauce)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/3 cups shredded cooked turkey (light and dark meat)
4 soft rolls
 
Sauté bacon in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomato puree, apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup water, dark brown sugar, chili powder, and ground cumin. Bring sauce to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add shredded cooked turkey to barbecue sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until turkey is heated through, stirring occasionally. Split and toast rolls. Divide turkey and slaw among rolls. Press tops down lightly to compress, then serve.

Thanksgiving Glory

Celebrating my 50th POST...with a Thanksgiving photo montage!

Finger foods for the salad plates; the golden bird; pillowy perfect mashed potatoes; a slice of 'crustless pumpkin pie' with maple rum sauce; Mel, Amanda and I toast cranberry mimosas; the makings of a pecan bourbon tart; A full plate (leads to a full belly); the custardy filled pumpkin in all its glory.

...And with no 'effing yams' splattered across the kitchen floor, it was a successful Thanksgiving!

Round One: She Comes Out Swingin'

Well my friends, it’s officially that time of year again. Time to get out the stretch pants and elastic waist-bands, undo the top button, and put on a loose non-form-fitting top. That’s right, it’s time for Thanksgiving. Unlike most sane people who save their turkey gobbling and gravy guzzling for the big day, I’m a bit of a masochist… going in 2 weeks early for round 1: Pre-Thanksgiving. I usually have at least two rounds—a 50 person pre-Thanks feast-to-beat-all-feasts that Robb and Amanda host, and then the real deal with the family. This year, however, just to torture myself a little bit more, I’m takin’ it to the top with three…count em’ THREE Thanksgiving dinners. The Robb/Amanda festivities have been pushed to post-Thanks this year (since Robb is in the Virgin Islands), the big-day is goin’ down at John and Mel’s house on the 26th, and a romantic couples pre-Thanks just wrapped up about an hour ago. That’s right…I’m writing to you straight from a pre-Thanksgiving feast induced food coma.

Evan and I don’t spend Thanksgiving together, and neither do our friends Anthony and Chelsea, so Chelsea and I decided to cook an early Thanksgiving dinner for our menfolk. After weeks of giddy menu planning, we had the perfect “little” Thanksgiving feast nailed down. The dinner was even better in person than on paper, but “little” it was not. Chelsea made an amazing turkey stuffed with cornbread stuffing and layered with oranges and lemons.

For sides, I went a little wild with my sweet and savory roasted rosemary sweet potato wedges, Mel’s traditional mashed potatoes, a green bean casserole recipe courtesy of Food Network, and a new creation—roasted cauliflower with sage brown butter and pecans. Call us crazy, but we all agreed that canned cranberry sauce—complete with ring indentations from the can—is far superior than that crappy ‘homemade’ stuff with real berries in it. C’mon, I know you feel the same way, it’s a classic. After seconds and thirds and the sounds of buttons popping all around the table, we finished off the meal with hot apple cider and Chelsea’s rich and delicious pumpkin cheesecake (how can I go back to plain pumpkin pie after that!?).

Now I have one Thanksgiving feast down, and two more to go (and that’s not even counting the days of leftovers after each one)! Coming soon: Thanksgiving with Mel, John, and Amanda—sure to be filled with our favorite traditions, plus maybe a few new treats (like this ‘pumpkin pie’ from No Recipes). At least with that Thanksgiving dinner, we’ll be working it off the next day with Black Friday shopping madness. To work off my food baby tomorrow, lifting a fork of leftovers to my mouth is the only cardio I’ll be doing!

Roasted Cauliflower with Sage Brown Butter and Pecans
 
1 head of cauliflower
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
3-4 fresh sage leaves- thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

For Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut cauliflower into florets toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper-transfer to baking dish. Roast, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

For sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan or pot over medium heat until the white milk solids have browned and it smells nutty but not burned, about 5 minutes. Add sage and nuts, and remove from heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drizzle sauce over cauliflower servings, or toss with cauliflower to serve.