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.

Pumpkin Curry | Virtual Pumpkin Party

It’s been a rough week over here. Evan and I were just on vacation in Maui, celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary. When we left Seattle, I was still wearing sandals, and when we got back a week later, from the sunniest, beachiest vacation, it was full on Seattle fall. All the rain. All the wind. All the chilly chill temps. Luckily that also means all the unbelievable fall colors (seriously I can hardly stand how beautiful the trees are right now), and all the fall treats… which brings us to the annual Virtual Pumpkin Party (the best fall food event!), hosted by Sara from Cake Over Steak... and this here curry situation!

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.

Pumpkin Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls

If you can't get enough pumpkin this October, have no fear. Sara at Cake Over Steak decided to throw a #virtualpumpkinparty, and invited over 70 bloggers to share all things pumpkin! We're basically going full-on pumpkin cannon on the internet today! 

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins with Coconut & Almond Meal

Happy first Friday in October! One of my favorite months… the air is a little a crisper and the trees are all shades of red and orange. And of course October is all about Halloween and everything pumpkin! It’s also the month Evan and I got married! We’re headed up to Vancouver, BC for the weekend to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary, but I wanted to leave you with a pumpkiny fall treat!

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.

Wild Mushroom & Pumpkin Pasta

October! You’re here! I love you! I love hot cider at the pumpkin patch. I love pumpkin cakes and cookies and soups and chilis (and beers). I love sunny but crisp days, and orange leaves, and red leaves, and scarves. Guys, I have a serious scarf problem (I have like… 35 scarves. Yikes!). I love cinnamon and nutmeg so, so much.

But what I really love…are scary movies and haunted houses! I know it’s only the first of the month, but… Halloween. Do you guys have your costumes or party food picked out yet? Please tell me your house is covered in fake blood and fake cobwebs.  

I’m so excited! I have a major urge to watch Are You Afraid of the Dark right now. Did you watch that as a kid? We didn’t have cable tv, so I only watched 5 episodes that a friend recorded (on VHS) for us. Amanda and I watched those 5 episodes a hundred times. Here are my top 5 (and only 5) favorite episodes:

1. The Tale of the Lonely Ghost: By far the best episode! An old haunted house, a creepy-ass child ghost, a bitchy but super popular teenage cousin. All keys to a good story.
2. The Tale of the Twisted Claw: “It’s the clor of a vulchah!” Amanda and I know this one pretty much word for word.  
3. The Tale of the Prom Queen: Um, who doesn’t love a ghost prom queen from the 50s. I know I do!
4. The Tale of the Pinball Wizard: The entire mall turns into a deadly pinball game. And there’s obviously a teenage love story in here. Enough said!
5. The Tale of the Phantom Cab: Brothers get lost hiking and a creepy old dude in the woods who holds them captive… um. It’s more PG than it sounds.

I may have also spent an entire Saturday a year or two ago watching YouTube recordings of AYAOTD. Just sayin’.

Anyway, that was worthwhile! Also, to celebrate the amazingness of October I made pasta with pumpkin (fall, check), wild mushrooms (fall, check), and sage (yep, check, check, check!). It’s sort of loosely based on a Rachel Ray recipe, but don’t let that stop you from making it.

Wild Mushroom & Pumpkin Pasta
Adapted from this recipe

I used lobster mushrooms and chanterelles, but also threw in some crimini for bulk. The wild guys add in all that wild, earthy flavor I love, and the crimini are the work horse, ensuring that you have a little bit of mushroom in every bite (without costing a million dollars, because let me tell you, wild mushrooms aren't cheap!). But, feel free to use whatever you can find, afford, forage. I also added in a splash of truffle oil, because it just brings out the flavor of the 'shrooms even more. It's totally optional though. This makes a bunch, so it's great for a crowd, or for leftovers. I tossed some diced dry-cured Spanish chorizo into my leftovers, which was pretty tasty! 

1 lb pasta (shells, mac, etc)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
pinch nutmeg
pinch cinnamon
pinch cayenne
8-10 sage leaves, sliced thin
salt & pepper to taste
truffle oil (optional)
Grated parmesan

Heat water for pasta, salt it and cook penne to al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water, drain and set aside. 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute until soft and golden, about 6 minutes (add more oil or butter if they stick), sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Whisk together broth, pumpkin, milk, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add to mushrooms in pan, and when everything starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 to 6 minutes to thicken. Stir in sage and truffle oil if using. Add in pasta, and reserved pasta water if it's too dry. Serve with cheese. 

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Last year Amanda and I really screwed up. We skipped Halloween…and we've regretted it ever since. We're really good at Halloween, and we really love Halloween, so it was a big miss. This year we started our costume planning pretty early, just to make sure we'll be prepared. 

I've also been on a major pumpkin kick this year. I've made pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin chili, ordered pumpkin waffles, pumpkin bread, and pumpkiny drinks, and finally, after weeks of obsessing over various pictures of it on Pinterest, made pumpkin granola. When I first saw recipes for pumpkin granola, I figured it had pumpkin pie spices, but not actual pumpkin… but alas, I was wrong! Turns out your average pumpkin granola does have pumpkin in it. And my pumpkin granola is full of not only pumpkin, but tons of other good stuff: maple syrup, millet, flax seeds, almonds, oats, pecans, and coconut. Deliciousness. Throw some of this deliciousness in with a bowl of greek yogurt and chopped apples or pears. Or, if you're really looking for a treat, stir a little bit of extra pumpkin puree and maple syrup into your yogurt, then top with the granola. Seriously, it's like eating pumpkin cheesecake. For breakfast. 

Up next on my all Halloween, all the time agenda: pumpkin patch, Amanda's BFF Becky's family Halloween chili recipe (Ps. Happy due-date day, Becky!!), scary movies,  and The Biggest 80s Party of the Year (ahem, Billy Idol show!). 

Pumpkin Pie Granola

1/4 cup millet

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup whole flaxseeds

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup desiccated coconut 

1/4 cup plus a spoonful real maple syrup

1/4 cup plus a spoonful pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted, if needed)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300. Add millet, oats, seeds, nuts, and coconut to a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine rest of ingredients. Taste, and add more spices as desired. Pour pumpkin mixture over oats and stir together with a spatula. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake 25-35 minutes, or until golden and crispy (longer will make it crispier). 

On the Bandwagon

Just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t mean it's a totally lame cliché . Clearly main-stream is in for a reason. Duh. Because it’s cool, that’s why everyone loves it.  You’re not a hipster for following the trends, you’re just hip! So, jump in line, join the club already, and make pumpkin gnocchi. And if you really want to follow the in-crowd, toss those pillowy clouds of goodness in sage brown butter sauce. 

You're pop.u.lar. Own it, honey.

Want to be an even bigger deal, hot stuff? Try this recipe (but add a little grated parm to the dough, a la this recipe), and toss with this sauce, plus thyme. But, word to the wise: you should maaayybe avoid serving buttery-rich pumpkin gnocchi alongside cheesy-rich Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good...or at least throw a little something green and leafy on the plate, for good measure. You're on top now, but those in-crowds, they're ruthless! 

Everything Good

That's a pumpkin. It's stuffed with everything good. But before we get into that, are you ready for some heartbreaking news? Are you sitting down? Here it is...I bailed on Halloween.

Amanda and I are kinda legends in these parts when it comes to Halloween, and we both skipped it this year… much to the shock and dismay of everyone in Seattle. Ok, so maybe we're not that big of a deal, but for reals… we're really, really good at Halloween. We put together amazing costumes (not to brag or anything, but I mean, prizes have been won). We don't mess around with the store bought costumes or the slutty pandas.

No, we spend hours making our costumes...and the gnarlier, the better. Read: zombie 1950s housewife, roadkill, Bonnie & Clyde after getting shot up (with a cameo appearance by Evan), and the gal from The Birds after the bird attack. We also aim for total realism, because we're real serious about Halloween like that. Last year I was Mrs. Lovett (with meat pies), and I guess everyone hadn't seen Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, but everyone did say "let me guess… you're Helena Bonham Carter?" And Amanda was Edward Scissorhands. I don't mean she dressed like him… I mean, I think she really was him. She may have actually been JD's stunt double (and trust me, I know Johnny Depp, I was writing the man love letters in crayon on Lisa Frank stationary back in the Cry Baby days). She looked so much like him, that I almost had a crush on her that night. Is that weird to say? 

This year, however, we chose to skip it. This is my first weekend home since… August? And Amanda has grad school midterms coming up. We're exhausted. In our 20s, and no energy for the best holiday of the year. I'm tellin' ya, it's a fat shame. Instead of lazily pulling together half-assed costumes, we stayed in. When it comes to Halloween, we go big or we don't go at all. So this year, as swarms of inquiries about our costumes came in, we had to tell the disappointed masses "sorry, we're not doing Halloween this year." Rob Zombie himself may have shed a tear over the news. 

We ended up having our own Halloween party, and dressed up like couch potatoes (read: stayed in, cooked, watched a movie… and wore sweat pants). Costumery aside, we had a great night…with lots of pumpkin. We cooked a very unbalanced meal of really heavy pumpkin dishes, for just the two of us. Including something geniously named "Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good."

I like pumpkins, and I like "everything good" so it was a given that I would jump all over a recipe for Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good. How could you not fall head over heels for a dish with a name like that!? Oh man. Dorie Greenspan isn't lying… her pumpkin really is stuffed with everything good: bacon, cheese, bread, and cream. The filling bakes up like a gooey stuffing, and the pumpkin gets all soft and delicious, and practically melts into the filling. And it looks pretty impressive.

It's also fun, because you can adapt it any way you like. Want sausage instead of bacon? Do it. Have a hankering for sautéed mushrooms? Stuff 'em in there. Want to go sweet instead of savory? Get it, girl! Amanda and I even talked about goin' all southwest on our pumpkin, and using rice, ground beef, tomatoes, and peppers. Go wild, people! Stuff that pumpkin! 

Dorie's recipe can be found at Epicurious. But you should also buy her book… it's full of everything good—page after page of everything good.

Joys of Sisterhood

When I woke up yesterday morning, I texted Amanda and asked if she was making scones, and if Evan and I could come over and eat them. She replied with a firm ‘No I am not, and no you may not.” After I sent another text with choice words and bullying, I was able to convince her to invite us over for Saturday morning scones. I love having a sister.

Amanda made delicious pumpkin scones, and we had them with pumpkin spice flavored coffee.

Maybe fall isn’t so bad after all.

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!