Thanksgiving Appetizers and Main Dishes

My mom makes the BEST Thanksgiving dinner. When my sister and I both lived in Chicago we would sometimes go to Tavern on Rush to get their family style dinner on Thanksgiving day, but be sure to make reservations about 6-8 months in advance! I am not sure if they are doing it this year though because the on/off indoor dining policies. Although, I don’t eat turkey the recipes are absolutely mouthwatering and simple. I know most Thanksgiving recipes are a family tradition, but it is sometimes nice to try something new!

Butternut Squash Soup

• 4 lb butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3-4 cups of vegetable broth
• Black pepper, to taste
• Optional: Half and Half
• Optional: Truffle oil to taste

Toppers: Roasted pumpkin seeds, Pepita seeds, Goat Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the ends off the butternut squash , stand up the butternut squash on end, and carefully slice in half lengthwise.
2. Use a spoon and remove the seeds. Transfer the butternut squash to a baking tray cut side up, coat with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then flip the butternut squash over so the cut side is down and roast for 60 minutes.
3. At the 30 minute point, coat the half onion with oil and place it cut side down on the baking tray. Continue cooking the onion and butternut squash for the 30 minutes remaining.
4. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the squash and transfer to a blender. Remove the outer layer of the onion and add it to the blender along with the garlic, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and vegetable broth. Just start with 3 cups of the vegetable broth and add more if you want a thinner soup.
5. Blend on high for several minutes until creamy. If the spices are a tad overwhelming for your palate add in half and half. This really makes the soup extra creamy. Lastly, I love truffle oil everything, so add a dash if you want to make a luxurious soup to impress your guests.

Italian Style Brussel Sprouts

• 18 oz Shredded/Shaved Brussel sprouts (pre-packaged, if you don’t have this at your store just quarter whole Brussel sprouts)
• Salt (to taste), Black Pepper (to taste), Crushed Red Pepper (~1 tsp), Garlic Powder (~1-2 tsp)
• 3 tbsp. Italian style bread crumbs
• 3-4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• Fresh lemon juice from half lemon

1. Saute Brussel sprouts in olive oil with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and garlic powder for about 10-15 minutes. You want to wait until they are soft and some pieces have a little brown color.
2. Add in a sprinkle of Italian style breadcrumbs, fresh lemon juice, and parmesan cheese and let this melt together for about 3-5 minutes.
3. Serve hot!

Thanksgiving Turkey (14-16 lbs, 350 degrees Farenheit, 4-4.5 hours): This is an OVERNIGHT recipe to make the night before for marination.

• Meat thermometer
• Rub for turkey
  • 2 tsp dry mustard powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh garlic, chopped
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp dry or fresh Sage
  • 1 tsp dry or fresh Rosemary
  • 1 tsp dry or fresh Thyme
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (possibly more)
• Your turkey needs to be completely thawed and take out the nasty bits (gizzard, neck, ect). Mix all ingredients above. Separate the skin carefully and put the rub under and over the top of the skin.
• Put equal parts the white wine and chicken broth in the roaster pan to bring it up to about an inch of liquid in the bottom. Put the turkey in a roaster or a foil tin and cover with foil overnight in the refrigerator. Should sit in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.
• Follow directions with the turkey on the internal temperature it needs to reach to be fully cooked.
• Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take foil off for the turkey to get brown. Every 30 minutes baste the turkey with the liquid in the pan. This process should continue for about 4-4.5 or until you reach internal temperature labeled with the instructions.

Pro Tip: Don’t stuff your turkey with stuffing. If turns it into mush and is a risk for contamination.

Stuffing in Muffin Cups

• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2 Granny Smith green apples, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Poultry seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 10 cups cubed stuffing mix
• 1 tube Bobs Evans sage sausage
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• 1 stick softened butter

1. Crumble and fully cook the Bob Evans sage sausage and set aside.
2. Saute the chopped celery, onions, and apples in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and poultry season. Cook about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add parsley and stuffing cubes.
4. Moisten with 2-3 cups chicken broth.
5. Add in the crumbled and cooked Bob Evans sage sausage and mix with the ingredients above.
6. Butter muffin tins and layer in the mixture. Bake for our 15 minutes in the muffin tins until the outsides get crispy.
7. Pour all the mixture from the muffin tins into a bowl to serve.

• The reason we use the muffin tin is so that the edges get crispy and the inside stays moist.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce: Super Easy!

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice

1. Place all ingredients into a sauce pan and cool until cranberries are soft. You know you are almost finished cooking the cranberries when they “pop” and get soft. If not eating immediately, once the sauce cools down you can put it in a glass/plastic container and freeze it.

Other easy recipes:

• Green bean casserole
• Candied sweet potatoes
• Potatoes Au Gratin

Please let me know if you have questions!

Taylor