Thanksgiving Menu

Just a few ideas for a Thanksgiving menu.  A few appetizers, some sides, a dessert and a soup recipe for leftover turkey.  (You're on your own for the actual turkey)

APPETIZERS:

Garlic & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2011/11/garlic-roasted-red-pepper-hummus.html 

 

Spicy Toasted Chick Peas

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2010/06/spicy-toasted-chick-peas.html

SIDES:

Stuffing

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-stuffing.html

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2013/11/roasted-brussels-sprouts.html

Pommes de terre la (Potatoes)

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-pommes-de-terre-la.html

Roasted Radishes

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2012/02/roasted-radishes.html

Bacon Braised Green Beans

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2012/01/bacon-braised-green-beans.html

DESSERT:

Coconut Cream Pound Cake

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2010/07/coconut-cream-pound-cake.html

LEFTOVER TURKEY:

Turkey Noodle Soup

http://cheftainment.blogspot.com/2013/11/roasted-turkey-noodle-soup.html

Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 ½ Loaves of French or Italian Bread – Cubed

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Poultry Seasoning

½ Tsp Pepper

2 Tbsp Bacon Fat

½ Onion – Diced

1 Leek – Diced and rinsed in a bowl of water

2 Ribs Celery - Diced

2 Garlic Cloves – Minced

2 Eggs – Beaten

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning

1 Tbsp Pepper

1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Tbsp Celery Salt

6 Cups Turkey or Chicken Stock

In a large bowl combine the bread, evoo and seasonings and mix together.  Spread out on a sheet tray and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until browned.

In a pan over med/high heat melt bacon fat and add in onion and leeks.  Cook about 15-20 minutes or until caramelized.  Add in the garlic and celery for the last 5 minutes.  In a large bowl beat eggs and add in salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, cayenne pepper and celery salt.  Add in the toasted bread and mix thoroughly. 

Pour mixture into a baking dish and add in the stock.  Press the bread mixture into the stock to soak it all in.  Cover with foil.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 ½ hours.  Take foil off and bake about another 30 minutes until stock is mostly absorbed and top is golden brown.

Peanut Butter Cup Squares

12 Tbsp Butter – Melted

2 Cups Pretzels – crushed in a blender but still some small bits.

1 ½ Cups Confectioners Sugar

1 Cup + ¼ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 ½ Cups Extra Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Tbsp Brewed Coffee (use leftover from morning)

1 Tsp Sea Salt

In a medium bowl combine the butter, pretzels, confectioners sugar and 1 cup peanut butter until mixed thoroughly.  Press into a 9 x 13 pan.  Wet your fingers to press it out evenly and not stick.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, ¼ cup peanut butter and coffee.  Heat about 30-60 seconds to melt.  Stir to combine until smooth and pour over peanut butter mixture.  Set in fridge for about 10 minutes and then sprinkle top with salt.  Put back in fridge for about another 50 minutes.  Enjoy.

* Original version of recipe is available at:   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/no-bake-chocolate-pretzel-peanut-butter-squares-recipe/index.html

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 Hot Linguica Sausage Link (approx 7 oz) – Diced

1 lb. Brussels Sprouts – End trimmed and sliced in ½

1 Medium Onion – Sliced

2 Tbsp Bacon Fat

2 Garlic Cloves – Minced

1 tbsp Salt

½ tbsp Pepper

2 Cups Turkey Stock

In a large pan over low/medium heat add the sausage.  The goal is to cook it low and slow to render out the fat and make it crispy.  Mine took about 20 minutes.  Take sausage out and set aside.

Add in the sliced onion and cook about 3 minutes over medium/high heat.  Add in the bacon fat and brussels sprouts – sliced side down and cook about 5 minutes or until they are caramelized.  Add in the salt, pepper and turkey stock.  Cover and simmer about 20 minutes.  Remove lid, turn heat up to medium/high and cook about another 20 minutes or until all the liquid is gone.  Enjoy.

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

2 Cups Barley – Cooked

2 Tbsp EVOO

½ Pound Beef Chuck – Diced

1 Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Pepper

2 Tbsp Bacon Fat

1 Med. Onion – Diced

3 Carrots – Diced

1 Cup Cremini Mushrooms – Sliced

2 Celery Ribs – Diced

3 Cloves Garlic – Diced

3 Med. Potatoes – Peeled, Diced

1 Cup Green Beans – ½” Cut

¼ Cup Ketchup

½ Tbsp Mustard

½ Cup Marsalla Wine

¼ Tsp Fresh Rosemary – Finely chopped

4 Cups Beef Stock

4 tbsp Flour

Cook barley according to instructions – usually 45 minutes.  Set aside.  In a med-large pot add 2 tbsp EVOO over med-high heat.  Add the beef, salt & pepper and brown on all sides.  Set aside. 

Add bacon fat, onion, carrots, mushrooms.  Cook about 5-7 minutes.  Add in celery, garlic, and potatoes.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Add in green beans, ketchup, mustard.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Add in Marsalla wine to deglaze and cook about 5 minutes. 

Add back in beef, rosemary and beef stock.  Simmer about 2 hours with a lid slightly cracked.  Add in flour to thicken and cook about another 15 minutes.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Serve with garlic bread to sop up the gravy.

Roasted Turkey Noodle Soup

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 Med. Onion – Diced

3 Carrots – Diced

1 Cup Cremini Mushrooms – Sliced

1 Tsp Salt

½ Tsp Pepper

2 Celery Ribs – Diced

3 Cloves Garlic – Diced

1 Cup Green Beans – ½” Cut

4 Cups Roasted Turkey

4 Cups Turkey Stock

4 tbsp Flour

1 Cup Frozen Peas

1 8 oz. Pkg Egg Noodles

In a med-large pot add 2 tbsp EVOO over med-high heat.  Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms.  Cook about 5-7 minutes.  Add salt & pepper.  Add in celery, garlic and green beans.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Add in 1 cup Turkey Stock to deglaze and cook about 5 minutes. 

Add in turkey and remaining stock.  Simmer about 2 hours with a lid slightly cracked.  Add in flour to thicken and cook about another 15 minutes.  Cook Egg Noodles for 7 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  After 2 hours add in peas and noodles.  Adjust seasoning to taste.  Serve with garlic bread to sop up the gravy.

Thanksgiving Pommes De Terre a la Boulangere

1 Pkg Bacon – Cooked low and slow, fat rendered out (save) and bacon crisp & chopped.

1 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Bacon Fat

3 Med – Large Sweet Potatoes – Peeled & sliced about 1/8” thin (I use a Mandolin)

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 4 oz. Goat Cheese

1 tsp Coriander

2 Cups Beef Broth

In large pan add bacon in an even layer.  Turn stove on to low - med. heat.  Cook bacon low and slow, rendering out fat until bacon is crispy.  Save fat.  Chop bacon into bits.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish, bottom and sides with 1 tbsp butter and bacon fat.  Take ½ of the potatoes and create 2 layers with each slice overlapping the previous one.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the salt, pepper and cinnamon over potatoes.  Break up ½ of the goat cheese and drop evenly over potatoes.  Sprinkle ½ of the bacon over potatoes. Repeat potatoes, seasonings, goat cheese and bacon.  Sprinkle coriander over top.  Add 2 cups beef broth.  Pour down the side so as not to disrupt the toppings.

Cover dish with aluminum foil and place in preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.  (I put my dish on a cookie sheet just in case there was any spill over.)  Take foil off and cook another 20 minutes to let the top layer of potatoes brown and crisp.  Test with a knife to make sure potatoes are fully cooked.  Let rest for at least 15 minutes before you cut into it to let the beef broth soak into the potatoes.

Oreo Cookie Cocoa Pebbles Krispie Treats

1 Stick Butter

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Brewed Coffee – cooled

1 tsp Cocoa Powder

12 Oreo Cookies – Chopped

7 Cups Rice Krispies

6 Cups Cocoa Pebbles

2 16 oz. Bags Mini Marshmallows

Grease a 9x13” baking pan w/ butter.

In a large bowl combine cookies, cocoa pebbles and rice krispies.  In a large pot over med/high heat melt butter, salt, coffee, cocoa powder.  Add in marshmallows and whisk until melted.  Once melted continue to cook for about another 3-4 minutes, until they start to foam up. 

Pour over cookies and cereal and mix to cover quickly.  Pour into baking pan, wet hands, and flatten out to an even layer.  Set aside to cool and set up about 30 minutes.  Cut into about 1” squares and enjoy.

Dried Cherry & Pistachio Brittle

Ingredients:
2 ½ Cup Sugar

1 ¼ Cup Light Corn Syrup

1 Cup Water

1 Tsp Salt

1/3 Cup Butter
1 Tsp Cayenne Powder

1 Tsp Espresso Powder

1 Tbsp Baking Soda

¾ Cup Pistachios – Chopped

¾ Cup Dried Cherries - Chopped

Line a cookie sheet (w/ sides) with parchment paper.  I used an 11 x 16” pan.  Spray generously w/ non stick spray.

In a large sauce pan (I used a Dutch oven), over high heat combine, sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, butter, cayenne pepper & espresso powder.  Stir with whisk until sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes or until candy thermometer reads 290 degrees.  NOTE:  You HAVE to use a candy thermometer and get the temperature to 290 or it won’t work.

Add baking soda.  It will foam up, don’t worry.  Keep stirring and whisk in dried cherries and pistachios.  You must work quickly because this reaction happens FAST.  Pour mixture onto cookie sheet and spread out evenly.  Let cool for about ½ hour, then crack brittle and enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pt. 2

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup butter – room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs + 1 Egg White – beaten

2 Tbsp Brewed coffee (just use leftover from the morning or cooled)
2  cups mashed roasted bananas – Mashed – (Roasted in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour)
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan

In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt & cinnamon. In a large bowl cream together butter, brown sugar, eggs, coffee until well blended. Beat in flour mixture in 3rds to the wet mixture.  Fold in chocolate chips and bananas until mixed.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of cake.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Fudge Brownies

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 ¼ Cup Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

1 Cup Butter (softened)

¾ Cup Sugar

¾ Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Large Eggs

1 12 oz Package of Dark Chocolate Chips

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until combined.  Add the eggs 1 at a time to combine.  In 3 batches add the flour and mix to combine.  Add choc. chips and mix to combine.

Fudge Brownies:

1 Box of Fudge Brownie Mix

2 Eggs

¼ Cup Water

¾ Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Tsp Salt

¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 Tbsp Brewed Coffee (cooled)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl add brownie mix, eggs, water, oil, salt, cayenne pepper and coffee.  Whisk to combine.

Grease muffin pans with butter or cooking spray.  Fill muffin cups ¾ full with brownie mix.  Using a 1” cookie scoop (or using teaspoons to make a 1” diameter ball), scoop cookie dough into the center of the brownie mix.  Bake for about 26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*** You will have extra choc. chip cookie dough.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop 1” balls of the cookie dough onto the sheet.  Place in a 375 Degree oven for about 11 minutes.  Should yield about 50 chocolate chip cookies.