While everyone loves green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole, why not shake things up this year? Bring some zest to your Thanksgiving Day menu! Don’t get us wrong, we love those three staple side dishes but we also love to wow our guests. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to chop one of those classics off of your list, all it means is you can add on to your traditional menu.
Warning: This might further induce your guest’s inevitable food coma.
ENJOY!
-Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
Serving Size: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
12 cups cornbread broken into 1-inch pieces (include crumbs), spread in even layer on 2 baking sheets and dried in 250 degree oven for 50-60 minutes
3 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish
1 ½ pounds bulk pork sausage, broken into 1 inch pieces
3 medium onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
3 ribs celery, chopped fine (about 1 ½ cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Directions:
Place cornbread in large bowl. Whisk together stock or broth, half-and-half, and eggs in medium bowl. Pour over cornbread and toss very gently to coat so that the cornbread does not break into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Heat heavy-bottomed, 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot (about 1 ½ minutes). Add 2 tablespoons of butter to pan and swirl to coat pan bottom. When foam subsides, add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally until sausage loses its raw color (about 5-7 minutes). With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to medium bowl. Add about half the onions and celery to fat in skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally over medium-high heat until soften (about 5 minutes). Transfer onion mixture to the bowl with sausage. Return the skillet to heat and add remaining 6 tablespoons of butter. When foam subsides, add remaining celery and onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in thyme, sage and garlic. Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add salt and pepper and then add this mixture, along with sausage and onion mixture to the cornbread. Stir gently to combine so that the cornbread does not break into smaller pieces. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate to blend flavors (at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours).
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 10 by 15 inch baking dish (two 9 inch square or 11 by 7 inch baking dishes will work as well). Transfer stuffing to baking dish, pour any liquid accumulated in bottom of bowl over stuffing and, if necessary, gently press stuffing with rubber spatula to fit into baking dish. Bake until golden brown (about 35 to 40 minutes).
-Silky Butternut Squash Soup
Serving Size: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, minced (about 4 tablespoons)
3 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large squash), unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeds and stringy fibers scraped with spoon and reserved, and each half cut into quarters
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
6 cups water
Directions:
Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat until foaming. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add squash scrapings and seeds, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and butter turns saffron color (about 4 minutes). Add 6 cups water and 1 ½ teaspoon salt to Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and place squash cut-side down on steamer basket and lower basket into pot. Cover and steam until squash is completely tender (about 30 minutes). Use tongs to transfer squash to rimmed baking sheet; reserve steaming liquid. When cool enough to handle, use large spoon to scrape flesh from the skin into a medium bowl, discard skin.
Pour reserved steaming liquid through mesh strainer into second bowl; discard solids in strainer.
In blender, puree squash and reserved liquid in batches, pulsing on low until smooth. Transfer puree to Dutch oven and stir in cream and brown sugar, cooking over medium-low heat until hot. Add salt to taste; serve immediately.
-Sweet Potato, Sage and Sausage Casserole
Serving Size: 8 servings
Ingredients:
½ pound sage breakfast sausage (removed from casing)
½ teaspoon chili flakes
4 cups sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
4 cups Brussels sprouts (quartered)
1 ½ cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces goat cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375°F
Place a large braiser or oven-safe, high-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add a drizzle of olive oil followed by the sausage and chili flakes. Cook while breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon until the sausage is nicely browned and mostly cooked through (about 5 minutes).
Add the sweet potatoes to the same pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Next, add the Brussels sprouts and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cream while bringing to a gentle boil. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are mostly cooked through and the liquid has reduced slightly. Add the goat cheese and stir to fully incorporate.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Top the casserole with this mixture, sprinkling in an even layer. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes before serving.
-Whiskey Cream Sauce
Serving Size: 2 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup diced onions
½ cup whiskey
½ cup beef stock or broth
Dash of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ to ½ cup heavy cream
Directions:
Cook the onions in the 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. When the onions are brown, remove from heat and pour in the whiskey. As soon as it evaporates, turn the burner on medium-high heat and place back on the burner. Pour in the beef stock or broth. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste then allow the mixture to bubble up and reduce by half.
Whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter and then reduce the heat to low. Whisk in ¼ cup to ½ cup cream, according to your taste. Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for a few minutes.
