I won't be making anything for Thanksgiving this year as we will be moving into our new house the day before the big day. My mom offered to make any dishes I would have made since my (new & fabulous) kitchen would be far from functional yet. (Thanks Mom!)
I, of course, love all of the old standbys and my family's delicious recipes, but I tried some new recipes these last few years and I am SO GLAD I did. Sometimes it's nice to branch out and try new things - you stumble upon some pretty awesome stuff. Of my new favorites below, my mom will be making the Apple & Bacon Stuffing as well as the Roasted Brussels Sprouts. You're probably turning up your nose at the mere mention of Brussels sprouts but I challenge you to try them - they're delicious!
So without further ado here are some of my new favorites:
Apple & Bacon Stuffing
This stuffing can be assembled ahead, covered with plastic wrap, and kept chilled until ready to bake.
Makes 8 servings; Total time: 1 ½ hours
½ lb. thick-cut bacon (6 strips), chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
8 cups cubed French bread, air-dried
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tart baking apples such as Braeburn or Granny Smith, cored and diced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage leaves
Preheat oven to 350*; coat inside of a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
Fry bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; pour off drippings.
Whisk together broth, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add bread; let stand 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. (The bread will soak up nearly all the liquid. If bread cubes remain dry in the center, soak another 5 mintues.)
In the same pan used to fry the bacon, sauté celery and onion with butter over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add apples, parsley, and sage; sauté 1 minute more.
Add bacon and sautéed mixture to bread; toss to combine. Transfer stuffing to the prepared dish; bake until set and browned on top, about 1 hour.
Brown-Butter Mashed Potatoes
Making brown butter is a simple technique that gives these potatoes a rich, nutty flavor.
Makes 6-8 servings; Total time: 35 minutes
For the brown butter:
1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
For the potatoes:
2 ½ lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
½ cup half-and-half, warmed
1 tsp kosher salt
Minced fresh chives
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. It will foam and turn faintly golden after a few minutes.
Cook until solids begin to turn brown and butter smells nutty, about 10 minutes. Butter should be heated long enough to turn amber. Swirl the pan often to prevent overbrowning. Remove skilled from heat; keep warm.
Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until they’re fork-tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes; return them to the pot.
Dry potatoes, stirring, over the hot burner for 30 seconds. Fill a ricer with potatoes and compress the lever, pushing potatoes through; repeat with remaining potatoes. (I usually just mash by hand and they turn out great.) Stir in half-and-half, salt, and brown butter until thoroughly combined. Garnish potatoes with chives.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans
Serves 8; Total time: 40 minutes
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
Heat oven to 400*
Toss the Brussels sprouts, pecans, oil garlic, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Turn the Brussels sprouts cut-side down.
Roast until golden and tender, 20-25 minutes.
Brandied Carrots & Parsnips
You can substitute apple juice or cider for the brandy if you prefer
Makes 6-8 servings: Total time: 30 minutes
¾ lb. carrots
¾ lb. parsnips
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp brandy
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp sugar
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley leaves
Peel carrots and parsnips; cut into 3-inch lengths. Slice each piece in half lengthwise into sticks.
Melt butter with oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add carrots and parsnips and cook 2-3 minutes; tossing to coat vegetables.
Add brandy, then stir in broth and sugar. Bring mixture to a simmer and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until vegetables are tender, 10-20 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat to medium-
high, and boil until liquid is a syrupy glaze, 2-3 minutes. Season vegetables with salt and pepper; garnish with parsley.
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Even if you don't make any of these for Thanksgiving, go ahead and try a new recipe, any new recipe. You might just find something you never knew you loved!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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