7 Dishes for a Perfect Thanksgiving Table
There is a sea of Thanksgiving dishes washing over blogs and recipe sites this week. Here at the Back Burner, we’ve done the legwork for you and have picked our favorites to help you create your best Thanksgiving table yet. Enjoy!
#1. Herb and Salt Rubbed Turkey. Non-turkey options are becoming ever more common at Thanksgiving festivities – duck, quail, chicken – but if you are going traditional this year, this herb-and- salt rubbed turkey shared by Key Ingredient member gstark via Bon Appetit is the bird for you.
It promises juicy, tender meat with a flavorful, crunchy skin and probably uses herbs you already have on hand. Be sure to notice that you salt the night before so that all the juices can be drawn out.
#2. Rosemary Whole Wheat Stuffing with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms. A creation from one of our favorite down home, make-it-from-scratch food bloggers, Heather the Farmgirl Gourmet. Heather uses a homemade baguette (which takes SO much less time than you would think) to make this earthy stuffing that would nicely balance your crip, salty turkey, but is complete enough to stand on its own.
#3. Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes. This time of year, these make-ahead mashed yukon potatoes from Debby at A Feast for the Eyes can be a life saver. A creamy, buttery lifesaver. This recipe is so simple and versatile, I suspect that if you wanted to use a different kind of potato you could substitute it easily. You might try sweet potatoes, or you could get adventurous and get some Purple Vikings or Blue Majesties!
#4. Best Ever Bourbon Cranberry Sauce. There are so many variations of cranberry sauce, this was the hardest category to pick. But Kelsey at Foodista added the secret ingredient that always makes food instantaneously better: liquor. And not just any liquor, but deep, buttery bourbon to smooth out the brightness of sugared cranberries. If I had to choose just one of these dishes to make this year, this would have to be it. (And thank you, Liz West for your amazing photo).
#5. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon. Getting the kids table to clear their plates won’t be a problem if you make these savory and sweet Brussels sprouts from Lauren Zembron of Healthy Food for Living (and one of our contributors here on The Back Burner!). What a great idea for making Brussels sprouts more delectable — pair them with bacon. Who says eating your vegetables has to be a chore?
#6. Crustless Crockpot Pumpkin Pie. Ginger at Crockpot Recipe Exchange is a longtime friend of Key Ingredient, and we’re always looking to her for the most creative crockpot recipes out there. The other day on our facebook page I asked her for some pie crockpot recipes, and the next day, voila, Crockpot Pumpkin Pie so creamy and spicy, who needs a crust anyway!
#7. Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake. Because who eats just one dessert on Thanksgiving? Inspired by the Cheesecake Factory, Judy at Judy in Her Natural Habitat tops this astoundingly pretty layer cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s red and white contrasts hint at the upcoming Christmas holiday while giving your guests a truly decadent experience. Although it looks a little daunting to make this gorgeous creation, click over and see that Judy had actually never baked a cake before this little number. If she can do it, you can, too.
We’d love to hear about your Thanksgiving dinner plans here in the comments and over on our Facebook page. Thanks for being a part of our recipe sharing community – Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
