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Unique Thanksgiving Recipes

November 20, 2015

We know Thanksgiving wouldn’t be anything without it’s traditions and more importantly without it’s traditional foods! However, we thought we’d spice up those traditions a bit with some unique Thanksgiving recipes.

30-Minute Butternut Squash and Cider Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 shallot, sliced, or 1/2 large white or yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
8 cups peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 – 2/3 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 unpeeled Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, cored and finely diced
Cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and 1/2 cup water. Cook until the shallot and garlic are softened (5-7 minutes or until water is nearly evaporated).

2. Add the squash and chicken stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is soft – about 20 minutes.

3. Puree or blend until roughly smooth. Add cider, 1/2 cup sour cream, and salt. Continue to blend until well combined. Season to taste.

4. Place in a saucepan over low heat until warm. Ladle into bowls and garnish with diced apples. Serve immediately.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Bacon and Pecans

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sweet potatoes
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons bourbon

SWEET ‘N’ SAVORY BACON PECANS

6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups raw pecan, roughly chopped
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1-2 tespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Poke a few holes in sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until soft. Slice sweet potatoes in half to allow to cool.

3. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside. In a bowl add brown sugar, flour, pecans, butter, cayenne, sage, and rosemary and mix to combine. Stir in bacon.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

5. Peel skins away from flesh of sweet potato and mash well in a bowl. Mix in brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, milk, butter, eggs, and bourbon until fully combined.

6. Pour sweet potatoes into greased casserole dish. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden. Remove and serve warm.

Chipotle Coca-Cola Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

6 large sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups Coca-Cola
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 garlic cloves
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from same can
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Scrub sweet potatoes and slice into 1-inch slices (no need to peel). Arrange in baking dish or roasting pan with at least 2 inch sides.

3. In a blender, combine Coca-Cola, garlic, chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce. Puree until smooth for 1 minute. Pour over sweet potatoes. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.

4. Top with pats of butter, then cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until tender. Serve.

Pretzel Bread and Quinoa Stuffing with Garlic Butter Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
6 cups pretzel bread cubes (about 1/2-inch cube size)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place bread cubes on baking sheet and bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until they are firm.

2. Heat large skillet over medium-low heat, add butter and olive oil. Add in shallots and mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften, about 6 – 8 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, season the mushrooms with salt and pepper.

3. In a baking dish toss the bread cubes, quinoa, and mushroom mixture together. Stir in sage, parsley, and thyme. Drizzle remaining stock over top evenly. Bake the stuffing for 35 – 45 minutes or until slightly golden.

We hope you find some inspiration in these recipes to maybe try something new this year for your Thanksgiving dinner. On behalf of all of us here at Ole South Homes, we wish you and your family a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!