A Very Chicagoist Thanksgiving 2013
By Lisa White in Food on Nov 26, 2013 10:45PM
Before we cook our own big meal on Thursday, we reached out to readers and dug deep into our archives for some favorite dishes to serve up this Thanksgiving. If you are still scrambling for a few extra dishes or looking for something to take with you to share, we've got you covered. From tips on the bird to a bevy of stuffings, you can't go wrong with fan favorites. And don't forget to check out our gluten-free guide as well for any guests that may need it.
Aren't planning on staying in and want something a little less traditional? We've got some local picks for eating out on Thanksgiving. And if you still need some recipe inspiration, check out our 2008 guide that still has some of our favorite holiday favorites.
Whatever your plans are, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
The Bird
Reader Jeff Reid sent over some other great turkey tips to keep you from having dry meat and to help get a great finish and overall look. His turkey tip, which he gathered from Cook’s Country on PBS) solves the problem of the breast meat being done before the legs, a classic Thanksgiving dilemma. The solution? Chilling the breasts prior to roasting.
Take the thawed turkey out of the fridge and put into its roasting pan. Place a Ziplock freezer bag full of ice on top of the breast meat ONLY. Leave the bird on the counter for 30 minutes. This ensures that the breast will be slightly colder when it begins roasting and the white meat and dark meat will finish together.
Want to get that crispy golden brown color on your finished turkey? Jeff offers up how. Mix ½ cup of apple cider with ½ cup corn syrup (a non-high fructose brand). Preheat your oven to 475 and place the turkey on the lowest rack for 20 minutes. This will shock and seal the skin, locking in all those lovely juices. After the 20 minutes turn the oven to a low 300 degrees and cook 20 minutes per each pound. Jeff points to a quote from Bakewise author Shirley Corriher that “corn syrup is one of nature’s greatest browning agents” and that there is no need to baste this bird. It will “taste and look fabulous!” And as always, make sure the finished temperature is at least 165 degrees on a digital thermometer. Jeff adds that if your bird is browning too much, simply ‘tent” it with aluminum foil.
From Vito Misceo comes an “idiot proof” turkey brine recipe. We’re always fans of juicy flavorful birds so we agree with Vito when we say brine that bird!
Idiot Proof Brined Turkey
1 (14 -16 lb.) whole turkey
Brine-
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon water, heavily iced
Aromatics-
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
canola oil
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees two to three days before roasting. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
The night before you cook your turkey, combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover and refrigerate or set in a cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once halfway through brining.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. Place the bird on rack of roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
Photo via Shutterstock
Stuffing
Another traditional side is stuffing. We don’t mess with any of that boxed variety when it is so simple to make it from scratch. And one of the most versatile dishes as well. You can switch up the bread, add all sorts of additions to the mix and even tailor the recipes for vegetarian or vegan friends. We’ve got a few interesting options that readers sent in.
To kick things off, reader Nancy Kalchbrenner has been creating her traditional menu for almost 20 years and this stuffing is always a hit. She found this meaty spinach stuffing recipes from Julie Fuchs after it won 2nd place in a Tribune recipe contest “forever ago.”
Meaty Spinach Stuffing
1 lb pork sausage (can add ground veal, pork)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic - chopped
4 eggs - slightly beaten
2 pkg frozen chopped spinach (thawed, squeezed and drain)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup chicken, turkey or veg broth
1 teaspoon sage
1 bag of bread crumbs
Cook meat until no longer pink and drain. Saute onion, celery, parsley and garlic. (can add artichoke hearts to dish if you’d like.) Combine eggs, spinach and cheese in a large bowl & add remainder of ingredients. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
Emily Paster, Local food blogger and founder of Chicago Food Swap, sent us a couple of favorite recipes from her personal site including a cornbread stuffing, or as she calls it, dressing. It combines cornbread, apples and sage for a savory and decadent sounding side. Check her site out for the full recipe.
Another local blogger, Jessica Fletcher of The Hungry Tortoise, offers up healthier yet still flavorful option for stuffing with her recipe for savory sprouted stuffing with cranberry and pecans. She made this dish over the weekend and says it’s “so amazing...and healthy too!” It combines the earthy flavors of portobello mushrooms with a sweetness from cranberries and a crunch from pecans. Head over to her site to get the full recipe.
Sides
A southern staple for many is a good corn pudding on your Thanksgiving table. Reader Rene Paquin points out that “I've heard it called "corn stuff" or "corn casserole" but the person who made it the first time I had it called it corn pudding so that stuck.” We don’t care what name you call it as long as you are making the creamy corn goodness this holiday season. We’ve had this over the years, both fancier versions and variations on this recipe, but this classic take is always a good start.
Corn Pudding
1 Can of Creamed Corn
1 Can of Frozen Corn (measured with the creamed corn can)
1 Box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 Egg
1 cup sour cream
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
Mix together creamed corn, frozen corn, Jiffy mix and 1 egg, then fold in sour cream. Bake in a casserole dish at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Pour the stick of melted butter on top and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Note: If you want to get extra fancy add chopped chili peppers or replace the butter with shredded cheese.
We’ve covered some of our favorite fall sides before that work just as wonderful on the Thanksgiving table. Instead of the usual marshmallow casserole, opt for maple ginger sweet potatoes with brown sugared bacon. Or skip the sweet potatoes altogether and opt for acorn squash and pecans with brown sugar.
Instead of the usual green bean casserole, we like the idea of a more rustic roasted green vegetable on our Thanksgiving table, and readers seem to agree. We received two very similar recipes for roasted brussel sprouts from readers MaryBeth Jirgal and Sean Hofherr, the only real difference is Sean’s recipe called for a bit more cider and the addition of red pepper flakes. If you like your sprouts with a kick take a cue from Sean and sprinkle on some red pepper. We also have another favorite recipe from our archives for roasted sprouts with parmesan, bacon and lemon.
Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
4 slices of thick cut applewood smoked bacon
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 lb small Brussel sprouts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt or to taste, freshly ground black pepper
Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined bowl to drain. Combine maple syrup and vinegar in a small saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Watch closely as it will reduce quickly at the end and can burn. Season glaze with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper. (If the glaze is too thick and sticky to pour when you are ready to finish the dish, rewarm in the microwave.)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut Brussels Sprouts in half through the root end. Add to water and cook 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain well. You want them to be dry when you sauté them in the next step. If they are not, they will steam rather than caramelize. You can prepare these previous steps a few hours in advance if needed.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Swirl the pan to coat with oil. Add Brussels Sprouts, cut side down and cook over high heat without turning for 2 minutes. I pour them into the pan, then use tongs to quickly turn them over. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sprouts are browned and tender, about 2 minutes. Pour glaze over Brussels Sprouts and stir to coat. (If you do not have a large pan, sauté the Brussels Sprouts in batches and glaze them all at the end.) Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with bacon.
We also hope you plan on serving some sort of roll or biscuit to wedge on the edge of your plate. We suggest our simple goat cheese drop biscuit recipe, an easy baking task that will outshine any frozen roll.
Sweets
Emily Paster of Chicago Food Swap also sent us her favorite recipes for a cranberry orange ginger relish (none of that out-of-a-can stuff!) and an apple pie with an all butter crust. We love pumpkin and pecan pies but you can never go wrong with a good old fashioned apple pie.
Personally we like a simple Southern pie that is easy to make and not your usual holiday fare; chess pie. Serious Eats has the most classic recipe around, although you can find options for chocolate chess pie as well. If you don’t feel like undertaking pie crust making, a sometimes difficult task, we suggest stopping by Trader Joes and grabbing their frozen pie crust. It is one of the best pre-made commercial crusts around.
All that said, if you are cooking all the fixings, hope that a guest will offer up dessert. It’s the polite thing to do and will save you the worry of fixing a last course. Whatever your plans are this holiday, remember the key to hosting a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving is schedule your prep and cooking, enjoy being around family and friends and remember, if something goes wrong throw caution to the wind, relax and enjoy the day.