More than any other time of year, Thanksgiving is the time to show-off your best cooking skills. In hopes to help you accomplish that, I have gotten together the best 13 Thanksgiving dishes that will impress all of your guests. Even if you are not the greatest cook, you can fool your guests into thinking that you are by following the step-by-step directions on how to prepare these Thanksgiving dishes. Whip up these recipes and everyone will be going in for a second serving and, not to mention, they will also be sending a plethora of accolades your way!
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Put the peeled carrots onto the baking sheet towards the center, then set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup apricot preserves, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder, 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Mustard, 1/4 teaspoon McCormick Thyme Leaves, 1/8 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cumin, 3/4 teaspoon McCormick salt, and 1/8 teaspoon McCormick pepper. Once all of these ingredients have been mixed thoroughly, pour it onto the carrots. Once the carrots are evenly coated, pop the baking sheet into the oven for 30-45 minutes. The longer you roast the carrots, the more caramelized they become.
To start, preheat the oven to 350°F, cut up about 2 cups worth of onions and celery, put them into a large pot with 1 cup butter, and cook it on medium heat whilst making sure to constantly stir until the celery and onion are soft. Add minced 1 tablespoon parsley, 3 tablespoon poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon sage, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Pour the chicken broth and celery mixture over the cubed bread, but be careful to reserve about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth. Gently fold the ingredients together. Then, spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and spread the stuffing onto it. Bake the stuffing at 350°F for 45-60 minutes. Stir the stuffing lightly every 15-20 minutes. The stuffing is done once the top reaches a golden brown. Once done, feel free to serve the stuffing immediately.
Take a large pot and fill it with enough water to fully cover the brussel sprouts. Place the pot over high heat, bring it to a boil, and add a tablespoon of salt. While the water is taking its time to boil, trim the ends of the brussel sprouts and peel away the tough outer leaves. Slice the brussel sprouts length-wise and then toss them into the boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Once tender, strain the water from the pot and run the brussel sprouts under cold water. Shake to release any moisture, then set the brussel sprouts aside. Take a cast-iron skillet and place it over high heat. Add in bacon bits and cook until it is crisp. Mix in the brussel sprouts and 1/2 cup pecans into the pan. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon ground mustard and sear the mixture over the high heat, making sure to stir frequently. Once the sprouts are crisp, add 2 oz of bourbon to the pan and deglaze. Continue to cook until the bourbon has evaporated. Add in 1/4 cup maple syrup and cook for about a minute longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
Place a large sauce over medium heat and cook the bacon until it is crispy and brown. Add in 1 finely chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes more. Turn the heat down to low and add in 2 cloves of minced garlic. After about 30 seconds, remove the mixture and place it into a bowl. Then, add in the green beans and enough chicken broth to submerge the green beans into the saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Bring the mixture to a low boil, cover, and reduce to simmer for about 1 hour. Don’t forget to make sure to stir every once in a while so that your green beans do not burn. Drain the chicken broth and introduce the bacon/onion mixture. Heat the contents of the saucepan for 1-2 minutes longer, add in 2 tablespoons butter, stir, and serve.
In a food processor, dice 10 oz of fresh cranberries. In a large bowl, mix together the cranberries and 10 oz of mini marshmallows. After that, you can take one of two routes: the old-fashioned way and the quick way. For the old-fashioned way, cover and place the cranberry-marshmallow mixture in the fridge overnight. The following day, add in 1 cup of red grapes into the mixture. Blend up 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with no sugar until stiff peaks form. Mix this into the cranberry mixture and then serve. For the quick version (or the same day version), what you are going to do is add in 1 cup of red grapes into the mixture and stir it all together. Then, blend 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup white sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold this into the cranberry mixture, let it chill for a few hours, and then feel free to serve this lovely dish.
To begin this recipe, you must start by making the sauce. In order to make the sauce, you need to combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 2 cloves of crushed garlic, and 2 tablespoons of fresh, finely chopped thyme in a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and then refrigerate the sauce until it is ready to be used. Once the sauce is done, you can move onto the next step. Preheat the oven to 400°F, peel and cut the butternut squash into 1/2 inch cubes, and carefully mix it together with the sauce you just prepared. Then, spread the squash in a single layer onto a large baking sheet and bake it in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Flip it halfway through so that the butternut squash caramelizes on both sides evenly.
To make this Thanksgiving Dish, heat some water according to the directions found on the back of the yeast package. Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup of lukewarm water and stir in a large pinch of granulated sugar. Once the yeast water is bubbly, place 1/2 a cup of cubed butter in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup of milk to 180°F and then pour it over the butter. Add in 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup of oats, 2 tablespoons of molasses, 1 tablespoon of honey, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend thoroughly and let the mixture cool until lukewarm. Add 1 egg and mix well then add the yeast mixture and stir. Mix in 2½ cups of flour then let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour if the dough is too sticky. Butter a large mixing bowl, place the dough inside of it and turn it over so all sides of the dough touch butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. To bake the rolls, you must remove the dough from the fridge at least 3-4 hours prior to whenever you want to begin baking them. Allow the dough to reach room temperature and rest for 30 minutes. Butter a 9-inch round pan and melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough for a short while. Roll the dough into 12 equal-sized balls, press each ball into a square, and then slightly flatten them with your fingers. Bring the edges up to make a ball then turn and tuck the edges so the rounded side is up. Place the balls, seam-side down, in the pan, and brush them with half of the melted butter. Sprinkle the rolls with old-fashioned oats and a little coarse sea salt. Allow the rolls to rise until they are doubled in size. When the rolls have risen, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake them for around 35 minutes. The internal temperature of the rolls should be 190°F when finished.Transfer the rolls onto a cooling rack and brush them with the remaining melted butter. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before digging into them.
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