Recipes: Last Minute Thanksgiving Additions

Thanksgiving week has been all hands on deck in the Lisa Dupar Catering kitchen for the past twenty years. Turkey A-Go-Go is one of our biggest yearly events: in the span of three days we prepare between one and two hundred turkeys complete with sides like stuffing, roasted carrots, biscuits, and pies!

For those of you that are making your own Thanksgiving meal this year or need a little last minute inspiration for side dishes, we’ve pulled some of our favorite recipes from the archive to help out with your Turkey Day preparations.

Roasted Turkey

with Glazed Leeks, Garlic, Tomatoes and Sage

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:

1 Turkey (10-12 lbs)

2 cups Celery – diced

2 cups Carrots – diced

1 bunch Leeks – diced

2 Garlic Cloves

56 oz. Plum Tomatoed (canned-including juice)

4 tbsp Sage – chopped

1 tbsp Rosemary, fresh, chopped

1 cup White Wine

2 cups Chicken Stock

½ cup Brandy

Seasonings:

Cracked Black Pepper – to taste

Seasoning Salt – to taste

2 Bay Leaves

1 tbsp Oregano

½ tsp Thyme

Method:

1. Line a roasting pan with heavy duty foil. Spray with pan spray or olive oil.
2. Sprinkle seasoning salt inside the cavity of the bird. Put 1 small onion inside the back cavity.  Slip outside skin under the wings to hold onion in place.  Fold wings under the bird.
3. Put all diced vegetables around the bird. Pour the wine, brandy, chicken stock and canned plum tomatoes, inside and around the bird.
4. Sprinkle all seasonings inside and around in the pan.
5. Make a tent with foil and spray the inside with pan spray. Seal the tent so it is completely sealed.
6. Put turkey on a low rack for 1 hour.
7. After 1 hour, turn the oven down to 350 degrees, take the turkey out and split the foil and return it to the oven uncovered for an additional 1-1/2 hours.
8. The last ½ hour watch carefully, baste every 10 minutes and you may need to rotate it to brown it evenly.
9. Pull turkey out, drain stock and let it rest on a sheet pan while making gravy.

Orange Muscat Cranberry Sauce

Yields 1 quart

Ingredients:

24 oz. Fresh Cranberries

2 Oranges – zested and juiced

2 cups Sugar

½ tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Nutmeg

¼ cup Grand Marnier

¼ cup Muscat or Prosecco

Method:

1. Place the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a heavy stainless steel sauce pot
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Lower flame and simmer, covered, for another 40 minutes.
4. Cool and add the Grand Marnier and Muscat.
5. Serve room temperature.

Mushroom Sausage Stuffing

Yield about 10 cups

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 lb. Mild Italian “Isernio’s” Sausage

½ cup Onions – diced

½ cup Celery – diced

1 tbsp Garlic – chopped

2 cups Chanterelles, Crimini, and Shiitake Mushrooms – sliced

4 cups Bread – cubed

¼ cup Italian Parsley – chopped

1 tbsp Sage – chopped

2 cups Turkey Pan Drippings or Chicken Broth

Method:

1. Sauté sausage in a heavy skillet until almost done.
2. Add onions, celery and garlic. Sauté until veggies are soft.
3. Put into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add diced bread, chopped parsley, sage and cracked black pepper.
5. Add turkey stock. Add more stock if you wish your dressing to be moister.
6. Spray casserole dish with pan spray. Pour the stuffing into the dish.
7. Bake dressing about 15-20 minutes or until firm. Be careful not to dry it out by over-baking it.

Sweet Potato Custard Pie

Ingredients:

1 Unbaked 10″ Pie Shell

1 Sweet Potato – med-large

¼ cup Butter

1½ cup Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Flour – sifted

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

½ tsp Maple Flavoring

1 tsp Lemon Extract

3 Eggs

1 can (5.3 oz.) Evaporated Milk

Method:

1. Peel and boil potato. Once it is tender and you can stick a knife in it easily, drain and mash with butter.
2. Beat in sugar, flour, flavorings.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add the milk.
4. Beat well until it has a smooth consistency.
5. Pour into the pie shell.
6. Bake at 350˚F for 45 minutes.
7. Let cool and serve with whipped cream.