Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

The Thanksgiving Feast is upon us, and here’s our last minute roundup.  If you’re still looking for suggestions for sides, wine pairings, soups, or appetizer ideas, we’ve got each area covered.  And of course, we’ve got a few ideas for how to cook the Turkey.

Starters – From Appetizers to Dinner Roles

1. Steak Bruschetta with Sweet Pepper Relish: Tender slices of juicy steak set atop a crisp slice of Italian bread, generously adorned with a vibrant relish bursting with the sweetness of apricots and the tanginess of red bell peppers. This is a delicious, simple to prepare, appetizer that’s equal parts elegance and flavor.
2. Artisan Charcuterie Board: There's nothing quite like gathering around the table with friends and family to enjoy a delicious antipasto. This classic Italian appetizer spread is the perfect way to kick off a holiday meal or to serve as an accompaniment to drinks and conversation. It's a great option for entertaining, and you can easily customize the ingredients to suit whatever you and your guests are in the mood for.
3. Spinach and Chickpea Falafel: These fried and crispy falafel feature a Greek-inspired profile with briny feta, spinach, and warm nutmeg. We're completing it all with a sweet yogurt sauce. An ideal, easy to prepare appetizer.

All the Sides – From Dinner Rolls to Potatoes

1. Creamy Corn Casserole: One of my favorite things, at every holiday table, is seeing which tasty side dish turns out to be that year’s star. The original recipe for this cheesy corn casserole goes way back. I remember the first time I prepared this recipe, my son’s birthday had fallen on Thanksgiving. As every Thanksgiving dinner table requires a corn recipe, I decided I wanted to do something more than either creamed corn or whole cobs. I wanted this particular holiday meal to be something to remember – and of course what we all ended up remembering was the corn casserole, which became a fixture at each Thanksgiving and Christmas table thereafter. It’s long been one of our favorite side dishes.
2. Biscuits: Comfort food comes in many forms and everyone has their own idea of what comfort food means to them. One thing that most can agree on is that buttery flaky biscuits are always a welcomed treat at any meal.
3. Parmesan Popovers and Blackberry Preserves: Popovers are deceptively easy to make and versatile as well. Today, we're sharing a sweet and savory combination with our Parmesan Popovers and Blackberry Preserves - perfect for the holiday season!
4. Spinach Pie: This recipe features sheets of buttery, flakey phyllo dough wrapped around a savory spinach filling with lots of feta, bright lemon zest, and toasted pine nuts. The end result is something that is both wholesome and comforting.
5. Boule – Free Form Loaf: Homemade bread. Nothing says “holidays” quite like fresh bread, and this recipe is by far the easiest bread to make at home – and as a nice bonus, not only is it a simply delicious bread, but it also features a substantial crust. It’s perfect for hardy sandwiches, as dinner bread, or for dipping in oil or salsa.
6. Italian-Style Stuffing: Thanksgiving Stuffing. It’s the star of every holiday table, even more than the turkey itself, often times overtaking even the creamiest of mashed potatoes. It’s also one of few Thanksgiving items of which there are rarely if any leftovers. At least that’s always the case at my Thanksgiving table, where the stuffing has usually all but vanished by the end of the night, regardless of how much I’ve made. With this recipe, however, we’re putting a little bit of a twist on that holiday favorite – but don’t fret, we’re not changing anything beyond beloved recognition, we’re just ‘tweaking around the edges’ a little.

Soups – The First Course

1. Pumpkin Bisque: A creamy, comforting, and delightfully wholesome soup, our pumpkin bisque is the perfect cold weather dish to warm you up, and leave you feeling satisfied. It’s also a great start to a Thanksgiving meal. As a nice bonus, it’s blissfully simple to put together.
2. Potato Leek Soup: This has to be one of the most classic comfort foods out there. It's creamy and savory, hearty and comforting - everything you want in a soup on a cold winter night. It's also incredibly easy to make and can be enjoyed as a light lunch, hearty dinner, or a side dish to almost any meal.
3. Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup: An earthy and warming mix of onions, carrots, and, of course, sweet potatoes, carried on a chicken and parmesan broth, with plenty of herbs and garlic. The end result is a warming, flavorful soup that’s perfect for wintery nights – and holiday tables!
4. Butternut Squash Soup: Creamy and hearty, this Butternut Squash Soup is a seasonal staple, one that pairs deliciously with all of your Thanksgiving favorites. Combining a menagerie of savory flavors such as bay leaves, oregano, and ground coriander, this soup is a perfect accompaniment to hardy roasts or seared steaks, or even on its own as a light dinner. Simple to make, well able to be reheated, and thoroughly satisfying, this recipe is a must have for busy autumn nights and weekend dinner parties alike.

The Bird – Favorite Ways to Prepare a Turkey

1. Herb Roasted Turkey Breast: Featuring crisp skin, a medley of herbs, and a succulent stuffing, this herb roasted turkey breast is a great alternative to cooking a whole bird. Best of all, it’s delightfully simple to do, saving on cooking and prep time, and simplifying the process from start to finish.
2. Asian Style Steak House Turkey Wings: Deliciously tender and succulently moist. That’s how I’d describe this turkey wing recipe. We’ll be baking them with a decadently thick glaze, combining duck sauce, sesame oil, and a brush-on steak sauce. These wings are a delicious main course, being hardy and satisfying, creating a festive centerpiece that the entire family can enjoy.
3. Bacon Wrapped Herbed Turkey: Slow roasted and wrapped in a layer of bacon with an herbed butter underneath, this juicy Thanksgiving roast will truly shine at your holiday table!
4. Herb Crusted Turkey: Crusted with herbs, this is a warming, satisfying, and utterly indulgent way to prepare a turkey. Best of all, it couldn’t simpler.

Wine Pairings – Finishing the Feast with the Perfect Pairing

1. Picking the Best Wines for Thanksgiving: Now that you’ve likely got the holiday menu down, what about the beverage? What is the ideal pairing for a bacon-laced turkey? If you’re like most, and devour the stuffing before anything else, do you follow that with a swallow of grenache or assyrtiko? And what about those who enjoy their Thanksgiving appetizers as much as the main course itself? Do you break open an oaky chardonnay, a sauvignon blanc, or a malbec? If those are the questions you wanted answered this season, then this wine guide is for you, because we’ve got you covered from appetizers to stuffing, and from turkey to pie, we’ve got your Thanksgiving wine pairings covered.
2. Thanksgiving Wine – Long Island Style: A medley of Thanksgiving wines sourced from some of the best Long Island vineyards.
3. Thanksgiving Wine – California: A selection of Thanksgiving-themed wines from Paso Robles, California.

Desserts – Ending off on the Sweet

1. Pumpkin Pie: A must have on any Thanksgiving. This pie embodies the autumn and winter seasons like no other – Pumpkin Pie. Prepared with homemade pumpkin spice, molasses, fresh orange zesty, and vanilla, our pumpkin pie encapsulates the flavors of the season.
2. Cheesecake: This is a copycat of the famed Junior’s Cheesecake. This is my absolute favorite cheesecake recipe. It’s rich, decadent, and easy to make. It’s also ideal for any occasion, capable of playing its part at refined dinner parties and relaxed gathering’s alike.
3. Pecan Pie: Another autumn favorite that I absolutely must have at Thanksgiving. I invite you to come fall in love with this rich, gooey seasonal classic served alongside a simple spiced apple cider.

From starters to wine pairings, that is our Thanksgiving recipe roundup! From all of us here at Living the Gourmet, have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers!