Thanksgiving Recipes

A few people have asked for my Portuguese stuffing recipe, so I thought I would post that along with a few of my other Thanksgiving favorites. Please post some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes. I'm always looking for new ideas.


Portuguese Stuffing

I make a ridiculous amount of the chourico stuffing and sort of wing it, but the basics for a small batch would be -

saute 2 chopped onions, 1 chopped pepper and 4-6 cloves chopped garlic until soft. Add 1-1/2 pounds ground chourico. I would think you could also use Italian sausage. Cook until meat is cooked through, adding water as needed.

Break up two large stale loaves of white bread into small pieces. Add meat mixture to bread. Keep mixing thoroughly until it is a paste-like consistency (sounds appetizing, doesn't it ) Add water as needed to get to right consistency. Add crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Bake in greased 13x9 pan at 350 until brown and crusty. It's probably around a half hour, but really depends on how much water you added.

Chourico is a Portuguese sausage that is sold in parts of New England. It can be bought here: http://www.gasparssausage.com/gaschour.html Mexican/Spanish chorizo may work just as well.


FRENCH MEAT STUFFING


5 c. water
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. pork sausage
1 lg. onion, chopped fine
4-5 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 tbsp. salt, less if sausage is salty
1 scant tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 lg. loaf white bread plus 5-6 slices

Toast bread in large pan (all sides). Cut toast in 1/3 inch pieces. In 5-6 quart kettle. Cook everything except bread. Cook 25-30 minutes. Turn fire as low as possible, and let simmer as you add bread cubes.

Potato Casserole

1 bag frozen hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 diced onion
1 16 oz carton sour cream
1 8 oz pkg of shredded cheddar cheese
1 stick melted margarine

mix all together in spread in greased 13 X 9 pan

Topping

1/2 stick melted margarine
1 cup bread crumbs

mix together and sprinkle on top

Bake at 350 degree of 1 hour, 15 minutes




Cranberry Chutney

I always have to make this on Thanksgiving.

3-4 oranges
4 cups cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped unpeeled apples
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel oranges and cut into pieces. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. Simmer until cranberries pop and are cooked - about 15 minutes.


Macaroni and Cheese


Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 50 minutes


Yield: 4 to 6 servings
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 8-ounce package ziti, macaroni, or your favorite pasta
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, shredded


Heat oven to 350°. Melt unsalted butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add panko and stir until coated; set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions, stopping 2 minutes shy of suggested cooking time; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, about 1 minute, being careful not to let the mixture brown. Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if desired), and cheese, whisking until the cheese melts.
Add the pasta, then spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole or four lightly greased 2-cup baking dishes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly.

Oh, thank you!

I've never heard of chourico and I don't know that I could find it around here. But I'm thinking of doing it with chorizo, which we do have and I use often.

Good-sounding recipes! The Cranberry Chutney sounds wonderful. Thanks!

My absolute must-have cranberry sauce recipe, from D.McInerney.

12 oz. fresh cranberries
1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup (the real thing only)
grated rind and juice of one orange
1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon

Wash and drain cranberries.  Remove any soft or discolored berries and any leaves or stems.  Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick.
Serve hot or cold.

Oh, Pat, that looks good, too. Anything with real maple syrup has to be good!

Here are some of mine that we use for Thanksgiving (and Christmas, too).....

Mandarin Orange and Pecan Salad

Dressing: (You can make this ahead. Keep it chilled, but bring back almost to room temperature before tossing with salad.)

2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce

Salad:
Greens of your choice (enough for about 8 people)
1/3 c. chopped scallions
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 c. chopped "sugared" pecans

For pecans, heat small skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and about 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir and watch closely until sugar begins to melt. Turn down heat and continue to stir until sugar is completely melted. Watch carefully; they can burn very quickly. Remove from heat and cool completely. (You can make these ahead too; keep tightly covered at room temp.)

For salad, whisk sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and Tabasco together until the sugar and salt completely dissolve (I usually let it sit about 20 minutes at this point to give them time to dissolve). Whisk in oil. Combine all of the salad ingredients. Whisk dressing and toss well with salad.

Note: My mom loves the sugared pecans, so I'll often just triple the recipe for the pecans and put them in a pretty dish to spoon from at the table. Or I'll make a huge batch and give them to her.

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Asparagus with Leeks

3 leeks
1-1/2 to 2 lb. asparagus
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
4-5 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon or chervil leaves

Snap off rough ends of asparagus and slice on the diagonal up to the tip in 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces. Leave the tips whole and set aside.

Trim the ends off the leeks and anything but the white and very pale green parts. Cut down the middle and rinse very well, then cut in slivers (half moon shape) as if you were cutting an onion (put the flat side down and cut across in strips). Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sweat for 3 to 4 minutes until soft....do not brown. Add the asparagus pieces and toss to coat with the butter. Add the water and the asparagus tips, cover the pan and steam for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender, but still crisp. Drain off any water that has not evaporated, add the tarragon and the remaining one tablespoon of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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From Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Sagaponack Corn Pudding

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish (I use a 9-x-13-inch baking dish).

Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl.

Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

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Praline Pumpkin Pie

½ recipe Tender Flaky Piecrust (see recipe, below)
15 oz. can solid-pack pumpkin, or 2 c. fresh pumpkin puree
¼ c. apple butter (optional)
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ c. light-brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1½ tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. salt
3 large. eggs, slightly beaten
12 oz. can evaporated milk

Praline Topping:
¼ c. dark corn syrup
¼ c. light-brown sugar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly flour your work surface; roll out one disk of dough into a 12 to 13-inch circle. Transfer dough into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Finish edges, and then place pie shell in freezer while you prepare the filling.

In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, warm together the pumpkin, apple butter, and butter. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the sugars, flour, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and evaporated milk. Gradually stir the egg mixture into the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour pumpkin filling into the frozen pie shell and bake 10 minutes. Shield crust with aluminum foil to prevent over browning. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 to 40 minutes longer.

To check for doneness, shake the pie gently. If the center isn’t jiggling, it’s done (do not insert a knife into the pie, which can cause the surface to split). Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool slightly while you make the praline topping.

Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Pour topping over the surface of the cooked pie. Cool completely before serving. Yield: 8 servings

Tender Flaky Piecrust

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
6 Tbsp. shortening, room temperature
3-4 Tbsp. ice water

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut butter and shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles baby peas. Sprinkle the water over the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and blend with a fork. Repeat until the dough is moist enough to come together. Gather the dough into a ball, knead 5 seconds, and then cut into two pieces.

Flatten each piece slightly and shape into a disk. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap; chill 20 minutes. Yield: 2 crusts.

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Colossal Caramel Apple Trifle (Taste of Home Feb/Mar 2004)

1 pkg yellow cake mix (18 1/4 oz)
6 cups cold milk
3 pkg (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp apple pie spice
1 jar (12 1/4 oz.) caramel ice cream topping
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
3 cans (21 oz each) apple pie filling
2 cartons (16 oz each) frozen whipped topping, thawed


Prepare and bake cake according to pkg directions, using two greased 9-inch round pans.
Cool for 10 minutes, remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk milk, pudding mixes and apple pie spice for 2 minutes. Let set for 2 minutes until soft-set.

Cut one cake layer, if necessary, to fit evenly in a 8-quart punch bowl.
Poke holes in cake with a long wooden skewer; gradually pour a third of the caramel topping over cake.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and spread with half of the pudding mixture.
Spoon one can of pie filling over pudding; spread with one carton of whipped topping.

Top with remaining cake and repeat the layers.
Drizzle with remaining caramel topping and sprinkle with remaining pecans.
Refrigerate until serving time.

Yield: 42 servings (but can easily be halved)

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We always have make ahead Party Potatoes and make ahead gravy. That way I don't have to deal with making gravy and mashing potatoes at the last minute while I'm trying to get everything on the table, too. And our turkey is always the Good Eats Roast Turkey that I had posted while back. The turkey is brined for several hours (I just do it overnight) and the roasted.

All of those sound delicious! I may have to try one of those desserts this year. Pat, I may have to try your cranberry sauce also. The maple syrup sounds like a nice touch.

It is so simple and consistently good every time I make it..I like that!

This is the stuffing we make every year since the first time we tried it.

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples from **** N' Bull Restaurant, Peddler's Village, PA (the word that wasn't allowed is another word for male rooster)

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 cup small diced onions

1  cup small diced celery
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped sage
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped thyme
3 cups crumbled cornbread
3 cups cubed stale bread
1 cup chicken stock
1 large peeled, cored and diced apple

2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Saute sausage until brown.  Remove from pan and place in a large mixing bowl.  Saute onions and celery in butter.  Add sage, rosemary and thyme.  When the mixture is softened, about 3 minutes, put into bowl with sausage.  Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl.  If mixture is too dry add more stock.

There is no direction re temp - simply that this is enough for two average chickens I believe (missing a word).  We bake as a casserole - either 350 or 375 degrees F, for about 25 minutes. We never use the raisins.  This is..to die for good.

Pat, that stuffing recipe sounds wonderful. I don't know that I would use the raisins either, but definitely a nice big Granny Smith apple would work. Your recipe looks similar to the one I use in my crock pot.

AbbysMom, I love portugese stuffing. If you can buy linguica and Chorico in the stores then you and I must live fairly close to eachother as I know it is usually only sold in stores here locally.

I married into a portuguese family before I moved up here I had no clue what linguica and chorico were. Now I make a killer Kale Soup and Portuguese Roast pork stuffed with Chorico at Christmas time.

One of the things I always make at Thanksgiving is a Cranberry, Walnut Apple Crisp. I usually wing the measurements but I will dig out the actual recipe in a bit and post it for you all with my tweaks.

This is a holiday morning dish I've made in the past - when strictly on my lower carb diet, I just omit the bread..it is still awesome 

Ham, Gruyere & Spinach Bread Pudding from eatingwell.com
Serves 6

4 each large egg whites
4 each large eggs
1 cup skim milk (I use half and half or cream)
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard (did you know that Annie's brand makes a sugar-free dijon that is to die for?)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
4 cups whole-grain bread
5 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1 cup diced ham steak (I've made with deli ham, leftover ham)
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Coat an 11-by-7-inch glass baking dish or a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.

To prepare custard: whisk egg whites, eggs and milk in a medium bowl.  Add mustard, pepper and rosemary: whisk to combine.

Toss bread, spinach, roasted red peppers and ham in a large bowl.  Add the custard and toss well to coat.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish and push down to compact.  Cover with foil.

Bake until the custard has set, 40 to 45 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the pudding is puffed and golden on top, 15 to 20 minute more.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

It's a company dish, imo.

Meowmmy_Aprile said:

AbbysMom, I love portugese stuffing. If you can buy linguica and Chorico in the stores then you and I must live fairly close to eachother as I know it is usually only sold in stores here locally.

I married into a portuguese family before I moved up here I had no clue what linguica and chorico were. Now I make a killer Kale Soup and Portuguese Roast pork stuffed with Chorico at Christmas time.

One of the things I always make at Thanksgiving is a Cranberry, Walnut Apple Crisp. I usually wing the measurements but I will dig out the actual recipe in a bit and post it for you all with my tweaks.

Click to expand...

I live between Fall River and Providence.

I am on the other side of Fall River in the Forest.