Toasted Turkey Sandwich

I'm sure most of you have more Thanksgiving leftovers than can fit it your fridge. That's certainly the case in my house, but slowly and surely they are being finished off. One of my favorite ways to eat the leftover turkey is on a toasted sandwich. I've been doing this since I was a little girl. So I thought I would share how I make those sandwiches today, and maybe you can be inspired to eat up your leftovers in a new way!

• What You'll Need
• Leftover turkey
• Mayo
• Lettuce
• Bread
• Salt & pepper

• What You'll Do
• Toast your bread, we used the leftover artisan bread I had made. 
• Lather the toasted bread with mayo (I just do a thin coat of it)
• Stack the turkey and lettuce on the bread.
• Season with salt and pepper.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Corn Pudding

Thanksgiving is only two days away and I'm prepping like a mad woman! Today's recipe is a long-time and childhood favorite of mine. It's corn pudding and it's sure to win over anyone. It's a simple dish that is perfect for a last minute side to your Thanksgiving feast. Because what Turkey Day meal doesn't include some type or corn dish?! And this one certainly doesn't disappoint!

• What You'll Need
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can creamed corn
• 2 cans whole corn, drained
• 1/4 stick butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 TBSP cornstarch
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 2 eggs

• What You'll Do
• Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together.
• Beat in the eggs, then add the evaporated milk, creamed corn, whole corn, and melted butter. Mix well.
• Put in a greased glass casserole dish and bake for one hour at 350°.

Cranberry Salad

This is a family favorite and has been made every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I remember taking turns with my sister to hand-crank the whole cranberries and grind them for this dish. Then we would swap out who got to chop the pecans. 

Although this wasn't my favorite Turkey Day dish as a child, it has easily become one of my favorites as an adult. My mom still makes sure to chop the pecans extra small just for me. It gets made only once a year, making it an extra special treat.

If you're looking for a fruity addition to your meal this week, try this recipe out. It's definitely a crowd pleaser, and maybe it will become one of your family favorites too!

• What You'll Need
• 1 large strawberry jello
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 package fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1 can crushed pineapple, with juice
• 4 oranges, with juice
• 1 cup chopped pecans

• What You'll Do
• Dissolve the strawberry jello in two cups of boiling water, stir until the jello has completely dissolved. 
• Wash the whole cranberries then grind them. Add the sugar the ground cranberries and stir.
• Add this mixture to the warm jello and mix well.
• Add the pineapple (and juice) the oranges (and their juice), and the chopped pecans. Combine well, then transfer to a 9 x 13 glass dish. Refrigerate overnight.

Seasoned Cornish Hens

Every year husband and I celebrate a couple of Thanksgivings, feasting twice. And that doesn't even include the leftovers. So we take some liberties at fixing non-traditional foods for the Thanksgiving meal we host at our house. This was one of those substitutions last year, where we swapped out the turkey for cornish hens. They look just like a turkey, but on a miniature scale. It was fun to switch things up and we loved the seasonings we used on the meat.

So if you're looking for something a little different this Turkey Day, maybe try some cornish hens! Happy Weekend!

• What You'll Need
• Cornish Hens (as many as needed; my husband ate one by himself)
• 1 large onion, quartered
• Garlic cloves (2 whole cloves per hen)
• Olive oil
• Basil
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Salt & pepper to taste

• What You'll Do
• Preheat the oven to 375°. 
• Rinse and pat dry each hen. Then rub olive oil over them. 
• Quarter the onions then stuff each quarter into a hen along with the garlic gloves (whole).
• Season with basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
• Place the hens on an aluminum-lined baking sheet and roast them for about one hour or until meat thermometer reads 165°, inserted into the thigh, and juices run clear.
• Remove onion and garlic, then serve.

Dutch Oven Artisan Bread

I have a new favorite and it's my husband's new favorite too!! It's fresh baked bread, and I am a bit over excited about it. I wish I had started making fresh breads earlier, but I'm glad to have started now and I may never stop. Hello, carb-overload!

Because breads are certainly a part of any Thanksgiving meal, I wanted to share this dutch oven recipe. It's so simple and turns out so well! It would be perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner. You could scoop up the runaway gravy or top it with creamy butter. Really this artisan bread is perfect anytime. 

• What You'll Need
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 TBSP of yeast
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 TBSP salt

• What You'll Do
• In a large bowl combine the yeast and sugar, mixing well. Then stir in the warm water and whisk it lightly by hand. Let is rest for 10 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups of flour and the salt. Mix.
• Once the ten minutes have passed, add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture one cup at a time. Then add the the remaining flour, a half a cup at a time until the dough comes together in a ball. 
• Knead the dough in the bowl for about five minutes. 
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover, letting rise for 25 minutes. 
• Preheat the oven to 400° and put the dutch oven inside the oven.
• Once the dough has risen, lightly coat its top and bottom with flour. 
• Remove the dutch oven from the preheated oven. Then carefully drop the dough into the center of the dutch oven.
• Slice three slits in the top of the dough and cook for 30 minutes covered. 
• Lastly, take the lid off and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy.

 

Pomegranate Fizzies

You can't have Thanksgiving without a fun and festive drink! And that's just what these Pomegranate Fizzies are. Husband and I made a large batch of this drink last year for Turkey Day and loved them so we are definitely making them again this year! They're simple and perfect for a fall holiday.

• What You'll Need
• 1/2 cup POM juice
• 1 cup Sprite
• Pomegranate arils 
• Mint leaves
• Ice

• What You'll Do
• Combine the POM juice, Sprite, and ice in a glass. Stir well. 
• If using a whole pomegranate, cut it and scoop out the arils. You can also buy arils in a cup in the produce section at the grocery store.
• Top with pomegranate arils and mint leaves.

*This recipe is for a single serving. You can make a large batch following these ratios. 

Wild Mushroom-Bacon Sourdough Dressing

This week and next, I will be sharing the Thanksgiving dishes I most enjoy over the holiday. This particular recipe was a new one for us last year, as Pete and I celebrated and hosted our first married Thanksgiving together in our new home. 

This particular recipe comes from Food Network's Bobby Flay. I love receiving holiday magazines in the mail and flipping through to find the perfect recipe to whip up for a special occasion. This was one of those and we loved it! If you're looking for a non-traditional dressing to make for Turkey Day, I highly recommend this one! It was delicious and we will be making it this Thanksgiving and for many to come! 

• What You'll Need
• 1 1/4 lbs sourdough bread
• 1 carton shiitake mushrooms
• 1 carton button mushrooms
• 1 carton cremini mushrooms
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3/4 lb bacon
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves
• 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
•  2 large eggs
• Butter for the baking dish

• What You'll Do
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into half inch cubes (about 12 cups worth). Spread the bread cubes in an even layer on the a large baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let them cool then transfer them to a large bowl.
• Increase the oven temperature to 375°. Remove the stems and chop all of the mushrooms. Combine them on a baking sheet and toss with 3 tablespoons of canola oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until soft and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once cooked, remove and let the grease drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and place it back on the stove top on high heat. Add the diced onion, once soft, add the minced garlic cloves. Cook one minute then add 3 cups of chicken broth and herbs, seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. 
• Add the mushrooms to the bread bowl, then add the broth mixture, the bacon, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper, and gently stir until well combined.The mixture should be very wet, add more broth if needed.
• Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish and add the dressing. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. 
• Remove the foil and let baked until golden brown, 30-40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Since Thanksgiving is next week I'm starting to round up some of my favorite Thanksgiving Day dishes. Because husband and I now celebrate/host Thanksgiving at our house, we have two Thanksgivings to enjoy, the first being at my parents' home the Sunday before Turkey Day. So we make completely different dishes at our house than the more traditional ones my mom whips up.

Today I am sharing one of my mom's specialties. She's been making this super delicious sweet potato casserole since I was a little girl. And she's converted some non-sweet potato lovers with it. Which means you should probably make it!

• What You'll Need
• 3-4 large sweet potatoes
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Brown sugar
• Stick butter
• Small marshmallows

• What You'll Do
• Boil the sweet potatoes with the skin on until they are soft. You can test them by sticking them with a fork.
• Next run them under cool water. Then peel the skin off, which will come right off just using your fingers.
• Spray a 9 x 13 dish with cooking spray. Then cut the sweet potatoes into thin slices. Begin layering the potato slices in the baking dish. Each layer sprinkle with cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg, brown sugar, and thin slices of butter. Add more layers and repeat the sprinkling process.
• Bakes at 325° for about 30 minutes. 
• Top with the marshmallows and broil until they are brown. This will happen quickly, so keep an eye on them!