Quick & Easy 5 Star Thanksgiving Dinner

With Thanksgiving Day a week away, I want to share some recipes in hopes to remove a little stress as you plan your feast for this day of gratitude. Plus, you will impress all of your friends and family!

Because I travel to visit family for Thanksgiving, I haven't had the privilege of preparing the main meal. I do get the chance to bake a pie because pies are easy to transport. I normally bake an apricot pie because I love bringing a pie that no one is expecting. When I was looking at the Thanksgiving Day recipes by Chef Rosenberg, I was so excited to see sweet potato pie recipe! I am definitely going to try this one out next week!

About Chef Rosenberg

 



Chef Rosenberg graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1992 with a degree in culinary arts, since then he has earned critical praise throughout his 20-year career as executive chef for some of the New York metro area's top restaurants. Prior to joining NoMa Social, he was executive chef/owner for more than 10 years of F.I.S.H., Port Chester, New York, which was rated by Zagat as one of America's top seafood houses and named by Westchester Magazine as the "Best New Restaurant."








This 5 star meal will start with a butternut squash soup. For the main course, we have a Latin Mojo Turkey, mashed brown sugar sweet potatoes, green beans almondine and fresh baked corn bread. And last but not least, a sweet potato pie that will blow your taste buds away.


Butternut Squash Soup
 

Ingredients:

• 4 butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks)
• 2 Spanish onions, diced
• 5 stalks celery, diced
• Fresh ginger, approx. 1-inch piece, peeled
• 1 cup butter
• chicken stock to cover
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients into a large stock pot, except sugars, salt and pepper.
Add chicken stock to cover the vegetables.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cook until vegetables are soft, remove from heat and puree in a blender until smooth (use caution as soup is hot, cover lid of blender with a hand towel and only fill blender slightly higher than half-way)
When finished blending, pour into another pot and add sugars and adjust salt and pepper. Simmer on low until ingredients are combined.
Garnish with fresh cranberry sauce and crushed gingersnap cookies and/or pomegranate seeds.

Latin Mojo Turkey

Ingredients:

• 18-20 lb turkey
• 2 cups olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup salt
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 3 table spoons toasted cumin (grind)
• 1 bunch chopped cilantro & stems
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

Thaw bird if frozen, remove giblets and excess fat. Mix all mojo ingredients well to dissolve salt. Pour marinade over turkey making sure to rub into bird and cavity. Place into refrigerator overnight flipping the bird over at least once to redistribute marinade. Place into a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes a pound. Reserve marinade and place into a pot and bring to a boil. Reserve as dressing for turkey when it’s done cooking. Once fully cooked, rest for ½ hour. Then carve and enjoy.

Mashed Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 10 Sweet Potatoes
• ½ lb brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound melted butter
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Roast sweet potatoes until soft in a 375 degree oven. Remove from oven and peel when cool enough. Melt butter. Place potatoes in a mixing bowl and mix until pureed. Add butter, sugar and spices. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs clipped French Beans
• 3 shallots diced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup sliced toasted almonds
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Pinch of sugar

Directions: Place chicken stock, shallots and butter into a pan. Bring to a boil and add beans. Cook until just tender. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. When ready to plate the dish, toss with almonds and serve.

Corn Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Butter
• 1 quart sugar
• 9 eggs
• ½ quart corn meal
• 1 ½ quarts all-purpose flour
• ½ quart cream
• ½ quart milk
• ½ quart sour cream
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2.5 tablespoons baking powder

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs 2 at a time until smooth. Next add cream, milk and sour cream. Scrape bowl; add flour, cornmeal, and salt, baking powder until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour into a buttered hotel pan & bake for 40 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cut and serve.

Sweet Potato Pie 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of peeled & cooked sweet potatoes
• 2 ounces melted butter
• 2 tablespoons Jack Daniels
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of grounded cloves
• 1 cup cream
• 1 9 inch pie crust
• Marshmallows topping as needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes in a mixer with paddle attachment; add sugar, butter, eggs, Jack Daniels, salt and spices. Mix until well incorporated. Add cream and mix. Pour into pie crust and bake for 30-45 minutes or until just set. Remove and cool. Top with marshmallow topping and serve.