The Gazette staff shared some of their favorite Thanksgiving recipes:
Harvest Soup
Submitted by Gazette Publisher Gabriel Donio
This hearty soup was made at a Thanksgiving Dinner that Gabe attended nearly 20 years ago.
Ingredients:
2 small sugar pumpkins
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (You can use a low-salt version)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons sour cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Split the two pumpkins in half and remove the seeds.
Grease a cookie sheet. Place pumpkins with the split side down on the cookie sheet.
Roast the pumpkins until they are fairly soft to the touch, around 40 to 50 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool, then scrape the flesh from the pumpkins.
Put the pumpkin flesh in a food processor. Discard the outer layer.
Add chicken stock to the pumpkin and puree in your food processor.
Pour mixture into a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Stir in cream, nutmeg, sage, cinnamon and salt. Stir well and remove from heat. Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream.
Cheesy Prosciutto Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Submitted by Gazette Editor-in-Chief Gina Rullo
Our Thanksgiving dinner table is not complete unless there is something with an Italian twist. We don’t have plain mashed potatoes on the fourth Thursday in November, instead we have cheesy, prosciutto garlicky ones.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut
into 1-inch pieces
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 stick butter
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely
chopped
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
3/4 cup (or more) whole milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
(about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup freshly shredded mozzarella
Directions:
Cook potatoes and garlic in pot of boiling salted water until potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return potatoes and garlic to same pot.
Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped prosciutto and 3/4 teaspoon minced rosemary and sauté for approximately two minutes.
Add prosciutto mixture and 3/4 cup milk to potatoes and garlic. Mash well, adding more milk by tablespoonfuls if potatoes are dry. Mix in the cheese, reserving 1/4 cup of the parmesan for later. Season with salt and pepper. Put mixture in a casserole dish, sprinkle remaining cheese and bake in a 350-degree oven until top is golden.
Corn Fritters
Submitted by Gazette Staff Jaime Wuillermin
Great for an appetizer or side dish. (If you like spicy hot flavors try adding some chopped jalapeno or red pepper flakes to the mix!)
Ingredients:
3 cups oil for frying (I use olive oil)
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon shortening, (I use Crisco) melted
1 (12 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I use frozen corn from the farm in the summer)
Powdered sugar (for sprinkling when cool)
Directions:
Heat up oil in a large frying pan.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
Beat egg, milk, and melted shortening together in a small bowl.
Stir egg mixture into flour mixture. Fold in Corn.
Working in batches, drop fritter batter by Tablespoon into the hot oil. Fry until golden.
Remove from oil and let cool on paper towels or a wire cookie rack.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!
Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup
Submitted by Gazette Sports Editor Dan Russoman
A favorite story at my house on Thanksgiving is how one year, my father-in-law went to my sister in-law’s house for the holiday dinner and they served pumpkin soup.
Let’s just say it didn’t go over well.
Anyway, I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin in anything, but I enjoy butternut squash and sweet potatoes and a few years back I found this recipe. It’s not the original, because I’ve altered it somewhat to my own tastes, but it makes a solid first course for Thanksgiving. Hope you enjoy.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cut into small cubes)
1 sweet potato (peeled and cut into small cubes)
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 sweet onion (like a Vidalia), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (use more if you like garlic)
4 cups vegetable stock, or as needed (you can substitute chicken stock)
3 small red bell peppers, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot, onion, and garlic in hot butter until lightly browned, around 5 minutes.
Pour stock and peppers into butternut squash mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until squash and potato are tender, about 40 minutes.
Pour squash mixture into a blender or food processor no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth.
Return pureed soup to pot and season with salt and black pepper.
Cranberry Orange Relish with Walnuts
Submitted by Gazette Graphic Designer MarySusan Hoffman
This recipe for cranberry orange relish is a family favorite at Thanksgiving, however I prefer the jellied cranberry sauce in a can—I know, yuck!
Ingredients:
12 oz cranberries
1 large navel orange stem end trimmed off
2 tbsp raw honey
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
In a colander, rinse the cranberries under water. Pick out any squishy or rotten cranberries. Add to the food processor bowl.
Wash the orange. Leave the orange unpeeled. (Yes, keep the rind on.) Chop into chunks so that it fits into the food processor more easily. Add the orange to the food processor bowl.
Drizzle in the honey. Add the walnuts.
If desired, add the vanilla extract. This gives the relish an orange-vanilla flavor. I like it, but it may not be what you’re looking for.
Put the lid on the food processor bowl. Pulse in quick pulses. You want everything to start breaking down to the size of large crumbs. Don’t let it go too far or it will turn into mush. It’s okay to have a little texture, but you probably don’t want the pieces too big. Use your judgment.
Store for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Miss Inez’s Sweet Potato Pie
Submitted by Gazette Writer Joseph F. Berenato
My wife, Robyn, makes her grandmother’s sweet potato pie every Thanksgiving. It’s always a hit with our family.
Ingredients:
3-5 small to medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar (you can adjust to taste)
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can adjust to taste)
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, place sweet potatoes inside. Boil for about 40 to 50 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Remove sweet potato from the pot and run under cold water. Remove and discard skin. (They are going to be HOT. I usually remove the skin with tongs. It slips right off!)
Break sweet potato flesh apart and place in a bowl. Add butter and mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Add sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth.
You should end up with most of the fibers in the mixer arms. Comb your filling to make sure there are no large clumps of fibers. You’ll never get them all, but getting most is the goal.
Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Short Ribs
Submitted by Gazette Writer Mohammed Fuad
These are perfect to enjoy while watching football on Thanksgiving. Not everyone likes turkey.
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, well trimmed
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces thick-cut bacon cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 bottle (12 ounces) Irish stout
1 bay leaf
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
Hot mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles (optional)
Directions:
Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, cook short ribs in skillet, turning to brown on all sides. Transfer each batch to a slow cooker as it is finished. Wipe out pan with paper towels and return to heat.
Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from pan. Reduce heat to medium and add onion. Cook until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, flour, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from bottom of pan. Pour over short ribs. Add drained bacon, bay leaf and beef broth. Cover and cook on low 8 hours, or until meat is tender and falls off the bone.
Remove beef and skim fat from cooking liquid. Remove bay leaf and stir in parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes
Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll
Submitted by Gazette Photographer
Betsey Karl
My daughter Katie was diagnosed at age 20 with Multiple Sclerosis. She quickly found out that being gluten free helped her feel better physically. So we try very hard to bake gluten free, especially at the holidays. My entire family-immediate and extended love this recipe, and all think it tastes better being gluten free
Ingredients:
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup gluten free 1:1 flour (we like Bob’s Red mill 1:1 gluten free flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp sale
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 cup walnuts chopped up (optional, Fred says no to walnuts!)
1 package of 8 ounces Philadelphia Brand cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar sifted
6 tbsp of room temperature butter
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar for decoration.
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 10x15 jelly roll pan with butter. Line with wax paper and grease and flour the wax paper. Spread a cotton dishtowel (woven, not terry) and sprinkle with powdered sugar
Combine all dry ingredients in bowl. In a separate mixer bowl, beat sugar and eggs until thick beat in pumpkin. Stir in flower mixture and then spread on jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with nuts (remember, Fred says no nuts!)
Bake in 375 degree oven for 13-15 minutes until cake springs back when touched. remove from oven and invert onto the towel. Peel off paper and roll up pumpkin roll and towel together, starting at the narrow end. cool on a wire rack.
Beat the sifted powder sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla together until smooth. Its really important to sift the powdered sugar first so this will be smooth! Carefully unroll the cake and very carefully spread the cream cheese mixture. Re-roll the cake (not using the towel), wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Just before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 14 servings.