I came across this Healthy Acorn Squash Breakfast Bowl recipe a while ago and considered it for my pre-Christmas breakfast post. Then I stumbled on the Healthy Chia Gingerbread Smoothie and simply had to go with that. It was too perfect for the Christmas season. But now Christmas is over, and I’m craving something on the lighter, healthier side after all that rich food. Now is the perfect time to try these breakfast bowls!
Change up your breakfast routine with a sweet and savory Acorn Squash Breakfast Bowl. By prepping the acorn squash ahead of time, you have a quick and simple healthy breakfast that’s perfect for meal prep. Vegan friendly and Gluten-Free.
Recipe Author: Ashley at Fit Mitten Kitchen Get the recipe
The Ingredients
This recipe is pretty flexible as far as toppings, and I mostly went with things I had in my pantry. I had chia seeds, hemp hearts, and almond butter on hand. That left me to shop for a few things like the acorn squash, Greek yogurt, and granola. My regular grocery store had them all.
The Process
Since I’m not a morning person, I decided to bake the acorn squash ahead and store the halves for later in the week. It worked a treat! I had four days of yummy, healthy breakfasts ready in under an hour.
The ‘work’ was in halving and seeding the squash. I had that done and the insides dusted with cinnamon and the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet in three minutes. Then it was into the oven to bake for 45 minutes. Once they were done, I let them cool for a bit and packed them up in sealed containers for my future breakfasts.
The next few days were a rarity for me: easy, healthy breakfasts. I just heated an acorn squash half in the microwave for 60 seconds then added toppings. I varied the toppings each day, and I enjoyed all of them. In addition to the toppings pictured in the ingredients photo, I added agave syrup and dates to create sweeter versions. I even replaced the plain yogurt with vanilla one day.
I just couldn’t go wrong–I liked all the toppings, but the sweeter versions were my favorite. The best part was assembling them took me about 2 minutes including the time to reheat the squash.
It’s Christmas Eve! And yes, I’m still in the mood for eggnog. Good thing I still have some rum, because I’m making more eggnog. But this is no ordinary eggnog, this is Coquito, also known as Puerto Rican eggnog. This version doesn’t actually have any eggs in it, but it is packed with coconut, a few types of milk, and, of course, dark rum. I’m always down to try anything with coconut, so I am ready to get cooking!
This thick and creamy Coquito recipe is a Puerto Rican tradition that is loaded with coconut, rum and cinnamon for an extra thick and creamy coconut eggnog!
Recipe Author: Jessica at The Novice Chef Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I’ve already established that the most important ingredient is dark rum, and I chose Bacardi Black since it’s made in Puerto Rico. While I was at the liquor store, I picked up a can of Coco Lopez. It’s magical on its own, so I have a good feeling about this recipe!
The rest of the ingredients were either in my pantry or easily found at my regular grocery store. I even found some grated coconut and added it even though it’s optional. More coconut is never a bad thing!
Sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, coconut milk, dark rum, shredded coconut, evaporated milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, cream of coconut, and raisins
The Process
Hello, easy to make! Coquito is very simple, involves very few tools, and not a lot of effort. Here’s how my time was spent:
2 minutes to mix the rum, cinnamon sticks, and raisins
1 hour to soak the above
4 minutes to blend the remaining ingredients
4 hours to chill (minimum)
5 hours 6 minutes total
The most important thing to have is a large pitcher or another container with a lid. This recipe says it makes 56 ounces of liquid. That’s 1.75 quarts or just about 1/2 a gallon. I used a glass pitcher I have and covered it with Press ‘N Seal since the cork lid wasn’t airtight.
The first step is to soak the raisins and cinnamon sticks in the dark rum for an hour. It sounds unimportant, but it flavors the rum and the raisins will soften and puff up. You’ll get a few in each glass, they are so tasty (and boozy)!
After that, just mix up the rest of the ingredients in a blender, combine with the rum, and either shake the container or give everything a good stir to blend. Then put the pitcher in the refrigerator and let everything chill. I left it overnight to be sure.
Rimming the glasses with honey and shredded coconut
The next day was tasting time, and I was so excited! You know how I feel about coconut, so I had to rim the glasses. I tried using water, but not much of the coconut stuck to it. Then I thought about trying honey, and that really did the trick! You can see some of the golden color in the photo, but I was okay with that.
A Note About the Photo of This Recipe
I wanted to make the photo of this recipe Christmasy, but I’m a little short on props. I’m a minimalist (in my head!) and that translates into my photos. I try not to make them too busy, but this one was special.
I don’t have a lot of props, and almost none of them are seasonal. Then I thought of a very special box I have stored in my garage. It’s my family’s Christmas ornaments from when I was a child. We added to the collection over the years with ornaments I made and ornaments that were gifted to us. I chose a few for the background of the main photo, and it has turned out to be a favorite. I hope you like it too.
Are you someone who thinks Christmas would not be complete without eggnog? I can take it or leave it, but it has been ages since I’ve had any. My favorite is eggnog spiked with dark rum, something introduced to me by my friends David and Jarrod at one of our Christmas get-togethers. I haven’t seen them in ages, but I immediately thought back to that Christmas when I found this Rum Caramel Drizzled Eggnog Cheesecake recipe. How can eggnog and rum get better? Add cheesecake. But that’s true for a lot of things! So let’s find out if this recipe is as good as it sounds.
When two holiday favorites come together and make the most delicious dessert; that is elegant enough to grace any table.
Recipe Author: Sheryl at Lady Behind the Curtain Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I haven’t made a ton of cheesecakes, but I have noticed a pattern in the recipes. The cheese used is either mascarpone, which produces a firmer cheesecake, or cream cheese, which makes a softer and creamier cheesecake. This recipe uses the latter, along with several other easy to find staples.
I had a few things like sugar, vanilla, cornstarch, and nutmeg, so I had some shopping to do. Fortunately, nothing was difficult to find, not even the eggnog since Christmas is so close. That will probably make this only possible during this season since I can’t imagine finding eggnog at any other time.
Sugar, cream cheese, nutmeg, eggnog, dark rum, graham crackers, dark brown sugar, cornstarch, eggs, vanilla extract, butter, and heavy whipping cream
The Process
This recipe had two main parts: making the cheesecake and crust and making the rum-caramel sauce. I did both the same day and refrigerated the cake overnight so it could set thoroughly. Here’s how my time as spent:
19 minutes to prep
1 hour 10 minutes to cook
1 hour to cool
2 hours 29 minutes total
The 19 minute prep time is how long it took to make the crust and bake it while preparing the filling. Once the filled crust was in the oven, I began making the rum-caramel sauce. That took 11 minutes and was ready long before the cheesecake came out of the oven.
First up was making the graham cracker crust. This was pretty simple, and I had it in the oven in just six minutes. I did hesitate since the instructions didn’t say to grease my springform pan and ended up skipping it. I hoped the butter in the crust and the non-stick pan would be enough to keep it from sticking. It did stick a little, so I recommend greasing your pan to make serving easier.
After that, I got started on the filling. This part wasn’t too difficult (just mixing), but you will need a hand mixer and a medium mixing bowl or a stand mixer. Also, be sure to put your cream cheese out on the counter for a couple of hours to soften. You do not want to attempt this with cold, hard cream cheese. You will burn out your mixer.
The graham cracker crust is pressed into the springform pan and ready to be baked
With the baked crust filled and back into the oven, I moved onto making the rum-caramel sauce. My trusty 2.5-quart saucepan was just big enough to hold the boiling sauce. I definitely would not go any smaller, or you will have a huge mess to clean up.
The caramel boiled right to the top of my 2.5-quart saucepan
You probably noticed this in the main photo, but my cheesecake sunk in the middle. A lot! Although it wasn’t immediately apparent (see photo below). The recipe notes do say the filling will rise above the edge of the pan (I put it on a sheet pan in case there were any drips).
The center had sunk drastically as the cheesecake cooled overnight in the refrigerator. I can’t say I was pleased, but I wanted to learn why. My search turned up a great article called 12 Cheesecake Mistakes We’re All Probably Making, and I made several on the list:
Using cold ingredients – My cream cheese was softened, but my eggs and cream were cold.
Overmixing – I’m convinced this is why my cheesecake puffed up so much then sank. Overmixing introduces too much air.
Not greasing the pan- This wasn’t specified in the recipe, so I skipped it.
Not using a water bath – This wasn’t specified in the recipe, so I skipped it.
But this Rum Caramel Drizzled Eggnog Cheesecake recipe was so good that I will have to give it another try. Maybe next Christmas, and you know I’ll be sure to update this post when I do!
When I found the Mulled Wine Turkey recipe I made earlier this week, I knew I needed a stuffing recipe to go along with it. The accompanying blog post mentioned chestnut stuffing, but I couldn’t find the recipe. No worries, because you can find a recipe for anything on Pinterest! A bit of searching and reading led me to this Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing or Dressing. I suppose it’s dressing in this case since I’m not cooking it inside the turkey. But never mind the semantics, is it good? I don’t think I’ve ever tried chestnuts, so I have my fingers crossed as I dive into this recipe.
Although this is a type of stuffing I generally associate more with Christmas, I do like to share it with you before Thanksgiving in case you want to have it with your turkey. The chestnuts add a great flavor and it will go perfectly well with poultry such as turkey, chicken, or goose in addition to things like pork and even beef.
Recipe Author: Sue Lau at Palatable Passtime Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Shopping for this recipe took visits to two stores, and it was all the fault of the chestnuts. My regular store had bagged chestnuts, but the recipe calls for them in a jar. I wasn’t sure if the bagged chestnuts were the same since the jarred chestnuts looked like they had liquid in them.
Fortunately, I found them at Doris Italian Market, a local chain with a location in my neighborhood. A 7.4-ounce jar was $12.99. They had better be worth it!
I also had some trouble finding the right amount of croutons. No matter the brand, they only came in 5-ounce bags. I had some bread cubes I made with leftover bread, so I added 3 ounces of those to the store-bought croutons.
Everything else (thankfully) was easy to find, although I didn’t have to look for turkey broth. I had some homemade turkey stock in my freezer, so I used that. If I had to shop it, I’m sure I would have ended up using chicken broth. I’ve never been able to find turkey stock, no matter the time of year.
Making this chestnut stuffing wasn’t difficult at all. It did involve some chopping and sauteeing, though. I used a very large onion and 7 stalks of celery to get 2 cups of each. The jar of chestnuts was the exact size called for in the recipe, so all I needed to do was drain a little water from it before chopping the chestnuts.
Chopping the chestnuts
Sauteeing the chopped items took about 5 minutes, and I want to stress that you’ll need a large pan for this—you’ll be sauteeing about 5 cups of veggies and chestnuts. Then it was into a large mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients for thorough mixing.
From there it was into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish and into the oven. The times listed were spot on, and I had my nicely browned chestnut stuffing in about an hour. Here’s a breakdown of my time:
After the Swedish Mulled Wine (Glögg) I just made, I am in the mood for more mulled wine. That stuff was amazing! So Mulled Wine Turkey… That’s a thing? This Mulled Wine Turkey recipe skips the sugar and vodka found in the glögg, but it keeps the wine, spices, and orange zest. This might have some potential. Sill, I was hesitant and kept looking for a turkey recipe, but I kept coming back to this one. It intrigued me, and I knew I had to try it. So Mulled Wine Turkey. It’s a thing.
Mulled wine + turkey? Sounds a bit strange, but you have to trust me on this one. This may just be the best turkey I’ve ever made/had/been in the presence of.
I feel like Christmas and Thanksgiving recipes should be really complicated because they are special occasions, but this recipe is surprisingly simple. Mulled Wine Turkey has 9 ingredients, and they were all easy to find. In fact, I had all but the wine and turkey on hand.
I went with a generic turkey from Whole Foods instead of the brand mentioned in the recipe. It was mostly out of convenience because I couldn’t find the brand mentioned anywhere near me.
I also opted for my standard $3 Three Wishes Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s ridiculously cheap and actually drinkable. I highly recommend trying it, even if it’s just for cooking.
There’s no actual mulled wine in the ingredients, but The red wine and spices sound a lot like the real thing. If you have your heart season mulled wine this season (and who doesn’t?) I have a few suggestions. There’s the aforementioned Swedish Mulled Wine, this Slow Cooker Mulled Wine that adds a touch of cranberry, or this traditional Spiced or Mulled Wine recipe that can easily be made on the stove. Huge bonus on the last one—it will make your house smell like Christmas 🎄
Turkey, red wine, butter, orange juice, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and dried ginger
The Process
This recipe started out like most turkey recipes. Rinse the turkey and thoroughly pat it dry, no biggie. It’s not specified, but I opted to use a roasting pan with a rack. It tends to cook the turkey more evenly and keeps it from getting soggy on the bottom.
Next up was mulling the wine and spices. I used a 2.5-quart saucepan for this step and prepped the butter and orange zest mixture while I waited for it to come to a boil. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the wine! When it came to a boil, it bubbled a lot and expanded. It almost boiled over.
Once the mulled wine disaster was averted, I poured the wine over the buttered turkey and popped it into the preheated oven. My turkey was smaller than the size specified (12 pounds vs. 14-16 pounds), so I used instructions from The Kitchn (the same ones I used at Thanksgiving when my turkey was larger than specified).
At 13 minutes per pound, that came to 156 minutes or 2 hours 36 minutes. I basted the turkey every 30 minutes and started checking the temperature at the 2-hour mark. I’m so glad I did because my turkey was ready 20 minutes before I thought it would be. Here’s how my time broke down:
10 minutes to prep
2 hours 10 minutes to cook
2 hours 20 minutes total
The prepped turkey on a roasting rack
By the way…
Have you ever noticed that while turkeys come with a plastic piece securing the legs, but whole chickens don’t? Personally, I like to tie the legs of whole poultry, but I got curious about that convenient little thingy and did some research.
That piece is called a hock lock, and it’s made of heat-resistant nylon that can usually withstand up to 500℉. It’s perfectly safe to leave it on, but you can remove it if you find it unattractive (you will likely have to cut it out).
I’ve also read that leaving the legs unsecured helps the turkey cook more evenly. The reason is the secured legs are pressed up against the turkey, and the heat can’t circulate around them. Although less attractive (in my opinion), leaving the legs loose allows the heat to circulate all around the legs and thighs, cooking them faster and making it less likely the breast will dry out. It makes sense, and I might have to test the theory next time I make a whole turkey.
I started blogging in 2017, and the first Christmastime recipe I reviewed included mulled wine. I loved it! And I haven’t made mulled wine since, either for the blog or just for us. I have no idea why not, but that’s about to change. I found this Glögg: Swedish Mulled Wine recipe, and I had to make it. It got my attention because I like mulled wine, and I discovered I have some Swedish blood from my dad’s side of the family after taking an Ancestry.com gene test. I love to use cooking as a way to travel and get in touch with my roots, so this recipe is a little special for me. Let’s give it a try!
Sipping this syrupy, aromatic wine is like coming home to a crackling fire – it will warm you from your head to your toes, it will make you glad for the moment, and it will fill your heart with longing for the people and places you’ve loved.
Recipe Author: Kresha Faber at Nourishing Joy Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Most of the ingredients for this drink were in my pantry, so that left me to shop for just a few items. I picked up a bottle of Three Wishes Cabernet Sauvignon for $2.99. I know $3 wine sounds like it would be awful, but it’s good. Drinkable good, and such a bargain! Check out the Vivino rating & reviews if you don’t believe me.
Fresh ginger and blanched almonds finished off my shopping list for this recipe, but I couldn’t find the almonds. Instead, I bought a bag of whole almonds and blanched them myself. I forgot to time it, but it was very easy. Here’s how:
Bring a few cups of water to boil in a small saucepan.
Boil the almonds for 60 seconds.
Drain the almonds and immediately run cold water over them to cool.
The brown peels will be loosened. Just squeeze the almonds to slide them out of their peels.
Blanched almonds, vodka, red wine, cardamom pods, cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, unrefined sugar, raisins, ginger, and orange peel
The Process
Now for the “hard part”, making the glögg. And yes, I am being very sarcastic because this recipe is super simple. I used a large saucepan, but a small saucepan would be fine (you can also make this recipe in the slow cooker, but it takes longer). This recipe uses 4 cups of liquid, which is only 1 quart.
What’s next? Throw everything but the blanched almonds into the pot, stir to mix, and simmer for 1-2 hours. The most “work” is slicing up the ginger—you don’t even have to peel it!
After the time is up, strain the liquid and serve warm. I’m sure I stirred the mixture a few times while it cooked. I couldn’t help going back into the kitchen because the mulling wine smelled so good!
One thing I need to mention is the recipe said to simmer on medium-low, so I set the dial on my (electric) stove to 2 (out of 10). It also doesn’t specify whether the pot should be covered, so I left it uncovered.
The glögg ended up cooking down from 4 cups to just 1 cup. I planned to simmer it longer, but I was concerned at how much it had reduced and stopped it after 80 minutes. Next time I will cover the pan. I might even try lowering the heat.
It’s almost Christmas! This is the second biggest meal of the year for us, the first being Thanksgiving. For me, it involves planning a big menu, a huge shop, and cooking for days. But all that work means the meals leading up to Christmas dinner are quite simple. That is more true with breakfast, which I sometimes even skip. Then I stumbled upon this Healthy Chia Gingerbread Smoothie and I knew my breakfastless pre-Christmas days were over. It’s so perfect for the season, plus it’s a much-needed healthy option to get me ready for a huge meal. Let’s find out if it lives up to its name!
Indulge in this Healthy Chia Gingerbread Smoothie for breakfast. This energizing, protein-rich smoothie has all your favourite gingerbread flavours.
Recipe Author: Elaine at Flavour and Savour Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I had a bit of shopping to do for this recipe since all I had on hand were the spices and chia seeds. My regular grocery store had everything except the hemp hearts, which I ordered online for about $8.
There were a couple of ingredients that listed options, and I chose what I like. Namely, I opted for unsweetened almond, but I think sweetened almond milk would work too (this smoothie isn’t super sweet). And I have never tried milk kefir, so I opted for tried and true Greek yogurt.
There were a couple of things I wasn’t sure about, so I guessed. The dates I chose didn’t specify they were Medjool dates, so I just crossed my fingers and hoped they would work.
I’m not the molasses I used was cooking molasses (a blend of blackstrap and fancy molasses), so I also crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. It was labeled ‘unsulphured’ and I think it did the job.
So, it’s a smoothie, and making it was exactly what I thought it would be. I just chucked everything into my blender as I prepped and measured. Then blended until smooth.
It took me six minutes to get everything mixed up. Next time (there will be a next time!) I think I will forgo the fresh ginger and use ground ginger. Grating the ginger was a bit frustrating for me so early in the morning. Otherwise, things went very smoothly (pun intended!).
How do you feel about cranberry sauce? My husband loves it, even though he’s only ever had the canned stuff. My family always had a different form of cranberry at Thanksgiving, my grandmom’s cranberry mold, so I never gave it much thought. I don’t recall why it came up, but someone mentioned my father-in-law loves cranberry sauce, and that sent me searching for a recipe. The canned stuff is okay, but homemade is so much better! I know he also likes a Grand Marnier over ice now and then, so all kinds of lightbulbs went off when I found this Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce recipe. I’m going to bring it to this year’s dinner just for him. ?
By the way, this cranberry sauce is part of a Thanksgiving menu I have put together, complete with a schedule, grocery list, and equipment list. You can read more about it starting with my turkey post where you can also download the menu with schedule and lists.
Jazz up your homemade cranberry sauce with a splash of Grand Marnier! Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce is a wonderfully-flavorful, nicely-balanced sauce that will be the perfect cranberry accompaniment to your holiday meal.
Recipe Author: Tracey at The Kitchen is My Playground Get the recipe
The Ingredients
The list of ingredients for Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce is short and sweet, literally! I had to buy everything but the water, but that was no problem.
My first stop was at the liquor store for a bottle of Grand Marnier. This is the priciest item, but you don’t need much. A 50ml mini (around $5) will do if they have it, but the smallest bottle I found was 375mls for $22.99. It will sit on my shelf for a while, but I’ll find something to use it in.
On to the grocery store for everything else! I was really pleased to find 12-ounce bags of cranberries at the store. It’s not unusual not to be able to find the size specified in a recipe, and then I started to wonder if the taste would be affected. I don’t need that stress for Thanksgiving!
One silly thing I did was buy oranges and a bottle of orange juice. Seriously, I could have just juiced 1-2 oranges for that, but I wasn’t thinking. It’s not that it was a budget-buster, but refrigerator space is at a premium, and I don’t really drink orange juice. I will be this week!
Cranberries, Grand Marnier orange liqueur, cloves, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice
The Process
Making cranberry sauce is such an easy thing to do, and this recipe was no exception. It’s pretty much just boiling and stirring the ingredients. And waiting, of course. Here’s how my tie was spent:
9 minutes to prep
10 minutes to cook
10 minutes to cool
29 minutes total (not including time to chill)
To get things started, I added the orange juice, water, and sugar to a saucepan. While I waited for that to boil, I gave the cranberries a quick rinse and cut the strips of orange zest.
The trick with zest strips is making a very shallow cut into the peel. You are trying to get as little of the bitter white pith as possible. All the orange oil goodness is in the orange outer peel. A sharp paring knife is your friend here. And no worries if you mess up on the first couple of tries—there is more than enough peel to perfect your technique.
Peeling strips of orange zest with a paring knife
I added the berries, zest, and three cloves to the pan when the liquid was boiling and the sugar had melted. The sauce can simmer for 10-15 minutes, but mine took only 10. (And this is where I admit I like the sound of popping cranberries—it’s kind of cute!)
After that, I removed the pan from the heat and went hunting for the orange zest strips and cloves. The former was easy to find, but the cloves took me a few minutes of carefully spooning through the cranberry sauce. A small spice bag or a tea infuser would have made this part much easier.
The last part left after the initial cool-down period was to stir in the Grand Marnier and let the sauce cool completely on the countertop. Then it was into a sealed container to chill and thicken overnight. I’ll pull the container out of the refrigerator about two hours before dinner so it can warm up to room temperature.
Besides turkey, Thanksgiving is all about carbs, and mashed potatoes are a requirement here. I know, I know, so is stuffing, but like I said: carbs. But mashed potatoes can be a significant part of Thanksgiving Day prep, and I’m always looking for ways to make that easier. This year I found these Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, and I’m thrilled with the discovery. Anything I can do before the big day is always a help. These promise I’ll be able to pop them into the microwave to reheat with minimal fuss while I’m working on everything else this Thanksgiving. I like the sound of that!
By the way, these mashed potatoes are part of a Thanksgiving menu I have put together, complete with a schedule, grocery list, and equipment list. You can read more about it starting with my turkey post where you can also download the menu with the schedule and lists.
These creamy, buttery mashed potatoes with sour cream can be made up to 2 days in advance then reheated when you are ready to eat. The sour cream and butter give the mashed potatoes a rich flavor that goes with anything you serve.
Recipe Author: Dahn Boquist Savor the Best Get the recipe
The Ingredients
I’m no potato expert, but I know some are better than others for mashing. This recipe gave me the choice between russet or Yukon Gold, and I chose the latter after reading the recipe notes.
The Yukon gold potatoes sounded most likely for success since russets can overcook easily, and they have thinner skins. I hate peeling potatoes, so I’m only going to peel some of them. The plan is to peel a few of the larger potatoes and not fuss with the smaller, more difficult to peel sizes.
Yukon Gold potatoes, sour cream, salt, milk, and butter
The Process
I made the mashed potatoes two days ahead, so there was no rush or pressure. I have to say that everything went exactly according to plan and even took less time than I planned.
First up was a quick wash for the potatoes along with peeling the largest ones (about four of them). I really didn’t worry too much about completely removing the peel, either, since I was okay with a rustic look for the potatoes. Thanksgiving isn’t that formal around here.
After that, I cut them into large chunks then placed them into a large pot and onto the stove to boil. I used a 5-quart Dutch oven, and it just barely allowed me to cover the potatoes with water. A 6-quart pot would have been a more comfortable fit.
I had perfectly tender potatoes 20 minutes later, then I drained them and returned them to the pot for a minute to cook off any excess water. Then I was just a matter of some mashing and stirring since I had warmed the milk, melted the butter, and measured the sour cream while the potatoes were boiling.
One thing to note: I had warmed two cups of milk but only used a 1/2 cup. That and the sour cream and butter made very creamy mashed potatoes!
That phase took me 42 minutes. Then I transferred the mashed potatoes into a ceramic serving bowl and allowed them to cool while I cleaned up. I covered the bowl tightly with plastic wrap before refrigerating and crossed another item off my pre-Thanksgiving to-do list. ?
Chopping the potatoes
Reheating the Potatoes
The day-of, reheating my Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes went exactly as planned. I melted half a stick of butter, poured it over the potatoes, and popped them into my microwave.
I could have put the timer on for 15 minutes, but I was way too distracted to remember to stop it every 5 minutes. Instead, set the timer for 5 minutes, stirred, and repeated for a total of 15 minutes. This kept me on track, and I was able to work on other things without ruining the potatoes.
I usually try to have a common theme every week, whether it’s an ingredient or type of cuisine. I do the same with my Thanksgiving posts, even when they span multiple weeks. Well, I’m trying something a little different this year. I’m not focusing on a theme and instead, I’m creating a full Thanksgiving menu, complete with a schedule and equipment list. I know it’s not a new idea for a blog post, but it’s a new style for me. And I’m hoping it will be my most well-planned Thanksgiving dinner yet. Let’s get started with this amazing sounding Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy!
Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy has crispy skin, juicy meat, and so so much flavor!
Recipe Author: Taylor at Greens & Chocolate
Update 11/3/23: Since this review was posted on November 17, 2020, this recipe has been removed from the author’s site. A rewritten version has been posted at the end of the review.
The Menu
The turkey is going to be my centerpiece (of course!) and I’ve found a recipe that sounds like the turkey to end all turkeys. This Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy recipe is chock full of Autumn goodness. Apple cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, and orange are just a few of the flavors I’ll be using to brine a turkey for the first time ever. I’m so excited about this part!
But what about all the rest? I’ve got that covered! There will be a few new recipes and a couple I’ve done before. The goal is a delicious dinner but that doesn’t mean it needs to be difficult. I’m going to incorporate a dish that can be made ahead of time, a couple that can be made in 30 minutes or less, and one I can throw into my slow cooker and forget for a few hours. Oh, and I made sure only the turkey uses the oven, so there’s no traffic jam there.
Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy
I didn’t include a cocktail, but I’m thinking this Hot Apple Pie Bourbon Cocktail might make an appearance. It would be a nice way to finish dinner, especially for those who want to skip dessert. I’ll use a ready-made butterscotch sauce to make it quicker and more convenient, of course. Otherwise, it’s worth a little extra work!
The Schedule
Planning is key to a big dinner like this. I am going to do as much as possible in the days before so the day-of isn’t too hectic. Here’s the plan:
Six Days Before
Finalize grocery list
Clean out the refrigerator
Supply check — make sure I have everything I need or borrow it
Five Days Before
Grocery shopping
Begin thawing the turkey (24 hours per 4-5 pounds)
Two Days Before
Make the turkey brine (est. 10-15 minutes)
Make the mashed potatoes (est. 1 hour)
The Day Before
Add bourbon, water, and brine mix to brine bag & brine the turkey
Empty the oven’s warmer drawer (I store dishes in it)
Make the cranberry sauce (est. 25 minutes, stovetop)
Make the Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (est. 90 minutes, oven)
The Day Of
Roast the turkey (est. 4-5 hours, oven)
Make the stuffing (est. 4-5 hours, slow cooker)
Remove cranberry sauce from the refrigerator (est. 2 hours)
Reheat the mashed potatoes (est. 15 minutes, microwave)
Make the green beans (est. 15 minutes, stovetop)
Stir up the gravy (est. 20 minutes, stovetop)
Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator
I always like to make things ahead of time when possible. The day-of order starts with the items that take the longest to prepare and also keeps in mind which dishes are easiest to keep warm while the others finish.
All right! At last, we get to the turkey. This recipe calls for a 15-pound bird. On a budget like me? Go with frozen since it’s cheaper. Just be sure to allow plenty of time for it to thaw (24 hours per 4-5 pounds of turkey).
I ended up with a 20-pound bird because that was as close to 15 pounds as the store had. That means extra time to thaw and cook, but more turkey is never a bad thing. The turkey was $1.49 a pound and came out to just over $30.
The rest of the ingredients were pretty basic, and it was easy to find what I didn’t already have. I had to stock up on the fruit, rosemary, and some apple cider. Oh, and the bourbon. Can’t make Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy without the bourbon (I went with Jim Beam)!
Whole turkey, orange, apple, onion, flour, butter, turkey stock (substituted for chicken broth), rosemary, garlic, cinnamon sticks, brown sugar, kosher salt, apple cider, maple syrup, black peppercorns, and bourbon
The Process
This recipe might sound like a lot, but it wasn’t that difficult since it was divided into three phases: the brine, roasting the turkey, and making the gravy. It came out spectacularly with surprising ease. Here’s how my time was spent:
17 minutes to make the brine
20 minutes to prep the brined turkey
3 hours 30 minutes to roast the turkey
21 minutes to make the gravy
4 hours 28 minutes total (not including time for brine to cool and 24 hours to brine)
Making the Brine
This was super easy, and I had the brine mixed up in 11 minutes. I just threw all the ingredients into a large saucepan and started them heating while I zested an orange. Then I added the zest and let it all simmer for five minutes.
My largest Snapware container was the perfect size to store the brine. I poured the warm mixture into it and let it sit on my countertop while I started the Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes. It was cool enough to cover and refrigerate before the potatoes were finished.
The turkey and brine in the brining bag
Brining the Turkey
The next day my turkey was thawed, my brining bags had arrived, and it was time to brine a turkey for the first time ever. I was kind of excited, but it wasn’t really an exciting process.
Seriously, place a giant turkey into a brining bag (essentially a giant ziplock bag) and pour in the brine, water, and bourbon. Push out as much air as possible, zip, and place it all into the refrigerator. That’s it, though I highly recommend putting the bag into a pan just in case there is a leak.
Then sit back and try to remember to turn the darn thing a few times before you go to bed. That sounds easy, but it was a little tough with a 20-pound turkey-zilla. To be honest, I brined it bottom-down until after dinner, then I flipped it onto the breast to brine that side overnight.
I used a large oval roasting pan to hold the brining bag in case there were leaks. It also made it easier to move in and out of the refrigerator.
Roasting the Turkey
I have to say that this was the first Thanksgiving dinner I have ever made that can be described as easy. It was such a chill day that I almost took a nap. Almost.
I started out by taking the turkey out of the refrigerator, draining the brine, and patting it dry. Then I added everything to the cavity, which was so easy because nothing needed to be peeled!
After that, I moved on to the butter. I have to admit that I forgot to set it out to come up to room temperature, but I was able to soften it by resting the stick under a glass warmed with hot water.
I also used my hands to mix up the butter and herbs. Prepping a turkey is a hands-on process! It just took a few minutes to smooth the butter over the turkey, taking time to peel up the skin over the breast to get some of the mixture underneath.
Once the wings were tucked and the legs secured (my turkey had a plastic piece to hold them, otherwise use kitchen string) I placed the turkey onto a greased rack in my largest roasting pan and popped it into the oven.
I knew my turkey would need additional cooking time, so I went with 13 minutes per pound, for a total of 260 minutes (4 hours 20 minutes). I kept a meat thermometer in the thigh to make sure it got to the correct temperature, and I’m so glad I did that! My turkey cooked faster than expected, and my thermometer beeped when it was ready.
And, as you can see, the skin browned very well without basting once. In fact, I had to tent the turkey with aluminum foil around 90 minutes in to keep it from getting any darker.
Making the Gravy
This was the most labor-intensive part of the process, but it really wasn’t bad. I began by draining the pan drippings in my gravy separator. It removed all the extra browned bits and separated the excess fat. Super handy! but you could simply use a mesh strainer if you don’t have one.
Next up was mixing the flour and turkey stock (substituted for chicken broth). Putting them into a sealed container and shaking them was low-key genius! It mixed them up quickly with no lumps.
I had done all the other chopping and measuring while the turkey roasted, so the rest of the ingredients were ready to go right into the pan. All that was left was to stir it while it simmered for 15 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste.
The Recipe
Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy
I first made this recipe in November 2020, and it was one of the best turkey recipe I've found. I wrote in the review that it sounds like the turkey to end all turkeys, and boy was it! The turkey was flavorful, juicy, and browned so beautifully, and the gravy was to-di- for delish. Since then the recipe has been removed from Greens & Chocolate, so I’m rewriting it here so it lives on.
115-pound whole turkey (fresh or thawed)giblets and neck removed
For the brine:
1quartapple cider
½cupmaple syrup
½cupkosher salt
1 ½tspblack peppercorns
2sprigsfresh rosemary
1cinnamon stick
1orangezest only
¾cupbourbon
1gallonwater
For the turkey:
1applequartered
1onion (yellow or white)quartered
1sprigfresh rosemary
3clovesgarlicsmashed (no need to peel)
1cinnamon stick
½cupunsalted butterat room temperature
3tbspbrown sugar (light or dark)
1tspsalt
2tspfresh rosemarychopped
For the gravy:
â…“cupall-purpose flour
16ozchicken broth
2tspfresh rosemarychopped
2tbspbourbon
salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
Brine the Turkey
In a large saucepan, mix the apple cider, maple syrup, kosher salt, peppercorns, rosemary, cinnamon stick, and orange zest. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, set aside, and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey if they were included.
Place a brining bag into a large pan that’s big enough to hold the turkey. It will catch any drips and make it easier to move the turkey in and out of the refrigerator. Add the cider mixture to a large brining bag along with the bourbon and water. Place the turkey into the bag and allow it to brine for 8 to 24 hours, turning the turkey every few hours.
Roast the Turkey
Grease/oil the rack of a large roasting pan.
Remove the turkey from the brine, allowing any excess brine to drain from the cavity. Place it onto the prepared rack and use paper towels to pat it dry thoroughly.
Add the apple, onion, sprig of rosemary, garlic cloves, and cinnamon stick to the turkey cavity.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the softened butter with the brown sugar, salt, and rosemary and mix well to combine. Use your fingers to gently loosen the turkey skin at the neck and drumsticks. Rub some of the butter mixture under the skin and the rest of the mixture on the outside of the skin.
Truss the turkey. Turn the turkey upside down and use a wooden skewer to close the neck flap if desired. Turn the turkey breast side up. Tuck the wings underneath the bird to keep the tips from burning. Tie the legs together using kitchen string or the attached plastic hock lock if your turkey has one.
Roast the turkey at 500℉ for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350℉ and roast for an additional 2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted in the inner thigh reaches 165℉ (the thermometer probe should not touch the bone for an accurate reading). Be sure to check the turkey periodically as it cooks. If the skin is getting too brown, loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil.
When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for 10-20 minutes.
Make the Gravy
Drain the drippings out of the roasting pan, add them to a medium saucepan, and bring them to a simmer.
Meanwhile, add the flour and chicken broth to a sealed container (like a mason jar) and shake for about 1 minute or until the flour dissolves into the broth.
Add the flour mixture to the pan with the simmering drippings, then add the rosemary and bourbon. Stir constantly for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens.
Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Notes
You can also brine the turkey in a large oven bag or stock pot. If you use a stock pot, it should be just large enough to fit the turkey so the brine covers it completely (you will not need to turn the turkey if the brine covers it completely). If there is too much extra space in the pot, the brine may not cover the turkey, and you will need to turn it every few hours per the instructions.Cooking time varies based on the weight of the turkey. I use 13 minutes per pound as a baseline, but a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure the turkey is cooked to a safe temperature.This is a rewrite of the Maple Cider Bourbon Brined Turkey with Bourbon Gravy recipe by Taylor at Greens & Chocolate. This marvelous recipe was originally posted at https://www.greensnchocolate.com/maple-cider-bourbon-brined-turkey-with-bourbon-gravy but has (sadly) been removed. I updated the instructions with the findings from my review but left the original ingredients and times.
There’s something about the Fall/Winter season that gets me in the mood for bourbon. And dark beer. Chocolate and vanilla are nice too now that I think about it. Good thing I found this Bourbon Stout Cocktail recipe! It combines all of the aforementioned flavors with a bit of cream. I know bourbon and stout sound like an odd combo, but I’m game to give it a try. I might hate it, but this might also be the cocktail of my dreams. Let’s find out!
This holiday cocktail is perfect when served with warm chocolate cookies!
There aren’t a whole lot of ingredients for this cocktail, and I had a few on hand. I didn’t have proper bourbon, but I did have a bottle of Jack Daniels. It’s bourbon in everything but name, so I went with it.
I also had the vanilla and chocolate syrup on hand. It’s not specified, but I assume the author intended regular chocolate syrup. I, however, had to be fancy and only had dark chocolate syrup on hand, so that’s what I used.
That left me to shop for the half-and-half and chocolate stout. The first was simple enough to find at my regular grocery store. The chocolate stout was a little tougher to find, but I found a bottle at ABC.
Chocolate stout, half and half, bourbon, vanilla extract, and chocolate syrup
The Process
Sometimes I like brewing up flavored simple syrups for cocktails, and sometimes I don’t want to be bothered. I was in an ‘I don’t want to be bothered’ mood, so I was glad this cocktail didn’t require any cooking. It didn’t even require a cocktail shaker, making it a great option for serving a crowd.
I know chocolate syrup needs a really good stir to blend with whatever it’s added to, so I decided not to mix up the cocktails in their glasses. Instead, I added everything but the half-and-half to a measuring cup so I give it all a good stir.
Then I poured the bourbon-stout mixture over ice in a pair of ice-filled rocks glasses, taking care to distribute it evenly. The amount of half-and-half wasn’t specified, so I just poured what I thought looked good. That’s it, cocktails done and ready to enjoy in just three minutes.
Bourbon Stout Cocktail before stirring in the half and half
Last year I suggested we try a vegan Thanksgiving, and my husband was not into it. He’s always down to try a new vegan recipe, but he just couldn’t give up turkey at Thanksgiving, and I couldn’t blame him. Roast turkey is a once or twice a year thing we both look forward to. Still, this Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash has been on my mind ever since then. I need to try it, so I’m working it into this year’s pre-Thanksgiving menu. My husband is down to try it since it won’t interfere with his yearly turkey fix, and I get to try a vegan Thanksgiving dish.
The perfect vegan centrepiece main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday. Stuffed with super flavourful wild rice, cranberries, walnuts, and sage filling. Can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and warmed up before serving. Gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free.
Recipe Author: Sam Turnbull at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken Get the recipe
The Ingredients
Since this is a vegan dish, it was naturally full of vegetables. That meant I had to buy most of the ingredients, but I didn’t have any trouble finding them at my regular grocery store.
There is some latitude in the white rice choice, but I went with the author’s suggestion of basmati. For the wild rice, I ended up using a boxed kit that came with a dry seasoning packet. I just tossed the seasoning and used the rice by itself.
This recipe can be broken down into three main parts: roasting the squash, making the stuffing, and roasting the stuffed squash. Here is how my time broke down:
1 hour 5 minutes to halve and roast the squash
19 minutes to make the stuffing (done while the squash roasted)
10 minutes to finish the stuffing and stuff the squash halves
35 minutes to bake
1 hour 50 minutes total
Making the optional onion gravy would qualify as a fourth step. I decided to make it the night before and forgot to time it, but I would say it took about 45 minutes. I took my time with it and let the onions caramelize — it was worth it!
Roasting the Butternut Squash
The first part of this recipe is halving and roasting the butternut squash. Cutting into a raw butternut squash can be tough, but I took my time. A tea towel twisted up and wrapped around the squash kept it from rolling as I cut it the largest kitchen knife I have.
Once that was done, I poured olive oil over the halves and roasted them for an hour. The squash was on the small side, so I started out with the shortest time listed just to be on the safe side. It ended up being perfect.
Use a twisted tea towel to keep the squash from rolling as you cut it in half
Making the Stuffing
As the squash roasted, I got started on the stuffing. There was plenty of chopping involved, but it didn’t take me too long to get it all done. Then I got started cooking the veggies in a saucepan, and everything went according to the instructions.
The stuffing was done about 25 minutes before the squash was ready, so I took a short break. When the squash was ready, I carefully scooped out the insides, leaving about an inch around the edges so the squash would hold its shape.
The scooped out butternut squash halves
Stuffing the Squash
The stuffing had cooled enough to be handled by this time, so I began stuffing the butternut squash halves. I used a combination of a wooden spoon and my hands to really pack in the stuffing. I also mounded it over the top edges to create a bit of a gap between the halves. Despite all that, I still had a fair amount of stuffing leftover, so no worries about running out.
All that was left was to tie the halves together with some kitchen string. I was worried the stuffing wouldn’t stay put, but it really did. Closing the halves like a book left me with a few stray bits of stuffing on the baking sheet, but not much. Then it was just a matter of tying them up and baking for another 35 minutes.
