The best Thanksgiving recipes of 2018
Thanksgiving: It’s the time for friends and family to come together, celebrate and give thanks for what the year has given them. Aside from the sentimental bits of Thanksgiving, let’s be honest, the best part is the food. And because there’s nothing we love more than a little bit of creativity with our food, we asked six different bloggers to share with us their creative takes on classic Thanksgiving recipes. From Mexican candied pumpkin to chipotle cheesecake, kick back, relax, and let your stomach inspire you!
Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkin)
If you lovvveeee pumpkin, raise your hand (I’m expecting hands up everything, people)!
Yvette, a food blogger from Muy Bueno Cookbook, has a fantastic spin on your run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving pumpkin recipes: Calabaza en Tacha, also known as candied pumpkin. This traditional Mexican recipe is commonly prepared for Dia de los Muertos, but makes for a lovely Thanksgiving addition!
Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkin)
4 to 5-pound pumpkin
2 cups water
3 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
8 ounces piloncillo or 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
Sweetened condensed milk
(See instructions below)
1. Rinse off the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or warm water, no soap. Using a serrated knife cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the pumpkin seeds. Scrape out the stringy layer (pulp) with a spoon. Discard seeds and pulp. Cut pumpkin into 3- to 4-inch slices leaving the skin on.
2. In a large pot, steam the pumpkin in water, cinnamon, and cloves making sure to keep the lid on tight, for 20 to 40 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. The pumpkin is ready when your fork slides easily into the flesh.
3. In a small saucepan place water, cinnamon stick, and piloncillo on a very low heat until the piloncillo melts. Be sure to stir frequently.
4. Serve slices of pumpkin with syrup and drizzle with sweet condensed milk.
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes’ status as a Thanksgiving staple is incredibly well deserved. They can be served dessert-style or savory, mashed or crispy. The vitamin-C rich food is also a fantastic addition to any Thanksgiving meal when prepared Hasselback style. Paige, the blogger behind Last Ingredient, gives us her easy (and tasty) rendition on the Thanksgiving classic:
Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
4-6 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary + more for serving
(See instructions below)
Preheat the oven to 375F. Thinly slice each potato without going all the way through. The slices should be around 1/8" thick. Place the potatoes on a foil-lined sheet pan. Generously drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Roast for one hour until the potatoes and tender when pierced with a knife.
No-Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake
Looking for an interesting take on a Thanksgiving classic? Check out this no-bake pumpkin chipotle cheesecake courtesy of California-based food blogger ¡Hola! Jalapeño.
No-Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake
9 ounces gingersnap cookies (roughly 2 cups, ground)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
(See instructions below)
1. Put gingersnaps in a food processor until they are crumbs. You should have two cups of crumbs when done. Add melted butter and pulse until combined.
2. Spread evenly in a 10-inch pan. Press to completely cover bottom of the pan. Freeze until filling is ready.
3. Beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
4. Add remaining ingredients and beat until everything is incorporated and smooth. Pour over the crust, smooth the surface, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Transfer to the fridge to let thaw out a little, about an hour, before serving.
Turkey Meatballs with Gravy & Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
Look, we love turkey as much as the next person but, oh my gosh, the effort! Who has that kind of time?! Between work, school, Tinder dates, and the rest, who honestly has the time (or energy) to cook an entire turkey? Thank goodness for Kylie Mazon from the food blog Cooking with Cocktail Rings and her turkey meatballs for saving us some of the hassle. Delicious turkey for a fraction of the effort. AKA our Thanksgiving dreams!
Thanksgiving Turkey Meatballs
2 1/2 cups 1″ cubed ciabatta bread
1 pound ground turkey
3 cloves minced garlic
1 egg
1/3 cup shredded smoked Gouda
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp EVOO
See below & Cooking with Cocktail Rings for the rest of the recipe.
Turkey meatballs:
Spread the cubes of ciabatta bread on a baking sheet and leave out overnight to dry out. Once the bread is stale add to a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs form. Set aside one cup for the meatballs and reserve the remaining breadcrumbs for another use.
Heat oven to 450ºF.
Add the ciabatta breadcrumbs to a medium mixing bowl with the ground turkey, garlic, egg, smoked gouda, sage, salt and pepper. Use hands to gently combine the mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
Divide the mixture into ¼ cup portions and roll into balls. Grease a baking dish with the olive oil then arrange the meatballs in the dish.
Roast for 20 minutes, until the meatballs are completely cooked through.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts + Pancetta courtesy of Marcella from Hey Modest Marce
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts + Pancetta
Brussel sprouts…love ’em or hate ’em, they’re a frequent flyer on the Thanksgiving table. Marcella from Hey Modest Marce showed us her favorite way to make the antioxidant-rich vegetable.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts + Pancetta
2lbs brussels sprouts
1 tbsp EVOO
1/4lbs pancetta, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
(See instructions below)
In a large pot of salted boiling water, add brussels sprouts. Blanch them for two minutes & immediately submerge them into an ice bath. This will keep those sprouts bright & vibrant throughout the rest of the cooking process. Set aside.
In a sauce pan over medium heat add the olive oil & pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is browned & crispy. Remove pancetta but leave the fat to cook with.
Add the garlic & shallot, cook until translucent. about 5 minutes.
Toss in the blanched brussels sprouts with the balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the pancetta back in & pour into desired serving dish.
Twice-baked cheesy mashed potatoes. Courtesy of Husbands that Cook.
Twice-Baked Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Cheese + potatoes = Thanksgiving heaven. I mean, am I right, or am I right?
Check out this recipe from Ryan and Adam over at Husbands that Cook:
Twice-Baked Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
pinch of ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 cup grated gruyère
See Husbands that Cook for the rest of the recipe.
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