Sex Up Your Thanksgiving Dinner With These 9 Easy Tricks
Turkey Breast ‘Porchetta’ (Photograph: Andrew Purcell)
Thanksgiving is all about tradition, especially when it comes to what’s on the menu. Each year, we just need Dad’s famous stuffing, Grandma’s pumpkin pie, or our Great Aunt Martha’s sweet potato casserole. In many ways — and for many people — this is precisely what makes Thanksgiving so wonderful. But for some of us, making and eating the same dishes year after year is a little boring. We’d rather each meal be unique and different. We want our food to have a little sex appeal.
The good news is that it’s easy to tweak your Turkey Day feast to make it more enticing. You don’t have to embrace all these changes or even several. Start with one or two and see if you miss the old traditional dishes. Once you start to spice things up, you may be tempted to start a new tradition of never making the same recipe twice.
Start with Something Sexy
While you never want to overwhelm your guests with too many hors d’oeuvres — or risk filling their bellies before dinner — you do want to set the mood. Baked Cheese with Fresh Figs and Pears is a simple upgrade of classic cheese and crackers, and takes just minutes to throw together. And yes, it’s downright sexy. Another excellent option is raw oysters, which are fun and feel special, and that’s just the attitude you want to strike. They’re also light enough that there’s little chance of ruining anyone’s dinner. Here’s a step-by-step guide to shucking oysters.
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Cook the Turkey a Different Way
At most Thanksgiving dinners, turkey is the star of the show, so an easy way to shake up the holiday feast is to simply cook your bird differently. You’ve likely heard about the magic that is deep-fried turkey, and the truth is, boiling a pot of oil in your backyard is completely worth it, because it creates super-juicy meat and perfectly crisp skin. Follow this deep-fried turkey guide to see how it’s done.
Smoking is another option and makes for moist meat with an earthier, more rustic flavor profile. Try this smoked turkey recipe or this brined and smoked version. And if you want to stick to roasting, follow Giada DeLaurentiis’ lead and put an Italian spin on dinner with her recipe for Turkey Breast “Porchetta.”
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Or Skip the Turkey Altogether
If you’re less bound by tradition — and not worried about upsetting any cranky family members — consider ditching the bird completely. Yes, you’re likely to hear some grumbling at first, but with the right recipe, even your most old-fashioned guests will be on board. Here are 10 show-stopping turkey alternatives, including roasted rack of veal with root vegetables, slow-cooked pork shoulder with roasted apples, and if you really can’t turn your back on poultry, whole roast chicken with 40 brussels sprouts.
Roasted Cauliflower with Onion, Garlic, and Thyme (Photograph: Teri Lyn Fisher)
Discover a New Vegetable
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans are holiday essentials and no one’s saying you shouldn’t make them. But why not add a new veggie to the buffet? It makes for a more interesting and colorful mix of dishes, and vegetables are good you, which is something we can all benefit from this time of year. Roasted winter squash with kale and pomegranate seeds, butternut squash soufflé, or roasted cauliflower with onion, garlic, and thyme are perfect for Thanksgiving. Salads are another terrific option, as they offer a light counterpoint to the holiday’s heavier fare, and tend to require little in the way of kitchen work. We like this radicchio salad with apples and dill, but any bright, seasonal mixture will do.
Sky High Popovers (Photograph: James Ransom)
Up Your Bread Game
No one can deny the thrill of popping open that cardboard tube of refrigerated crescent rolls — or their buttery goodness — but you can do better. And nothing impresses quite like homemade bread. Biscuits and cornbread will be right at home on the Thanksgiving buffet, while popovers are particularly elegant and eye-catching. Here are 20 more bread recipes, including Parker House rolls, breadstick twists, and focaccia with caramelized onions, pear, and blue cheese.
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Pop Open the Bubbly
Serving Champagne — or any sparkling wine — at Thanksgiving makes sense for two very important reasons. For one, bubbles are festive and get everyone primed to celebrate. Sparkling wine is also really versatile, pairing with everything from cheese and crackers to turkey to apple pie. While no one will stop you from indulging in a pricy bottle, there are plenty of affordable options. Gruet Winery’s Blanc de Noir pairs beautifully with turkey but won’t break the bank, and since it’s from New Mexico, you get to pour something American made. Here are 20 sparkling wines under $20, plus a very handy guide to serving and pouring bubbles.
Dress Up Dessert
Taste may be the most important part of dessert, but looks run a close second. Put a pretty spin on your pie by adding a decorative trim or top crust. Giving your pumpkin or pecan pie a fancy edge is way easier than you think – here’s how to create a fluted trim. If you’re making apple pie, watch this video to learn how to create a lattice top. You can even upgrade store-bought pie: Cut leaves out of refrigerated pastry dough and use them to embellish pumpkin pie, top apple pie with caramel sauce, or dollop pecan pie with maple-infused whipped cream.
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Chocolate Chip Georgia Pecan Pie (Photograph: Stephanie Gaudreau)
Serve Chocolate
Chocolate is one of the most popular foods on the planet and yet for some reason it makes very few appearances at Thanksgiving. To remedy this hiccup in holiday dessert tradition, you could go full-on chocoholic with a rich, fudgy chocolate cake or a sleek chocolate and salted caramel tart. Or, simply add chocolate to one your holiday favorites. Chocolate chip Georgia pecan pie takes advantage of the marriage-made-in-heaven pairing of nuts and chocolate, while this chocolate pumpkin tart features a chocolate cookie crust, plus a decadent layer of melted chocolate.
Upgrade Your Leftovers
Once you’ve added sex appeal to your Thanksgiving feast, it would be a shame to slack on leftovers. And far too many of us settle for simply sticking a plate in the microwave or piling our extras onto white bread. At the very least, get creative with your sandwich and make a Monte Cristo or this Turkey-Apple combination. Better yet, turn your turkey into tamales or chili or add cranberry sauce and make this leftovers pizza.
More Thanksgiving Ideas:
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How to Host an Amazing Friendsgiving
Five Reasons to Serve Buffet-Style
