There’s a certain comfort to eating the same Thanksgiving dinner, year after year: the green bean casserole, the cheesy potatoes, the pumpkin pie. But sometimes, don’t you just want to shake things up a bit?
We asked local caterers to help us find recipes a bit more interesting for our Thanksgiving tables this year. Try a new side dish or dessert, and wash it down with something a little different than the usual glass of wine.
Karen Harmon is chef/owner of Karen’s Culinary Creations in Washington Twp. (Montgomery County, Ohio). Courtney Rathweg caters in the Dayton area as the 30 Minute Mom. Both women teach cooking classes at Cooks’ Wares in Springboro.
Harmon recommended preparing a cauliflower au gratin, made with Gruyere cheese, to replace the usual potatoes; fried pastry cream squares dipped in cranberry sauce as an alternative to pumpkin pie; and a tangy cranberry-orange mimosa as the day’s cocktail. Rathweg suggested sauteed brussel sprouts — she says they’re yummier than you remember — as an alternative to green beans; mini apple tarts as individual dessert treats; and simmering a big pot of spiced mulled wine to make the house smell good and the guests happy as the dinner is getting prepared.
Side dishes
CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN
1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
2 T. unsalted butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.
Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.
SAUTEED BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH BREAD CRUMBS
1 1 lb. bag frozen brussels sprouts
2 T. butter
1 crushed clove garlic
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 T. lemon juice
salt and pepper
Microwave sprouts for 5 minutes. Cut sprouts in half lengthwise and set aside.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook just until it begins to turn golden. Add sprouts to skillet, trying to get most of them cut side down. Let them caramelize by NOT TOUCHING THEM.
After about five minutes check one for color. Add breadcrumbs, and toss to coat all sprouts.
Finish with lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Desserts
PASTRY CREAM
16.9 oz. milk
1 vanilla bean
4.4 oz. egg yolks
4.4 oz. sugar
1.4 oz. corn starch
Place milk and bean in a saucepan and heat to scald. In a stainless steel bowl whisk sugar, egg yolks and corn starch. Slowly add the hot mixture to the egg mixture. When combined put back into the saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly. It will start to clump, keep stirring. When thick and clumpy take off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth. Put in container and cover with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming. If you want to make chocolate pastry cream, just add about 4 oz. of your favorite chocolate to the pastry cream while warm.
To make squares: Now place pan in the freezer for several hours or overnight. Now cut into small squares, dip in plain flour to coat, dip in eat wash (1 egg with 1 T. water), then dip into panko bread crumbs to coat. Fry in 350 degree canola oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with a cranberry sauce thinned out as a dipping sauce.
For the cranberry sauce, follow the recipe on the bag of fresh cranberries, but add 1 cup fresh orange juice and the zest of one orange.
MINI APPLE TARTS
1 box Athens mini Fillo tarts
4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
½ lemon, zested and juiced
½ orange, zested and juiced
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Using an apple peeler/corer, prep your apples. Dice apples using a food chopper (such as an alligator). In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, combine apples, lemon zest and juice, orange zest and juice, sugar, vanilla, corn starch and cinnamon. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until apples soften, and the mixture thickens. Spoon equal portions into fillo shells, and bake for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream.
Serves 20.
Drinks
CRANBERRY ORANGE MIMOSA
2 cups frozen cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
¼ cup fresh orange juice
Zest of one orange
1 bottle champagne
Add cranberries, orange juice, zest and sugar to a large pan and set over medium heat until berries break-down and liquid is syrupy, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour into a blender and process, but be careful of the hot liquid expanding when you blend: Use a towel over the top of the blender.
(*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.) Strain and discard any solids then set aside and cool.
Pour 2 tablespoons of cranberry-orange syrup into the bottoms of 4 chilled champagne glasses. Gently top off each glass with champagne.
SPICED MULLED WINE
Cheese cloth or tea ball
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, peeled and juiced
3 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
6 whole black peppercorns
1 lemon, peeled
4 cups good quality apple cider
1 bottle Red Zinfandel
4 T. honey
Lay a couple pieces of cheese cloth on top of one another. Place orange peel, cloves, allspice, peppercorns, and lemon peel in the middle of the cheese cloth, tie the bundle together with a piece of kitchen string. In a heavy bottomed pot add the cider, wine, honey and orange juice, bring ingredients to a bubble, lower heat and simmer. This can also be done in a slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Garnish with curled orange peels.
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