When you think of Thanksgiving what undoubtedly comes to mind is turkey with all the trimmings, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie for dessert and there’s nothing wrong with that; but, if you’re tired of the same old dishes at your Thanksgiving feast, then you’re like us and need a new adventure. That’s why we’re always looking for unique ways that we can take these traditional dishes and spice them up a bit. You get the best of both worlds – you and your family still get to enjoy the crowd favourites and you get to think outside the butterball and try something new.
One tip we have, particularly for smaller families or if it’s just you and your spouse, is to buy turkey breasts instead of a whole turkey, which is probably not necessary for a smaller crowd. Where do you stuff the stuffing, you may wonder? We suggest using the butterfly method to cut the turkey breast, stuff it with the stuffing and then roll the breast in a dry rub and tie it with butcher twine to ensure it doesn’t fall apart while you braise the dish in a frying pan. Then roll the breast in foil and roast it in the oven. When it’s ready to eat, finish it off with our ginger and brown sugar glaze and enjoy!
Stuffing is always a favourite with us and our families and we particularly love experimenting with this dish because with so many varieties of bread and extras you can add to it, the possibilities for stuffing are endless. This Thanksgiving, consider going with a different stuffing to wow the family, like our corn bread stuffing that shakes things up a bit with a non-traditional base.
Corn bread stuffing
2 tbsp butter
1/2 red onion, diced
1 stalk celery
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp fresh sage
6 cups cornbread, cut into pieces
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup chicken stock
Sautée onion, celery and garlic in butter in a pan for 5 minutes on medium heat, allow to cool. Cut bread into pieces into a bowl and add sautéed veggies, eggs and chicken stock. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Place in bottom of parchment lined pan.
Turkey rub
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vegetable oil
Combine all dry ingredients and evenly rub into the turkey breast, add vegetable oil. Let stand for 25 minutes.
Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
1/2 tsp sambal olek
Combine ingredients into a paste.
Place turkey (stuffed with the corn bread stuffing) in a hot pan. Once turkey is seared, spread on the sugar glaze, place in pan with the additional stuffing and finish in the oven at 400°F until tender and the center reaches 160°F. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
When you have lots of leftovers after Thanksgiving is over, ask us how to repurpose them for a new meal when the family gets sick of eating the same thing.
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