And just like that, Thanksgiving is upon us and we are officially into the cooking season. As we look forward to gathering with family and friends to give thanks, you may still be wondering what dishes will grace your table this year.
In the Thanksgiving 2024 edition, I’m thrilled to share scrumptous ideas that will elevate your feast. From timeless classics to fresh twists on tradition, I’ve curated a selection of recipes that will delight your guests and make this season the tastiest yet!
It’s always nice to start the Thanksgiving celebration with a fall-inspired cocktail. My Apple Rosemary Martini will evoke memories of gentle falling leaves with each sip. This elegantly simple concoction is crafted with unfiltered apple juice, which provides just the right amount of natural sweetness, so there’s no need for added sugar. With only a few ingredients, the Apple Rosemary Martini is simple to prepare in a pitcher or mixed to order, and the garnish makes it feel extra special.
Apple Rosemary Martini
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces of unfiltered apple juice
Dash lemon bitters
1-ounce club soda
Garnish
1 sprig rosemary
Apple wedge
Shake vodka with juice and ice and pour into a glass. Top with a splash of club soda and serve with a sprig of rosemary and apple wedge for garnish.
Tip: for more rosemary flavor, shake the martini with an additional spring of rosemary and remove it before pouring it into the glass.
Along with a cocktail, it’s always nice to have a tasty tidbit to offer and my Buttered Pecan Cherry Compote over Brie is just the thing. I love this appetizer for Thanksgiving because it is so simple to make, you can have this done in a matter of a few minutes.
My favorite way to serve this, especially for Thanksgiving, is with apple wedges, that way you can avoid bread and crackers and save your carb count for the goodies on the dinner table. Choose apple varieties that don’t oxidize so they can be cut early in the day like Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, and Granny Smith.
Buttered Pecan Cherry Compote Over Brie
1 8-ounce wedge of brie
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup pecans chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup dried cherries
¼ cup bourbon
Pinch of salt
Pour bourbon over cherries in a small bowl and let stand for several hours. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add pecans and cook until pecans have browned. Add sugar, cherries, and salt discarding bourbon if desired. Cook until a thick sticky sauce forms. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour over brie.
In In my humble opinion, Thanksgiving is all about the sides. Many families I know serve mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving, can I tell you my Vinaigrette Roasted Potatoes will rival any mash?! I’ve made these a few times lately and oh my, people go back for seconds and they rave about them. These potatoes honestly could not be easier and on Thanksgiving, easy is a good thing!
Vinaigrette Roasted Potatoes
3 pounds of small yellow potatoes, cut in half or quarters
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cut potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Add all remaining ingredients reserving the rosemary into a jar. Shake well. Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes, and toss well with your hands. Sprinkle the top with rosemary and roast for 15 minutes, toss and continue to roast until potatoes are golden brown and tender. Serve at once.
Homemade cranberry sauce is the best! This is a crucial side for Thanksgiving because the sweet acidity cuts the fat in the other side dishes. Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce is easy to make and can be made days in advance, just wrap it tightly and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce
12-ounce package of fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
Zest 1 orange plus 2 tablespoons of juice
Pinch salt
Add all ingredients to a saucepan set over low heat. Cook the mixture stirring often until the sugar dissolves, about 7 minutes. Turn heat to medium and cook until the cranberries begin to pop about 12 minutes. Taste for sweetness, add additional sugar if desired. Cool and serve.
Who besides me, thinks Cornbread Dressing is the best part of the Thanksgiving meal? There is just something about that bumpy, nutty, cornbread, goodness that is so satisfying. It makes me look forward to Thanksgiving more than anything else on the table!
My Thanksgiving dressing recipe is the one my mom made and her mom did as well. You could say it’s a 3rd generation recipe. While a few of the techniques may have changed over the years, this simple recipe never disappoints!
Moms Cornbread Dressing
2 packages of cornbread mix prepared and crumbled
1 package of biscuits prepared and torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek cleaned and chopped finely, or 1 small onion finely chopped
2 ribs celery finely chopped
1 ½ cups walnut coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground sage
½ teaspoon celery seed
3 cups or more chicken stock
1 egg beaten
Salt if desired
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small chef’s pan and
cook the leeks or onions and celery for about 10 minutes, until they are very
soft. In a large bowl, mix the cornbread crumbs and biscuit pieces
well. Add the vegetables, seasonings, and walnuts to the bread and
toss. Begin to add stock slowly mixing well. Continue to add stock
until the mixture is wet and creamy but still has some lumps. Taste and adjust
seasonings if desired. Add egg and mix well. Pour the cornbread
mixture into a greased 9×13 glass baking dish that has been coated with
non-stick cooking spray. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes until
the dressing is browned on top.
Of course, you have to have several desserts at Thanksgiving. I’m sharing my Coming Up Roses Tart today because this is one of the prettiest dishes that has ever come out of my kitchen. This flower tart is achieved by cutting apple slices very thinly and then in half. The 1/2 apple slices are layered around the tart pan tightly to create this flower petal look. It is finished with Apricot jam to give it a pretty shine and a bit more color. Serve it with vanilla ice cream and you will have a happy crowd.
Coming up Roses Tart
1 sheet of puff pastry
4 Honey-crisp apples
1 tablespoon flour plus more for the work surface
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup apricot jam
1 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll the puff pastry out to eliminate the creases so it will fit into a 9-inch tart pan. Place the pastry into the pan and press it firmly up the sides and on the bottom. Prick the bottom well with a fork. Line the crust with a sheet of greased foil and add pastry weights or dried beans to the top. Bake the crust for 12 minutes until it is beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 375. Prepare apples by slicing them into pieces of the core and cut into very thin slices or use a mandolin and slice through the whole apple, then cut the apple shards in half at the core. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with first flour then 1 tablespoon of sugar. Begin arranging the apples on the outer edge of the prepared tart crust. Place apples peel side up, making rows and winding towards the center. Continue arranging apples very tightly working towards the middle. Roll several thin slices into a coil to form the center. The exposed peel will look slightly pink on the finished tart. Sprinkle the tart with the remaining sugar and dot with butter. Place pan on a baking sheet and into the oven for 30-40 minutes until apples are tender and browning on the tops. Remove from the oven and glaze the top of the tart by heating the jam with the water until it is smooth. Paint the tart surface with the glaze using a pastry brush. Allow to cool before serving.
I enjoyed putting the 2024 Thanksgiving Edition of the blog together and I hope it will serve as inspiration for you and your Thanksgiving table.
Stay tuned for more goodies coming from A Taste of Paris including the upcoming Gift Guide for 2024! It’s always so much fun to share.
I have a few classes on the schedule, I look forward to seeing you there!
Thursday, November 21st 6:30-8:30 – Holiday Appetizers Cocktails and Tidbits – Come to a cooking class that’s like throwing a party without all the work! Join me in the designer airplane hanger kitchen to concoct crave-able appetizers that will be ideal for holiday entertaining. Sip a gorgeous Spiced Apple Fizz, as tasty as it is festive, and join the fun in the kitchen, or sit back and watch as each dish unfolds. I will start you off with the ideal mouthful, classic Gougeres! Then we’ll craft a beautiful Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread that will make your mouth water. READ MORE
Thursday, January 16th, 6:30-8:30 Dinner Parties are BACK –2 SEATS OPEN Have you heard? Dinner parties are back in fashion and what fun they are to host especially with fantastic recipes up your sleeve sure to wow your guests. This spectacular menu will set you up for a successful dinner party in your own home. In this fun and entertaining class, we will start with a toast of French sparkling wine and an amuse bouche of Fig and Goat Cheese Pinwheels, delicious! Our starter will be a beautiful Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese Salad followed by a main course of expertly prepared Coq au Vin served with Golden Luxe Potatoes and READ MORE
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