Posted on 10/31/2021 11:14:58 AM PDT by Jamestown1630
Norman Rockwell, Freedom From Want (1943)
People seem to want Thanksgiving to always be the same – there’s a lot of advice out there cautioning against trying something new for family or guests on that day. But I’ve often enjoyed very interesting new recipes at Thanksgiving, in the homes of friends and family who have ignored that advice. I recently found a recipe for turkey stuffing that is quite different from the plain type that I’ve always made; but I’m very tempted to try it. (It may be a little ‘busy’ for some who are used to a plainer bread stuffing.)
I watch a lot of YouTube cooking videos, and I think the most engaging host of all is Chef Jean-Pierre Brehier. He is extremely informative while also being fun and funny, and the kind of person you'd love to have a couple of drinks and a good conversation with.
Chef Jean-Pierre suggests using Costco corn muffins for this stuffing recipe, if you don’t want to make your own cornbread.
For those without access to fresh chestnuts to roast, there are lots of pre-roasted, packaged ones available; but the reviews for many of them are not very positive, so choose carefully. Jean-Pierre appears to use the Roland ones vacuum-packed in a jar, and he just squeezes/tears them into the mixture with his fingers. Fresh chestnuts are available from some of the nut companies if you can't source fresh ones nearby, but they seem to be tricky to buy ahead and store (if you have experience with this, let us know how you handle them.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gvui3lIfWI
Corn Muffins & Sausage Stuffing – Chef Jean-Pierre Brehier
Serves 10
1/2 Cup Dark Spiced Rum, for soaking the raisins
1 cup Dark Raisins
2 pounds Pork Turkey or Chicken Sausage, casings removed
2 cups Yellow Onions diced small
1 ½ cups Celery Hearts diced small
1 ½ cups Carrots diced small
2 tablespoons fresh Sage chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Thyme chopped
6 cups Corn Muffins or Cornbread crumbled
1 Granny Smith Apples skinned and diced small
1 cup peaches in a light syrup cut into medium dice
¼ cup fresh Parsley chopped
1 cup Roasted Chestnuts
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Milk or Buttermilk
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat Oven to 375°
Spray a baking pan or dish (approx. 15"x10"x2") with a non-stick spray or brush with butter.
Soak the raisins at room temperature in your favorite liquor for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. If you do not have the time to wait, put them covered in the microwave for 2 minutes to plump them up.
In a large sauté pan over high heat, sauté the sausage and cook until golden brown. Add the onions and cook until light golden brown. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the vegetable are almost cooked but not mushy.
Transfer to a large bowl with the muffins; add the apples, peaches, chestnuts, salt and pepper, buttermilk, and raisins mix well.
Pack the lasagna pan with the mixure and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Put the lasagna pan onto a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.
For those without access to chestnuts to roast, there are lots of packaged, pre-roasted ones available; but the reviews for many of them are not very positive. Chef Jean-Pierre appears to use the Roland ones vacuum-packed in a jar, and just squeezes/tears them into the mixture.
Fresh chestnuts are available from some of the nut companies, but they seem to be tricky to buy ahead and store (if you have experience with this, let us know how you handle them.)
The Chef also has a good idea for having garlic ready to go in the freezer for all of your recipes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZA2UcvnE6g
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Chef John of ‘Food Wishes’ has posted a recipe for Butterhorn Dinner Rolls which looks pretty easy even for novice bread bakers, and I don’t see why they couldn’t be made the day before and warmed up.
(These are very rich; but for most of us, Thanksgiving isn’t a ‘diet day’):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJUve3My3lE
-JT
I’m not sure if she is or not - we no longer get the Food Network channel. But their website still has her past videos up:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/ina-garten/videos
Yes, all of that was disappointing.
But it doesn’t change the fact that her recipes have always been very good.
We have one of the Foodsavers, and it’s handy for big Costco stock-ups. But it’s big and a little clumsy in my small kitchen.
They make some little portable, handheld ones now that interest me; but I haven’t tried one yet:
I’ll be making fried chicken with all the fixings, same as the last three years. I just like chicken breasts cut thin, breaded and Italian seasoned with homemade breadcrumbs. The way I make them is crispier than panko.
We just got a bunch of elk and deer. Freezer’s full for winter.
How do you do it?
Whenever I’ve bought the Italian seasoned bread crumbs in the store, they’ve seem to go rancid really fast; or maybe I just don’t use them up quickly enough.
We use the same method, have the same article from the LA times. and we get a locally raised fresh bird usually about 12 pounds.
Nice!
And envious as well!
Later
We are getting our turkey free this year, which sort of decided what we’d have; but we’ve always used a generic store-brand frozen turkey, and it’s worked fine with the dry-brine. You just have to read the ingredients and make sure it’s not salt-injected. Even if they’ve been to some extent, it hasn’t mattered. The Kosher ones are done differently, and would turn out too salty.
Homemade breadcrumbs, salt, garlic salt, dried parsley and grated parmeson cheese.
If I bake it that way, I use fresh parsley and fresh minced garlic.
The kids love it when I fry breadballs after the fried chicken. I use breadcrumbs I make from store bought sliced bread, parmesan cheese, grated mozzarella or mixed cheddar, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, salt and enough water to bind it all together. Use a one inch cookie scoop and then roll into balls and deep fry. Very crunchy and flavorful.
Definitely different!
We’ll both be volunteering to help cook, serve, and clean up at our American Legion post. We’ll receive dinner there; plus we’ll get a share of the leftovers to bring home.
Same for Veteran’s Day.
Breadballs sound good!
That will be fun.
If there’s a Sam’s club near you, they have a good deal on vacuum sealers.
Oh my, sounds delicious!
LOL! Could anybody EAT dessert, after that?
I love mince pie, but I never get around to it until the next day...
I use the Italian seasoned progresso bread crumbs. As soon as I open it I pour it into a glass jar & keep in the fridge. Keeps it really fresh.
Yes, a few hours later! :) It’s all very filling and we have leftovers for a few days. That’s the chicken I use for chicken pizzaiola (baked with tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella) and for chicken salads.
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