Thanksgiving Dinner

All Photos by Leandra Blei Photography

I love fall. The air is wonderful, the trees are beautiful, and the best part of it all, Thanksgiving Dinner! The sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, the delicious stuffing, and of course the Turkey. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. 

Every family has their own traditions, and special holiday dishes. My family's include stuffed artichoke, and fried broccolini. These items SCREAM "It's Holiday Time!" for me. I will share these another time. I love these special family traditions the holiday season brings, but there is nothing better at bringing people together then the classics. I'll show you my favorite Thanksgiving Day Classics, and hope that you use these recipes to share with your loved ones! 

Thanksgiving Chicken

Yes, I eat Turkey for Thanksgiving, but the thought of Leandra Blei & I finishing a whole Turkey seemed extreme. Okay, maybe not THAT extreme but we would've been full. 

So, for the small families that do not need a whole Turkey, or for those of you who despise the large bird; here is a wonderful herby chicken recipe perfect for Thanksgiving. 

You will need: 

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 2 qt Apple Cider
• 1/2 cup Kosher Salt
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Juniper Berries
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp. peppercorns  
• 1 tsp Dried Sage
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme 
• 1 tsp. Onion Flakes
• 3 Cloves Garlic, crushed

• 1 Lemon
• 1 Gala Apple (or something similar)
• 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 1 bunch Thyme
• 1 bunch Sage
• 1 cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 cup Flour

To prepare your chicken, remove all the insides, pull any feathers still poking out, and  cut off any excess fat around the top. Rinse thoroughly and set in the fridge until your brine is ready.  

Take the first ingredient items after the chicken, and mix them together in a large pot. Bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring to dissolve all the sugar and salt. Once dissolved, remove from heat and cool completely. Add 2 cups of Ice water and your lovely chicken to the brine mixture. Let it sit over night in a large container submerged, and covered. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Remember to set your butter out the night before, or a couple hours in advance. This makes it easier to mix up all the ingredients together. To start, zest the orange and lemon into a bowl with the room temperature butter. I like to use a microplane. Make sure to not zest any of the white skin underneath. This part of citrus is very bitter. Next, take half of the bunch of sage, and give it a rough chop. Add this to the butter and give it a good mix. You can add some thyme leaves or any other herbs to the butter. I honestly don't have enough patience to remove thyme leaves from their stem. I usually add them to a dish as a bunch and remove them later. Easy. Set the herb butter aside. 

Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Make sure it is completely dry. Take the butter and rub it under the skins of the breasts and thighs. Rub a spoon upside down under the skins before this, it will open up the whole breast to make it easier to spread the butter around.   Save a couple tablespoons to rub over the top. Next, liberally season the inside cavity with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and stuff the chicken with some slices of apple, the rest of the herbs, & the halves of the lemon, and orange you zested earlier.  Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings behind his back. Throughly season the top with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. 

I'm really good at being fancy, but I'm also really good at not being fancy. I roast my chickens in the top of an oval Dutch oven. It is amazing. What I do not have is something that will set my chicken up inside this pan. I make a large oval with foil and set it inside of the pan, with the chicken chest up, on top. See, I'm not that fancy. Roast in your oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting every 15 minutes. When a thermometer reads 165 degrees F when stuck in the thickest part of the thigh l, remove from the oven. Loosely place a piece of foil on top, and let it rest for 10 minutes. You could use this same recipe for a Turkey, just increase the amount of ingredients and cook your turkey accordingly. 

Gravy: 

Add the drippings to a small sauce pan. Heat to where the edges are bubbling, then dump the flour in. Whisk quickly until it is fully combined and heated all the way through. The consistency will be thick. Slowly add the chicken stock while whisking to loosen it up. Keep whicking until everything is smooth and fully combined. Season with Kosher salt to taste. 

Sage Stuffing

Sometimes I wonder why the Turkey is even the star of the show. We all know we love the bread soaked in thanksgiving flavors. Let's be real. A little stuffing, a little cranberry sauce, I'm in heaven. I know I'm not the only one. The great thing about stuffing is that it's so easy, and oh so worth it. I like my dressing savory and herbaceous, with tons of butter of course.

You Will Need: 

• 1 lb French White bread, good quality  
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 Yellow Onions, small dice
• 1 1/2 cups Celery, small dice
• 1/2 cup parsley, rough chop
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Sage, rough chop
• 1 Tablespoon Rosemary, Rough chop
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 1/2 cups unsalted Chicken Broth
• 2 Large Eggs

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. 

Tear, or cut apart the bread into 1 inch pieces. It doesn't have to be pretty, we've all seen stuffing before. Scatter the bread pieces onto a sheet tray and let them dry out in the oven for about an hour. Lazier option, set the pieces of bread out over night and let them get stale. The idea is to dry it out so it soaks up all the delicious juices. Let the bread cool completely.  

While the bread is cooling, melt 1 stick of butter in a skillet over high heat. Add the onions and celery. Oh the smells. Season onions and celery with kosher salt. Let them cook, stirring occasionally until tender and browning. If you like crunchy vegetables in your stuffing then, cook them to your liking. Add bread, onions, and celery to a large bowl, along with herbs 2 tsp. Kosher salt, and  1 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Fold together until everything is combined. Slowly drizzle in half of the chicken stock, while mixing together making sure to coat all the bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

Whisk the other half of the chicken broth and two eggs together. Toss this mixture with the bread mixture and combine. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake the stuffing for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 40, or until the top is browned and edges are crisp. Enjoy! 

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Okay, this is my other favorite part of thanksgiving. Maybe I just love it all. I like to mix my cranberry sauce with pretty much everything on my plate. I love the sweetness and acidity it brings. Cranberry sauce can easily be made a day ahead and will still taste delicious for the feast.  

You Will Need: 

• 3 cups Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
• 1 Orange, zest and juice
• 1/2 cup Water
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• kosher salt

To a medium sauce pan add all the ingredients except the cranberries. Let the butter and sugar melt completely and the sides to a bubble. Add the cranberries and bring to a gentle boil. Let the cranberries cook for about 10 minutes, I like to squish some of my cranberries. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Salt is so important even in something sweet, it brings out the natural flavors of ingredients. The consistency will be loose, but after 10 minutes remove from heat and it will thicken up. If making a day ahead, keep in the fridge and reheat, or set out to get room temperature before eating. Enjoy! 

 Sweet Potato Puree 

Another Thanksgiving Staple. The only time I eat sweet potatoes with sugar, is during the fall. I feel like it's a treat that should be looked forward to all year. Am I weird? 

You Will Need: 

• 4 Sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon  
•  Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and bake until a knife can easily go through the center. About 40 minutes. When tender on the inside, remove from the oven, cut in half, and let cool. When cool enough to handle, scrape out the insides and add to a bowl. 

In a sauce pan, melt butter and cream together until heated all the way through. Season potatoes with a pinch of kosher salt, cinnamon, and heated cream and butter. With an immersion blender, blend everything together until smooth. Enjoy!