Vimarc Staff Thanksgiving Favorites
November is all about spending time with family and taking the time to be grateful … but don’t forget about all the delicious food. It can also be an incredibly busy time for ad agencies. Our turkeys are typically overstuffed with encroaching deadlines and end-of-the-year campaign wrap-ups. We relish in taking the time to both indulge and fuel up (perhaps too much) for those long work-filled days. On any ordinary day, our office refrigerator is full of tasty home-cooked creations, so when it comes to our Thanksgiving spreads, we’re ready to pull out all the stops.
Long-time family favorites, recent discoveries, and even the quick and reliable go-to side dishes all have a place on our plates. Have an upcoming Friendsgiving or office potluck? We’re sharing some of our favorite recipes that are sure to get people coming back for seconds.
Beth Welch: Green Beans with Almond Pesto (courtesy of Smitten Kitchen)
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. green beans
1 cup (5 oz or 140 g) almonds, toasted and cooled
11/4 ounces (about 1/3 cup grated) Parmesan or aged pecorino cheese, but no need to grate if using a food processor
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Leaves from a sprig or two of thyme
Pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 tsp. coarse sea or kosher salt
2 to 3 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Trim green beans — I find using kitchen shears the quickest way — and cook beans in boiling water until tender-crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes for regular green beans or 2 to 3 minutes for the skinnier “haricot vert” variety. Plunge in an ice water bath to fully cool. Drain and pat dry. (If you have no patience for the precision of ice water baths, take the green beans out a full minute early as they will continue cooking as they cool.)
In food processor, grind almonds, cheese, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt to a coarse paste. Add vinegar and pulse again. Stir in oil and adjust seasonings to taste.
Toss cooled green beans with almond pesto. Drizzle with extra olive oil for a fresh glisten.
Brian Henson: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
INGREDIENTS
1 large butternut squash
2 carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 large onion
5 cloves of garlic
6 sage leaves
6 sprigs of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
1/4 tsp. cayenne red pepper powder (or less if you don’t want a little kick)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Peel, pit and chop the butternut squash into 1-inch squares. Add to a large roasting pan.
Chop the carrots, celery and onions in big chunks and add to the pan. Peel the garlic and add cloves whole or halved.
Add the herbs (easier to puree later if stems are removed), red pepper powder, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat.
Roast for 1 hour until veggies are soft and tender (check the carrots in particular). If veggies are not soft, cook for another 15 minutes.
Transfer cooked vegetables to food processor (or blender) with 1 cup of vegetable stock. Puree until smooth and creamy or until desired consistency is reached. You may need to do this in a couple of batches. Note: If stems are still on the herbs, remove before pureeing as they do not process very well (particularly the thyme).
Pour mixture into a large saucepan. Add the remaining vegetable stock and stir well. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. If the consistency of the soup is too thick, just thin it out with some water until you reach your desired consistency.
Garnish with additional fresh herbs (optional) and serve!
Meghan Boyd: Ultimate Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
8 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered and unpeeled
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 stick of butter (or less, but I recommend at least a stick)
1 tbsp. whole-grain mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Add potatoes, cream, milk, garlic, thyme and bay leaf into a large saucepan and gently boil for 15 minutes until potatoes are just tender and the tip of a paring knife goes through with little resistance.
Strain potatoes and SAVE the cream mixture but discard the bay leaf, thyme stems and the garlic.
Mash the potatoes and fold in some of the cream mixture (adding more as needed) until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.Fold in about a tablespoon of the olive oil, the butter, and the grainy mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
*If you are making them a day ahead, save the cream mixture to add when you reheat them. It helps keep them super creamy).
Jessica Herman: Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk, plus more if needed
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp. Mascarpone cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and dice potatoes, making sure all are in about 1-inch cubes.
Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to medium low to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender and you can easily pierce them with a fork when touched.
Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain off the water. Place the diced potatoes through a ricer and then place back into the warm pot. Alternatively, if you don't have a ricer, mash the potatoes with a masher and place back into the warm pot.
Add the cream, butter, Parmesan, mascarpone and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and fold in chopped chives before serving.
Andrew Lyons: Carrot Soufflé Casserole
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2” rounds
Salt
1 cup WHOLE milk
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
1 tbsp. room-temp unsalted butter (plus more to butter the baking dish)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 large eggs
Chopped chives
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with an inch of water. Add about 1 tsp. of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Strain the carrots and puree in a food processor with an immersion blender.
Place carrot puree in a large bowl. Slowly add in the milk, a little at a time, whisking after each addition so that the mixture stays smooth, not lumpy. Mix in the saltine cracker crumbs, the grated cheese, onion, butter, kosher salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
In a separate bowl, whip up the eggs until frothy. Then whisk them into the carrot puree mixture.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes until puffed up a bit and lightly golden.
Marci Levine: Crock-Pot Corn Pudding
INGREDIENTS
1 (15 oz) can cream style corn
2 (15 oz) cans sweet corn drained
1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese cubed
1 (8 oz) block sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs slightly beaten
1 (8.5 oz) box cornbread mix (I use a box of Jiffy)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 small can chopped jalapenos (OPTIONAL)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more or less to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Sour cream and chives optional for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Spray Crock-Pot with cooking spray.
Place all ingredients (from creamed corn to pepper) into Crock-Pot.
Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or until mixture is set.
Serve with optional extra sour cream and chives!
Meagan Cecil: Moist Pumpkin Bread (courtesy of Kitchen Nostalgia)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1 cup + 11/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon*
1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice*
1 large egg or 2 small ones
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, combine both sugars, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
In another bowl, combine egg, pumpkin puree, oil and water. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Grease one 9×4 (6 cups or 1.4 liters volume) loaf pan and pour the batter into it.
Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Then take out of the pan and wrap in aluminum foil. Let Moist Pumpkin Bread cool off completely before serving.
Charlotte Mabry: Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan/Coconut Crumble
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1 stick butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (20 to 25 minutes). Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot.
While the potatoes are boiling, heat oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, combine the coconut, brown sugar, pecans, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Add sugar, milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, and ½ teaspoon salt to the potatoes and mash until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the coconut mixture. Bake until heated through (put foil over loosely so the top doesn't browns too quickly), 30 to 35 minutes.
Donna Seale: Cornbread Dressing Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix — prepared as muffins
6 slices of chopped up, cooked bacon
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup of mayo (I think it might be 1/2 cup, but I always add more than what the recipe calls for.)
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix together and serve.
John Baumgardner: Deep-Fried Stove Top Stuffing Balls
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare one box of Stove Top Stuffing mix according to box directions.
Roll stuffing into 1-inch balls. If stuffing is too dry and won’t keep the shape of a ball, mix in a tablespoon of water.
Give the balls a light coating of flour.
Drop balls into an electric fryer or a pan of oil that’s heated to 375°.
Fry for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, and give them a hefty sprinkle of salt.
Serve with a cranberry relish.
Beth Janson: Reeses Peanut Butter Fluff
INGREDIENTS
8 oz cream cheese softened
3.9 oz vanilla or chocolate instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz Cool Whip
25 Reese's Miniatures halved
8 oz bag Reese's Minis
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Beat cream cheese with pudding mix until smooth. This will take a few minutes.
Slowly add the milk 1/4 cup at a time making sure that it is completely incorporated before adding more.
Add the peanut butter and mix until combined.
Fold in the Cool Whip until the mixture is smooth and creamy and FLUFFY.
Fold in the Reese's candies and chocolate chips.
Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
Serve with apple slices, graham crackers, chocolate graham crackers, peanut butter cookies - or a spoon.
When the meal is over, it’s time to refocus on work. Share your favorite recipes with us or let us know how we can serve your advertising efforts.
