Thanksgiving Day Side Dish Homemade Cranberry Relish

Turkey Dinner at our house is served with a freshly homemade side dish of Cranberry Relish.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish

Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish

My recipe differs a little bit from most.  I like to wash the cranberries in cold water and then blanch them in boiling sugar water for about 8 minutes.  Blanching brings out the ruby red color of the cranberry and adds color to the table setting.  This recipe makes about 10-two tablespoon sized servings depending on the size of the fruit used…I also do not remove the seeds.

List of ingredients:

16 ounces fresh Ocean Spray Cranberries

1 large seedless navel orange and zest (separated)

1 cup of chopped walnuts

1 very large cored crisp apple (or 2 medium)

1 cup of sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice (to prevent apples from browning)

Preparation Instructions:

Start by zesting the entire navel orange until about 1 Tbsp of zest is made and then set aside and keep chilled.

Peel the orange, removing the seeds and outer white pith

Peel and core the apple

Boil the cranberries in 2 cups of water mixed with one cup of sugar for 7-8 minutes

If you have a food grinder, use it on the coarse grind setting.  If not, use a food processor. Place the cranberries and orange in a food processor and pulse chop until cut into uniform pieces,  Most food processors do not have speed settings, but the objective is to grind the ingredients rather than puree them, so pulsing is the best method in a food processor.  A blender on a pulse setting achieves close to the same result as a grinder.

Dice the apple into small pieces, sprinkle some lemon juice over the apples to prevent browning.

Chop the walnuts into small pieces or use chopped walnuts

Combine all ingredients (except the orange peel zest) and stir to mix thoroughly.

Refrigerate until chilled.  Transfer to serving dish, and add the orange zest just before serving… Tart and tangy.

More Thanksgiving Day Dinner Recipes:

Gravy From Scratch,

Homemade Stuffing,

Moist Turkey Recipe,

Ambrosia,

Green Bean Casserole,

Sweet Potato Casserole,

Parker House Dinner Rolls,

Shopping List For Thanksgiving Dinner

For A Very Moist Turkey …To Brine Or Not To Brine?

For a less traditional flavor, but very moist turkey, To Brine Or Not To Brine?

Following is my recipe for brining a turkey prior to roasting.  It definitely makes a moist turkey.  It also changes the entire taste experience.  If you have a large enough refrigerator and want to experiment, here is what you do:

Tools required:
A five-gallon stockpot or a five-gallon plastic bucket
A refrigerator large enough to hold a 5 gallon bucket for 24 hours

Ingredients:

1 gallon of hot liquid…it can be hot water, vegetable broth, or canned chicken broth
1-cup sea salt or kosher salt
1-cup of real maple syrup (or maple flavored syrup if on a budget)
1-cup sugar
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp dried sage
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp dried savory
1 gallon of iced water

Preparation

Combine all ingredients, except iced water, into the five gallon large stockpot and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and set a side to cool.

When the mixture reaches room temperature, pour in the iced water.

Place turkey in the brine solution and place into the refrigerator for 24 hours.  This step can be as short as 12 hours or as long as 48 hours, but best results are at 24 hours.

After the required time has passed, remove from the pot, rinse well, and cook according to your normal recipe.  A brine turkey will cook about 30 to 45 minutes faster.

More Thanksgiving Day Dinner Recipes:

Gravy From Scratch,

Homemade Stuffing,

Moist Turkey Recipe,

Ambrosia,

Cranberry Relish,

Green Bean Casserole,

Sweet Potato Casserole,

Parker House Dinner Rolls,

Shopping List For Thanksgiving Dinner

Simple Ambrosia: A Quick 3 Ingredient Thanksgiving Dinner Side Dish

A Simple Ambrosia

A Simple Ambrosia

Add a quick and really simple Ambrosia to any holiday dinner menu – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July.

It can not be any easier than combining:

1 – 15 ounce can of chilled fruit cocktail with the juices drained

1 – 16 ounce container of cold sour cream

1 – 16 ounce bag of mini-marshmallows.

Stir to coat all ingredients evenly, then serve.

 

More Holiday Dinner Recipes:

Gravy From Scratch ,

Homemade Stuffing ,

Moist Turkey Recipe,

Cranberry Relish,

Green Bean Casserole,

Sweet Potato Casserole,

Parker House Dinner Rolls,

Shopping List For Thanksgiving Dinner

Green Bean Casserole Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Side Dish

French's Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

French’s Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole recipe uses French’s Cheddar Flavor French Onions and an extra zip from A-1 steak sauce. Serves 10-12 people each one half cup servings.  It has the absolute best flavor.

List of Ingredients

Two 16 ounce bags of fresh frozen cut green beans, cooked to your preference or 4 cans of cut green beans(drained).

Two cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup

One soup can of water

One large can of French’s Cheddar Flavor French Fried Onions

One Tbsp soy sauce

One Tbsp A-1 Steak Sauce

One Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Fresh Frozen Green Beans

Instructions for preparation:

Cook the frozen green beans.  Typical 1000 watt microwave cooking time is 15 minutes on high from frozen.  Cooking time vary. Test beans to assure they are fork tender. An equal amount of canned beans can be substituted.

In a covered casserole, large enough to hold the ingredients, empty the contents of the condensed soup using only one can of water for the two cans.  For a creamier gravy, use whole milk or half and half.

Add the Worcestershire, A-1, and soy sauces

Stir in the beans to evenly coat them with soup gravy

Mix in half of the can of Cheddar French onions.

French's cheddar-fried-onions

Cover the casserole and bake 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  After thirty minutes remove the lid and spread the remaining french onions on top of the casserole.  Return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the french onions just begin to brown.

Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes, then serve.

More Thanksgiving Day Dinner Recipes:

Gravy From Scratch,

Homemade Stuffing ,

Moist Turkey Recipe,

Ambrosia,

Cranberry Relish,

Sweet Potato Casserole,

Parker House Dinner Rolls,

Shopping List For Thanksgiving Dinner