With Thanksgiving a week away, it’s time to start preparing for the impending feasts as personnel around Naval District Washington (NDW) gather with family and friends around tables to give thanks and enjoy the holiday.
For those looking to shake up the recipes from the perennial favorites to culinary creativity, follow our delectable day-long meal plan for fresh holiday food ideas:
Breakfast
Mother O’s Breakfast Casserole
Start your day off with this hearty all-in-one breakfast dish from Olivia Hunter, NDW regional community service program manager:
Ingredients
1 can of canned biscuits
4-5 potatoes
1 green pepper
½ an onion
1 medium size container of soft cream cheese
2 breakfast sausages
3 eggs or egg substitute
Sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Fry the potatoes with green peppers and onions and set aside. Fry breakfast sausage, drain grease, and set aside. Shred cheddar and mix in with eggs in a separate bowl and set aside. Take 4-5 biscuits and flatten to cover the bottom of a bake pan to create crust. Then layer the following items over the biscuit dough: potatoes, soft cream cheese, sausage, potatoes, and finally, pour the egg/cheese mixture on top last. Bake at 375 until fully cooked.
The Main Meal
Perfect Bourbon-Maple Smoked Turkey
For a twist on the traditional turkey meal, uncover the barbecue grill and try out Naval Support Activity Washington Installation Safety Program Director George Revoir’s uniquely smoky flavored turkey creation:
Ingredients
1 thawed or fresh turkey
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
Salt (at least 2 cups)
Pepper
Your preferred brand of lump charcoal
Hickory wood chips or chunks, thoroughly water soaked to enhance smoking
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cup real maple syrup
Directions
Remove neck, giblets and excess fat from turkey. Make gravy from giblets and neck, if desired. Completely rinse turkey inside and out. Place turkey in large brining bag that will fit in your refrigerator. Create brine with two gallons water (or enough to cover turkey), two cups salt, one cup bourbon and 1/2 cup maple syrup. Refrigerate for at least four hours. Shake bag every couple hours to assure through soaking of bird. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and thoroughly pat dry. Add onion (sliced in half), garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf to inside of turkey. Season the inside with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with cooking string and twist wing tips under the back or cover with foil to prevent burning. Brush outside of turkey with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place a foil pan below the grate on one side of grill to catch drippings. To prevent excess smoke, fill it halfway with water. Using a chimney-style charcoal starter; fill with charcoal and ignite; once charcoal is ready for cooking place hot coals on left and right sides of pan. Drain water from wood chips and or hickory chunks (hickory chunks smolder longer and impart more smoked flavor. When lump charcoal is ash gray, add about one cup of wood chips to the fire. Place grate back on grill. Let preheat for about 10 minutes.
Arrange turkey on the grate, directly above the pan. Place lid on grill and cook turkey for approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound, until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Add additional wood chips and charcoal every 30 minutes or as needed. When done, transfer turkey to serving platter, cover with foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
Side Dishes
Mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy have earned their place at the Thanksgiving table over the years, but these side dishes will add some color and variety to your meal plan.
Arroz con Guandulez – Rice with Pigeon Peas
Alba Gonzalez, from NDW strategy and future requirements, said that while you may see cookies and egg nog at Latino holidays, Spanish rice is always a must-have.
Ingredients
1 lb. raw medium or long grain rice
1 15 oz. can gandules (pigeon peas)
2 1/2 tbsp. sofrito
2 envelopes sazón seasoning with achiote
2 tbsp. Manzanilla olives
1 1/2 tsp. capers
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
16 oz. water
Directions
Place the vegetable oil, sofrito, sazón with achiote, gandules, olives, capers, onion soup and tomato sauce in a big pot, mix well. Add rice to the other ingredients. Pour water over the ingredients and stir well. (Water should be about 1 inch above the ingredients). Boil on medium high until all the water is absorbed. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot with aluminum foil and lid. Cook for 35-40 minutes, depending on your stove.
Stuffed Belgian Endives
NDW Deputy Public Affairs Officer Chatney Auger offers a side dish with some international flair:
Ingredients
Two Belgian Endives (wash and pull apart) Pears Butter Maple or agave syrup Walnuts Goat cheese
Directions
Cut pears in cubes and sauté in butter until caramelized. Add a little bit of maple or agave syrup. Toast walnuts and chopped finely. Mix walnuts, pears and goat cheese and stuff in each endive leaf.
Delicious Dessert
For all you caffeine lovers out there, try out Shawn’s own Double-Shot Banana Bread for a savory seasonal dessert with a kick to keep you awake for afternoon football.
Ingredients
3 extra ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar (brown, white or mix—your choice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
Double shot of espresso
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mash bananas into a paste in a mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, stir soft butter and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt. Throw in a dash of nutmeg or allspice if you want a bit more fall spice. Combine butter/sugar mix into banana paste and stir well, adding in milk, vanilla extract and espresso. Add walnuts and chocolate chips, then stir in flour and spice mixture until well blended. Pour into a 9x5” loaf pan and bake for 75-90 minutes, or until a knife to the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Indulge in some extra sweetness and spice by enjoying your freshly baked banana bread with a mug of easy-to-make chaider. Simply heat up apple cider and drop in bagged or loose-leaf chai tea.
The Late Meal and Leftovers
Turkey sandwiches make easy post-Thanksgiving meals, but there’s much more you can make out of your leftovers.
Country Waffles with Turkey Gravy
That’s right; maple syrup shouldn’t have a monopoly on your waffles. Take any leftover gravy you have, heat it up and add in diced turkey chunks. Pour it over a stack of freshly made waffles for a hearty meal sure to warm you up on cold November days.
From everyone at NDW public affairs, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!