Is the traditional Thanksgiving meal something you look forward to or feel obligated to? Do you get tired of the same dishes year after year or since it is only once a year does the excitement still prevail? We can keep traditions while putting tiny little twists on the expected! This year, surprise family and guests with ideas they may be more thankful for than you realize!
Smoked Turkey
OK, most of us still want to see Thanksgiving turkey on the table but for this one you’ll turn off the oven and fire up the smoker! Make a turkey that’s “smokin’” in more ways than one! A slow-smoked bird is guaranteed to disappear faster than snowflakes in Georgia! Frying turkeys can be dangerous while smoking is safer and melt-in-your-mouth awesome! You can slide the pan of mac and cheese in with it for another new holiday taste sensation! Here’s how it’s done!
Ingredients
- 13-pound whole turkey (thawed)
- Mustard
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 24 ounces cola
- 1 large apple (quartered)
- 1 large onion (quartered)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Thaw your turkey.
- Remove neck and giblet package.
- Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
- Rub mustard, brown sugar, and minced garlic over the outside of the turkey, then sprinkle with seasoned salt or your choice of dry seasoning.
- Place in a large roasting pan or disposable aluminum pan.
- Stuff the cavity with a stick of butter, a Tablespoon each of garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Add 24 ounces of coca cola, a quartered apple, and a quartered onion.
- Cover loosely with foil and place in a 250-degree smoker with your favorite wood chips.
- Baste every 1-2 hours with pan juices.
- Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh…planning on 30 minutes per pound.
- Remove the turkey from smoker and allow to sit, covered with foil, for 10 minutes before slicing.
Dressed Up Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce straight from the can is likely loved or not liked at all, with little middle ground. Childhood normally says “no” and often those slightly bitter (literally) memories linger into adulthood. But if you take that wine-colored wonder and fluff it up, you’ll create an alternative that could be the new tradition!
Ingredients
- One 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 8-ounce can of undrained crushed pineapple
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups of mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Coarsely crush the cranberries in a food processor or blender.
- Mix berries with the sugar and pineapple.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add whipped cream, beating until stiff peaks form.
- Fold all ingredients together to create the magic.
- Cover in the refrigerator 3-4 hours, until set.
- This can even be made the day before to ease up your holiday!
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Pumpkin pie may sound like a holiday, Currier and Ives moment but honestly, how many really like pumpkin pie? Instead, you can have the same picture-perfect moment with a pumpkin dump cake, an alternative that will become the perfect home for the holiday dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée
- 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 (12.25 oz.) package spice cake mix
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for topping/garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice until combined and smooth.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Making even layers, sprinkle dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture.
- Sprinkle nuts over cake mix.
- Cut butter into thin slices and place on top of cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, until set in the center.
- Remove from oven and cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Thanksgiving Margarita
Whoever came up with passing coffee around with any dessert late in the evening must’ve been thinking decaf. Here’s a beautiful idea adults will love that will take the edge off instead of creating bedtime jitters!
Ingredients (per drink)
- 2 ounces 100% apple cider
- 2 oz pear juice
- 1½ oz gold tequila
- 1 oz Grand Mariner or orange liqueur
- Salt for glass
- Simple syrup to adhere salt to glass
- Lime wedges
- Ice
- Lime slice and cinnamon sticks for garnish
Instructions
- Pour a 1/4″ layer of salt on a small plate.
- Run a lime along the rim of your cocktail glass.
- Turn the glass upside down and gently press the rim into salt.
- Scoop ice into glass so that it is about half full and squeeze the rest of your lime wedge over the ice.
- Combine liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
- Strain ice and pour your Thanksgiving margarita into a prepared cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a whole cinnamon stick and lime or orange slice if desired.