A Thanksgiving Menu for Minimal Day-Of Cooking (Plus a Recipe for Sausage Stuffing)
I hosted Thanksgiving last year, and boy, do I have regrets. I wanted to wow my family with a bountiful homemade spread (apps, sides, entrees and dessert) - but when dinner time arrived, I was too exhausted to eat or enjoy the company.
Enter ICE's team of expert Chef-Instructors. They are a combination of kitchen mentor and supportive right-hand, and luckily, not just for students.
In the context of Thanksgiving, this means helping you cook the holiday dinner of your dreams without the associated stress and frustration. Think bold, abundant and flavorful (minus the full-day cooking frenzy and frantic dash to get dishes on the table).
ICE recipes to add to your holiday menu.
Here are a few dishes that reflect the joyful Thanksgiving day preparation described above:
- One appetizer to rule them all: Wheel away your worries with a Baked Brie Cheese from Director of Education Hervé Guillard. This set-it-and-forget-it starter can be adorned with whatever’s in your fridge: caramelized onions, hot honey, fruit jams and cranberry relish.
- The main event: Try Lead Chef-Instructor Shawn Matijevich'sCartoon-Style Turkey “Leg” Roast. This one will take time, but you'll be rewarded with serious wow factor. Plus, all the components can be prepped two to three days ahead.
- For dessert: A decadent holiday cookie spread is easily within reach using this guide, from former Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Kierin Baldwin, which manipulates a single cookie dough base to create multiple variations: Three Doughs, Nine Holiday Cookie Recipes.
This, of course, leaves the sides (which many argue are the best parts of the meal).
Central to those sides is stuffing. Former Culinary Arts Chef-Instructor Leif Evans has you covered with his sweet-and-savory cornbread stuffing. It starts with homemade cornbread (no shade to store-bought) mixed with sausage, sautéed vegetables, and fresh herbs like sage, parsley and thyme.
How to make this cornbread, sausage and sage stuffing.
“This was a recipe my grandmother used to make,” says Chef Leif. Here are few pointers from the chef for making this time-tested side:
- Make sure not to overcook the cornbread because it will be baked again in the stuffing.
- Use a 9-inch square pan for the stuffing so it’s on the thicker side.
- Make it one to two days in advance: “Pull the stuffing out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature so it does not go into the oven ice cold. If it’s not cold, it should reheat in about 30 minutes. If it’s getting too much color, cover it with foil and let it [cook] until heated through,” he says.
For those seeking a meatless meal, check out:
With just a little planning, a delicious holiday meal is within reach. Get the recipe for Chef Leif’s cornbread stuffing below. It makes for a fabulous turkey day side or a cozy meal any time of the year.
Ingredients
Cornbread:
1½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, room temperature
3 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lard
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
3 ribs celery, diced
2 small or 1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 fresh sage leaves, minced
¼ bunch parsley, minced
10-12 springs of thyme, picked
1 cornbread round
1-1½ quarts chicken stock
Directions
Cornbread:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place a 10-inch cast-iron pan in oven 8-10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter.
- Whisk in eggs one at a time.
- Mix in buttermilk and cornmeal until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
- Mix dry ingredients into cornmeal batter. Do not overmix.
- Carefully remove cast-iron from oven and add lard, swirling to coat entire pan.
- Pour in batter and place pan onto a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in oven and bake 30-35 minutes. (A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. If it doesn't, return cornbread to oven for a few more minutes.)
- Turn cornbread out of pan and place on cooling rack until fully cooled.
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a sauté pan, brown sausage meat. Remove sausage (leaving sausage renderings) from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté celery and onion until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add minced garlic and cook a few minutes.
- Remove sautéed vegetables from pan and combine with sausage, then add sage, parsley and thyme. Break cornbread into medium chunks and combine with mixture.
- Add chicken stock a little at a time, mixing continuously, until you reach your desired moisture level. Stop adding stock when mixture starts making a “flop flop” sound while being mixed. Adjust seasoning as desired.
- Pour mixture into 9’’ casserole dish and bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve hot.
