Spiked Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and this year why not kick up the fun by infusing your holiday dishes with a little something extra! We talk a lot about food and wine pairings, but did you know that if it pairs well you can cook it right into the dish? We’re talking everything from bourbon to beer to biscuits and birds!

We’ve put together some of our favorites to help you add a splash of palate pizzazz to your plate!

Rosé Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups Rosé
• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 red pear
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 orange juiced
• 1 orange, zested

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, boil the Rosé and sugar together until sugar has dissolved.
2. Dice the pears and add them to the sugar, and gently boil for 3 minutes.
3. Add in the cranberries and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the berries have popped.
4. Add the orange juice and using an immersion blender, pulse until you have pureed ½ the mixture, you want some chunks still.
5. Stir in the orange zest and pomegranate seeds.
6. Chill completely and let rest for at least 3 hours to allow the flavors to come together.

Bourbon Corn Pudding

Ingredients

• 4 cups of corn (about 5-6 ears)
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup cornmeal
• ½ tsp salt
• A few good twists of a pepper mill
• ½  tsp rosemary seasoning
• 1 cup of milk
• ¼ cup bourbon
• ¼ cup honey
• 6 Tbsp butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and add the corn, cornmeal and seasonings. Mix until combined.
3. Stir in the bourbon, honey, butter and eggs. If the batter is too thick, add in a smidgen more of milk to make it pourable. Add the cheese.
4. Spread the batter in the baking dish and top off with some more cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The pudding will be golden, and the middle will be set when it is done.
5. Serve with the candied jalapenos!

Spiked & Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4–5 large sweet potatoes – peeled and diced
• kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter – divided
• ¼ cup bourbon
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• pepper
• 1 ½ cups halved pecans
• 1-2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Place sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring water to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer the potatoes for approximately 25 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and return to pot.
3. Add butter (minus 2 tablespoons) and bourbon while the potatoes are still hot. As you stir the potatoes, they will naturally mash. Add cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
4. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a serving dish. Set aside.
5. In a sauté pan, add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium heat. Add pecans and maple syrup. Cook until just incorporated.
6. Spoon the pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes and serve.

Bourbon Maple Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• ¾ cup whiskey
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tsp chopped dill (plus more for garnish)
• 1 ½ lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1. In a sauté pan, add the bourbon. Cook over medium-high heat until the bourbon has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper, chopped dill and carrots. Toss to combine.
3. Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots are tender but still have a nice snap.
4. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh dill and serve immediately.

Beer Glazed Bacon Green Beans

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 lbs French green beans
• ½ cup stout
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Using a cast iron skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and allow to cool, then chop.
2. Add the green beans to the hot skillet and sear until slightly browned.
3. Add the stout and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the beer is reduced and turned into a glaze, about 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Add salt and pepper to taste (depending on how salty the bacon is, more or less salt will be needed).
5. Sprinkle with chopped bacon.

Whiskey Glazed Turkey

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Turkey

• 1 (6.5 lb) turkey breast, bone in
• olive oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 lemon, cut in half on a diagonal
• 10-12 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• kosher salt
• ground white pepper
• onion powder
• ground chipotle
• 5-spice powder
• smoked paprika
• 2 wooden teriyaki sticks (or a handful of toothpicks)

Compound butter

(yields enough to have a lot extra. cut in 1/2 if using just for turkey)

• 1 lb. butter, softened
• 2 Tbls. whiskey
• 1 Tbls. grade B maple syrup
• 1 Tbls. 5-spice powder
• 1/4 tsp. star anise
• 1/4 tsp. ground clove
• 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

In the roasting pan

• 1 lemon, quartered
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6-8 whole star anise
• 1/2 cup Johnny Walker Black
• generous dash Tabasco
• 3 Tbls. dark soy sauce
• 2-3 cups water

Directions

1. Mix up the compound butter. (Add all the ingredients to 1 pound of softened butter. Mix well with a fork until uniform.) Set aside on the counter.
2. Set a v-shaped roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Preheat your oven to 345 degrees.
3. Grab your bird. Rinse him really well under cold water, then rub him with paper towels until he’s completely dry. Set him aside for a minute.
4. Peel and smash the garlic cloves with the flat of your knife.
5. Whack a lemon in half on the diagonal (more surface area).
6. Stud each half of the lemon with 5 or 6 whole cloves.
7. Stick half a cinnamon stick into each piece of lemon.
8. Drizzle a little olive oil on the inside of your bird.
9. Rub it around and sprinkle with a little kosher salt, ground white pepper, onion powder, ground chipotle, 5-spice powder, and smoked paprika. Rub that around to coat the inside.
10. Toss the smashed garlic into the cavity next. Then squeeze each lemon in and insert it into the cavity.
11. Grab the flaps on either side of the cavity and pin them closed with two wooden skewers. (If you don’t have skewers, get creative with toothpicks. They’ll work just fine.) Don’t seal it completely. You just want to hold it closed enough so that the lemons, etc., don’t fall out.
12. Flip your bird over. Gently loosen the skin from the bird. Pull up at the edge, then work your fingers under, separating the thin layer that holds the skin to the meat.
13. Grab a blob of your compound butter (be careful not to contaminate the whole bowl with your raw turkey paws). Lift up the skin and push the butter in underneath. Keep going until you have a good layer of butter under the skin on both sides. As long as you’re not making holes in the skin, there’s really no wrong way to do this. Basically, just get as much butter as you can under the skin. Next, rub some of the butter on the outside of the skin.
14. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, ground white pepper, onion powder, ground chipotle, 5-spice powder, and smoked paprika.
15. Set the bird on your roasting rack, breast side up.
16. Whack another lemon in quarters. Smash up 5 or 6 more cloves of garlic. Grab a small handful of star anise, and a cinnamon stick. Measure out the soy sauce and whiskey.
17. Strew the solids in the roasting pan around the bird.
18. Pour in the soy sauce-whiskey mixture.
19. Add enough water so that you have about a quarter-inch of liquid in the bottom of your pan. (How much you add will vary based on the size of your pan.)
20. Pop that sucker into your preheated 345-degree oven.
21. Roast for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until crispy, browned, and 160 degrees internal temp.
22. Baste the bird every half an hour with the liquid in the pan. Keep an eye on the turkey’s skin. If it starts to brown too much before it’s done, just slip a sheet of aluminum foil over him loosely.
23. He’s done when he registers 155-160 degrees on a meat thermometer (stick it in the fattest part of the breast and be sure not to hit a bone or you’ll get a false reading).
24. Remove him from the oven. Loosely tent a piece of foil over him for about 20 minutes, to let the juices settle into the meat.
25. Serve on a platter strewn with lemon quarters, cinnamon sticks, whole star anise, ground paprika, and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Buffalo Cheddar Beer Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

Cheddar Beer Bread

• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (12 ounce) beer
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1/4 tsp dried chives
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Stuffing

• 1 onion diced
• 2 large carrots peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
• 10 tablespoons butter divided
• 1 1/4 cups hot sauce I use Franks Red Hot
• 3 cup chicken broth or veggie broth
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsps seasoned salt
• 8 sliced cooked thick cut bacon crumbled (optional)
• 4 ounces blue cheese crumbled
• fresh cilantro chopped for garnish
• 4 green onions chopped, for garnish

Directions

Beer Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Add the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Pour in the beer and stir with a mixing spoon until just combined. Fold in the shredded cheddar cheese.
3. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top of the bread is lightly browned and the middle is set. Let the bread cool 30 minutes to an hour
4. In a small bowl combine the parsley, dill, chives, pepper and salt.
5. Cut the bread into one-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a lightly greased baking sheet and very lightly and carefully sprinkle/toss with the herbs.
6. Place in the oven and toast the bread for 8-10 minutes. You want the bread to get sort of stale and a little golden brown around the edges.
7. Remove and allow the bread to cool and then place the bread in a very large bowl.

Stuffing

1. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish (something a little larger or smaller also will work)
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and garlic. Sauté until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in the bowl with the bread.
3. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in the microwave and add the melted butter to a clean large bowl.
4. To the butter add the hot sauce, chicken broth, eggs and seasoned salt. Whisk to combine and then pour the mixture over the bread cubes and gently toss to coat.
5. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake 35-45 minutes or until just golden on top.
6. Remove and top the stuffing with crumbled bacon, blue cheese, cilantro (or parsley) and green onions.
7. Enjoy!

Hefeweizen Honey Rolls

Makes 16 Rolls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 envelope dry active yeast
• 5 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup wheat beer, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup honey
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temp

To Brush On Top:

• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp coarse salt

Directions

1. Add the cream to a microwave safe dish. Heat for 20 seconds, test temperature and repeat until cream is about 110 degrees. Add the yeast, set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. If the yeast does not foam, it isn’t good. Discard it and try again.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, salt and dry milk powder, mix until well combined.
3. Add the cream and the beer and mix until combined. It will look dry and shaggy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between additions.
5. Add the honey and butter and mix until the dough forms a smooth and shiny ball that isn’t sticky, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Coat the inside of large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball and add to prepared bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm room until doubled in size. This will take between 1 and 2 hours depending on the temperature of the room.
7. Punch the dough down and knead lightly for about 1 minute.
8. Cut the dough in half, then cut each half in half. You will now have 4 equal size pieces. Cut each piece in half to create 8 equal sized pieces. Cut each of those in half to give you 16.
9. Roll each piece of dough into balls, place into a baking dish with a bit of space between each roll (you might need two baking pans to accommodate 16 rolls).
10. Cover and allow to rise until about doubled in size.
11. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
12. Combine the melted butter and honey. Brush the top of the rolls with honey butter mixture, sprinkle with salt.
13. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.