Thanksgiving Favorites

With Thanksgiving just under a week away, are you still scrambling to finish that menu? Maybe you host so have all the things to prep and do...or maybe you're a guest but still need to bring a dish. Let me share a few of our family favorites to help you out!

Cold Appetizer: Now this one may not be for everyone but our family usually doesn't go a holiday without my grandma's signature Deviled Eggs. My grandma passed the recipe down to my mom who passed it down to my sisters and I, and luckily since it is so simple- it always comes out great! Just a few ingredients and a few steps, but my personal tips are what make it a crowd pleaser! 

Step 1: Boiling Your Eggs. Now this seems simple enough but there's so many little hacks to make it simpler-

1. Fill your pot with water high enough to cover all eggs. Add a couple drops of vinegar to the water. This helps reduce the eggs from cracking when added to the water and if they do crack, reduces the whites from escaping out of the shell.

2. Turn the stove to high to boil the water. Add the eggs after the water is a rolling boil.

3. Boil for 13 minutes. This is where you'll have to adjust according to your stove and cookware but on my stove, with my pot, it is a solid 13 minutes.

4. Remove eggs into a bowl and rinse under cold water until they are cool to the touch. *Letting your eggs cool for a bit is best for easier peel with less whites breaking. If you’re able to boil them the night before and let them sit in the fridge overnight, that’s always a good option.

*When choosing how many eggs to boil, I usually count 1 egg per person plus 2-3. 1 egg = 2 servings and  then there are a few extra in case any of your eggs break during boiling or rip during building.

Step 2: Peeling Your Eggs. I've heard lots of people swear by an InstaPot to get the shells right off, but without one, I go the old fashioned route.

1. Once eggs are cooled, cover them with water in any bowl with a lid.

2. Cover the bowl tightly and shake vigorously. I often shake over my sink just in case the lid comes loose.

3. When you open the lid, your egg shells should be falling off. If you have a large batch, you may need to pull out the eggs that are peeling on their own, re-cover and shake any that didn’t get their shell loosened.

4. Pull the shells right off, rinse any excess pieces of shell and towel dry on a paper towel.

Step 3: Now for the insides. Grab your ingredients and get ready to build!

Ingredients:

• Prepped Eggs

• Miracle Whip (this is important, you’ll be missing some of the important flavor profiles if you do regular mayo. If you don’t like Miracle Whip then maybe this recipe isn’t for you.)

• White Vinegar

• Yellow Mustard

• Salt and Pepper

• Paprika

1. Using a sharp yet not serrated edge blade, cut the eggs in half lengthwise. A great egg will have the yolk in the center but that doesn’t always happen and there’s really no way to avoid it. You may have some eggs rip if the yolk is close to the edge. You can scrap those or use them to taste test.

2. Scoop out the yolk and throw them in a separate bowl. Once the egg whites are empty, I will clean and dry them a little more with a dry paper towel and then place on whatever plate or dish I will serve them on.

3. In the bowl with the yolks, add 2 heaping tablespoons of Miracle Whip per every 6 eggs (12 halves); add a heavy drizzle of mustard; add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar per 6 eggs; salt and pepper to taste.

4. Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients together as smooth as possible. Once visible chunks are gone, taste test to check creaminess of mixture. Add more of any ingredient to your taste liking. This is where any broken whites can come in handy for some taste testing. Dip in pieces of the broken whites to check the complete flavors together.

5. Once mixture is ready, scoop into your Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the corner to create your homemade piping bag. Then pipe into each egg in a circular motion to look like a pro!

6. Final step, add a sprinkle of Paprika for color.

And there you have it, Grandma's Eggs. Family recipe, probably not groundbreaking- maybe similar to how you know it. But nonetheless- classic, delicious, and our family fave.

Hot Appetizer: This is another all time favorite at all family celebrations. Simple, quick and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

• Heinz Chili Sauce
• Hormel Canned Chili (NO BEANS!)
• Philadelphia Cream Cheese Brick
• Your favorite tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. In a mixing bowl combine 1 tbsp of chili sauce, 1 can of chili, and 1 brick of cream cheese. Double if you have a large group.
3. Mix with hand mixer for best results.
4. Place in oven for 35-45 minutes until edges are boiling and center is hot.
5. Serve while hot and enjoy! 

How simple was that?! No tricks or tips on that one except for making sure to serve hot! It's even a favorite with the kiddos.

Adult Beverage: Holidays are synonymous with hand crafted cocktails at our house and my husband has become known to be quite the mixologist winning last year's holiday drink competition with this one below!

Ingredients: 

• 1 oz Fresh lime juice. Seriously, you need to squeeze it at home.

• 1 tbsp Agave (simple syrup is an alternative but not his top pick).

• 2 oz Reposado Tequila or if you’re a smokey flavor fan you can use Mezcal.

• 1/2 Pureed avocado...think baby food texture.

• 1 oz Orange liquor (Cointreau is a good option).

• Garnishes: lime, salt, cilantro or mint leaves.

* His one take away on ingredients is to not cheap out. Quality ingredients make all the difference.

Directions:

1. You can juice the limes ahead of time. 2 to 1: tequila to lime juice so depending on how many you're making- keep that in mind as you juice away. 

2. Puree the avocado ahead of time but not too early otherwise they’ll oxidize.

3. Add all your liquid ingredients into a blender (something like a Bullet or shake blender).

4. Add 1 heaping spoonful of avocado puree for each drink you’re making.

5. Blend it together so the avocado doesn’t coagulate.

6. Rim your glass with salt and fill completely to the top with ice. [We use stemless short margarita glasses.]

7. Pour in your mixture and garnish with a lime and a rich herb leaf on top (like cilantro or mint) to elevate the aromatic senses as you sip. 

*Alternatives: you can also mix up your ingredients and puree cucumbers and/or strawberries for extra flavors.

While these may not be traditional Thanksgiving dishes, they're sure to be fan favorites to add to your menu! End of trying one this year? I'd love to hear how it went.