I’ll admit I’m not a huge Thanksgiving person. It’s not my favorite menu, I don’t understand why it’s mid-week, and it always feels so forced. For the last two years we’ve left town for Thanksgiving. Last year we went to Washington DC and this year we’re headed to New Orleans.

But I know loads of people love this holiday and all of the foods that go with it. So I’ve assembled my own versions of everything that’s good for the holiday and left off the gross stuff. Have a great holiday, however you choose to celebrate and check @Ali.hedin on Instagram if you want to see how I spend my random Thursday dinner in November.

Thanksgiving for two!

Rosemary Turkey Breast

an old school favorite

Vintage Cranberry Jello Salad

Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Cranberry Bliss Cookies

Cin cin

The perfect cocktail for the holiday

Set the kid’s table

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I’ve been making this cake for so long I was shocked that it wasn’t on the blog already! Whoops. This is going to be your new favorite cake. I like it for dinner parties because it’s not super heavy. But with the whipped cream and caramel, it’s EPIC.

I use the Salted Caramel in a squeeze from Whole Foods. You can make your own or use your favorite, but it’s the simplest way to impress at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any dinner party.

Pear Caramel Cake

serves 4-6

½ cup butter, room temperature

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sour cream

1 cup sliced pear

¼ cup turbinado sugar

caramel sauce for serving

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9” round pan. Cream together butter and white sugar until light and fluffy.

            ½ cup butter

            1 cup white sugar

STEP 2

Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined.

            2 eggs

            1 teaspoon vanilla

STEP 3

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

            1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

            1 teaspoon baking powder

            ¼ teaspoon salt

STEP 4

Alternate adding dry ingredients and sour cream starting and ending with dry ingredients.  Add the flour in two batches with the sour cream added in between.  Gently fold in fruit.  

            ½ cup sour cream

          1 cup sliced pears

STEP 5

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top.  Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.  

To serve, top with whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of caramel.

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Have you ever had the Cranberry Bliss Bar at Starbucks? I resisted for years because it did not look delicious, but oh boy was I wrong. Cranberry Bliss Bars are SO GOOD. It’s dried cranberries, white chocolate, cream cheese and a cookie layer which meant it was perfect to turn into a cookie!

I made these and ate quite a few immediately. Then I froze a bunch of them to see what happened. They were perfect! Which means you can make these cookies today - freeze them - and defrost them in time for Thanksgiving. Or Christmas. Or a Tuesday board meeting - which is what I will take them too :)

Cranberry Bliss Cookies

makes 2 dozen

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

12 ounces white chocolate chips

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together shortening and sugars. Whip in eggs and vanilla and blend until smooth and fluffy.

STEP 2

Combine all dry ingredients and add them to the stand mixer. Blend them together slightly.

STEP 3

Pour in the chocolate and cranberries and blend until the batter is totally mixed. Scoop on baking sheets and bake 12 minutes until browned. Let cool on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

STEP 4

Warm cream cheese in the microwave for a few seconds until soft. Whisk in powdered sugar. Drizzle the top of cooled cookies.

Eat immediately or store in an airtight container for up to one week.

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If you’ve had happy hour at Jak’s bar, then you know all about the crispy brussels sprouts with bacon. These are an epic recreation of those. Being able to make them at home is a blessing (brussels sprouts are healthy!) and a curse (you will eat them all the time).

This is the perfect Thanksgiving side. The oven will already be hot so all you need to do is make the bacon and pop them in the oven. Literally, it’s a half hour tops and they’re done.

Crispy Bacon Brussels Sprouts

1 pound brussels sprouts, sliced thin

4 slices bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Balsamic glaze for serving

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large cast iron skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel to cool.

STEP 2

Toss the brussels sprouts with olive oil and corn starch until coated. Pour them into the cast iron skillet and toss in the bacon grease gently.

STEP 3

Pop the pan into the hot oven and let roast in one thin layer for about 15 minutes. When they are starting to get brown and crispy, toss and give it another 5 minutes in the oven.

STEP 4

Chop the bacon and toss with the sprouts. Drizzle a little balsamic glaze over the sprouts and serve hot!

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It’s an epic debate in every household - canned cranberries or fresh? Our house does both and we get made fun of by the fresh contingent that we love our jellied cranberries. Those of us that love the canned berries can’t believe you’d choose cranberries over a vintage, retro, delicious jello dish!

Making your own canned cranberries is maybe the best of both worlds. It’s jello. But it’s also homemade. You can add any flavors you prefer into this. I like the brightness of the lemon and the texture of the pineapple. Jello salad with no texture is just a giant jello jiggler.

Cranberry Jello Mold

4 cups 100% cranberry juice, divided

4 envelopes plain gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

8 ounces crushed pineapple

STEP 1

Pour one cup of cranberry juice in a bowl and sprinkle the top with the gelatin. Try to get all of it touching the liquid. Let it sit until the gelatin looks like it’s absorbed the liquid.

STEP 2

Bring the remaining juice to a simmer on the stove with the sugar. Pour the hot juice over the gelatin and whisk until combined. Stir in the pineapple and lemon zest.

STEP 3

Spray down a bundt pan, a jello mold, or a circular bowl with spray oil. Pour in the cranberry mixture and carefully transfer to the fridge. Let sit for 24 hours.

STEP 4

To unmold the jello, fill a large bowl or a small sink with hot water - just three to four inches deep with water. Dip the mold into the water to warm up the jello. Invert the jello onto a plate and serve!

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This cocktail is the equivalent of an apple picking adventure at a pumpkin patch while riding on a hay ride. It’s all fall. There can’t possibly be flavors that more embody fall than fresh apple cider and bourbon.

This is a version of a Manhattan cocktail, only adding in fresh apple cider. Get it, the Big Apple?!? I know, corny. But so totally no the nose, you can’t help but love it. The bourbon, vermouth and bitters are the so good with the fresh cider.

Fresh cider is critical here. You can find it almost anywhere - even Tree Top juice makes a version of a fresh cider that’s worthy of this cocktail. Just please don’t use apple juice. Gross.

The Big Apple

2 ounces apple cider

1 ounce bourbon (or rye)

1/2 ounce red vermouth

a dash of bitters

STEP 1

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and shake!

STEP 2

Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice and serve with a wedge of apple. Cin cin!

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I think most of us cook a turkey for the left overs. I know I do! I’m not a huge fan of regular turkey dinner, but post turkey dinner - picking on the bird, mashed potato patties with an egg on top - that’s the best part.

This chowder is a great use of the left over turkey meat. I use all new vegetables to make it, but if you roasted potatoes, you can throw those in instead of chopping up new ones! And don’t forget the extra sage - it makes a world of difference.

Turkey Chowder

serves 4

2 carrots, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

2 cups chopped russet potatoes

6 cups chicken stock (or turkey stock)

4 sprigs sage leaves

4 cups turkey meat

STEP 1

In a large stock pot, cook down onion, carrot and celery with garlic until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

STEP 2

Add the chopped potatoes and cook another 3-5 minutes to soften the potatoes. Add the stock and sage leaves. Bring to a boil.

STEP 3

Reduce the heat and stir regularly until the potatoes are tender and falling apart. Add the turkey, stir, and simmer low until the turkey is warmed through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

STEP 4

Serve hot with left over Thanksgiving rolls!

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When I was little we never separated into kids table/adults table.  We sat at one extremely long table with all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and random friends that someone showed up with.  And we ate.  If there is one thing that my family has always done well, it's eat.

But I love the concept of a table filled with fun.  And fun things to do.  And fun.  There's a chance I will turn the entire table into a 'kid's table' this year.  I'm sort of smitten with the idea.

In case you are smitten too, here's what I did:

1. Covered the table with kraft paper.  You can draw on it and when you are done it's compostable {at least the kind I bought is compostable}

2. Drew on placemats and place cards.  Black pen = outlines for coloring everything else.

3. Created snack cornucopias out of ice cream cones.  Here's how to do it ::  dip the base of the cone in water for 20 seconds.  microwave the cone for 20 seconds.  bend the cone around a pencil and let sit until hard.  Stale cones work best.

4. Printed out games and activities to play.

5. Made play dough.  Arguably, you can buy it too.  But more fun to make it.

6.  Made handprint turkeys with the little turkeys.  Easy, trace their hand, cut it out, glue on.  Let them cut it out.

7.  Apple juice in milk jars = happy little hands.

Links:

Julie Blanner’s Word Search Printable

Somewhat Simple’s Thankful for Printable Cards

Playdoh Recipe from I Heart Naptime

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Turkey is not my favorite food. I actually never choose it and if Thanksgiving is mine to cook, then turkey is not on the menu. But my daughter likes it - or at least the idea of the tradition of Thanksgiving turkey. So every year I cook a turkey breast. My daughter loves it. AND cooking the breast is a great choice because it can’t dry out as easily. So all of the draw backs of turkey are mitigated when cooking is confined to the best part of the bird. It’s also great because a turkey breast cooks loads faster than a whole bird so you can easily cook it on a weeknight.

Rosemary Roasted Turkey Breast 

with cranberry couscous

Serves 4

½ cup Butter, room temperature

2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves

4 lb bone in Turkey breast

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 sliced onion

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups couscous

1 cup dried cranberries

4 sprigs fresh thyme

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbs champagne vinegar

salt & pepper

STEP 1 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Soften butter and combine with rosemary, salt, pepper, and Dijon.  

STEP 2

Rub butter mixture over the turkey breast.

STEP 3

Sear turkey in a pan, butter side down, until the skin is brown and crispy.  Pop turkey into the oven and bake until thermometer reads 160 degrees.  Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

STEP 4

In a stock pan, brown onions in 2 tbs olive oil until soft.  

STEP 5

Add 2 cups chicken stock to the onions and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat

STEP 6

Stir couscous, cranberries and thyme into the couscous. Cover and let rest five minutes.

STEP 7

When couscous has absorbed all of the liquid, fluff with a fork, toss with olive oil and vinegar.  Serve with sliced turkey.

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The perfect seasonal cocktail. Literally. The combination of honey, sage, orange, and bourbon create a seasonal flavor that’s perfect. It’s like what you wish those candles at Bath and Bodyworks actually smelled like.

TURKEY TAIL

serves 2

STEP 1

In a saucepan combine honey, water and sage leaves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and stir until combined.  Let cool.

STEP 2

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine bourbon and 1/2 oz sage syrup.  Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.  

STEP 3

Serve with a sprig of fresh sage and a round of orange.

4 oz bourbon

½ cup honey

½ cup water

8-12 sprigs sage leaves

1 orange sliced