GOBBLE GOBBLE: Mashed Potatoes 2.0

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, it is never complete without a heaping side of mashed potatoes. There is nothing like a bite of turkey followed by that smooth, creamy, delicious taste of mashed potatoes. I am a purist when it comes to mashed potatoes half and half some butter and finish off with a little salt and pepper action. Why fix what isn't broken right? But I do know that some of you out there may want a change this year. Here are some simple additions to kick up your mashed potatoes this year that is guaranteed to keep your taste buds satisfied.

1.) Creamy Roasted Garlic

Simply take a whole bulb (not a clove) of garlic and wrap it in some foil with some olive oil and throw it in the oven and roast at 250 degrees for about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven's settings. Definitely keep an eye on it. After it's done simply smash it up and add it to your mashed potatoes along with some heavy cream instead of milk or half and half, butter, a touch of sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that when you roast the garlic it will shrink not only in size but as well as flavor potency so you may need to roast more than one bulb to really bring out that roasted garlic flavor. I also wouldn't kiss anyone after eating this.

2.) Parmesan Cheese

After mixing in the traditional mashed potato ingredients with the exception of salt add some Parmesan cheese to your desire. This tends to work better when the mashed potatoes are nice and warm. This way the cheese will melt nicely and keep the consistency smooth (unless you prefer a little chunkiness). Taste before adding any additional salt since the cheese is already very salty on its own. Since it is Thanksgiving splurge a little and get the real stuff. It tastes so much better and you can save the rind for soups later on.

3.) Cream Cheese and Chives

With all the traditional ingredients added stir in some room temperature cream cheese and some chives. Mix well and top with more chives for garnish. With the cream cheese it isn't necessary to add butter, DO NOT USE CHIVE CREAM CHEESE I know it sounds stupid but the flavor is not the same.

4.) Caramelized Onion

This is one that I have recently made and was very surprised at how well it turned out. It is definitely for those who want to be a little ballsy. To caramelize the onions, slice them really thin and cook them over medium low hear stirring occasionally so the onions don't burn. Once the onions become translucent add some sugar (I prefer light brown sugar to really get that caramelized color and flavor). Keep cooking until your onions turn a nice brown color (NOT BURNED!!!). Afterwards add a dash of red wine or your favorite stock to scrape the bits from the bottom of the pan (DO NOT COVER THE ONIONS IN LIQUID) and add the onion mixture to a blender and puree. Please be careful and let the onions cool down before putting it into the blender.It should come out in a thin paste consistency. Add the paste into your mashed potatoes.

GOBBLE GOBBLE: Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

Welcome back to GOBBLE GOBBLE my annual Thanksgiving recipe series. This year to kickoff the series I wanted to share with you all a delicious take on the all time traditional Thanksgiving side dish... cranberry sauce. Great with turkey, on top of ice cream or just by itself! (DISCLAIMER: Please keep in mind that some of my recipes don't have exact measurements and no worries even without the measurements these recipes are so easy you can't possibly mess it up.)

You will need

Cranberries

White granulated sugar (1 cup of sugar per 1 cup of liquid)

Orange (1 per lb of cranberries, about 1/4 of the juice)

Finely grated ginger (powered will work as well, about 2 teaspoons per 1 lb of cranberries)

A liquid of your choice (cranberry juice, apple juice, or water)

Dark rum (2 teaspoons per lb of cranberries or more if you like, for kids you can opt out of this but the alcohol will cook out so worries)

How to make:

1. Juice the orange and keep the peels

2. In a large pot combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange peels, sugar, ginger and rum

3.Pour in your choice of liquid (just make sure there is just enough to cover the ingredients do not over fill)

4. Cover and slowly simmer until the cranberries have soften and popped.

5. Continue to cook until you get a gel sauce like consistency

6. If your sauce is too thin drain some of the liquid, if too thick add more liquid and simmer 

7. Once cooled it will be ready to serve

ENJOY!!!

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GOBBLE GOBBLE Tips & Tricks for a Delicious & Easy Thanksgiving

Tip & Trick #1- BRINE THAT BIRD!!!

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Brining is an extremely popular cooking technique that treats meats especially poultry like turkey, by seeping  the meat in a brine mixture (usually just salt and cold water) it not only flavors the bird but also helps keep its moisture. It is a technique that tends to show up a lot during the holidays especially Thanksgiving. While popular it isn't a technique many people are fond of because of the extra time it takes however this one little extra step will ensure you and your family a perfectly cooked bird.

The brine in the brining process is usually just a mixture of salt and water, however over the years this has changed. Now and days people add herbs, spices, whatever they really like in order to flavor and keep their meat moist and juicy. The brining process does take some time usually 12-24 hours before the meat is cooked. To make it a bit simpler for you guys here is a quick trick: Put your turkey in a large pot or brining bag (you can get this at grocery stores) and pour in Italian Dressing, yes Italian Dressing and then poor enough cold water to cover the bird. Put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight. The next day take your bird out rinse under cold water and then pat dry with paper towels (You don't want any water on the bird before you cook it otherwise the skin won't crisp up). You can add whatever other seasonings you like to your bird at this point. Italian dressing is basically just oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and spices basically what you usually add to a brine so instead of getting your hands all dirty and having to buy and put in every ingredient separately, all you need is a couple bottles of Italian Dressing. It usually takes around 2 bottles of dressing for a 16 pound bird but you can adjust accordingly to your tastes.

Tip & Tricks #2- COOK/ PREPARE SIDES AHEAD OF TIME

To save you guys from stress and agony when it comes time to cooking Thanksgiving dinner this tip will sure keep you happy. Certain side dishes like cranberry sauce and pie can be cooked ahead of time and kept in the fridge for when you need it. You can also partially boil your potatoes the night before and finish cooking them the morning off. This usually saves you a good amount of time between making everything else. Another thing you can prepare are your casseroles. You can either mix the ingredients together and set aside for it to be cooked on Thanksgiving day or make and cook ahead of time and them freeze them and just heat them up when it comes time to serving. The only thing you should be stressed about is the bird and not the side dishes.

Tip & Trick #3- PREMADE IS OKAY!!!

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No matter if you are a professional chef or a home cook we always need a bit of help. There is no shame in buying dishes pre-prepared for you especially if you have a big family to serve. Stores these days can cook up a whole Thanksgiving dinner so don't fret if there are one or two things you just don't have time to make. Plan out your dinner and for the dishes you simply don't have the time to make and your relatives are just to lazy to help save yourself the stress and go to a store and just order your dishes for the people there to make. You can always pass it off as your own, I won't say anything ;)

And lastly just enjoy. As cliche as it sounds holidays are a time to get together with love ones whom we don't get to see as often due to the stress of our everyday busy busy lives. So try not to stress and make sure you end up in a food coma with a food baby at the end of the day!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!