Turkey Day Secrets: Bacon, Butter & Bourbon
Thanksgiving has deliciously come and gone, and that only means we are officially in the Holiday season! Time to get out the Christmas tree, spend a cold Saturday stringing lights and pile just a few too many naughty things into your mouth this Christmas Season. Every year my husband, myself and the kids make a feast to serve a lifetime. We stick to the classics of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, salad, rolls- however, we never let it stay too classy. Each year I try to incorporate three special ingredients into most of our Thanksgiving dishes. I mean, it is the season to be a little naughty now isn't it? So here it is; bacon, butter and bourbon.
It may sound a little wild, but believe me nothing has tasted more like the holidays than a spiked pumpkin cheese cake, a shot of vanilla bourbon in your cranberry sauce and an extra scoop of buttery bacon on your maple glazed sweet potatoes. Now, I've got your attention. Fattening and ridiculous-yes, but incredible and worth the nap following- YES. I've done my fair share of not eating what I want this year to splurge for one, (maybe three) days this season. And I do mean splurge!
There are hundreds of ways to make a turkey. Some do a traditional roast in the oven, basted and all. Some fry the entire turkey for a crispy turkey bark. My husband's favorite idea is to smoke the turkey, which of course takes 10-15 hours on a tended wood fire, but to each his own.
Bourbon
Now I'll tell you this. My husband's kids don't like trying too many new things. There are a laundry list of ingredients they don't even dare touch, or anything containing so much as a glimpse of them inside! A crazy assortment of tomatoes, beans, mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup- or of course any foreign object, condiment, staple or sauce. With that being said, I somehow convinced both kids AND my husband to try a little taste of this year's cranberry sauce and much to my surprise some even had SECONDS. I'm sure you are thinking "but it has alcohol!" blah, blah. I'll start by assuring you that this recipe is child safe. In this recipe you boil the bourbon into the cranberries as a reduction, so there is nothing to worry about. Except of course, eating too much sugar.
Devil's Cut Vanilla Cranberry Sauce
1 (12 ounce) Bag Fresh Cranberries
3/4 Cup Stevia (or Splenda- or of course sugar)
1 Cup Water
1 Shot Jim Beam Devil's Cut Bourbon
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
In a medium saucepan, add cranberries, sweetener, water, bourbon and vanilla. Gently swirl ingredients and let rest for about 5 minutes until sweetener has dissolved and ingredients have married. Place pot over high heat and bring cranberries to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes and reduce to low heat. Stir occasionally and let cook for about 15 minutes until cranberries have turned into a slightly chunky sauce. I like to keep a little texture in this sauce, versus a puree. Remove from heat, place in a serving dish and serve warm or cold.
(About 10 Servings)
Bacon & Butter
Nothing seems complete in my house for the holidays if it is not drowning in butter and covered in some sort of bacon. Call me crazy, but I just love the results! This year, with both my husband and I working in the kitchen for Thanksgiving, no dish got passed us that didn't contain bacon, butter OR both. Each year I leave my husband in charge of the turkey, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy and stuffing. So naturally, he made an apple bacon & butter Stuffing. Don't think that lacked the traditional celery, bread, sausage or onion- it had all of the above and man, was it on point!
Sausage Apple & Bacon Stuffing
10 Slices Bread (I used Honey Wheat), Cubed
1 Pound Ground Pork, Cooked and Drained
1/2 Package Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Crumbled
2 Gala Apples, Peeled, Cored and Julianed
6 Stalks Celery, Peeled and Sliced
1 White Onion, Minced
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Season Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Fennel
1/2 Cup Butter, Melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an extra-large mixing bowl add bread cubes. Add crumbled pork, apple wood bacon crumbles, julianed apples, celery cubes and white onion. Mix together with a spoon or spatula. Season entire stuffing with salt, season salt, pepper and fennel. Gently stir. Drizzle melted butter over entire contents and toss until ingredients are thoroughly coated. Divide stuffing into two equal bowls. Stuff half into turkey and bake as directed. For remaining stuffing, let sit, covered for 30 minutes before baking. Place in an oven-safe casserole dish and into preheated oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the center is warm and the top, browned. Remove from heat and serve warm.
(About 18 Servings)
⇨ Dont Forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter. Click the links below to follow more Holiday Inspired Recipes!
It may sound a little wild, but believe me nothing has tasted more like the holidays than a spiked pumpkin cheese cake, a shot of vanilla bourbon in your cranberry sauce and an extra scoop of buttery bacon on your maple glazed sweet potatoes. Now, I've got your attention. Fattening and ridiculous-yes, but incredible and worth the nap following- YES. I've done my fair share of not eating what I want this year to splurge for one, (maybe three) days this season. And I do mean splurge!
There are hundreds of ways to make a turkey. Some do a traditional roast in the oven, basted and all. Some fry the entire turkey for a crispy turkey bark. My husband's favorite idea is to smoke the turkey, which of course takes 10-15 hours on a tended wood fire, but to each his own.
Bourbon
Now I'll tell you this. My husband's kids don't like trying too many new things. There are a laundry list of ingredients they don't even dare touch, or anything containing so much as a glimpse of them inside! A crazy assortment of tomatoes, beans, mustard, mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup- or of course any foreign object, condiment, staple or sauce. With that being said, I somehow convinced both kids AND my husband to try a little taste of this year's cranberry sauce and much to my surprise some even had SECONDS. I'm sure you are thinking "but it has alcohol!" blah, blah. I'll start by assuring you that this recipe is child safe. In this recipe you boil the bourbon into the cranberries as a reduction, so there is nothing to worry about. Except of course, eating too much sugar.
Devil's Cut Vanilla Cranberry Sauce
1 (12 ounce) Bag Fresh Cranberries
3/4 Cup Stevia (or Splenda- or of course sugar)
1 Cup Water
1 Shot Jim Beam Devil's Cut Bourbon
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
In a medium saucepan, add cranberries, sweetener, water, bourbon and vanilla. Gently swirl ingredients and let rest for about 5 minutes until sweetener has dissolved and ingredients have married. Place pot over high heat and bring cranberries to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes and reduce to low heat. Stir occasionally and let cook for about 15 minutes until cranberries have turned into a slightly chunky sauce. I like to keep a little texture in this sauce, versus a puree. Remove from heat, place in a serving dish and serve warm or cold.
(About 10 Servings)
Nothing seems complete in my house for the holidays if it is not drowning in butter and covered in some sort of bacon. Call me crazy, but I just love the results! This year, with both my husband and I working in the kitchen for Thanksgiving, no dish got passed us that didn't contain bacon, butter OR both. Each year I leave my husband in charge of the turkey, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy and stuffing. So naturally, he made an apple bacon & butter Stuffing. Don't think that lacked the traditional celery, bread, sausage or onion- it had all of the above and man, was it on point!
Sausage Apple & Bacon Stuffing
10 Slices Bread (I used Honey Wheat), Cubed
1/2 Package Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Crumbled
2 Gala Apples, Peeled, Cored and Julianed
6 Stalks Celery, Peeled and Sliced
1 White Onion, Minced
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons Season Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Tablespoon Fennel
1/2 Cup Butter, Melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an extra-large mixing bowl add bread cubes. Add crumbled pork, apple wood bacon crumbles, julianed apples, celery cubes and white onion. Mix together with a spoon or spatula. Season entire stuffing with salt, season salt, pepper and fennel. Gently stir. Drizzle melted butter over entire contents and toss until ingredients are thoroughly coated. Divide stuffing into two equal bowls. Stuff half into turkey and bake as directed. For remaining stuffing, let sit, covered for 30 minutes before baking. Place in an oven-safe casserole dish and into preheated oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the center is warm and the top, browned. Remove from heat and serve warm.
(About 18 Servings)
⇨ Dont Forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter. Click the links below to follow more Holiday Inspired Recipes!
Blog, Photos & all Recipes Copyright ©Amorie Keys, 2014 . Recipe inspired by ©Betty Crocker Snickerdoodle Recipe. (©Honey, I'm Home, & ©Leftover Legacies, ©Humbly Homemade, ©Broke Momma Cooks). All Photos and recipes are subject to copyright. Follow Honey, I'm Home on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter.
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