14Y Staff Recipes: Thanksgiving Edition

The 14th Street Y wishes you and your family a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! This year’s Thanksgiving will not be like previous years’ in that we may not be able to celebrate with family in person. While you might be celebrating with loved ones through a screen, what doesn’t have to change is the good food at your dinner table. To celebrate the holiday season, we’ve gathered some delicious 14Y staff recipes for you to try out. Enjoy!

 

Baked Cranberries

Recommended by Meredith Fein Lichtenberg, Family Programs Director

Number of Servings: 6 – 8

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries (3 cups)
• 1- 1½ cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange flavored brandy (or orange juice for children and non-drinkers)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and drain the berries and place them in a single layer in a baking dish.
3. Add the sugar and toss to coat all the berries.
4. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove the cover and stir thoroughly. Let the berries cool.
6. Stir in the brandy. Chill thoroughly.

For the original recipe, click here.

 

Julia Child’s Aunt Helen’s Fluffy Pumpkin Pie

Recommended by Jill Shely

Number of Servings: Two 9 inch pies, 16 to 20 servings

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• Two 15-ounce cans (3 ½ cups) pumpkin purée
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup milk, more as needed
• 2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells, or one 11-inch pie shell
• 3 tablespoons bourbon or dark rum (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Separate eggs and set aside.
   Using a mixer, blender or large bowl, blend pumpkin, the 2 cups of the sugars, 1 teaspoon salt, molasses, bourbon or rum (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, cream and milk until smooth. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is stiff: it should be a soft purée.
2. In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until foaming. Whip in a pinch of salt, then gradually whip in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until shiny white peaks form. Beat 1/4 of the whites thoroughly into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in the rest.
3. Immediately ladle filling into the shells, filling to just below the rim of the pan. Place in oven and bake just until rim of crust begins to turn gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the filling 2 inches from the rim comes out clean. (The center should still be a bit wet; it will cook more as it cools.) If the rim of the crust starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
4. Immediately turn oven off, leave door ajar (stick in a wooden spoon to hold it open if necessary) and let sit 20 to 30 minutes more as the oven cools; this will prevent the filling from turning watery. Serve warm, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let pie come to room temperature before serving.

For the original recipe, click here.

 

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Recommended by Brianna Collins, Marketing Consultant

Number of Servings: One 10-inch pie

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup ice water

Filling

• 2½ ounces dark chocolate (preferably 60% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups pecan halves

Directions

Make the Crust

1. The key to flaky pie crust is to keep the butter very cold. After you’ve cut the butter into little pieces, it is best to leave it in the refrigerator until just before you use it. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and butter and process for about 10 seconds, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Drizzle in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing the processor a couple of times after each addition. Stop when most of the dough comes together into a single clump. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead it two or three times so that it all comes together. Shape it into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit the circle of dough into a 10-inch pie pan and tuck the overhanging dough under to fit snugly along the top edge of the pie pan. Pinch the edge of the crust to create a wavy pattern. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Make the Filling

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together in the top of a double boiler, stirring to keep the chocolate from burning, or microwave them together in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until they become liquid. Whisk the butter and chocolate briskly until combined, then set aside to cool a little.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the syrup to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat to keep the mixture from bubbling over. Set the syrup aside to cool a little.
3. Put the eggs in a large bowl and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine; while whisking, drizzle in the sugar syrup, then add the vanilla and salt. Fold in the pecan halves with a wooden spoon.

Assemble and Bake the Pie

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. (It will not fill the pie shell.) Place the pie plate on a sheet pan to catch any filling that bubbles over. Bake the pie for 1 hour, until the crust is golden, the filling doesn’t wobble much when you shake the pan, and the edges of the filling have a bubbling, crisp texture. Allow the pie to cool thoroughly before serving.

Make Ahead

• The raw pie crust can be frozen for up to 1 month. The filling, without the nuts in it, will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The baked pie can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.

For the original recipe, click here.

 

Grandma Z’s Mashed Potatoes

Recommended by Katie Walker, Director of Program Operations for Youth Programs

Number of Servings: 8 portions

Ingredients

• 9 large baking potatoes, peeled & diced
• ½ C. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• ¾ C. sour cream
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cover potatoes and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Drain.
2. In mixing bowl, cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces and add to potatoes. Beat until fluffy. Add sour cream. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
3. Serve immediately, or reheat in a buttered casserole at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes if you would like to prepare in advance.

 

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Stuffing with Sausage and Cornbread

Recommended by Jaci Fletcher, Director of Marketing

Number of Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• ½ pound good-quality day-old crusty country-style or peasant bread, torn into ¾” pieces (about 5 cups)
• ½ pound day-old cornbread, broken into ¾” pieces (about 5 cups)
• 1 pound breakfast sausage links, casings removed, or ground breakfast sausage mix, broken up into ½” pieces
• 2 ½ cups chopped onions (about 1 medium plus 1 large onion)
• 3 medium celery stalks, sliced
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment

• A 13x9x2″ or other 3-quart baking dish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter baking dish; set aside. Arrange bread and cornbread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until completely dried out, 35–50 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet, then transfer to a very large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Break sausage into 1/2″ pieces and cook, stirring and breaking up into smaller (about 1/4″) pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, until browned, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread but do not stir.
3. Heat remaining 1 stick butter in same skillet over medium-high. Cook onions and celery, stirring often and scraping browned bits off bottom of pan, until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread mixture and let cool.
4. Whisk eggs, broth, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add to bread mixture and fold gently until thoroughly combined.
5. Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer mixture to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake stuffing until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, 40–45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until set and top is browned and crisped, 45–50 minutes more.

Make Ahead

• Stuffing can be assembled, but not baked, 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. When ready to bake, bring to room temperature and bake according to recipe. Stuffing can be baked 1 day ahead. Let cool completely, then cover with foil and chill. Keep covered and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 25–30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisped, 7–10 minutes more.
• Note: To make this stuffing vegetarian-friendly, omit the sausage and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

For the original recipe, click here.

 

Jonathan’s Left Over Turkey Sandwiches

Recommended by Jonathan Rosario, Membership Assistant

Ingredients

• bread (Your choice, but a nice homemade sourdough is best!)
• peanut butter (organic no sugar added)
• leftover Turkey
• sweet potato puree (optional)
• cranberry sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Take the leftover turkey, debone it.
2. Throw it on to a skillet with some oil and fry until slightly crispy.
3. Toast the bread, spread the peanut butter, add the turkey, and pour on the sauce.

 

Arugula, Grape, and Sunflower Seed Salad

Recommended by Jaci Fletcher, Director of Marketing

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon stone-ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
• 7 cups loosely packed baby arugula
• 2 cups red grapes, halved
• 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seed kernels
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine vinegar, honey, syrup, and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually add oil, stirring with a whisk.
2. Combine arugula, grapes, seeds, and thyme in a large bowl. Drizzle vinegar mixture over arugula; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat.

For the original recipe, click here.

 

Not Your Grandmother’s Green Bean Casserole

Recommended by Jordan Brackett, Executive Director

Ingredients

• a couple pounds of sautéed string beans
• béchamel sauce (flour, butter, whole milk)
• container truffle butter
• 1 pound mushrooms (like shitake and crimini)
• parmigiana-reggiano
• 1 container panko crumbs
• 10 shallots
• a little extra milk

Directions

1. Start with a couple pounds of string beans, sautéed with garlic. You can either blanche fresh ones and sauté with some garlic and olive oil and salt, or simplify things and buy pre-made ones at your grocery store.
2. Make a béchamel sauce (classic white sauce). Once it is off the heat, add in half a container of truffle butter and a bunch of grated Parmigiana-Reggiano, salt, and pepper to taste.
3. Thinly slice lots of shallots. Toss them with a little milk to help the coating stick, then cover them with panko crumbs. Fry in oil until crispy and then dry on paper towel.
4. Saute a mix of mushrooms (l like shitake and crimini) in butter and olive oil and salt until well browned.
5. Combine the green beans with the truffle béchamel and sautéed mushrooms.  Put mixture in a buttered casserole dish.
6. Top mixture with fried shallots.
7. Bake in oven until warmed through, about 20-30 minutes.

 

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget our vegan and vegetarian friends and our proteins:

• Best Turkey Alternatives for Vegans and Vegetarians
• A Vegan Thanksgiving
• The Simplest Roast Turkey

 

Whether you’re spending Thanksgiving with loved ones together or virtually, please celebrate safely. For safety tips, check out the CDC’s guidelines for holiday gatherings.