Thanksgiving turkey is one delicious tradition.
Thanksgiving cooks have experimented with various methods in pursuit of the same golden goal: A holiday centerpiece that packs tons of flavor. Traditionally, that’s been to bake your turkey in the oven.
You can take it upon yourself to give that tradition a twist this time around. Many holiday chefs go with a fried, smoked, braised, stewed, or grilled turkey to turn heads. Some have even veered off the path so severely that they wind up with tofu turkey (tofurkey?) on the table. (We don’t recommend that one, honestly.)
Whether you’re after juicy, tender turkey, one with a deliciously crispy crunch to the skin, or something in between, one thing you’ll undoubtedly need to pull off the Thanksgiving to end all thanksgivings: Side dishes to steal the show.
So while the rest of the kitchen crew mills around in the kitchen with itchy sweaters on, waiting for the bird to bake, set up the FIREDISC outside (with a TV to track the Cowboys and Lions) and get to making the delicious type of food you’re famous for all year round.
Why turkey for Thanksgiving dinner?
Unique to the U.S., the wild turkey became a favorite among colonists back in the early 1600s. Because they hunted them in fall, they’ve always been connected to the season. So when President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, there was a scrumptious go-to meal already in place.
3 Awesome sides for Thanksgiving from the FIREDISC®
Some of these are so good you might forget about the turkey. Try not to.
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Cornbread cakes
This southern favorite is delicious for Thanksgiving celebrations coast to coast.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup self-rising flour
- ½ cup self-rising cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoon oil or melted bacon grease
- ¾-1 cup buttermilk (or sweet milk)
- Oil for frying
Preparation:
- Mix flour, cornmeal, and sugar into a mixing bowl
- Add egg, oil, and buttermilk
- Mix with a fork until all ingredients are moistened, to the consistency of pancake batter; add more milk if needed
- Heat oil or melted baco grease in FIREDISC®
- When the oil is hot, add just less than ¼ cup of batter to the hot oil
- Fry on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes
- When golden brown, turn and cook the other side until golden
- Remove from pan; drain on paper towels
- Serve with butter or honey butter
Thanks for the recipe idea from our friends at Just a Pinch.
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Grilled Butternut Squash with Chimichurri & Goat Cheese
Sometimes, a FIREDISC® cook just needs to show off a little. This is one of those times.
Ingredients:
Chimichurri dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon red onion chopped
- 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 clove chopped garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Seasoning paste
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 large butternut squash peeled with seeds removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Preparation:
Chimichurri dressing
- Combine olive oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, parsley, red onion, thyme, garlic, salt and black pepper in a food processor; blend until the ingredients are coarsely chopped
Seasoning paste
- Combine olive oil, brown sugar, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl
Butternut squash
- Set FIREDISC® to medium heat
- Apply seasoning paste lightly and evenly to butternut squash slices
- Cook butternut squash slices until they soften and begin charring (3 minutes on each side)
- Remove from FIREDISC® and arrange the slices in an 8-inch round serving pan
- Drizzle chimichurri dressing over the grilled squash. Sprinkle with goat cheese, serve warm
Thanks for the recipe idea from our friends at Kingsford.
Honey Mustard Green Beans
Meet the sleeker, tastier little cousin of the traditional green bean casserole.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds green beans trimmed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more if needed
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl; set aside
- Bring FIREDISC® full of salted water to a boil
- Add green beans; cook until just tender (5 minutes.) Drain well; they keep softening as they cool
- Toss the green beans in dressing, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Add some flair to your Thanksgiving dinner
It’s easy with a FIREDISC® cooker. Think about it: You’ve spiced up summer meals and stuck with it into autumn, making that transition to tailgate season. What’s next? The holidays. And there’s no cooker better equipped to take that turn like a champ than FIREDISC®. Shop for your FIREDISC® cooker today.
