Making a Turkey Dinner 101: Recipes from Week One's Class

     As promised here are the recipes from what we covered in week 1 of Turkey Dinner 101's class.  We made Cranberry Chutney from scratch, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Turnip Puff, Pumpkin Pie and prepped a Turkey for the oven.  Please find the recipes bellow:

Chef Jason's Cranberry Chutney (Specially developed for Turkey Dinner 101)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 Tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• lemon zest
  
• 3 Tbsp cider vinegar

Yields 3 cups (the batch was multiplied by 6 for the class)
Directions:
Use a medium sized pot, heat cranberries on medium heat (if using frozen cranberries thaw beforehand, or thaw via stove top on low).  Once cranberries are warm add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  The cranberries will begin to "pop" as they boil.  Stir often.  When all the cranberries have popped the chutney is done.  Note: be careful as the cranberries will splatter as they boil and the mixture could burn the skin.

To jar:  Pre-wash jars, place jars into pre-heated oven at 225 degrees 15-20 minutes before jarring.  Boil a pot of water in a pot large enough to hold the amount of jars you are making.  Boil lids in this water for sanitary reasons.  Remove lids from water and jars from stove.  Pour chutney into jars, wipe rims clean and screw lid on tight.  Place full jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Ensure jars are sealed (pop top on jar lid should be down) and finished preserves will have a shelf life of approximately 2 years.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (aka yams) about 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 Tsp salt
• 1/2 Tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg beaten
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 small bag mini marshmallows

Directions:
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender.  Drain and mash.  Add remaining ingredients except marshmallows and mix well.  Pour mixture into a buttered 9x12 baking dish.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and top evenly with marshmallows and bake for an additional 10 minutes (until marshmallows have browned).  Serve warm.

Turnip Puff

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed turnip (approx. 1 large turnip)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 eggs beaten
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (for topping)
• 2 Tbsp butter (for topping)

Directions:
Boil turnip until tender, drain and mash.  Add eggs and butter and beat well.  Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and nutmeg.  Stir into turnip mixture.  Pour mixture into buttered 9x12 baking dish.  Mix bread crumbs and butter and pour over top of turnip mixture.  Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes (or when bread crumbs start to brown). 
For class we did the make ahead and freeze version.  We skipped the bread crumb part and will do this step in week 2 of the course when we reheat this dish.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 Tsp ginger
• 1/4 Tsp salt
• 1 pre made pie shell (this is Turkey Dinner 101 not Pastry 101)

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients.  Pour into pie shell.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and bake pie on lower 3rd of the stove for 15 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes (check pie with a butter knife by sticking it in the middle, when it comes out clean the pie is done).  Cool and serve.

​Turkey

Click on above picture for link to recipe and directions.