Thanksgiving is all about spending time with family, enjoying great food and creating memories.
But when it comes to cooking, things don’t have to be complicated. With these three easy, delicious recipes from Our Lady of the Lake’s Executive Chef Jim Fields, you can keep the cooking stress-free while serving up a holiday feast to remember.
Recipe 1 – Green Bean Casserole
A classic dish that’s always a hit, this green bean casserole takes just 10 ingredients and adds a little gourmet flair with fresh mushrooms and garlic. Get ready to enjoy a comforting, crowd-pleasing side.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed
- 6 tbsp. butter, divided
- 1 onion, sliced into half moons
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3 c. whole milk
- 1 1/2 c. French’s fried onions
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare an ice bath: In a large pot of boiling water, add green beans and cook until bright green, about 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs, quickly transfer green beans to ice bath to cool, then drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then transfer mixture to green bean bowl.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, then add green bean mixture and toss until even combined.
- Bake until warmed through and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
- Top with fried onions and bake 5 minutes more.
- Let cool and serve.
Recipe 2 – Apricot Glazed Turkey Breast
Switch up your traditional turkey with a sweet and tangy apricot glaze. This juicy, flavorful dish requires minimal prep and leaves you with a perfectly golden turkey breast in just a couple of hours.
Ingredients:
- 1 bone-in turkey breast (5 pounds)
- ½ cup apricot preserves
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Dash of salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°
- Combine preserves, vinegar, pepper and salt.
- Place turkey breast on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan.
- Bake, uncovered, 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 170°, basting every 30 minutes with apricot mixture.
- (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.)
- Cover and let stand 15 minutes before slicing.
Recipe 3 – Pumpkin-Spice Sugar Cookies
What’s Thanksgiving without dessert? These easy pumpkin-spice sugar cookies are soft, chewy and packed with fall flavor. Plus, they’re quick to whip up and a fun recipe to make with family or friends!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1-3/4 all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons
- Cinnamon Sugar (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour and pie spice; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
- Divide dough in half.
- Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic.
- Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness.
- Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter.
- Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are light brown.
- Cool on pans 1 minute.
