Fantasy Thanksgiving dinner

If I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year, my menu would look like this:

• Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted turkey roulade
• Chipotle roasted baby carrots
• Roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta and sage
• Rosemary scalloped sweet potatoes
• Barefoot Contessa’s apple cranberry cake (in How Easy is That?)

You can find the turkey roulade recipe by googling Barefoot Contessa turkey roulade or in her book, Back to Basics.  It’s a boneless turkey breast stuffed with a mixture of fruit, bread, sausage and other goodies.  She points out that it cooks in two hours and is easy to carve.  I think it sounds amazing and would be really fun to try.

We love chipotle chili and I think this recipe sounds like a great and interesting spicy side:

Chipotle roasted baby carrots

• 25 – 30 thin baby carrots, tops removed and carrots scrubbed
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 TB unsulfured molasses
• 2 TB olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss carrots with chipotle, molasses and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast f0r 30 – 35 minutes until tender and browned.  Let cool and serve at room temperature.  (Part of the appeal of this recipe, which I have never actually made, is that you can make it ahead.)

 

Roasted brussels sprouts

• 1 large leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced, well rinsed to remove any grit and patted dry
• 2 lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 oz pancetta, chopped
• 2 TB finely hopped fresh sage
• 2 TB olive oil

Preheat oven to 450.  Toss sprouts with pancetta, olive oil and pepper in a ceramic baking dish.  Roast for 20 minutes, tossing once.   Serve.

Rosemary scalloped sweet potatoes

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 large onion, sliced in 1/2 inch wedges
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 TB butter
• 3 TB flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup potato liquid
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine sweet potatoes, onion, water and rosemary in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Drain liquid and save.

Put potatoes and onions in a 7 x 11 inch baking pan.  Melt butter and blend in flour.  Add milk and potato liquid and stir until thickened.  Pour sauce over potatoes and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 20 minutes at 400.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving!