Thanksgiving recipes to try next year – or with this year’s leftovers 

Happy Thanksgiving from The Cordova Times! Below is a compilation of some of our favorite turkey day recipes for you to bookmark for next year, or to make with this year’s leftovers.  

Cheers!  

Ingredients 

• One large ham 

• Whole cloves 

• Brown sugar 

• Burgandy wine 

• Pineapple rings, canned 

Directions  

Criss-cross the back of the ham with lines made with a knife, and place a whole clove in each place where the lines meet.  

Make a paste in a bowl of enough brown sugar with Burgandy wine to cover the whole area with the cloves and more. Spread the paste to cover the entire area.  

Add canned pineapple rings and bake. Most hams available at supermarkets are smoked and fully cooked and just need to be properly heated to serve. For bone-in ham that needs to be cooked before eating, bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes per pound. For canned ham, note instructions on the packaging. 

Wild Alaskan low-bush cranberry sauce  

Submitted by Savannah Eike 

Ingredients 

• For a nice sized bowl of sauce, 4 cups of cranberries 

• 1 cup or so of water or juice so the berries don’t burn 

• A pot, stove and mixing utensil  

• Sweetener to taste and fun additional flavorings 

• A hungry tummy 

Directions 

Mix the cranberries and the water/juice in the pot and set over a medium heat. Stir frequently and make sure that the berries are not burning on the bottom of the pot. The longer the berries cook the more jam-like they will become. I like a good thick sauce and therefore let the cranberries cook for about half an hour, or until all the extra water has evaporated out.  

The berries will start to pop and mush together, a lovely swirl of autumn fragrance in the kitchen air. When the berries reach your desired consistency, the cooking is complete.  

Cranberry sauce is very easy to make, full of antioxidants, and amazingly strong in taste. The berries are also an easy ingredient to be creative with Try adding some of the following flavor mixes into your sauce:  

• Honey and fresh rosemary (honey produces a runnier sauce because it is a dense sweetener and it does not gel the fruit as nicely as sugar does, due of a difference in reaction with the natural pectin).  

• Brown sugar, three cloves, a few chunks of fresh ginger and an apple or pear chopped into small pieces (sugar will make sauce more jam-like).  

• Maple syrup and a whole orange, peel included, chopped into small pieces, as well as a dash of cinnamon.  

• A substantial amount of ground cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove (plus brown sugar as the sweetener), which results in a subtle but distinct chai-flavor. 

Turkey croquettes 

Submitted by Camille Botello  

I have to admit, I shouldn’t get credit for this recipe, since I’ve never actually made it myself. I went to the best cook in our family, my grandmother, for inspiration.  

She gave me permission to share her turkey croquette recipe, which she said is best used with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. So, here you go, from Nina’s kitchen to yours.  

Ingredients  

• 3 slices of any old bread (rye is good)  

• 2 1⁄2 cup chopped turkey, dark and light meat  

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme  

• 3 tablespoons of parsley  

• 2 tablespoons of paprika  

• 1 cup corn oil  

• 1⁄4 cup milk  

• 1 small onion, chopped  

• 2 eggs  

• 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs 

• 3 tablespoons melted butter  

• Salt and pepper to taste  

Directions 

Start by soaking the bread in the milk for about 10 minutes. Remove bread, squeeze dry, and shred.  

Combine bread with 1 1⁄2 cups of the turkey, onions, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss well. 

Place mixture in the food processor with a steel blade. Pulse until mixture until well-blended but not pureed.  

Fold in remaining turkey, cover and refrigerate for one hour. 

In a pie plate, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, paprika and melted butter. Shape chilled turkey mixture into six large patties, and coat in breadcrumb mixture and return to the fridge, covered for another hour.  

Heat corn oil and butter in a pan over medium heat and cook croquettes seven minutes on one side and five on the other.  

Serve hot with leftover gravy.  

Spicy cranberry apple chutney 

Submitted by Kinsey Brown 

This is a tangy and flavorful sauce to be enjoyed alone or as a topping for meats. 

Ingredients  

• 3 cups wild cranberries, can be a mix of highbush and lowbush  

• Three granny smith apples, chopped into small cubes  

• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar  

• 1 cup water  

• ⅓ cup brown sugar  

• 1” fresh grated ginger  

• ½ tsp ground cloves 

• ½ tsp ground allspice  

• ½ tsp ground anise or single pod  

• 1 tsp fennel seeds  

• 1 tsp cinnamon  

• 1 tbs ground szechuan or pink peppercorns  

• 1 tbs orange zest  

• Dash of black pepper 

Directions 

Add cranberries, apple chunks, water and vinegar to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for two minutes until cranberries burst and then reduce heat to low.  

Add the sugar and all spices to the pot and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.  

Simmer on low for 10 minutes, mixing occasionally. The apple chunks should be tender, but not liquid when finished.  

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.  

Let it sit overnight in the refrigerator for maximum flavor. If desired, the sauce can be canned and placed in a water bath for longer preservation. 

Fondue   

Submitted by Alex Jensen  

For nearly 20 years, my family has opted for cheese and chocolate fondue rather than a turkey centerpiece for Thanksgiving. The story goes that when my sister and I were young, my dad was “tired of cooking” a whole spread for two “picky eaters,” who wouldn’t touch half the items. So, what better way to ensure that children enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, than to cover it all in cheese and chocolate? Even though we’re no longer picky eaters, the tradition has stuck for all these years.  

To note, there’s always been a side salad. My parents insisted that there at least be some greenery at the table. Here’s the recipes used for the cheese and chocolate fondue.   

Cheddar cheese and ale fondue: 

Pour 3oz of beer of preferred choice (My family typically opts for an Amber ale or Guinness) in a fondue pot or saucepan. Have the pot on the “cheese” setting or medium heat.  

Add three-four cloves of chopped garlic. Let that sit a minute.  

Mix-in ½ pound of freshly grated cheddar cheese (packaged grated cheese won’t melt probably based on learnings from Thanksgiving experience ‘10).  

Add ¼-1/2 tsp dry mustard 

Splash a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Mix it all together.  

Note: Add more of any extra of the above to taste. Add more cheese to get the texture right if needed.  

Serve with preferred foods to dip. We’ve typically done bread, carrots, cauliflower and green apple.  

Chocolate fondue:  

I texted my dad to ask for the recipe and this was the sole directions given: “Melt milk chocolate. Slowly add heavy cream until it looks right.”  

To break it down further: 

Add chunks of milk chocolate bars or chocolate chips to fondue pot or saucepan. Have the heat set to “chocolate,” or medium.  

Slowly pour in heavy cream until loose. If it’s become chocolate milk, you’ve gone too far.  

Add any extra chocolate or heavy cream to meet desired texture. 

Serve with preferred foods to dip. In the past we’ve done strawberries, bananas, Rice Krispy treats, brownies, marshmallows and cheesecake.