Every November we all face the same dilemma: Should we make all the classic recipes or try something new? To help you solve this problem, we found four recipes from NoVA area chefs that showcase standard Thanksgiving ingredients but offer a preparation that elevates the traditional dishes. Add one or all of these to your Thanksgiving lineup, and you may find a new family favorite.
All recipes serve 8 to 10 people as part of a larger meal. Recipes have been edited for clarity.
Stuffed Delicata Squash from Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar
Ingredients:
- 2 delicata squash (seeds removed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
For dukkha:
- ¼ cup raw hazelnuts
- ¼ cup raw pistachios
- ¼ cup white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch of salt
For stuffing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch kale (stems removed, rough chopped)
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 shallot (sliced thin)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 cups cooked farro (boiled in salted water until tender, about 20 min)
For assembly/serving:
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 1 cup arugula
- 2 tablespoons labneh
- ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, along with the strands of flesh between them. (Discard the seeds or save them for another use.) Season the cut sides of the squashes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then place cut-side down on sheet tray. Put trays in the oven to roast for approximately 20 minutes or until tender. Remove and let cool on countertop.
Prep the dukkha: Toast nuts and sesame seeds separately until fragrant in 350-degree oven (around 5 to 7 minutes for each batch). Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, combine all ingredients in a food processor and chop until coarsely ground. Remove and set aside.
Make the stuffing: Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in sauté pan, then add kale, raisins, shallots, and chopped garlic. Sautee for 3 to 5 minutes, until garlic is golden brown and kale has softened. Turn off heat and add in ¼ cup of the dukkha mixture (save any leftover for later use). Add cooked farro and mix. Season with salt and pepper.
Add this mixture to the center of the squash and top with torn goat cheese. Place in 350-degree oven for 5 minutes until goat cheese has melted. Remove from oven.
Assembly
Toss arugula with lemon juice and olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. With a fork, whisk the labneh in a bowl to loosen it. Arrange arugula salad on serving platter, then place stuffed squash on top (cut-side up). Drizzle with the whipped labneh for garnish.
Cardamom Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole with a Brown Butter Streusel from Chris Morgan, chef-owner of Joon
Ingredients
- 5 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1½ cups maple syrup
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from one medium-sized orange)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
For streusel:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup oats
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups mini marshmallows
- Kosher salt, to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in center position. Pierce unpeeled sweet potatoes with a fork all over and toss with olive oil and salt. Place a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface and position sweet potatoes in the center of the foil. Fold up the foil around the potatoes and crimp edges to seal tightly. Make sure the potatoes remain in a single layer. Transfer the foil pouch containing the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven. Roast for about 90 minutes, or until a fork can be inserted in the potatoes without resistance. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the streusel: Melt ½ cup of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling gently until it’s a pale golden brown and smells nutty. Pour melted brown butter into a small bowl and combine with all other streusel ingredients, except the marshmallows. Set aside.
While the sweet potatoes cool, melt the other ½ cup of butter using the same method as above. When the butter is browned, remove from heat and add thyme. (This may cause splatters at first, so be careful.) Swirl the thyme around in the browned butter off-heat for 10 to 20 seconds, then set aside.
Peel sweet potatoes and discard skins. Add peeled potatoes to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer for about 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Add browned butter to potatoes after removing thyme. Add maple syrup, eggs, spices, vanilla extract, and orange zest, and beat everything in with the potatoes. Next, beat in heavy cream. Season to taste with salt.
Assembly
Scrape potatoes into a 2-quart baking dish, smoothing the surface with a rubber spatula. When you’re ready to finish the dish, and the oven temperature is at 350 degrees, place the baking dish with potato mixture in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove and top with streusel and marshmallows. Return to oven (still at 350 degrees) until streusel is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Maple Balsamic Crispy Brussels Sprouts from Danielle McNair, chef-owner of Heart to Home Catering
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Maple syrup, to taste (optional)
- Balsamic glaze, to taste (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two half-sheet pans (18-by-13 inches each) with parchment paper and lightly brush with olive oil. Trim the Brussels sprouts about 1/8 inch from the bottom of each sprout, then slice each in half lengthwise. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sprouts with olive oil, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
Arrange the Brussels sprouts, cut-side down, in a single layer on the sheet pans (work in batches if necessary). Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sprouts are crispy and browned on the edges. If necessary, return to the oven for 2 to 4 minutes extra to reach desired crispiness (but be careful not to let them burn!).
Assembly
Transfer the roasted Brussels sprouts to a serving platter. Optionally, drizzle with maple syrup and balsamic glaze, then sprinkle with flaky salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Pumpkin Cheesecake from Cheesetique
Ingredients
For crust:
- 1 ¼ cups gingersnap crumbs (crush gingersnap cookies in food processor)
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter
For first layer of filling:
- 2 ¼ pounds cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup crème fraiche
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs
For second layer of filling:
- 7 ½ oz pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap a 9-inch spring-form pan with 2 sheets of aluminum foil so that the bottom and sides are completely covered and leak-proof. Let the cream cheese, eggs, and crème fraiche come to room temperature before using (allow about 30 minutes out of the fridge).
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the crust. Line the bottom of the spring-form pan with parchment paper. Pour the crust mixture into the pan and press down so it covers the bottom evenly all the way to the edge. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.
While the crust cools, start on the first layer of filling: In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, flour, and salt and beat until smooth with a hand mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often to make sure everything is incorporated. Then add the sugar, crème fraiche, and vanilla, and beat again incorporated, again scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Move 1/3 of the batter to the cheesecake pan, smoothing the top.
Make the second layer: Add the remaining ingredients to the other 2/3 of the filling. Pour the pumpkin batter onto the plain batter in the pan and smooth the top. Set the cheesecake in a shallow roasting pan. Carefully — you don’t want any water in the spring-form pan — pour boiling water into the roasting pan, to a depth of about half the height of the cheesecake pan. Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, turn off the oven and crack the door, but leave the cheesecake in the oven to rest for another 30 minutes. Remove the roasting pan with the cheesecake from the oven and lift the spring-form pan from the water. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan to room temperature, then refrigerate until serving.
Assembly
Transfer cake from the spring-form pan to a serving platter and cut into however many slices you like.
Feature image of stuffed delicata squash courtesy Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar
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