Reinventing The Classics
Classic Thanksgiving dishes evoke emotions of tradition. But sometimes it’s fun and surprisingly delicious to give your meal a little spin. Here you can explore your creativity with menu ideas that are fresh and different, yet with a nod to tradition.
- Cream of mushroom soup (1 can)
- Chicken stock (1 cup)
- Chicken broth (1 quart)
- Turkey stock (3/4 cup)
- Mrs. Cubbison's Classic Seasoned Dressing (2 6 oz pkg)
- Mrs. Cubbison's Herb Seasoned Cube Stuffing (2 10 oz box)
- Baking soda (2 Tbsp)
- Ground black pepper (1/2 tsp)
- Butter (1 3/4 cup, 6 Tbsp)
- Unsalted butter (6 Tbsp)
- Barely malt syrup (2/3 cup)
- Chili powder (1 tsp)
- All-purpose flour (2 Tbsp, 5 cups)
- Garlic Powder (1 tsp)
- Extra-virgin olive oil (3/4 cup, 3 Tbsp)
- Ground nutmeg (1/8 tsp)
- Ground cloves (1/8 tsp)
- Ground dried thyme (1/2 tsp)
- Malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar (2/3 cup)
- Lemon juice (3 Tbsp)
- Onion powder (1 tsp)
- Dried rosemary (1 1/2 tsp)
- Refrigerated pie crust (9 inch)
- Chopped sage sprigs (6, 1 tsp chopped)
- Dried sage (2 1/2 tsp)
- Salt (1 tsp)
- Kosher salt (2 1/2 tsp)
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cup)
- Seasoned bread crumbs (2 cup)
- Seasoned salt (1/4 tsp)
- Brown sugar (2 tsp, 2 cups)
- Quick cooking oat (2 cups)
- Thyme sprigs (4)
- Dried thyme (1/2 tsp)
- Red wine Vinegar (1/2 cup)
- Vanilla extract (1 tsp)
- White sugar (4 cups)
- Feta cheese (1 cup)
- Cream cheese (two 8-oz pkgs)
- Evaporated skim milk (5/12 cup)
- Eggs (8)
- Milk (1/2 cup)
- Grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
- Chopped apple (1 1/2 cup, 2 whole)
- Golden Delicious apple (1)
- Carrot (1/2 cup, 3 whole)
- Celery (1 1/4 cup, 6 stalks)
- Cashews (2 1/2 cups)
- Dried cherries (1/2 cup)
- Cranberries (halved) (1/4 cup)
- Dried cranberries (1 1/4 cup)
- Roasted chestnuts (8 oz)
- Garlic cloves (3)
- Green beans (1 pound)
- Mushroom (1 cup, sauteed)
- Mushroom (8 oz pkg, brown)
- Onion (2 cup, 2 whole)
- Italian parsley (1/2 cup)
- Hearts of romaine
- Parsley (7/12 cup, 2 Tbsp)
- Pear (3)
- Pecan (1/2 cup)
- Potato (4)
- Pumpkin (15 oz can)
- Scallion (6)
- Baby spinach (10 oz)
- Sweet potato (3/4 pound)
- Caramel (14oz package)
- Cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (1 1/2 cups, about 8 crackers)
- Roasted chestnuts (8oz)
- Cooked turkey liver (1)
- Ground turkey sausage (1 pound)
- Sweet Italian sausage (4)
- Orange juice (1/2 cup)
- Raspberries (2 cups; frozen)
Canned Goods & Soup
Condiments, Spices & Bake
Dairy, Eggs & Cheese
Fruit & Vegetable
Cookies, Snacks & Candy
Meat & Seafood
Beverages
Frozen Foods
When you're ready to "reinvent the classics", follow some of these principles and you'll be headed in the right direction:
Package favorite flavors in new forms. With some ingenuity, you can use the most traditional Thanksgiving ingredients, and find new ways to prepare them, from the subtle (Mini Sweet Potato Pies) to the dramatic (Green Bean Fries). Diners have well-formed expectations about what to expect at a Thanksgiving dinner, and your meal will be more successful if you meet those expectations, and then exceed them with inventive cooking.
A few surprising gourmet ingredients can turn a familiar dish into something new and exciting. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, just improve upon the successful recipes that have been handed down to us through the generations. A simple brown sugar and rum glaze on your otherwise traditionally roasted turkey will make a sophisticated and surprising centerpiece to your meal; starting with authentic San Francisco sourdough bread will give a whole new twist to your stuffing; adding home-candied cinnamon cashews to a spinach-and-pear salad can turn a good starter into an unforgettable one.
When it comes time to plan your gourmet Thanksgiving meal, the challenge (and the fun) is to create a dining experience that is a guided tour of everything we already love about Thanksgiving, presented in a new, daring light. Take a look at some of our favorite "Reinventing the Classics" recipes to get started, then come up with your own ideas!