Thanksgiving. It’s kind of a big deal.
Who else could we trust for an event like this other than Martha Stewart?
Martha is a serious role model of mine. I can’t even tell you how many friends and acquaintances have referred to me as the “Martha of our generation” – and I can’t even begin to tell you how flattering that is. With Thanksgiving RIGHT.AROUND.THE.CORNER, I figured the perfect way I could pay homage would be to create a Thanksgiving-inspired dinner party menu all in the name of Martha.
The best part is: Although the recipes are indeed things you could, should, and would make for Thanksgiving Day itself, they’re also things that you could make any other night – for a fabulous fall dinner party, Christmas Eve, or otherwise. Who wants to spend all that time trying to perfect a giant turkey when you won’t be making it again for another year? So, instead I tried to piece together items that won’t limit you to this one {albeit very special} day a year; you won’t find any green bean casseroles or sweet potato pie, but what you will find is a perfect mix of dishes that will work well for any fall or winter occasion.
Got it? Thanksgiving-friendly, but not Thanksgiving-only. I’ve gone ahead and tested all of these recipes for you, and I promise they are all nothing-short-of wonderful. And most importantly, they’re all *totally* doable – no matter what your level of skill in the kitchen may be.
Thanksgiving-Inspired Dinner Party
{all from Martha Stewart}
Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails
Fall Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
Cranberry-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens
Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots
The Starters:
You’ll die for the Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails. I’m not usually a big bourbon drinker, but this is honestly my new favorite specialty cocktail for fall. You can make them totally ahead of time, and I love the garnishing of the glasses with those beautiful, brown Bosc pears. The Baked Brie with Pecans is another go-to favorite appetizer – I love that all you need to buy is the Brie, if you typically have pecans, brown sugar, and maple syrup on hand like I do. This is best served warm, so it’s best to try and have it out when your guests are first arriving. The Fall Salad with Maple Vinaigrette is a no-brainer – it has all of my favorite fall ingredients packed right in, like apples and blue cheese, and the easy dressing ties in the maple flavor which is found in several of the dishes throughout this menu. You can make this ahead of time: Just leave your dressing in the bottom of the serving bowl, and add your salad ingredients on top; give it a toss when you’re ready to eat. Just make sure to douse your apples in lemon juice so they don’t turn brown on you.
The Main Course:
The star of the meal is, of course, the Cranberry-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens. I love anything and everything miniature – so clearly I opted to make these darling little birds over a giant turkey. A turkey can be daunting, and definitely Thanksgiving-only, so these baby birds are the perfect substitute. I must admit, I had never stuffed a bird before. The idea freaked me out a bit, but the end result is so delicious that now I totally get what all the fuss is about. Make sure your hens are dried very well with paper towels to ensure you get a nice, crispy skin. Love the rye bread stuffing, and the dried cranberries add the perfect fall touch. Salt your hens a day in advance if you can, as you always should do with meat to ensure better flavor. You can do the stuffing ahead of time, and stuff your hens before your guests arrive – as the tying of the legs can take a few minutes. They bake for about an hour, so I would probably get them in the oven when your guests start to arrive, depending on how much time you like to have before the main course comes out. You’ll have to do a quick pan gravy when they come out, but it only takes a few minutes.
The Sides:
Sides are always a favorite amongst dinner guests, whether on Thanksgiving or any other night of the year. The Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots are sure to be a hit; just be careful on your timing, as the skinny ends of the veggies can burn pretty quickly. I love how the tops of the carrots are left on – it gives the dish that rustic quality, and looks so beautiful. It’s no secret that I love to roast my vegetables, but these are tossed in maple syrup rather than olive oil, which continues that flavor-theme of maple throughout the menu and feels perfect for fall. Oh, and there’s bacon. Enough said. You can prep your ingredients and put them on the pan in advance, then just toss them in the maple syrup and stick the pan in the oven after your hens have been in about 5 or 10 minutes – unless you’re lucky enough to have two ovens. Just keep an eye on them and take them out when they’re roasted to golden-perfection. It’s okay if they’re not piping hot when they’re served – some dishes are perfectly fine to serve at room temperature, and this is one of them.
And once you taste the Luxurious Mashed Potatoes, you’ll understand the name. There are hands-down the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever made, thanks to one stick of butter and over a cup of heavy cream. The trick here is to pass them mashed potatoes through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer – you’ll end up with the creamiest, smoothest mashed potatoes you’ve ever tried. I added fresh parsley and chives for some color. You can do them ahead of time, and just warm them in a baking dish covered in foil in a 350 degree oven for about 10 to 20 minutes.
The Dessert:
By this time of year, I’ve thoroughly exhausted my obsession with all-things pumpkin, and this Caramel Apple Bread Pudding is just the solution. There’s an out-of-this-world Caramel Bourbon Vanilla Sauce that can be made totally ahead of time, and you’ll want to make the full amount so you can have leftovers for vanilla ice cream later in the week. You can also assemble everything else ahead of time, and pop it in the oven right when you take your hens out. It takes about 40-50 minutes to bake, so that way you can have time to enjoy your dinner and let it get settled before enjoying your grand finale.
*If you double the drink recipe, and scale up the salad a bit, everything here will serve 6.
This looks AMAZING and so fancy and pretty! I just had a Friendsgiving (not as fancy) but still the same love for entertaining hostess-lovahs like us. And yes, I aim to become the Asian Martha.
Love it!