Tennis fans love Thanksgiving as it offers them the perfect opportunity to enjoy delicious foods with family and friends while watching an exciting match. Nick Kyrgios recently invited fans into the fun by encouraging them to select an ideal table featuring their favorite tennis players. Here are some tennis-inspired Thanksgiving dinner ideas to create an enjoyable feast!
Roasted Turkey
Roast turkey is an indispensable Thanksgiving tradition. Cooking it requires little attention or supervision – as long as your meat thermometer remains accurate!
Before beginning, remove any leftover giblets or bags that might still be inside of the bird (if applicable), rinse the turkey thoroughly, and pat it dry before setting out to cook it.
To give your bird a beautiful brown and crispy skin, brush all sides with melted butter. For an aromatic butter option, mix chopped parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme with plain butter (make sure it stays soft!).
Slow cooking a turkey is key to keeping it moist and tender in the oven, producing tender meat and an irresistibly golden-brown crust. To test for doneness, prick it with a knife and ensure its juices run clear; when done, transfer to a carving dish and keep warm while making gravy.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Add color and flavor to your Thanksgiving feast by including orange-hued squash side dishes! From rich carrot to delicious zucchini varieties, there are nutrient-packed choices like these:
Roasting butternut squash can be as straightforward as placing both halves skin-side down on a baking tray and roasting until tender and lightly caramelised, as demonstrated in Lydia Filgueras’ recipe or you could take things further by stuffing the shell, as suggested by James Wythe’s recipe.
Make a delicious centrepiece out of your squash with Marie Reginato’s easy Roasted Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, and Pecan Galette. Crown Prince or Onion squash would look best, although any variety will work; just remember to use store-bought pastry!
Roasted Vegetables
Roasting vegetables is one of the essential skills a chef needs to acquire, and this simple recipe makes an excellent use for leftover vegetables from your crisper. Furthermore, its versatility means it can easily adapt to seasonal varieties of produce and herbs.
This recipe includes root and cruciferous vegetables, but you could easily substitute other veggies as needed. Just ensure there’s enough for everyone.
Before placing the vegetables in the oven, stir together with the smashed garlic (you can use whole cloves but “smash” them so their flavors diffuse into the vegetables). Add olive oil for coating purposes and season generously with salt before baking until edges are golden-brown and they can be pinched apart by a fork. Before serving, toss again with butter and vinegar for irresistible acidity while butter adds richness – you don’t want these veggies without that combination!
Sweet Potatoes
Surprise your guests with this incredible appetizer, similar to a blooming onion but made with sweet potatoes instead! It will definitely impress.
Chef Jose Garces expertly blends sweet and savory flavors in this dessert that will leave everyone wanting seconds! Perfect as the finale to an exquisite meal.
Make sweet potatoes into creamy dessert with this easy recipe using sweet potatoes, melted butter, salt, sugar and cinnamon/nutmeg! In a large bowl mash the sweet potatoes until smooth with either a potato masher or fork until fully blended in texture. Finally stir in cinnamon and nutmeg before serving!
Sweet potatoes can either be boiled or baked in the oven. When boiling them, be sure to cook them until they’re very tender and easily pierced by a fork.
To make the topping, mix brown sugar, flour and pecans together until crumbly and uniform in texture before scattering over mashed sweet potatoes. Bake until browned – approximately 30 minutes – before serving! This casserole can be assembled up to two days in advance; just be sure to bake before you serve it for optimal results!
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is an indispensable side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, and this festive version will surely impress your guests! Easy to prepare and with its delightful orange aroma and sweetness level just right – not only is this festive cranberry sauce great on turkey sandwiches and cheese plates but can even serve as an impressive topping for turkey sandwiches and cheese plates.
Make this year special by trying this fresh and delectable Cranberry Sauce Recipe! With its easy preparation process and customizable twist, this fresh dish makes the perfect way to bring together flavors. Orange Liqueur adds its own special touch, but other spirits such as Bourbon or Amaretto could work just as well!
Cranberries can be very tart, so to balance the tart flavor it’s important to combine them with sweet ingredients like sugar and orange juice for an amazing and delightfully refreshing cranberry sauce! Combine it with crisp salad leaves or coleslaw for a light meal that won’t compromise on nutrition! As this cranberry sauce is also gluten-free it makes an excellent option for people following gluten-free diets!
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is the iconic dessert at Thanksgiving, yet its mastery can be challenging. Since pumpkin pie is a custard-based treat, be wary not to overbake it; taking too early or too late out could result in cracking down the middle.
To ensure a perfectly cooked pie, bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit before reducing to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for another 30 minutes. This will allow both crust and filling to cook at an even pace, guaranteeing an evenly baked product.
This recipe calls for a blind baked crust, although store-bought or frozen pie crust sheets would work just as well. Line it with parchment paper and fill with weights before baking to prevent the bottom from burning before the filling is added. Full-fat cream cheese provides the necessary texture. Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg all help enhance this classic dish to add plenty of flavor!
Apple Pie
Apple pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is an irresistibly tasty treat to enjoy while watching players compete on the court and after a player scores that winning point! Celebrate it and celebrate their achievement together!
Apple pie is an iconic American dish. Made famous by Johnny Appleseed’s story, apple pies have long been served at Fourth of July barbecues and Thanksgiving feasts across the nation.
An easy dessert to make and freeze ahead, this cake requires only brushing the top with egg wash before topping with Turbinado sugar for baking.
Prep oven to 350 degrees. Generously flour a pastry board or clean work surface before lightly dividing pie dough in half and rolling one disc into an 12″ circle that measures approximately 1/8″. Lay this circle in your deep dish pie pan before pouring your apple filling over its crust. Roll out second disc of pie dough either creating lattice patterns over filling, or simply simply placing over filling before pressing bottom and top crusts together along flared edge of pie pan for an ideal result.
Pumpkin Spice Bread
Pumpkin Spice Latte may be the pinnacle of seasonal fast-food items, but there’s plenty more available this holiday season. Panera Bread’s holiday turkey and stuffing sandwich features slices of turkey breast with herbed stuffing, herbed gravy, cranberry relish, and gravy all on warm sage-infused bread for an incredible feast.
This fall-inspired dessert makes four mini-loaves that you can enjoy with coffee or chai tea in the morning, or gift to teachers and neighbors as snacks with cream cheese spread for snacking on. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Clean two 9×5-inch loaf pans and dust them with flour. In a large bowl, beat together granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until combined. Sift in flour, baking soda, salt nutmeg cloves until fully mixed before pouring mixture into loaf pans – sprinkle tops with Demerara sugar before baking for approximately 1 hour at 350 F (177 C). Allow to cool before removing from pans and serving.