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As everyone knows, the turkey is the main event of the day—both in terms of preparation and enjoyment. Cooks spend hours prepping and basting with the hopes of a bird that puts the entire dinner crowd in awe. Guests wait in anticipation of the grand unveiling, not to mention the eating….

The end goal of every cook is succulent meat and a perfectly browned skin, but it can be a feat to balance. A “dry brining” process the day before and a creamy herb mix applied to the bird right before cooking offer a simple way to achieve the ultimate roasted look and juicy meat everyone will appreciate.

Servings: 6-8

Time in the Kitchen: 40 minutes (plus brine “set” time and cooking time)

Ingredients:

• 12-pound turkey
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon black pepper
• 3 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon sage
• 1 Tablespoon thyme
• 2/3 jar of Primal Kitchen Classic Mayo (or two sticks butter if preferred)
• 1/2 white or yellow onion
• 1 lemon (cut into wedges)

Instructions:

Prepare the bird by removing giblets and draining. Put in roasting pan.

Create the dry brine rub by mixing kosher salt with aluminum-free baking powder and black pepper for a 12-pound bird. Rub the bird thoroughly with the dry brine mixture inside and out. If the turkey is too dry and the rub won’t stick, add a bit of water to make the brine mix into a paste.

Refrigerate the bird uncovered for 24 hours to dry out the skin. (This will help the skin turn crispy brown during roasting.)

On Thanksgiving Day, heat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Mix the chopped herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme) into the 2/3  jar of Primal Kitchen Mayo (or butter if you’re using that). Rub the mayo mixture inside and out. Add aromatics to the cavity (onion and lemon). Truss and roast approximately 3 hours. (Cooking time will depend on the weight of the bird and how much the cavity is filled.)

Once out of the oven, brush the drippings over the bird and serve.

The post Primal Style Roasted Turkey appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Second only to the bird itself is, for many people, pie. Not just any pie will do on this day. There’s a finely tuned range of tastes to be orchestrated, and the finale isn’t to be compromised. One classic variety, most will agree, is sweet potato pie.

While some recipes take this the way of confectionary, that doesn’t have to be the case. Pie, done well, doesn’t have to taste like candy. But there should be a light sweetness and, in this case, a rich, creamy texture. This recipe delivers on all fronts.

Servings: 12

Time: 120 minutes

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

• 2 cups cassava flour
• 2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup cold organic grass-fed butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup leaf lard
• 1 egg + 1 egg white
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Water (as needed)

Pie filling:

• 2 ½ cups sweet potato puree
• 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract or beans scraped from a vanilla pod
• 2/3 cups coconut nectar (could use raw buckwheat honey also)
• 2 ½ tablespoons ghee (could use coconut oil)
• 3 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a bowl, combine flour, almond meal, sugar and salt. In a separate small bowl: mix egg, egg white, and apple cider vinegar.

Add butter to the dry mixture. Pinch lard into the mixture and then use a pastry dough blender or your hands to work the fats into the dough. (You want to have some larger pieces the size of peas going on.)

Add the liquid mixture and stir to combine.

If dough is a little dry, add water a teaspoon at a time until it is moist and doesn’t crack.

Press dough into pie sheet a little at a time; making sure that it’s evenly thick.

Crimp the crust and fill with pie filling. Bake for 20 minutes.

Make the pie filling: Whisk the sweet potato puree, ginger, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, honey, coconut oil, and eggs until well incorporated.

Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust and tap on counter to smooth and level the filling. Bake for 65–75 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Info (per serving):

• Calories: 496 
• Carbs: 50
• Fat: 31
• Protein: 8

The post Sweet Potato Pie appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Most of us grew up with bread as a staple. And breads—or, more likely, rolls and biscuits—at the holidays took on a special significance. Maybe a certain person in the family always made the best kind. Perhaps it was a long-time family recipe. Whatever the case, passing the breadbasket at the holiday table holds meaning for us still, even when we’ve forgone grains for the sake of better health.

All this said, there are ways to enjoy these “traditional” foods when it means the most to us. These cheesy keto biscuits are one such recipe. Hint: make a double batch—because you’ll be competing with the non-keto eaters for these goodies.

Servings: 5 larger biscuits

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or ghee, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 cup sharp cheddar or asiago cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF/204 ºC.

Whisk together eggs, butter, salt, garlic powder and onion powder.

In separate bowl, mix coconut flour with baking powder and xanthan gum. Whisk dry ingredients into egg mixture. Stir in cheese.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Info (per serving):

• Calories: 444
• Carbs: 5.4
• Fat: 36
• Protein: 17

The post Cheesy Keto Biscuits appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Among the best parts of slow roasting meat are the delicious drippings. Rich, savory and flavorful liquid gold… To discard it, we’d suggest, borders on criminal.

While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying drippings on their own, most of us grew up enjoying the creamy texture of gravy on meats and vegetables. For some, it’s an indispensable element in a real holiday meal. And there’s no reason to deprive yourself if gravy is your thing. Even if you’re living keto, this recipe keeps your commitment. Most of all, it feels and tastes like indulgence itself. 

Serving: 4

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups turkey drippings, bone broth, or stock
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons butter or ghee
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Instructions:

Combine cream, butter, broth/drippings in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 10–15 minutes. Add arrowroot powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until gravy thickens and reduces down to consistency of your liking.

Nutritional Info (per serving):

• Calories: 693
• Carbs: .8 grams
• Fat: 75 grams
• Protein: 0 grams

The post Keto Turkey Gravy appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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For many people, potatoes are synonymous with Thanksgiving dinner. And while the carb count of potatoes suggests moderation is best, at the holidays many Primal types choose to fit tradition into their eating plan.

Mashed potatoes might be the go-to, but another flavorful option is scalloped potatoes. It’s the perfect complement for beef and ham, of course, but with the taste of traditional herbs like sage and thyme, you might have a new favorite dish for your holiday turkey meals as well.

This recipe uses coconut cream and ghee, but you can substitute regular whipping cream and butter if you tolerate dairy.

Serving: 8

Time: 80 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds large yellow potatoes
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand and sliced thinly
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
• 3 tablespoons butter or ghee, plus more for greasing casserole dish
• 1/2 cup full-fat canned unsweetened coconut cream
• 1 cup chicken bone broth
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• Salt and pepper
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
• 4 leaves fresh sage, stems removed and chopped finely

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Peel the potatoes then, using a mandolin or a knife, slice the potatoes 1/4-inch thin. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1 tablespoon butter or ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced leeks, 2 cloves minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until leeks are very tender, about 5–7 minutes.

Combine the leek saute and the sliced potatoes in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Butter a casserole dish lightly, then spread the potato and leek mixture across the dish evenly.

In the same skillet you used before, heat 2 tablespoons butter or ghee over medium heat. Add garlic and gently fry for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, being careful not to burn. In a small bowl, combine the chicken bone broth with 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch, and whisk until arrowroot is dissolved. Pour the chicken broth mixture into the skillet along with 1 cup of coconut milk. Whisk to combine. Add the fresh thyme and sage leaves and some salt and pepper, to taste, and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens up a bit.

Pour the sauce over the potatoes in the casserole dish. Seal tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15 more minutes. When cooking time is complete, if your potatoes are not golden brown on top, turn your oven on ‘broil’ and broil for 3–5 minutes, watching carefully so the top gets golden brown but doesn’t burn.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10–15 minutes for the sauce to thicken before serving.

Nutritional Info (per serving):

• Calories: 282
• Carbs:42 grams
• Fat: 11 grams
• Protein: 5 grams

The post Scalloped Potatoes appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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Here’s why we love sangria (and mulled wines) for the holidays: They make inexpensive wines more festive, feed the thirst of a crowd easily, and look gorgeous on a bar or table.

Sangria is simply wine, a little liquor, sometimes sugar, and fruit or spices added for flavoring and can be made in big batches days in advance. Here are 10 of our favorites for Friendsgiving.

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I know, I just wrote another meal plan around eating down my pantry in an effort to keep my grocery budget in check, but after a week of birthday dinners, election night self-soothing, and general laziness our family needs another week of easy, cheap dinners.

The recipes are simple because as we head into the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I want to use any extra cooking time I have on making pie crusts, freezing gravy, and just generally preparing for one of my favorite meals of the year. Here’s how we’re keeping meals cheap and easy in our house this week.

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Ina Garten and Brussels sprouts: Could there be a more perfect pairing? (Other than Ina and Jeffrey, of course.) When considering the most popular Thanksgiving recipes on the internet — many of which we’re sharing on Kitchn this month — Ina’s balsamic-roasted Brussels immediately came to mind. Not because I’d made them before, but because anybody who has won’t shut up about them.

It wasn’t that long ago that Brussels sprouts were known as the stinky, mushy veggie that you spooned onto your plate to be polite to your aunt who made them but then promptly hid under your mashed potatoes and gravy. In fact, if you were assigned to bring Brussels sprouts to Thanksgiving dinner, it probably meant you weren’t trusted to bring something important (sorry, Aunt Jan).

But Brussels sprouts have made a huge comeback. People love them now. And if you’re in charge of making them, they better be good. I had to know: Were Ina Garten’s Brussels sprouts worthy of that coveted spot on my Thanksgiving table? Here’s what I found out.

Recipe: Ina Garten’s Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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By nature casseroles are usually a pretty easy meal to pull off — it’s part of the reason we love them so much — but these 10 casseroles stand out against a crowd, big time. Some come together with just a handful of pantry ingredients, some require no upfront prep, and a few do all the heavy lifting for you. In addition to the warming comfort they always promise to deliver, this family-friendly lineup features the easiest casseroles we know how to make.

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Choosing just the right recipe for your office Thanksgiving potluck (aka Worksgiving), calls for a few smart considerations. The best recipes for office potlucks must hold up well when made in advance, be easy to transport, and don’t need to be refrigerated or reheated if possible. Don’t forget to take into account any allergies or food restrictions your coworkers might have.

Whether you’re bringing the main dish or sticking with an appetizer, side, or dessert, these recipes are your best choice for impressing your coworkers.

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