Thanksgiving: The fourth Thursday in November, filled with family, friends, a delicious meal, stretchy pants and being thankful for all that we have. That Thanksgiving meal is something most of us dream about all year long and we've found a way to make it even better. Cue: Wisconsin products. We've teamed up with Something Special from Wisconsin to find ways to make all your Thanksgiving recipes Wisco-fied. Dig in.
Turkey
Ingredients:
One 12-14-pound whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 bunch thyme
1 small handful of rosemary sprigs
1 small handful sage leaves
1 head Copper Kettle Farm garlic, halved crosswise
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup chicken broth
Directions:
Position rack to the lower third of your oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with onion, thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
Brush melted butter all over turkey, then season generously with salt and pepper. Place turkey breast side-up on a roasting rack inside of a large pan. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Transfer to oven and immediately reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
Baste every 30-45 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan, and roast for 3-4 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (The meat temperature should be 165 degrees).
Cover cooked turkey with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
About Copper Kettle Farm: Copper Kettle Farm recognizes the increased demand for organically-produced vegetables, and began growing varieties of high-quality, healthy garlic in 2011. The farm thinks of customers as friends and has vowed to never use chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides on their product.
Stuffing
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 medium or 1/2 cup Gumz Farms onion, chopped
9 cups or about 15 slices soft bread cubes
11/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Melt butter in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook celery and onion in butter 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove Dutch oven from the heat.
Gently toss celery mixture and remaining ingredients, using spoon, until bread cubes are evenly coated.
Use to stuff one 10-12-pound turkey. Or to bake stuffing separately, grease 3-quart casserole or rectangular baking dish, 13-by-9-by-2-inches. Place stuffing in casserole or baking dish. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.
About Gumz Farms: A fourth-generation farm located in southcentral Wisconsin, Gumz Farms remains a family operation despite being a major producer in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Enjoy their quality yellow, red and sweet onions and red potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
8-10 medium or about 3 pounds Alsum russet potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 dash of pepper
1/4 cup hot milk
Directions:
Place potatoes in large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Add 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover loosely and boil gently for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes break apart easily when pierced with fork. Drain well.
Return potatoes to saucepan; shake saucepan gently over low heat for 1-2 minutes to evaporate any excess moisture.
Mash potatoes with potato masher until no lumps remain. Add margarine, pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; continue mashing, gradually adding enough milk to make potatoes smooth and creamy.
About Alsum Farms and Produce: Alsum has been in the potato and onion business for more than 40 years and calls Wisconsin home. Each step of the potato planting, growing, harvesting and shipping processes meet the sustainability standards of a third-party agency.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
29 ounces Apple Blossom Orchard green beans
One 10¾-ounce condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
One 2.8-ounce can French-fried onions
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In 11/2-quart casserole or glass baking dish, mix green beans, soup and milk.
Bake 20-25 minutes, topping with onions during last 5 minutes of baking, until bubbly.
About Apple Blossom Orchard and Market: Apple Blossom believes that quality of life is enriched with delicious, nutritious and locally-grown fruits and vegetables brought from the farm to the table. They grow, pick, pack and distribute locally-grown fruits and vegetables with the goal of growing healthy families.
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh Habelman cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced
Directions:
In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole. Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving.
About Habelman Bros: Since 1907, four generations of Habelman family members have dedicated themselves to delivering the highest-quality fresh cranberries available. Today, Habelman Bros. Company is the world's largest fresh cranberry grower and picker.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 cups of pumpkin pulp puree from a sugar pumpkin or one 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
11/2 cup Sassy Cow heavy cream
1 pie crust
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, cardamom and lemon zest.
Mix in the pumpkin puree. Stir in the cream. Beat together until everything is well-mixed.
Pour the filling into an uncooked pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then after 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 45-55 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the pumpkin pie on a wire rack for 2 hours.
About Sassy Cow: Sassy Cow Creamery was built in 2007 by third-generation dairy farmers and their families. They craft dairy products from their organic and traditional herds at their farmstead dairy.
Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened
6 cups or about 6 medium, thinly sliced, peeled AVEnue Orchard apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.
In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2-to-3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.
About AVEnue Orchard: A family-owned orchard, AVEnue Orchard is based in the Eau Claire area and grows apples, pears, plums and pumpkins. Visit their on-site store or find them at various local farmers' markets.
Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 pounds Flyte Family Farm sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange potatoes in 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Combine sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over potatoes; toss to coat. Cover dish tightly with foil.
Bake potatoes 50 minutes. Uncover; bake until potatoes are tender and syrup thickens slightly, basting occasionally, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Top potatoes with marshmallows and nuts. Return to oven; bake until marshmallows begin to melt and nuts begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
About Flyte Family Farm: Flyte Family Farm is truly a family-run operation that continues to grow. They pride themselves on being one of the most diversified farms in Wisconsin growing organic and conventional crops.
There you have it: A delicious Thanksgiving meal filled with Wisconsin products. For ideas on how to make any meal Wisconsin product-centric, visit somethingspecialwi.com. Don't forget to take photos of your recipes and share them with us on social media using #discoverwisconsin.
- Kristen Finstad is a crew-member of the nation's longest-running tourism TV show, "Discover Wisconsin." The column is published Tuesday on the Life page in the Times.
Turkey
Ingredients:
One 12-14-pound whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 bunch thyme
1 small handful of rosemary sprigs
1 small handful sage leaves
1 head Copper Kettle Farm garlic, halved crosswise
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup chicken broth
Directions:
Position rack to the lower third of your oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with onion, thyme, rosemary, sage and garlic. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
Brush melted butter all over turkey, then season generously with salt and pepper. Place turkey breast side-up on a roasting rack inside of a large pan. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Transfer to oven and immediately reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
Baste every 30-45 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan, and roast for 3-4 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. (The meat temperature should be 165 degrees).
Cover cooked turkey with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
About Copper Kettle Farm: Copper Kettle Farm recognizes the increased demand for organically-produced vegetables, and began growing varieties of high-quality, healthy garlic in 2011. The farm thinks of customers as friends and has vowed to never use chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides on their product.
Stuffing
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 medium or 1/2 cup Gumz Farms onion, chopped
9 cups or about 15 slices soft bread cubes
11/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Melt butter in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook celery and onion in butter 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove Dutch oven from the heat.
Gently toss celery mixture and remaining ingredients, using spoon, until bread cubes are evenly coated.
Use to stuff one 10-12-pound turkey. Or to bake stuffing separately, grease 3-quart casserole or rectangular baking dish, 13-by-9-by-2-inches. Place stuffing in casserole or baking dish. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.
About Gumz Farms: A fourth-generation farm located in southcentral Wisconsin, Gumz Farms remains a family operation despite being a major producer in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Enjoy their quality yellow, red and sweet onions and red potatoes.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
8-10 medium or about 3 pounds Alsum russet potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 dash of pepper
1/4 cup hot milk
Directions:
Place potatoes in large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Add 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover loosely and boil gently for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes break apart easily when pierced with fork. Drain well.
Return potatoes to saucepan; shake saucepan gently over low heat for 1-2 minutes to evaporate any excess moisture.
Mash potatoes with potato masher until no lumps remain. Add margarine, pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; continue mashing, gradually adding enough milk to make potatoes smooth and creamy.
About Alsum Farms and Produce: Alsum has been in the potato and onion business for more than 40 years and calls Wisconsin home. Each step of the potato planting, growing, harvesting and shipping processes meet the sustainability standards of a third-party agency.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:
29 ounces Apple Blossom Orchard green beans
One 10¾-ounce condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
One 2.8-ounce can French-fried onions
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In 11/2-quart casserole or glass baking dish, mix green beans, soup and milk.
Bake 20-25 minutes, topping with onions during last 5 minutes of baking, until bubbly.
About Apple Blossom Orchard and Market: Apple Blossom believes that quality of life is enriched with delicious, nutritious and locally-grown fruits and vegetables brought from the farm to the table. They grow, pick, pack and distribute locally-grown fruits and vegetables with the goal of growing healthy families.
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh Habelman cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced
Directions:
In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole. Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving.
About Habelman Bros: Since 1907, four generations of Habelman family members have dedicated themselves to delivering the highest-quality fresh cranberries available. Today, Habelman Bros. Company is the world's largest fresh cranberry grower and picker.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
2 eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 cups of pumpkin pulp puree from a sugar pumpkin or one 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
11/2 cup Sassy Cow heavy cream
1 pie crust
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, cardamom and lemon zest.
Mix in the pumpkin puree. Stir in the cream. Beat together until everything is well-mixed.
Pour the filling into an uncooked pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then after 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 45-55 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the pumpkin pie on a wire rack for 2 hours.
About Sassy Cow: Sassy Cow Creamery was built in 2007 by third-generation dairy farmers and their families. They craft dairy products from their organic and traditional herds at their farmstead dairy.
Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened
6 cups or about 6 medium, thinly sliced, peeled AVEnue Orchard apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place 1 pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate. Press firmly against side and bottom.
In large bowl, gently mix filling ingredients; spoon into crust-lined pie plate. Top with second crust. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust edge, pressing edges together to seal; flute. Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with 2-to-3-inch wide strips of foil after first 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.
About AVEnue Orchard: A family-owned orchard, AVEnue Orchard is based in the Eau Claire area and grows apples, pears, plums and pumpkins. Visit their on-site store or find them at various local farmers' markets.
Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 pounds Flyte Family Farm sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange potatoes in 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Combine sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over potatoes; toss to coat. Cover dish tightly with foil.
Bake potatoes 50 minutes. Uncover; bake until potatoes are tender and syrup thickens slightly, basting occasionally, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Top potatoes with marshmallows and nuts. Return to oven; bake until marshmallows begin to melt and nuts begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
About Flyte Family Farm: Flyte Family Farm is truly a family-run operation that continues to grow. They pride themselves on being one of the most diversified farms in Wisconsin growing organic and conventional crops.
There you have it: A delicious Thanksgiving meal filled with Wisconsin products. For ideas on how to make any meal Wisconsin product-centric, visit somethingspecialwi.com. Don't forget to take photos of your recipes and share them with us on social media using #discoverwisconsin.
- Kristen Finstad is a crew-member of the nation's longest-running tourism TV show, "Discover Wisconsin." The column is published Tuesday on the Life page in the Times.