The Ultimate Holiday Feast: 9 Recipes To Try this Season
Hosting a holiday dinner? To us, there’s no greater joy than having all your closest friends and family over for a meal. While everyone celebrates differently, there are a few table-top essentials that we just can’t live without.
From holiday classics like roast turkey and stuffing, to sweet treats like gingerbread cookies, we’ve rounded up our favourite Savoury City recipes to help you put together the ultimate holiday feast.
Sausage Rolls
Our take on a British classic. Filled with homemade sausage, these savoury pastries can be prepared as an appetizer or bite-sized canapé. Serve at room temperature with hot mustard and a Branston pickle.
Ingredients
1 sheet of puff pastry, chilled
250 g ground pork
250 g ground beef
100 g fine bread crumbs (preferably not panko)
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground sage
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1 egg, well beaten
Method
Combine the pork, beef, bread crumbs, onions and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Mix well by hand or using a stand mixer.
With a knife, divide the puff pastry into 6 equal squares. Separate the meat mixture into 6 equal sausage-shaped portions, each the length of one pastry square.
Roll the sausage meat into the pastry, ensuring the seam is on the bottom. Repeat with the other squares and remaining meat.
Refrigerate for 45 minutes while the oven preheats to 400ºF
For canapé-sized sausage rolls, cut the chilled rolls into 4-5 pieces before baking.
Brush sausage rolls with beaten egg and bake approximately 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown and crispy. Sausage meat should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. Rotate the sausage rolls half way through the baking time to ensure even cooking and browning.
Allow to cool before serving.
Croustillants
These homemade Comté and Parmesan cheese crackers with whipped Boursin and poached pear are a delicious vegetarian-friendly canapé option to pass around the room.
Ingredients
For cheese crackers:
1½ cup flour
½ cup unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
1½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, grated
1/4 cup Comté, grated
For poached pear topping:
1 pear, cut into ½ cm slices
½ cup red wine
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of five spice
Boursin cheese
Method
Combine flour, butter and salt.
Knead in grated parm until a firm dough forms.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Between parchment paper, roll dough out to ½ cm thickness.
Cut into circles, approximately 4 cm across.
Bake on parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 - 15 minutes.
Poach the pear with red wine, sugar and five spice on gentle heat, until the pear takes on a nice colour and the wine reaches a syrupy consistency.
When cool, top crackers with Boursin cheese, poached pear, and some of the red wine reduction.
Turkey
Our tried-and-true method. For the juiciest turkey, start with a fresh free-run turkey from a local farm or butcher. If using a defrosted frozen turkey, follow the brining instructions below for a 7 kg (15 lb) turkey.
Ingredients
7 kg turkey
2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp dry sage
For brine
2 onions
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
Sprig of fresh thyme
A pinch of whole peppercorns
1 clove of garlic
Bay leaf
10 g rock salt
2 L water
Brining Method (optional)
Combine everything in a pot and simmer until veggies are soft and salt is dissolved.
In a large basin, add 6 L of cold water and then add your hot brine and stir.
Allow to cool to fridge temperature.
Add your defrosted turkey and refrigerate overnight, any longer and it may become overly salty.
Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine, pat your turkey dry with disposable towels.
Method
Preheat your oven to 325ºF
Make a seasoning blend with 2 tbsp good quality salt and a couple of teaspoons of your favourite seasonings. (We recommend white pepper, garlic and onion powders, dry sage, and paprika. 1 tsp of each, except ½ tsp of dried sage.)
Season the cavity of the turkey and all of the skin, be sure to get between the wings and legs.
Place the turkey breast side up in a roasting pan. If you’re using a foil roast be sure to put a sturdy baking sheet underneath and always carry the turkey using the baking sheet, never the foil.
If you know how to truss the turkey, do so now. If not, skip this step.
Place the turkey in the oven and bake for 4 - 4 ½ hours until a thermometer in the breast and leg reads 160ºF. Follow the instructions on your thermometer for placement. Rotate the turkey half way through its cooking time.
Rest the turkey on the counter for at least 25 minutes before carving.
Roasted Squash Stuffing
Our favourite stuffing for this time of year. Roasted squash adds a unique touch to a classic stuffing, while toasted pumpkin seeds provide a crunchy topping.
Ingredients
1 cup ½” diced butternut squash
1 cup onion, finely diced
½ cup celery, finely diced
½ cup carrots, finely diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
600 g cubed stale bread
4 tbsp butter, unsalted
Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
½ cup chilled chicken stock
1 egg
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method
Sweat the onion, celery, and carrots in the butter until softened. You should be able to crush the carrots between your fingers easily
Remove the veggies from the pan and add the butternut squash and thyme. Sautée until softened and brown. You want the squash to be very close to the texture you would enjoy for eating as it will not cook much further once it’s mixed into the stuffing.
Discard the stems of the thyme, deglaze with chicken stock and turn off the heat. Allow to cool before adding the beaten egg.
In a mixing bowl combine the bread, egg, squash, and other sautéed veggies. Season with salt and pepper.
Pack into a casserole dish and top with pumpkin seeds. Bake for about 35 minutes until the centre is hot and a toothpick comes out clean.
Citrus Cranberry Sauce
There will be no more store-bought cranberry sauce after you try this recipe!
Ingredients
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup sugar
4 cups frozen cranberries
1 slice of ginger
Method
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and stir continuously over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
Remove ginger, chill, and garnish with some more lime zest if desired.
Maple-Glazed Carrots
A simple recipe that is packed full of flavour thanks to the unexpected addition of maple syrup and chicken stock. Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock to make this dish vegetarian-friendly.
Ingredients
40 baby carrots, peeled
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock, no salt
2 tbsp medium maple syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a big pot of boiling water, blanch the carrots until not quite al-dente (about 6 minutes - the core of the carrot should still have some snap when you bite in). You may also use a steamer.
Drain carrots and combine in a sauté pan with chicken stock and maple syrup.
Rock the pan back and forth as the syrup and chicken stock reduce down to 2 tbsp of liquid.
Turn the heat off, season with salt and pepper and add the butter.
Shake the pan to emulsify the butter and coat the carrots.
Garnish with fresh herbs or toasted nuts if desired.
Honey-Roasted Beets
Sweet honey-roasted beets, flavoured with stock & fresh thyme make the perfect colourful addition to your holiday feast.
Ingredients
2 lbs golden beets
2 tbsp wildflower honey
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable or unsalted chicken stock
Spring of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Method
Boil the beets until fully cooked.
Let the beets cool and peel them, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Combine beets, thyme, and liquid ingredients in a sauté pan and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 2 tbsp.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and discard thyme stems.
Turn the heat off and stir in the butter.
Garnish with fresh herbs of your choosing.
Brussels Sprouts
Roasted brussels sprouts are a holiday classic - we brighten them up with lemon juice and top with crispy fried onions to add texture.
Ingredients
3 lbs brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
4 tbsp crispy fried onions
1 lemon, zested & juiced
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat an oven safe skillet very hot on the stove and add olive oil and brussels sprouts to put a good sear on them. Turn all of the sprouts so the cut side is making contact with the pan.
Once the sprouts are well seared add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Put the brussels sprouts in the oven with the rest of the sides of your holiday meal and allow to bake for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with crispy fried onions, parsley, and lemon zest.
Gingerbread
Decorating gingerbread men or building a full gingerbread house – whatever shape or size, baking a batch of gingerbread is one of our favourite holiday activities.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
⅔ cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
Method
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add molasses and egg
Combine dry ingredients and mix into butter mixture.
Roll to ½ cm thickness and cut into desired shapes.
Bake for about 8 minutes, then rotate pans and bake for another 8 minutes.
Want to skip straight to the feasting? Let us do the holiday cooking for you! Find our full holiday catering menus at savourycity.com/holiday-menus