Two things to always remember when roasting a turkey on Thanksgiving: don’t forget to remove the giblets and be sure to keep the meat moist and tender. There are many more turkey-truths out there to follow, based on years of experience and personal preference when it comes to the prized Thanksgiving bird. We’ve tried many different methods over the years and one of our favorite roasting methods is to use a roasting bag.

A “turkey-size” roasting bag is what you’ll need, and at this time of year, it’s pretty easy to find. A roasting bag will be able to cook a turkey as small as eight pounds and as big as 24 pounds! Roasting bags have been around for a while, and one reason why they’re so amazing is that a bag helps to lock in moisture. No one wants a dry turkey on Thanksgiving! This saves the chef time too, as there’s no need to regularly open the oven to baste the turkey.

The process itself is super simple, and saves time on clean up – there’s no charred roasting pan to clean at the end of the day. Once the turkey has been prepared – neck and giblets removed and the whole turkey rinsed and dried – we can begin turkey prep. We place onions and carrots at the bottom of the bag; these will act as props to the bird as well as infusing the meat with great flavor.

Next, the seasoning mix: salt and butter are absolutely essential to a well-seasoned bird, followed by our own mix of seasonings: black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat, paprika, ginger, thyme, and some poultry seasoning. The bird gets a nice massage in all of this flavor and is then placed into the roasting bag to cook. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your turkey and you’ll also want to give the meat time to rest so those all-important juices can be reabsorbed into the meat. After 15 minutes, the turkey is ready for carving.

We spend so much time decorating our homes and our dinner tables for this grand holiday meal. The tablescape is intricately planned and adorned to match the festive theme and please all of our family and friends. From formal tablescapes to more casual dinner settings, and of course, a plethora of side dishes, our tables are made ready to show off the most important centerpiece to any Thanksgiving meal: the turkey. A roasting bag is a super convenient and accessible way to make this year’s turkey something truly special. A few essential ingredients all tossed together in one bag is an excellent way to ensure that the turkey is the true star of the show this Thanksgiving.

How To Cook A Turkey In A Roasting Bag

Ingredients

• 1 oven roasting bag, 19×23 ½-inch
• 1 turkey (8 to 24-pounds), thawed, giblets and neck removed, rinsed and dried
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and dried thyme until well combined. Set aside.
3. Shake flour inside the roasting bag. Place bag in a large 2-inch deep roasting pan.
4. Place onion wedges, garlic cloves, and carrot pieces in bottom of roasting bag.
5. Rub turkey with melted butter. Evenly spread and rub seasoning mix around whole turkey.
6. Place turkey into the bag, resting on top of onions and carrots. Roasting bag opening should face one end of the roasting pan and not open upwards.
7. Close and seal with cooking twine. Cut 4-6 slits in top of roasting bag.
8. Transfer roasting pan to oven and bake according to the weight of the turkey. (See weight and cooking times below)
9. When turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180°F in at the thickest part of the turkey thigh, remove from oven and rest in oven bag for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle back into the turkey.
10. Use a carving fork to lift turkey from bag and transfer to a carving board. Carve and enjoy!

Turkey Cooking Times

• 1.5-2 hours for 8-12 lb turkeys
• 2-2.5 hours for 12-16 lb turkeys
• 2.5-3 hours for 16-20 lb turkeys
• 3-3.5 hours for 20-24 lb turkeys

Clean and Sugar-Free Banana Walnut Cookies

Prepare to enjoy guilt-free cookies with just two wholesome ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 ripe bananas
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Ginger (optional)
• Tangerine peel (optional)
• Cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (380°F).
2. In a food processor, add 1 cup of walnuts and blend until they reach a coarse, crumbly texture.
3. Mash 2 ripe bananas in a mixing bowl until they are smooth and creamy. You can add a splash of lemon juice for extra flavor if desired.
4. If you like, you can add optional ingredients like a pinch of ginger, tangerine peel, or a sprinkle of cinnamon to enhance the flavor.
5. Combine the blended walnuts with the mashed bananas in the mixing bowl and mix well until you have a thick cookie dough.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the parchment paper, shaping them into cookie-sized portions.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the cookies turn golden brown.
9. Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
10. Enjoy your clean, sugar-free banana walnut cookies guilt-free! 
11. These cookies are a healthy treat that’s easy to make and delicious.

Enjoy! 

Pecan pie is a family favorite throughout the year, but it’s especially nice during the holidays. It’s a Thanksgiving and Christmas staple, but every once in a while we like to switch it up a little bit, tweaking things here and there, so that we get a unique dessert that breathes new life into a classic, and that offers a little surprise to our hungry friends and family. Here we took an “island” approach and added coconut and pineapple to our pie – it was so good, you have to try it!

The addition of coconut and pineapple, while seemingly random, was totally amazing and our family raved about how much they loved it! We ended up having to bake ours for a little longer than you would typically, but the extra bake time was worth it in the end.

Feel free to also make a traditional pecan pie, but don’t ignore this tropical version – it’s a game changer. Guests just might like this version even better!

Island Pecan Pie

Yield(s): Serves 8

1 hour 20 minutes

4.3

Rated by 471 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300º F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, cornstarch, flour and salt until thoroughly combined and incorporated.
3. Mix in melted butter, then fold in pecans, pineapple and coconut.
4. Place pie crust in a round baking dish, then pour pecan mixture over the crust. Crimp edges of crust.
5. Place baking dish in oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until almost set.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 or until center is just set.
7. Remove from oven and garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut. Enjoy!

I have always loved Thanksgiving and that might be because it’s a holiday that revolves around all my favorite foods (and, ya know, thankfulness and family and all that). Warm spices, root veggies, and plenty of butter– what more could I want? While I think the magic of the Thanksgiving dinner plate is the combination of different flavors, I cannot deny my love for sweet potato casserole. It’s a side you rarely see the rest of the year, but come Turkey Day, it’s an absolute must. And this is my go-to recipe for it.

You’ll notice right off that this recipe does not include a layer of marshmallows. Nothing against mallows, but I think the crunchy pecan topping can hold its own without them. Plenty of brown sugar and a splash of half and half make the sweet potato layer as rich and creamy as can be. Pop the dish in the oven for just over half an hour, then let it sit and firm up before serving.

This side dish couldn’t be more delicious alongside some cranberry sauce and a mountain of mashed potatoes. I even love a bowl of it with my morning coffee (if I’m lucky enough to have leftovers). Give this southern twist a try for the holidays and it’s sure to win everyone over!

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Yield(s): Serves 12

10m prep time

35m cook time

4.8

Rated by 356 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 4 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup half and half
• ⅓ cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup flour
• 1 1/3 cup pecan pieces
• ½ cup butter, melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, add sweet potato, brown sugar, half and half, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Beat with mixer until completely smooth.
3. Transfer sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
4. In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, pecan, and melted butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.
5. Bake for 35 minutes, then allow dish to cool for a minimum of 20 minutes before serving.

There’s a time and place for pillowy desserts that are light as air…and this is neither the time nor the place. This butter pecan pound cake is a dense, but delicious loaf that is just as delicious when dipped into your morning coffee as it is when served as dessert. You may have thought you couldn’t muster another bite, but once you lay eyes on this cake, there’s no point resisting; it’s just too good.

With five eggs in it and a cup of butter, it’s no wonder this stuff is dense! But just because it’s hefty, doesn’t mean it’s heavy. The butter gives it plenty of flavor – important, considering this is a butter pecan cake, after all – along with brown sugar for a deeper quality and added moisture, so it doesn’t dry out. To that, you’ll add a tablespoon (yes, tablespoon) of vanilla extract. A teaspoon won’t do here, as you want the taste to knock everyone’s socks off and the vanilla pairs beautifully with the butter and pecans. Finally, you’re going to want to use buttermilk here to keep things moist. Buttermilk doesn’t add any flavor, it’s just a nice alternative to yogurt or sour cream and we like the overall texture we get from using it. This recipes has the perfect blend of flavors.

One thing to note: because this cake is so jam-packed, it’s going to need a while to cook – but not too long! It’s hard to know when it’s ready, since the top as a tendency to stay sort of gooey, but you’ll want it in the oven for about an hour, then take it out and cover it with foil so the heat will finish off cooking the top. Regardless of when you serve it, everyone’s sure to be hooked on this…you should probably just commit to making a double batch!

Butter Pecan Cake

Yield(s): Serves 8

1 hour 20 minutes

4.5

Rated by 199 reviewers

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Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
• Glaze:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon pecan extract or vanilla extract
• 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar, plus more until desired consistency is reached

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease 1-2 9×5-inch loaf pans with butter or non-stick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, then set aside.
3. In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter and sugars (white and brown) for 3-5 minutes, or until fluffy and lightened in color.
4. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then alternate between adding the buttermilk and the flour mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
5. Once fully incorporated, fold in chopped pecans, then pour mixture into greased loaf pans.
6. Place in oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. While cake bakes, whisk together butter, brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
8. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, then whisk in powdered sugar as needed.
9. Pour glaze all over cake, then let it set.

Are these anything like an actual steak? No. Should that stop you from making them? Also no. What Cheesy Baked Cabbage Steaks really are is an opportunity for cabbage to steal the show. And it definitely takes that opportunity — roasted into sweet, mild cabbage glory, these “steaks” are hearty enough for a main dish and seriously tasty. Whenever I make them, they remind me of garlic bread and if I’m reminded of garlic bread when I’m eating cabbage, I must be doing something right.

This isn’t a situation where you need a long list of fancy ingredients. This is more about how the preparation can transform an ingredient, so you really just need four things — cabbage, olive oil, cheese, and some seasonings.

You’ll want to remove the outer leaves from your cabbage and trim off the stem. Remove any leaves that easily come off and don’t be too precious about it — they’ll fall off anyway once you cut the cabbage up. Then, slice the cabbage up into thick “steaks,” about one inch in thickness.

Then you’ll stir some garlic, onion powder, thyme, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper into the olive oil and brush that mixture on top of the cabbage slices. At this point you want to bake it until the cabbage is tender, which should take about twenty minutes, depending on how thick you made those slices.

And then, and only then, you come in with the cheesiness. Each steak gets a blanket of mozzarella and parm, which is the classic combination for meltiness and flavor, and then it just needs a few more minutes in the oven to achieve top melty form.

The cabbage comes out tender and soft and a little sweet, while the garlic and herb infused oil gives it some bite, and the cheese does what cheese does best. It’s garlicky, it’s comforting, it’s cheesy… I don’t want to compare cabbage to garlic bread, but this is as close as it can get.

Cheesy Baked Cabbage Steaks

Yield(s): Serves 6

10m prep time

25m cook time

4.7

Rated by 81 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage, outer leaves removed, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch “steaks”
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, onion powder, thyme, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.
3. Arrange cabbage steaks in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush with the olive oil mixture.
4. Bake until cabbage is tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella and remaining parmesan.
5. Return to oven and bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes more. Enjoy!