Roast turkey, herbed stuffing, and pumpkin pie may be Thanksgiving’s favorites that will never fail you. But if you’re a person that likes being innovative with your Thanksgiving Dinner, then these popular Thanksgiving recipes may give you just the touch of novelty you need for your 2016 Thanksgiving Dinner.

sage-butter-roasted-turkey

1. Roast turkey with lemon and sage

The best thing about turkey is that you can season it any way you like it and it always turns out great. Lemon, sage, and white wine make this turkey recipe a refreshing twist to this Thanksgiving must-have.

Ingredients:

  • Whole fresh turkey (18-20 pounds)

  • A handful of fresh sage leaves

  • 1 whole lemon – quartered

  • Salt and ground pepper

  • Zest and juice of 2 lemons

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • Lemon halves and fresh sage leaves for garnishing

Directions:

Rinse the turkey well inside and out and pat dry. Transfer turkey to a large roasting pan, wings and neck fold tucked underneath. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour to let dry completely. Stuff the turkey with lemon quarters and sage leaves and season the whole turkey with salt and pepper. Make sure to rub the seasoning thoroughly. Tie turkey legs using a kitchen twine.

In a saucepan, heat the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and white wine until butter is completely melted. Let the mixture cool slightly and using a kitchen brush, brush the turkey with half of the liquid mixture. Transfer the seasoned turkey in the oven, preheated to 450°F. Let the turkey roast for half an hour and reduce temperature to 350°F. Halfway through your baking time (around 2 hours) rotate the roasting pan. Keep an eye on the turkey, if it starts to brown too quickly, tent the turkey with aluminum foil. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes with the lemon-butter mixture until the thermometer inserted into the turkey thigh reads 175°F. This should take no more than 4 hours depending on the size of your turkey.

When the turkey is done, transfer to a platter, let cool for 30 minutes and garnish with the lemon halves and sage leaves. Use the juices from the pan to make gravy if you wish.

roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-blue-cheese-walnuts-and-sage

2. Roasted sweet potatoes with blue cheese, walnuts, and sage

The sweetness of the potatoes is balanced with the saltiness of blue cheese and slightly bitter taste and the wonderful aroma of fresh sage in this Thanksgiving side dish.

Ingredients:

  • 4 sweet potatoes

  • ¾ cups blue cheese

  • ½ cup of melted butter or olive oil for drizzling

  • 1 package of fresh sage

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 2oz blue cheese

  • 3tbs toasted walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes and arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer in a roasting tin. Sprinkle potatoes with olive oil or melted butter and toss. Chop most of the sage leaves and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the sweet potatoes for half an hour or until edges turn golden and crisp. Rub the remaining whole sage leaves with a little olive oil and add to sweet potatoes together with the blue cheese for the last five minutes of roasting. Remove the tin from the oven and scatter the potatoes with the roasted walnuts. Serve warm.

brown-butter-pecan-pie-with-rum-and-espresso

3. Brown butter pecan pie with rum and espresso

Brown butter makes the pecans in this pie crispier while the rum heightens the pies aroma and the espresso’s bitterness balances some of the pie’s sweetness. The recipe also calls for cane syrup instead of the traditionally used corn syrup because it has a richer flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Premade pie crust

  • 3 cups toasted pecans

  • 6 tbs butter

  • 1 cup light brown sugar

  • 1 cup cane syrup plus 2 tsp

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 tbs dark rum

  • 1 tbs instant espresso powder

  • 3 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. You can use premade pie crust or make your pie crust. Set aside one cup of the pecans to decorate the top of the pie. Chop the remaining two cups and set aside. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until golden brown. Pour the butter into a large bowl and add sugar, cane syrup, salt, vanilla extract, rum, and espresso powder and whisk the ingredients. Whisk in the eggs and add the chopped pecans. Pour the filling into a 9-inch pie shell. Toss the remaining pecans with 2tbs of cane syrup and arrange over the top of the pie. Place the pie on the bottom rack of the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, place the pie at the center of the oven. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool and store in a cool and dry place for up to 2 days.