This year may look a little different than the traditional Thanksgiving of years past. Your gathering might be smaller and even outside.
Now’s the time to step away from the traditional and into the creative cooking zone. We’ve gathered some delicious honey recipes to help you do just this. Impress your guest with a sweet secret ingredient—honey.
Honey has been used for food, beauty products and medicine for thousands of years and with good reason. Honey has healthy amino acids, antioxidants and electrolytes – plus it’s made by nature.
It’s relatively low on the glycemic index making it a great substitute for regular sugar. It is easy to substitute honey for sugar in many dishes and desserts for Thanksgiving Day and beyond.
Honey is actually sweeter than sugar, so a general rule is to substitute 3/4 cup of honey for every cup of sugar you use. Here is a handy sugar to honey converter tool.
Sweet Potato Rounds with Pomegranate Seeds and Honey
The troops might be hungry upon arrival or while you are still cooking. Why not set out a lovely appetizer and let them watch the Thanksgiving Parade while you finish cooking in peace.
These sweet potato rounds with pomegranate seeds and honey will do just the trick. Plus they are a new spin on sweet potatoes, so you can skip the sweet potatoes and marshmallows if you are so inclined.
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
5 oz. soft goat cheese
1 pear thinly sliced
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (found at Trader Joes and more)
2-3 Teaspoons of local honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 415° F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch thick rounds. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool. Spread the soft goat cheese on top of sweet potato rounds. Lay the sliced pears on top and add a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. Last, drizzle some tasty local honey on top to bring all the flavors together.
Set them out on the table and watched them get gobbled.
Herbed Turkey Breast
Now for the main event—the turkey. There are plenty of recipes on the internet for a honey glazed turkey. If you are having a smaller crowd this year you may consider a skinless turkey breast instead. It’s a good alternative to twining and brining a big old turkey this year.
Ingredients
2 lbs. skinless turkey breast, about
1/2 cup of honey
1/4 cup of orange juice
2T of butter
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp of dried sage
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions
Preheat broiler and place rack 6 inches from heat source. In a bowl combine honey, orange juice, butter, sage, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Put the turkey on a rack in a broiler pan. Brush with the honey mixture. Continue to brush frequently with the rest of the mixture. Turn the turkey halfway through and brush that side too. Take it out after 40 minutes but make sure there is no pink left inside. Let it stand for 5 minutes then slice.
Now isn’t that much easier than wrestling a turkey?
Queen Bee Apple Pie
So now everyone is full and it’s time to put the game on. But don’t forget dessert! How about a sweet twist on a Thanksgiving classic?
Ingredients
6 cups – green apple, pared and sliced
2T lemon juice
1 1/4 cups cold water
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup honey
1 pkg. (15 oz.) of 2 unroll and bake 9-inch pie crusts
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss together apples and lemon juice in a large bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together cold water, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add honey; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Continue to cook and stir until the mixture thickens and becomes translucent. Pour hot honey mixture over apple mixture; toss to coat evenly. Turn apple mixture into a pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle walnuts and raisins over apples. Place a second crust over the filling. Seal and flute edges. Cut slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Add some vanilla ice cream and you are ready to go. The holidays are a great time to support small businesses like local beekeepers. You can often find local honey at health food markets or open-air markets.
We can’t help you get rid of unwanted family house guests this year but if you have flying pests we can help you out. Please call 972-980-0923 for safe removal. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.
Recipes courtesy of the National Honey Board.
