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Three Recipes to Simplify Your Thanksgiving

Leigh Ann Chatagnier

This post has kindly been sponsored by Village Farms, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and friends let me tell you, it doesn’t have to be a stressful day!  With the right amount of prep, you can enjoy your holiday with your friends and family and have feel confident about the dishes that you are serving them too!  I’ve got a few recipes for you that will make the day of Thanksgiving a breeze, starting with a make ahead breakfast! I partnered with Village Farms to bring you three delicious and easy recipes that will complete any Thanksgiving and will help alleviate some of the to-do’s on the day of!  These three recipes to simplify your Thanksgiving are going to help you feel like a rockstar in the kitchen when turkey day arrives!

I love an easy breakfast the day of Thanksgiving because most of the time I am already prepping the big dinner and don’t have time to whip up a fancy breakfast, plus I want to be able to watch the parade a little and hang with the rest of the family!  That’s why I created Easy Make Ahead Herby Tomato and Goat Cheese Egg Muffins made with Village Farms, Maverick Mix tomatoes, that can be frozen up to a week in advance and simply reheated for all of your guests in a matter of minutes! These muffins are perfect for kiddos and adults alike and are so full of flavor!  These egg muffins keep breakfast light which helps everyone save room for the main meal, while being satisfying at the same time!

Thanksgiving is all about family and that’s why I love finding ways to prep in advance so that I don't have the spend the whole day in the kitchen while everyone else is hanging out without me!  I also love this opportunity to get your family involved in the kitchen too! Assign out tasks that your kids and other family members can do so that they feel a part of the celebration and the delicious meal too!  (I bet they will enjoy dinner even more if they had a hand in preparing it!)

One of my favorite sides that I always make a day or two in advance is my cranberry sauce!  This year I have a recipe that will wow your guests with a twist on the traditional using Village Farms, Cabernet Estate Reserve Tomatoes!  My Spiced Tomato Cranberry Sauce is going to be the perfect tangy accompaniment to your turkey this year! This sauce is so great to make ahead of time is because it actually gets more flavorful as it sits in the refrigerator and plus it’s one less dish to make on my list for Thanksgiving day!

Side dishes to me are just as important as the turkey itself!  My Texas Harvest Succotash is going to be a welcomed sight amongst all of the carbs at the table!  It’s such a great recipe where you can add in vegetables like Village Farms Cherry No.9 Fall in Love Again tomatoes and so many more!  I put a twist on the traditional and gave it a more harvest feel by adding in earthy fresh sage and butternut squash! All of the ingredients can be prepped a day in advance and simply sautéed up when ready to serve!  This recipe is so delicious and beautiful, I am super excited for for you all to try this one out this year!

Another easy tip is to shop at one store for all of your Thanksgiving needs so that it saves time!   I was able to shop for all of the ingredients for these recipes at my local HEB! I love creating my master grocery list of everything I need to buy the weekend before Thanksgiving and then shopping at the beginning of the week so I can get a jump start on prepping my dishes!

These recipes are sure to bring a little Texas to your table and make your day easy and delicious!

Check out Village Farms website for even more tips and delicious recipes!


Make Ahead Herby Tomato and Goat Cheese Egg Muffins:

Ingredients-

  • 12 Eggs

  • 1 Tbsp. Milk

  • 1 Tsp. Salt

  • 1 Tsp. Pepper

  • 1/2 Cup Crumbled Goat Cheese (sun-dried tomato goat cheese is delicious)

  • 1 Cup of Mix and Match Village Farms Tomatoes, cut in half

  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh Dill

  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh Basil

  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh Mint

Directions-

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Line a muffin tin with liners (optional, but makes for easier clean up!)

  • Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until egg yolks and whites are combined.

  • Chop fresh herbs and crumble goat cheese.

  • Add in Mix and Match Village Farms tomatoes, herbs, and cheese and fold into the whisked eggs.

  • Ladle egg mixture into muffin cups and place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs have puffed and cooked through. (Note: eggs will deflate after they come out of the oven.)

  • Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks.

Spiced Tomato Cranberry Sauce:

Ingredients-

  • 2 Cups Cabernet Village Farms Tomatoes

  • 3 Cups Fresh Cranberries

  • 1, 2” Piece of Fresh Ginger (no need to peel)

  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

  • 1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

  • 1/4 Cup Honey or Sugar

  • 1 Tbsp. Water

Directions:

  • Heat a deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

  • Add all ingredients to the pan and bring to a simmer.

  • Once the cranberries and tomatoes start bursting and the sauce starts to thicken, turn off heat and using an immersion blender or regular blender, process until smooth or to desired consistency. Feel free to leave the sauce chunky as well!

  • Place in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Will keep for two weeks.

Texas Harvest Succotash:

Ingredients-

  • 2 Cups Love No.9 Village Farms Tomatoes

  • 4 Slices of Bacon, diced

  • 2 Cups Diced Butternut Squash

  • 1 Cup Frozen Corn

  • 1 Cup Frozen Lima Beans

  • 1 Cup Finely Diced Onion

  • 2 Finely Minced Garlic Cloves

  • 1 Tbsp. Fresh Sage

  • 1 Tsp. Kosher Salt

  • 1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper

  • 1 Tbsp. Grass Fed Butter

Directions-

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add chopped bacon, cook until crisp and then remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

  • Add butternut squash, salt, pepper, and sage to the pan at this time and sauté for 5-10 minutes until squash is somewhat tender.

  • Add in onion, tomatoes, and garlic at this time and sauté for another 5 minutes until onions are translucent.

  • At this time, add corn and lima beans and stir to combine and warm through the frozen veggies.

  • Add in butter and stir to coat the veggies. Taste at this point and add more salt and pepper if desired.

  • Sprinkle crispy bacon over top and serve immediately.

With these easy recipes, you are going to have one of your best Thanksgivings yet! Head out to your local HEB or grocery and pick yourself up some yummy Village Farms tomatoes so that you can make all of these recipes this holiday season!