Five-Course Thanksgiving Dinner Pairing

Thanksgiving is often a time of overeating, mainly due to the meal served family-style. However, if you keep it to a few appetizers as passed or part of a stationary buffet for a cocktail hour, with a break before a sit-down meal, you can avoid excessively stuffing everyone, and have a more elegant meal. I have created a menu, and have linked the dishes to some online recipes for your convenience (since I rarely write down recipes). I’m also sharing the CoolVines wine pairing suggestions, and coffee tip I received from a courteous expert!

Try local produce – Princeton Farmer’s Market. Local poultry – Griggstown. Local grass-fed beef – Simply Grazin’. Local cheeses – Cherry Grove Farm. Imported cheeses – Bon Appetit & Olsson’s Fine Foods. Wines – CoolVines.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL!

Cocktail Hour

FOOD

Wild mushroom tartlets; cheese platter with baguettes, chutney, figs and nut; grass-fed beef saté w/peanut sauce

COCKTAILS

Cosmos, Appletinis, or other Fall Cocktails

BEVERAGES

Eggnog, Apple Cider, Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider, Pellegrino

Soup

Butternut squash or carrot-ginger Pair with a light Pinot Gris.

Salad

Mesclun mix with dried cranberries, candied walnuts, cubed feta cheese, apples slices, and a raspberry walnut vinaigrette Pair with an oaky and fruity Ravine Chardonnay from the Finger Lakes.

Entree

Turkey breast roulade, cornbread stuffing, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes,chiffonade Brussels sprouts, haricots verts with herb butter, cranberry relish Pair with a light and crisp Beaujolais from Fleurie.

Dessert

Pumpkin cheesecake and/or seasonal ice cream. Serve coffee with a bit of allspice liqueur.

Digestif

Check out these cocktails for after dinner.