8 Ways to Use Olive Oil at Thanksgiving

Olive Oil for a Healthier Thanksgiving

Most of us when we think of roasting to baking at Thanksgiving we think of using butter. But you can substitute olive oil for butter in nearly any recipe and Thanksgiving food choices lend themselves really well to using olive oil instead of butter.

Olive Oil Substitution Rules

Substituting olive oil for butter in recipes is really very easy and we have written about substituting olive oil for butter in baking before but olive oil is fabulous for bringing out the flavors in Thanksgiving dinner without overpowering any of your dishes in the process. It’s as simple as substituting 6 tablespoons of olive oil for a cube of butter or 8 tablespoons of butter.

Delicious Ways to Use Olive Oil for Thanksgiving

Olive oil can play a key role in your Thanksgiving dinner for everything from mashed potatoes to mouth-watering brownies or pecan pie. Let’s count the ways you can substitute olive oil for butter in all your traditional Thanksgiving fare:

1. Thanksgiving usually always starts with turkey and instead of rubbing down the interior cavity and outside of the turkey with butter think of using olive oil or olive oil infused with herbs instead. Coating the entire bird in olive oil for the last 30 minutes while it is uncovered and baking imparts a delicious golden brown finish to your bird.
2. Personally, I love using olive oil in my gravy for Thanksgiving. When you scrape the pan of turkey renderings instead of adding just the flour and water mixture, make up a mixture of olive oil, water, and flour and whisk it in the turkey renderings over medium-low heat until your gravy is the consistency you wish. I like added brandy to my gravy in the last few minutes as I am finishing it off, the brandy give your gravy a rich flavor that can’t be beaten.
3. Many chefs these days encourage people for safety’s sake to make their stuffing outside of the bird. Plus who doesn’t like stuffing nearly as much if not more than turkey? So substitute olive oil for butter, it beats up well with the eggs you add to your stuffing. We share a family recipe for an amazing turkey stuffing below.
4. Green beans are a classic vegetable for Thanksgiving, plus kids love green beans. Consider sautéing your green beans with olive oil, finely chopped garlic, and shaved almonds for an incredible Thanksgiving side dish!
5. As our kids call them smashed potatoes or mashed potatoes are fabulous made with olive oil instead of butter. Consider using minced garlic also in your mashed potatoes to bring out their taste that much more. We suggest using Yukon Gold potatoes and if they aren’t available using red potatoes.
6. If you serve cornbread or biscuits with your Thanksgiving dinner, substituting olive oil for the butter is a simple way to introduce a healthier bread for Thanksgiving.
7. Whether you are serving pumpkin pie for pecan pie for Thanksgiving dessert, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side is wonderful drizzled with olive oil, and finished with some of our wonderful Tastealotta flaked sea salt. The olive oil and salt enhance the vanilla flavor to perfection!
8. Consider substituting olive oil in your pumpkin pie or pecan pie recipe for the butter. Using olive oil instead of butter in your pie crust recipe makes for a more pliable dough and it forms and flutes better besides!

Our Family’s Turkey Stuffing Recipe

Now for sharing one of our favorite family recipes for Thanksgiving stuffing. Be prepared to be knocked off your feet by the flavor of this turkey stuffing whether you bake it as a side dish or stuff your bird with this stuffing recipe.

Sausage, Apricot, Pecan Stuffing

This recipe will stuff a 12-pound turkey or serve up about 8 servings. Please increase ingredients based on the size of your bird or how many people you are serving for Thanksgiving:

Ingredients:

• Sourdough bread cut into cubes or 14-ounce package of stuffing mix
• 6 tablespoons olive oil and extra for sautéing vegetables and sausage
• 1 bunch of leeks chopped finely
• 6 stalks of celery
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup of chicken stock and add a 1/2 cup is cooking your stuffing outside of the turkey
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1.5 pounds of mild Italian sausage without casings
• 1/2 cup dried apricots diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• Brandy, the amount at your discretion

Directions:

1. I use a very large frying pan for making our Thanksgiving stuffing since we usually are making enough for about 20 people. Just use the largest frying pan you have and it should work.
2. Drizzle olive oil in the pan and crumble the sausage in the pan, cook over medium heat till the sausage is cooked. Remove the sausage from the pan and place on a cookie sheet or plate covered with a paper towel to soak up excess oil.
3. Chop your vegetable and add a little extra olive oil to the pan if need be and sauté your vegetables until the leeks and celery are cooked.
4. In a large bowel beat the 2 eggs till frothy and add the 6 tablespoons olive oil, chicken stock, and herbs. This is also when I usually add in the brandy.
5. Add your stuffing mix or cubed sourdough bread to the liquid mixture and stir thoroughly.
6. Add the sausage to your stuffing mixture and stir until the sausage is thoroughly mixed through your stuffing mix.
7. Add the chopped apricots, cranberries, and pecans to your stuffing mixture and mix thoroughly.
8. Stuff your turkey or use a baking pan to bake your stuffing at 350 degrees covered with foil for at least 30 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
9. Uncover your stuffing and bake another 10 minutes until the top is golden brown and slightly crisp.

Tastealotta for Thanksgiving

Be sure to come by Tastealotta to shop early to buy your items for Thanksgiving dinner to avoid the rush. We have the best selection of olive oil, vinegar, seasoned salts, rubs, and more to make your Thanksgiving dinner unforgettable! Watch our newsletter in January for our upcoming recipe contest, you won’t want to miss this!