Thanksgiving Recipes from our Favorite Resorts

Looking for a new twist on a traditional favorite? Maybe you want to add a new dish to the Thanksgiving feast this year. We’ve curated a few holiday recipes from some of our favorite resorts that are worthy of a spot on your menu!

Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

This recipe is an East Tennessee spin on oyster cornbread dressing. It’s a perfect seasonal addition to any holiday meal.

Ingredients: 

• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• ½ cup small-dice onions
• ½ cup small-dice celery
• 4 cups crumbled cornbread, allow to dry a bit on a sheet pan
• 3 cups crumbled white bread, allow to dry a bit on a sheet pan
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 16 ounces shucked oysters with their liquor, beaten with a blender until smooth
• 10 ounces chicken stock, as needed
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat butter in skillet and add diced celery and onion. Saute until just translucent.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cornbread and white bread crumbles, butter, sautéed celery and onion and herbs.
3. Add the beaten eggs and blended oysters and mix until well incorporated.
4. Next, slowly add the chicken stock, a little at a time, just enough to moisten it but not make it soggy. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Place the combined mixture into a shallow baking pan and bake at 325 degrees, until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Brie and Cranberry Turnovers from Rocky Mountain Resorts

Estes Park, Colorado

Ingredients:

• 1 roll 1/2 package phyllo dough, defrosted
• cooking spray
• 3 ounces brie cheese cut into 18 1-inch squares
• 3 tablespoons cranberry sauce or chutney

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Unroll the defrosted phyllo dough and place it under a damp kitchen towel to keep the dough from drying out. Cover whenever the dough is not in use.
3. Lay one sheet of the phyllo on a large cutting board. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Top with another sheet of phyllo dough, coat with cooking spray and repeat one more layer of phyllo dough and cooking spray.
4. Cut the dough lengthwise in thirds. Place one piece of brie cheese and ½ teaspoon of cranberry sauce about one-inch from the bottom of one section of dough. Fold the dough over top of the brie and cranberry sauce to form a triangle. Continue to fold, maintaining the triangle shape until the end of the dough is reached. Repeat with the other two strips of dough. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Repeat with the remaining dough, brie cheese and cranberry sauce.
6. Bake until the turnovers are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Polenta Cakes from Mountain Top Inn & Resort

Chittenden, Vermont

 Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes (peeled, baked and pureed in a food processor)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 3/4 cup of polenta grind (cornmeal)
• 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of shredded asiago cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium size sauce pan boil the water and heavy cream.
2. Reduce heat to medium and slowly add in the polenta grind (cornmeal) stirring constantly.
3. Continue to cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the pureed sweet potato, shredded asiago cheese, and the brown sugar, stir well to combine all the ingredients.
5. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pumpkin Mousse Trifle with Cranberries and Apricot-Orange Sauce from the Taste of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Walt Disney World Resort

Orlando, Florida

Ingredients:

Struesel

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Apricot-Orange Sauce

• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Pumpkin Mousse

• 1 egg yolk or 1/4 cup pasteurized egg yolks
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream

Other ingredients:
Store-bought spice cake mix, prepared per package directions and cooled.
1/2 cup Ocean Spray Craisins

Directions:

For Streusel

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a sheet pan with foil and set aside.
2. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until mixture is crumbly.
3. Pour onto prepared sheet pan and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Set aside to cool. Crumble into small pieces.

For Orange Sauce

Combine apricot jam and orange juice in a medium bowl. Whisk together until smooth.

For Pumpkin Mousse

1. Whisk egg yolk into pumpkin pie filling. Melt white chocolate chips in microwave or using a double boiler. Whisk melted chocolate chips into the pumpkin mixture.
2. Whip heavy cream to medium peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into pumpkin mixture.

To serve

1. Cut spice cake into cubes. Place a dollop of mousse at the bottom of a serving dish. Top with cranberries and a drizzle of sauce.
2. Place a few cubes of cake over the mousse. Top with another layer of mousse, cranberries and sauce, then top with streusel.

Looking for something to do with all those turkey leftovers? Try this recipe!

Day After Thanksgiving Pie from High Peaks Resort

Lake Placid, New York

Ingredients:

• pie shell or pie dough
• 12 ounces leftover turkey – white and dark meat
• 16 ounces turkey
• 16 ounces gravy
• 14 ounces mashed potatoes
• 12 ounces stuffing
• 10 ounces Leftover Vegetables (sometimes I’ll just throw in some peas but green beans are also good)
• 3 pinches of fresh cut sage and rosemary

Directions:

1. Roll out pie dough and place in large baking dish.
2. Layering the ingredients is key. Try to keep them separate, spreading in even layers from the bottom up: stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, turkey. Fill up the rest of the pie with the gravy, but make sure the gravy isn’t too thin or it will affect the pie crust.
3. Sprinkle with herbs.
4. Close the pie and cut small slits into the top.
5. Bake at 350*F until golden brown

If you’re ready to ring in the holidays, what better way to start than by making a gingerbread house? Here’s a tried and true recipe from Omni Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread Competition. Need a little assistance? Sign up for a Baking Spirits Bright gingerbread making class! Led by renowned chefs like Carla Hall, Geoff Blount, Nicholas Lodge and John Cook, the classes show you the basics, as well as embellishments and assembling your house.

Gingerbread goodness from the Omni Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa

Asheville, North Carolina

Gingerbread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb butter
• 12 ounces brown sugar
• 1 lb molasses
• 3 lbs, 8 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp salt
• 11 ounces cold water

Directions:

Cream butter, brown sugar, spices, and salt until light and ­fluffy. Add and blend molasses. Add ­our and mix to combine. Add cold water and blend. Refrigerate to set. Bake at 350 degrees until done, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Royal Icing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Add egg whites to sugar and cream of tartar. Beat on high for 3-5 minutes until snow-white and ­fluffy. Keep covered with a damp towel to retain moisture and avoid hardening.

Note: Royal icing is the best choice for assembling and decorating gingerbread houses. Most other icings contain shortening or butter that will eventually soak into the gingerbread and could cause your house to soften and collapse.

Don’t want to build a house? Whip up a batch of ginger snaps instead with this recipe!

Ginger Snaps (Pepperkakor) from Big Cedar Lodge

Ridgedale, Missouri

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup light molasses
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 12 tablespoons butter, cut up
• 2 eggs·5½cups flour (approximately)
• ½teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, molasses and spices in 1½-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat.
2. Place butter in large mixing bowl, add hot sugar mixture and stir until butter melts. Blend in eggs.
3. Stir 2 cups flour and the baking soda together. Gradually mix into butter mixture. Mix in enough additional flour to make a dough.
4. Shape dough into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
5. Cut dough into quarters. Shape one quarter at a time into balls (refrigerate other dough).Use rounded teaspoonful of dough for each ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake in preheated 350-degree oven until light brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.