Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Thighs with Swiss Chard and Polenta

This is a picture of crispy and browned oven-roasted turkey thighs served over a bed of polenta with swiss chard and a cranberry glaze.

If you’re looking for last-minute Thanksgiving recipes, I’ve got you covered with this recipe for Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Thighs with Swiss Chard and Polenta! 

Although we love to go all-out for the holiday whenever we can, we’ve decided to keep things simple this year as we’re only cooking for a small gathering. Instead of roasting turkey for several hours and serving it alongside an abundance of side dishes, we’re packing our menu with flavor, technique, and high-quality ingredients instead!

The star of our Thanksgiving menu is the turkey thighs – brined in advance, the thighs are pan-fried in French butter, which add an amazing depth of flavor and also allow the turkey to brown beautifully before being roasted in the oven and basted with all of the pan’s buttery juices. And, the great thing about roasting thighs over a whole turkey is that these steps come together in just 25 minutes!

The polenta and swiss chard cook up even more quickly, and also as deliciously, because we infuse them with plenty of French butter. Not only does it allow for a richer and creamier flavor than most butters, but as a dietitian, I love knowing that I’m adding additional calcium and vitamin D to the dish as well!

Last but not least, the cranberry glaze cooks up in no time and pairs so well with all of these Thanksgiving flavors.

I hope you get a chance to cook it up this week, and when you do, let me know what you think!

To find more about the benefits of cooking with European butter, feel free to head over tasteeurope.com! You can use the store locator to find out where you can find your favorite butter near you.

Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Thighs with Swiss Chard and Polenta

Time: 1 Hour
Serves 4

Ingredients
Salt
½ cup granulated sugar
3 lbs bone-in, skin-on turkey thighs (4 medium thighs)
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
12 oz fresh cranberries
Zest of 1 orange
1 stick cinnamon
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
5 tbsp French butter, divided
¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 bunches Swiss chard, stemmed, roughly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 cup polenta
¼ cup grana padano or parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Prepare a wet brine by bringing six cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in ¾ cup of kosher salt and ½ cup sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of cold water and a pint of ice cubes.

Add the turkey thighs to a large bowl and pour over brine. Transfer thighs to refrigerator and let brine for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse out the saucepan used for the brine and return to stove. Bring balsamic vinegar, cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, light brown sugar, rosemary, ¼ cup water, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Set cranberries aside and allow to cool.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp French butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chard with 1 tbsp water and cook, stirring, until chard is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate and keep warm. Remove thighs from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wipe skillet clean with paper towels once cooled and heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey thighs skin-side down. Set a heavy pan over the thighs and cook for 2-3 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip the thighs over on the other side, adding 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp French butter. Spoon accumulated juices over the turkey and cook until browned on the opposite side, about 2 minutes. Transfer thighs to a baking sheet, pouring over the buttery juices.

Roast thighs for 14-16 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer thighs to a platter, pouring over juices and covering with aluminum foil. Allow thighs to rest for 5 minutes and keep warm.

While turkey roasts, prepare polenta by whisking 1 cup of water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 cup polenta in a small bowl. Bring 3 cups of water and ½ tsp salt to a boil. Stir in polenta, cover, reducing heat and simmering for 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of French butter and grated cheese until melted.

Spoon polenta onto plates and top with chard. Serve turkey thighs over polenta and chard and drizzle with the cranberry glaze.


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Crudites Platter with Real California Milk Dipping Sauces

This holiday season, get your vegetable and dairy fix with Real California Milk dipping sauces! I know it’ll be a favorite at my holiday get-togethers.

Do you ever walk by the produce stands at farmers’ market and wish you could buy ALL of the vegetables? That is a problem I have a little too often.

Eyeing some of my favorite items like romanesco, watermelon radishes, and endives, I know it wouldn’t be ideal to incorporate all of them all into a single recipe, like say, pasta, or even in a traditional salad.

But I have a solution for all of your vegetable lovers out there - crudites! Crudites are a simple raw vegetable platter eaten by the French as an appetizer, typically with a dipping sauce. How healthy is that?

On a recent visit to Farmers’ market, I was inspired to finally buy all of the vegetables I wanted because I could easily serve them as crudites and pair them with two Real California Milk dipping sauces. Both with sour cream, but one with Dry Jack and one with cottage cheese. All amazing products from my home state that make for the easy, tasty, and convenient snacks!

After prepping the veggies on a Sunday, my husband and I had a full platter of healthy snacks to finish up by Wednesday. Thanks to the delicious Real California Milk dipping sauces, we thoroughly enjoyed eating raw vegetables between meals. Three to four servings of vegetables per person, per day = no problem! Amazing considering only 9% of Americans eat enough veggies.

Equally as cool as getting in my veggies, my husband and I were certainly getting in our recommended servings of dairy per day. Did you know that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three servings of dairy foods each day?

That’s because dairy is nutrient-rich and when consumed as part of a healthy diet, it may help prevent diseases like osteoporosis, hypertension, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Note: one serving = 8 oz of milk, a 6-8 oz container of yogurt, or 1 ½ oz. of natural cheese.

So while Real California Milk dairy is tasty, fast, and convenient, it can also help you be your healthiest self! Not a bad combo of nutritional benefits in my opinion! So what are you waiting for? Dive into your Real California Milk dairy this holiday season!

Crudites Platter with Real California Milk Dipping Sauces

[Sponsored]

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients

Zesty Dry Jack Dipping Sauce
⅓ cup Real California Dry Jack cheese, grated
¾ cup Real California sour cream
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 anchovy, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Arugula & Cottage Cheese Dipping Sauce
½ cup Real California cottage cheese
¼ cup Real California sour cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 oz arugula
¼ cup chives, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crudites
3 rainbow carrots, peeled, cut into ½-inch thick sticks
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 small head romanesco, cut into florets
1 endive head, trimmed, leaves separated
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise, ¼-inch thick
½ lb green beans
½ lb snap peas
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 small watermelon radish, sliced ¼-inch thick lengthwise, cut into quarters
1 bunch red radishes
1 bunch green onions, light and dark green parts, trimmed

Directions
Add all ingredients of Real California Milk Dry Jack Dip to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste if desired. Add dip to a medium bowl. Set aside.

Prepare Real California Milk Arugula & Cottage Cheese Dip by adding all ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste if desired. Add dip to a medium bowl.

Add dipping bowls to the center of a large platter. Arrange crudites around bowl until visually pleasing! Enjoy!


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