Posts tagged: Thanksgiving side dish

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

Thanksgiving is ONE WEEK AWAY! It always sneaks up on us and no matter how well-prepared we think we are, there are some last minute questions that always come up. We're rounding up our top Thanksgiving tips for you this year to make sure you're on your game! Look no further pig-lovin' friends, we've got your Thanksgiving covered.

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

Don't forget how long defrosting a turkey actually takes! You can thaw your bird either in the refrigerator or cold water. If you're using the refrigerator, use the equation of 1 day to thaw for every 4lbs of meat. Short on time? No problem. Cold water thawing is much faster at a rate of 30 minutes to thaw for every pound.

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

No one likes lumpy gravy... Bust out the sieve or strainer! This will get all those gross lumps right out. You can also use your good ol’ blender to puree the lumps outta there.

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

Did you mail-order a Pig of the Month BBQ Feast, Whole Turkey, or Smoked Turkey Breast? First off, high five for being a Thanksgiving genius. You just made your life SO much easier. Now that you've got the main attractions covered, it's time to think sides that go with all the POM deliciousness. If you want to make something extra, go for the veggies. For a quick fix, grab your fav veggies, chop them up and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder or chopped garlic. Roast on a lined, rimmed baking sheet at 400 degrees until tender. Have everyone else bring the rest of the fixings and kick up you feet to watch the Thanksgiving parade.

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

Come on, you can do better than plain ol' canned cranberry sauce. We'll solve this with one word – ORANGE. Add about 1 tsp of orange zest and 1/2 Tbsp of orange juice (or more if you prefer). This will brighten up that plain old canned cranberry sauce so much that your guests will be asking for the recipe. Shhhhh, we’ll keep the secret for ya!

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

Aren't Thanksgiving leftovers the BEST? Answer = YES. The best (and safest) way is to cool everything down. Pack leftovers in shallow containers instead of big deep containers so they cool faster. Yes, it’s a bit of work with all those containers and playing refrigerator Tetris, but the small containers will help your leftovers stay fresh and take up less space in the fridge!

The Pig's Top Turkey Tips | Pig of the Month BBQ (@iheartbbq)

This is the tip that will save you countless times in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. Chicken stock is your ultimate Thanksgiving savior. Simply keep a large saucepan of chicken stock warm on the stove throughout the day. It can rescue dry stuffing, too-thick gravy, dry turkey, and countless other emergencies that pop up at the absolute worst time. Anything you have leftover can be stored or frozen for later use, or use it as a base for leftover turkey soup! Who's ready to conquer Thanksgiving? You are! Don't forget to check out our mega list of 50+ Thanksgiving tips for even more turkey day wisdom! If it's all too much and you're tired of basting a bird for 6+hours, let us do all the work and order you smoked turkey today! Ships free with code "novship"

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes | Sauce + Style

I've got the big wowza side dish for your Thanksgiving feast this year. I LOVE sweet potato casserole topped with mini marshmallows. However I always feel like there's never enough sweet potato to go around. It gets overwhelmed by the mini marshmallows and you miss out on that delish sweet potato taste.

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes | Sauce + Style

So I decided, why not make things easier and individually portioned this year? You get more sweet potato deliciousness AND it's so much easier than putting together a casserole. All you have to do is bake up some sweet potatoes and top them with an AMAZING sauce filled with butter and sugar and spices. Not to mention mini marshmallows and BACON.

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes | Sauce + Style

The savory sweet combo in these potatoes will have everyone going crazy at your Thanksgiving table. Everyone from the kiddos to the adults will swoon for it, and it makes the easiest and best side for all that turkey that you plan to inhale. Not to mention the leftovers are completely bomb diggity and you are going to want to set one (or two) aside to indulge in the weekend after Thanksgiving.

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Happy turkey day folks!

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Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes from Pig of the Month BBQ on Vimeo.

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes | Sauce + Style

Fully Loaded Bacon Sweet Potatoes | Sauce + Style

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake potatoes on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet for 45 minutes to one hour, until tender. Remove from oven and make a slice in the center, leaving approximately a 1/2-inch on either end. In a small bowl, whisk together unsalted butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and vanilla. Spoon in the melted butter mixture into each sweet potato, distributing evenly. Add bacon evenly between the four potatoes. Top each with mini marshmallows. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the marshmallows are toasted on top. Remove from oven and serve.

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Pig of the Month BBQ Applewood Smoked Bacon  

*Recipe, photos and video by Meghan Bassett