As the most food centric holiday, Thanksgiving takes a lot of prep. Although passing out on the couch with your pants unbuttoned is part of the holiday tradition, that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate coffee into your Thanksgiving feast!
THE PRE MEAL:
Breakfast Salad with Espresso Vinaigrette
Let’s start with a pre Thanksgiving meal. You can’t cook 20 epic side dishes on an empty stomach. Chances are your guests will also want something light to snack on while they help out in the kitchen.
We recommend Saveur’s breakfast salad with an espresso vinaigrette. The espresso’s acidity makes it a perfect catalyst for the red wine vinaigrette. The roasty flavors also go well with the bacon. You can find the recipe here.
THE MAIN MEAL:
Smoked Turkey with Sweet Coffee Glaze
Tired of the same old turkey brine? Try Food.com’s smoked turkey with sweet coffee glaze. Cover your bird in apple cider vinegar, french roast ground coffee, spices and grill with hickory wood chips for a sweet and savory turkey. You can find the recipe here.
Spice and Coffee Coated Rack of Lamb
Up for a different type of meat this Thanksgiving? Try this recipe and coat your lamb in ground coffee, cocoa, cumin and thyme. You can find the recipe here.
Roasted Cauliflower with Coffee Sauce
Not ready to take the plunge with the main dish? Try this recipe for a creamy dreamy coffee shallot cream sauce on top of roasted cauliflower. You can find the recipe here.
Low Carb Sausage Gravy
To be honest, we were skeptical of low carb gravy. Because well…it’s gravy. The coffee however melds well with the sausage, building on its spices. You can find the recipe here.
DESSERT:
Coffee Walnut Pie
This pie is easy to make and has a rich caramel coffee flavor. A great substitution for pecan pie. You can find the recipe here.
Milk Chocolate Coffee Cake
A new take on the classic coffee-infused chocolate cake. You can find the recipe here.
DRINKS
After a big meal, what’s better than a sweet coffee concoction?
Cafe Cubano
This non alcoholic coffee drink is sweet crema floating over a strong espresso. Pretty sure we want this after every meal. You can find the recipe here.
Snowstorm
Mix coffee with the Frangelico, Licor 43 and Cognac for a treat that will warm you right up. You can find the recipe here.
Caffe di Alpi
Honey, hot coffee and bourbon is a dangerous mixture. You can find the recipe here.