Tips and hacks to elevate your Thanksgiving dinner to the next level
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- No matter where you go on Thursday, who you're with, or what time you eat, you pretty much already know what's on the Thanksgiving menu.
You can count on things like turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more -- but this year, why not take the basics and add a little bit of spice?
Some of the best chefs in the country are dishing industry secrets that'll have your guests begging for the leftovers.
Some chefs say these tips only take a few ingredients and a few extra minutes!
Turkey
The recommendation is to add a rub of butter, or maybe even an herb butter.
After that, include spices like smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, or garlic to the outside of the bird before cooking it.
Mashed potatoes
To make sure they are 100% smooth and creamy, put your cooked potatoes through a food mill or ricer before adding all the milk and butter.
To elevate the taste, use a variety of potatoes. In addition to the traditional russets, you can include some yellowfin or red potatoes to add a hint of sweetness.
Stuffing
To tweak your stuffing recipe, upgrade that regular white bread to artisan breads like sourdough or french loaf.
If you're a boxed stuffing kind of person, that's not a problem!
You can make it near-restaurant quality by adding diced onions, celery, and garlic -- that's all been sauteed in butter.
Once your base is made, add the seasoning plus a variety of spices, dried cranberries, turkey stock, and dried cornbread mix.
For more tips and tricks, click here!