Cooking With The Stars: Thanksgiving Recipes From VH1 Celebs' Kitchens To Yours
Ever wonder the secrets behind a mob wife's red sauce? Curious how a basketball wife prepares her favorite turkey? Fear not, because VH1 has the recipes from your favorite stars just in time for Thanksgiving. We've got recipes from cast members from Love & Hip Hop, Basketball Wives, Mob Wives and more!
Whether an old family tradition or just their absolute favorite, the VH1 celebs have shared how they get their Turkey Day started. Check their recipes now and let us know how your version turns out. Happy Thanksgiving!
Draya's Favorite Champagne Turkey (Recipe courtesy, All Recipes)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons ground dried rosemary
2 tablespoons rubbed dried sage
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 orange, cut into wedges
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a turkey roaster with long sheets of aluminum foil that will be long enough to wrap over the turkey.
Stir together the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemon pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and carrot. Truss if desired, and place the turkey into the roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth and champagne over the turkey, making sure to get some champagne in the cavity. Bring the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs.
Bake the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Sheree’s Green Bean & Bacon REEcipe
2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 pound of applewood-smoked bacon, cut in 1” pieces
4 tablespoons butter (half of stick)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Seasoned Salt, freshly ground black pepper and a dash of sugar
Put the green beans into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 7 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside.
Cook the bacon in a large, heavy sauté pan until crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. LEAVE ALL of the excess bacon grease in the pan and add butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the reserved green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan and cook until your desired tenderness of the beans is achieved (anywhere from 5-10min). Season with seasoned salt, sugar, and pepper.
Hazel E's Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
2 pounds of sweet potatoes
extra virgin olive oil
brown sugar
honey
cinnamon
salt and pepper.
Cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces and season well. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min add marshmallows on top for extra sweetness!
In any Italian home, Thanksgiving isn't just about the turkey, and gravy isn't necessarily the brown variety. It's about a full Italian feast with pasta, meatballs, and red sauce. Here are two of Renee's classic Italian dishes, straight from her kitchen.
1 LB. ground beef chuck
1 LB. ground pork
1 LB. ground veal
5 slices white bread
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
2 tsp salt
1½ tsps. freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil for frying
Combine all of the meat in a large bowl. Soak the bread and milk together in a separate bowl. When the milk is absorbed, add the bread mixture to the meat. Add the remaining ingredients except the olive oil. Mix well.
Roll into balls 1 ½ - 2 inch round. Heat the olive oil in a 10 inch frying pan.
Fry over medium heat about 10- 12 meatballs at a time until nicely browned. Place in the sauce. Repeat as many times as necessary until all of the meatballs are browned.
Simmer uncovered on low heat until meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce mellows, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the herb sprigs and serve.
This recipe was styled and developed by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning America.
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
¼ cup minced parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3- 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomato
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
In a 6 quart pot over medium flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and herbs. Sauté' over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent but not brown. Add the salt and pepper and all of the tomato product. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the meatballs. Simmer 1 ½-2 hours. If using without the meatballs simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove herb stems and serve.
Jackie Christie's Thanksgiving Turkey Delight
Butterball Turkey
3 chopped Bell Peppers(red, yellow, green)
1 large diced white Onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tbl spoon chopped thyme
2 bay leafs
1 Tbl spoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Softened real butter
3/4 cup Bragg liquid Aminos
1 Tbl spoon Lawrys seasoning salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup of Bossard Cognac
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients and rub the herb mixture into the turkey, then stuff with the vegetables. Pour Bossard cognac over the turkey. Place the aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal.Bake the turkey for 2 hours. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.
Preheat oven to 400°F
Wash and skin the yams & sweet potatoes
Cut the sweet potatoes and yams into 1in thick slices (like circles)
Use a nonstick spray on a 9x13 in baking dish
In a large saucepan on medium heat, combine the butter or margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon stirring occasionally until melted. Do not burn
Arrange the yams and the sweet potatoes in your baking dish and pour the saucepan over them.
Mix around to distribute evenly and add the pure maple syrup, continue mixing.
Cover with tinfoil and place in preheated oven to 400° for 35-45 min or until cooked.
To caramelize, remove tin foil and broil on hi.
Caramelize to your liking & Enjoy!
Yesi's Traditional Mexican Spaghetti
1 Package of Spaghetti
4 Whole tomatoes
2 Cloves of garlic
1/3 Chopped onion
6 oz. Sour cream
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Boil spaghetti for 15 minutes in pot
Slice tomatoes in half and place on a lined baking sheet, cut side up, drizzle with olive oil and garlic and bake on 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Take the roasted tomatoes, from the oven, transfer the ingredients to a blender and add 1/3 coarsely chopped onion, blend until it turns into liquid then transfer to a pot and boil. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, sour cream, chicken bouillon. After it comes to a boil, stir in spaghetti and parmesan cheese. Mix for two minutes and you are ready to serve!
4 oz. Vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
A splash of Tabasco Sauce
A splash of Worcestershire Sauce
Vermouth-soaked olives (2 per glass)
Horseradish
Celery sticks for garnish
Combine all the liquid ingredients over ice. Add olives and top with fresh-ground salt and pepper, a dollop of horseradish, and stir with a celery stick. Makes 2. Salut!
Drita's Apple Pie
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
about 1/2 cup unsalted butter
around 2 tablespoons of all -purpose flour
A little less then 1/4 cup of water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
About 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
Around 7 small Granny Smith apples..peeled,cored and sliced. If you do not like Granny smith apples you can use about 4 large red ones. Some find Granny smith to tart.
(Make only half of the mixture first because you will mix it in with the apples inside the pie and the rest needs to be made the last 15min of baking to be poured on top of the pie).
Preheat oven to 350
Melt butter.Stir in flour to make a past.Add water,white ,brown sugar,cinnamon,nutmeg,vanilla and cornstarch.. bring to boil. Reduce Temp and let simmer. (Remember only half of this liquid mixture for now)
Place the bottom crust in your pan (if you don't like soft crust on the bottom like me you can brush it with egg white before hand.
Fill with apple and pour about half of the butter liquid on apples (mix it well).
Cover with a lattice work crust.
Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees or until apples are soft. Now pour the rest of the mixture on top of the pie and bake for another 15 min.
I know this is a mission. But if it's done right.You will make the best apple pie you ever tasted. Trust me. It took me tons of recipes and tons of changes to make my own pie and have my own recipe. This is my famous Apple Pie:)
Tips: Prepare the lattice ahead of time and keep in fridge.
Glass pie dish,they are bigger and deeper than the tin ones.Put a pan lined with foil underneath it before baking so if any juice runs off it doesn't make a mess.