Mission Chefs Serve Up Thanksgiving Recipes

It’s time to roll up your sleeves and put on your apron. Our Denver Rescue Mission kitchen team is dishing out some Thanksgiving recipes that you’ll want to test out at your own holiday table this year.

These recipes include mashed potato balls and pecan pie with sea salt caramel drizzle. Yum! These two loved items are prepared for our guests and participants at our traditional Thanksgiving meals and we are excited to share them with you.

And as a special bonus, our chefs shared their favorite turkey recipe, Garlic Herb Butter Roast Turkey.

Make These Delicious Recipes At Home

Denver Rescue Mission’s Mashed Potato Balls

Preparation Time: 30-45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 package of instant potatoes
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. pepper
• 3 tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. cumin
• 3 eggs
• 10-15 cubes of cheese (any variety)

Instructions:

1. Make the instant potatoes based on the package instructions and let them cool until they’re easy to handle.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour and spices together.
3. Whip eggs in a separate bowl.
4. To create one ball, take approximately 2oz of mashed potatoes and place a cube of cheese in the center. Ensure the cheese is fully covered with potatoes by gently rolling the ball (it should be slightly smaller than a golf ball).
5. Dip the potato ball into the eggs, then coat in the flour mixture.
6. Once they’re all breaded, deep fry until they have turned a dark brown color. Use oil with a high smoke point i.e. Avocado oil, vegetable oil or soy bean oil.

Denver Rescue Mission’s Pecan Pie with Caramel Sea Salt Topping

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Baking Time: 65 minutes
Cooling: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Pecan Pie Filling:

• 1 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup pecans

Pie Crust:

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked or frozen deep-dish pie crust

Sea Salt Caramel Sauce:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup light or dark corn syrup
• ½ tbsp. butter
• ½ cup whipping cream or canned coconut milk
• ½ tsp. sea salt (fine grade)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350^°F.
2. In a large bowl using a spoon, mix together the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Then, stir in the pecans.
3. Using non-stick cooking spray, spray a 9-inch pie pan and place pie crust into pan.
4. Pour filling into pie crust.
5. Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness below*). Cool for 2 hours on a wire rack before serving.
6. Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.
7. Prepare the Sea Salt Caramel Sauce next.

8. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter. Bring to a boil for 1 minute over medium heat stirring frequently.
9. Remove saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in cream, sea salt and vanilla.
10. While still warm, drizzle over the pecan pie.

BONUS: Chef’s Favorite—Garlic Herb Butter Roast Turkey Recipe

Baking Time: Variable based on size of turkey (see instructions for details)

Ingredients:

Herb Butter:

• 4 ounces unsalted butter 
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves (can use ½ tsp. dried thyme) 
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• salt 
• cracked pepper 

Roast Turkey:

• 1 whole, skin-on turkey (fully defrosted, washed, giblets and neck removed) 
• 3 head garlic—cut in half horizontally  
• 4 orange slices (2 oranges) divided 
• 6 sprigs of thyme divided 
• 6 sprigs rosemary divided 
• ½ cup olive oil divided

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees—you will want to have space for the roasting pan on the lowest shelf possible.
2. Combine herb butter ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Divide half of the mixture, cover and place in refrigerator for later use.
3. Line roasting pan with foil, or parchment paper. Arrange 4 halves of the garlic (place cut side down) on bottom of the pan, with 4 sprigs of the thyme and rosemary, half of the olive oil and 1 slice of the orange.
4. Thoroughly pat turkey dry with paper towels. Stuff with the remaining heads garlic halves, orange slice, a squeeze of orange from the remaining slices, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
5. Melt the butter and rub all over the turkey. Make sure to rub the butter under the skin. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Place turkey on top of the garlic and herbs in the pan breast side down. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
6. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes, if the turkey is under 13 pounds. If turkey is over 14 pounds roast for 45 minutes.
7. Turn turkey over breast side up—use a clean towel, or oven mitt as the turkey will be Hot. Baste with the juices from the pan.
8. Using the reserved herb butter, use a spoon to spread half of it over the top of the turkey. Turkey will be hot, and the butter will melt over the skin.  Pour any remaining juices over the turkey.
9. REDUCE heat to 325 degrees. Roast for 1 hour.
10. Slather turkey generously with remaining butter and roast for 30-45 minutes. Roasting time will depend on the size of the turkey. Baste turkey again, and continue this step until the turkey is done. (For an extra-large turkey, use one-hour increments to baste the turkey. Tent loosely with foil if the turkey is starting to brown too fast.)
11. For extra crispy skin, broil the last 5-10 minutes, keeping an eye so the turkey does not burn.  You are looking for crispy golden-brown skin.
12. Tent turkey with foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
13. Remove 2 ½ cups of the liquid (pan juices) you can top with stock if needed, strain and reserve for gravy.