7 Awesome Thanksgiving Recipes That Use Beer

by Matt DeMarco

For those of you who don’t know, in addition to being a Craft Beer enthusiast, I also have a culinary background. From time to time I will combine the two loves into one post for you. Cooking with beer can be intimidating but it is not nearly as hard as it seems. I have done the legwork for you and compiled a tasty list of recipes that will help you incorporate beer into your Thanksgiving feast

How to Brine a Turkey with Beer
Adapted from Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Executive Sous Chef Jeff Stanko

A brined turkey is the secret to a tender and moist bird. It is an easy process that makes your turkey memorable and people will be asking how you did it. Hate dry turkey? Brine it before you roast it and you will never look back. Use Stone Smoked Porter, Sierra Nevada Porter, or Left Hand Milk Stout

1 gallon cold water plus 1 quart water
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
¼ cup mustard seeds
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
10 bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
4 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves
3 onions, chopped
¼ cup garlic, chopped
72 ounces Porter or Stout (preferably smoked)
12 to 15 lb turkey

Whisk 1 quart of water, brown sugar, salt, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary in a large pot over high heat. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat. Add the onion and garlic. Transfer the mixture to a large bucket or cooler large enough to hold the turkey. Add the beer and remaining water. Place turkey in the brine breast-side down. Add more water if needed to cover the turkey. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the turkey from the brine, brush off the herbs, and then pat dry. Place the turkey in a roasting pan fitted with a rack, placing the turkey breast-side up. Roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from heat and cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil. Let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

For detailed instructions of how you store you bird while it is brining, check out WikiHow http://www.wikihow.com/Brine-a-Turkey

How to Roast a Turkey with Beer
Adapted from Betty Crocker

If you do not want to brine your turkey, the next best thing is to roast it with beer. I recommend using Sierra Nevada Stout or Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

1 whole turkey (12 to 14 lbs), thawed if frozen
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
12 oz Stout or Porter (you can use any type of beer but I recommend a dark beer)
½ cup cold water
¼ cup all-purpose flour

Adjust oven rack so turkey will fit and pre-heat oven to 325°F. Prepare the turkey and place breast side up in a roasting pan. Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix with mustard, rosemary, salt, pepper and beer and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until well mixed. Remove from heat. Brush 1/3 of the mixture evenly over surface of turkey.

Roast uncovered 2 ½  to 3 hours, brushing with additional beer mixture and pan juices every 30 minutes. Turkey is done when thermometer reads 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted. If necessary, cover turkey breast with foil during last 1 ½ to 2 hours of baking to prevent excess browning. Let turkey stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Brown Gravy
Recipe adapted from Chef Eli Renn of Gold Nugget in Glen Lake, MN

How can you have a turkey without gravy? Take your gravy to the next level. Brown ale is a perfect addition to step up your gravy game. I recommend using Bell’s Best Brown Ale or Avery Ellie’s Brown Ale.

2 cups juices from turkey (fat removed) or turkey/chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces mushrooms, rinsed stemmed and sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup Brown Ale
Salt and pepper

Bring the juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce by 1/2. Add the cream and cook until reduced enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, thyme, garlic, and the brown ale and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes. Combine the mushrooms with reduced gravy and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sausage Stuffing with Beer
Recipe adapted from Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Executive Sous Chef Jeff Stanko

Stuffing is the source of great debate at my family’s dinner table. In my opinion, as long as there is stuffing, I am happy. This will be on the table this year and I am hoping to convert a few of the traditional stuffing lovers. You do not want to an aggressive Pale Ale. I would stick with Deschutes Mirror Pond, Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale, or Firestone Walker Pale 31.

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ pound spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
2 cups yellow onions, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup leeks, white part only, thoroughly washed and diced
2 cups chicken stock
12 ounces Pale Ale
2 Tbsp fresh sage
2 Tbsp fresh thyme
12 cups bread, diced and toasted to crouton consistency
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and sauté until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onions, celery and leeks and cook until the vegetables are translucent but still have crunch, about 6 minutes. Add the stock, beer, sage and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn off the heat. Strain and reserve the liquid. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread and sautéed ingredients. Stir in ½ cup of the liquid at a time, combining until the bread is moist but not soggy. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake until the top of the stuffing is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Garlicky & Hoppy Whipped Potatoes
Adapted from The Craft Beer Cookbook Copyright © 2013 by Jacquelyn Dodd and published by F+W Media, Inc.

Who doesn’t like a helping of mashed potatoes? I learned a long time ago that my mom’s mashed potatoes were better than everyone else’s. Why? She whips them with an electric mixer. Once I learned that I have never made them a different way. As for beers to choose, you can pick and Pale Ale or IPA you would like but just remember that the hoppier the beer, the hoppier the potatoes. I recommend Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale or River Horse IPA.

2 heads of garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 lbs red potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters
1 ½ cup of a Pale Ale or IPA (the hoppier the beer, the stronger the flavor)
24 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut the pointed tip off the head of garlic to exposes the cloves. Place the garlic head on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and fold into a tight packet. Place garlic packet in a baking dish and roast at 425°F for 25 minutes or until soft. You want the cloves to be an amber color. While the garlic is roasting, add potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes after water begins to boil and then drain. Add potatoes and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Squeeze the head of garlic until the soft cloves push out and add just the cloves and discard the remaining head. Whip the potatoes on high with a hand mixer until well combined. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Cranberry Sauce
Adapted from The Homebrew Chef

This is a different take on Cranberry Sauce. I never have liked the canned stuff and I like to have some fun with it. I recommend using Avery White Rascal or Allagash White.

1 Orange, zested and sliced
1 Tangerine, zested and sliced
2 cups Wit beer
½ Cup Belgian Rock Candy Sugar, Clear
1 tsp Coriander, Whole, toasted and cracked with the bottom of a pan
½ cup Honey
1 pinch Sea Salt
12 oz Cranberries, fresh

In a large saucepan, add the orange and tangerine slices (save the zest for later), beer, rock candy, coriander, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove the orange and tangerine slices and add the honey, zest, and cranberries. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.  The sauce can be made up to 2 days before.

Bacon Maple Pecan Bars
Recipe adapted from Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens Executive Sous Chef Jeff Stanko

Bacon and beer is a match made in heaven. This dessert is super easy to make and it will impress everyone except vegetarians. I recommend using Founders Breakfast Stout, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, or North Coast Old Rasputin.

For the Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup plus 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
2 Tbsp water

For the Filling

1 cup Imperial Stout
½ cup unsalted butter
2 cups pecans, chopped
2 cups light brown sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup heavy cream
2 eggs, beaten
5 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

To make the Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, brown sugar and salt. Cream in the butter ¼ cup at a time until it is thoroughly incorporated then add the water and mix well. If any dry flour remains add additional water a ½ teaspoon at a time, until all of the mixture is homogenous. Line a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Add the dough to the pan and press down with your fingers to create an even layer. Bake until light golden-brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make the Filling:

Place the beer in a heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow the beer to reduce by 1/2. Stir in the butter until it is completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the pecans, sugar, maple syrup and cream until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, mix in the eggs. Pour the filling over the crust, top evenly with the bacon and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cut into squares and serve.

All of these recipes are Matt approved and as long as you follow the steps, they should turn out great. If you make any of them, let me know how it turned out. Remember to enjoy a few beers while cooking. HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!