Posted By Michelle on November 23, 2008

We would like to tackle the Thanksgiving thank-you dish.

These are the dishes that you break out once a year because they are super fancy and take forever to make, hence showing your gratitude towards your dinner guests. It’s the dish that everyone looks forward to year after year. It’s the dish that you poor your blood and sweat into (sometimes literally), which will sit proudly next to the big Turkey.

But not all super fancy dishes take forever to make. The most simplistic recipes can be the most extraordinary and the most crowd-pleasing.  One just really needs to think outside the culinary box.

Before we get to our fail-proof Thank You recipe, we’d like to take a moment to thank a few people ourselves.

We would like to thank all of you. The blogoshere. Somehow we manage to capitivate your attention day after day. You like us, you really like us. We’ve been fortunate enough to meet some amazing people, through this little thing called blogging and we are far better the man (and woman) for it.  Our good buddy Jaden; of Steamy Kitchen, showed us the blogger ropes (not a bad mentor to have), constantly shares in everything she does or will be doing, and is a great Monday night dinner partner. For that we are grateful. We gained some knowledge and we gained a good friend.

We’d also like to thank one very near-and-dear man, Jeff Houck. It’s official; Jeff Houck is the coolest person alive.

Okay, dry your eyes everyone.

We couldn’t just leave you with three recipes for the big day. So for you blogoshere, we’ve included Pumpkin and Pomegranate Risotto, Cranberry and Chestnut Pesto, and Butternut Squash Soup with Chile Oil and Cinnamon Popcorn along with a few others. All are super easy to make and add a Wow factor. Sorry no pictures, but after you make these awesome dishes, please, oh please send us a snap shot. You’ll have to ignore the Cooks & Company stuff, that’s the day job.

This Brussells Sprout recipe takes very little time to make and will rock your guests socks off. Michelle came up with it on a whim, looking for new and exciting things to do with Brussels Sprouts. How many times can you make brown butter and walnut, ya know?

This is a fool-proof recipe, we promise. It’s the perfect combination of savory, tart, and sweet. In fact, it’s damn right addictive.

Brussels Sprout, Pancetta and Portabella Gratin with Pomegranate Charms
Serves 6

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
2 Portabella caps, stemmed, brushed, and sliced
1 pomegranate, seeds reserved
1/3 pound Pancetta, cut into small cubes
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (It’s Thanksgiving, use the real stuff)
1/2 stick melted butter
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup non-seasoned bread crumbs
Sea or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat broiler.

Bring the Brussels sprouts, cream, and salt to boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a knife tip inserted into a sprout center meets no resistance - about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and pepper.

Sautee the pancetta over medium-low heat, until nicely browned, then add the shallots, garlic and portabella mushrooms. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are tender – about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the sautee pan and mix with the Brussels sprouts and cream.

Distribute the sprout mixture into a baking dish. Toss the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano in a bowl with melted butter and then top gratin evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Place under the broiler until topping is crunchy and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds – there will be quite a few seeds, so don’t feel like you have to use them all, put the extras in the refrigerator for another use. Allow Gratin to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Categories: French Cuisine, Holiday, Pork, Side Dish, Super Fast Recipes, Vegetables
Tags: brussels sprout recipe, gratin, pancetta, pomegranate, portabella, thanksgiving recipe