With the holidays season comes entertaining, get-togethers and big family meals. From pasta dishes, salads, stuffed turkey breasts, and even cedar plank grilled we love having turkey as a staple in our home and trying out new recipes. Turkey is a light and lean protein option full of vitamins and minerals.
Entertaining with Canadian Turkey is easy! Visit canadianturkey.ca to discover everything you need to plan and cook the perfect meal. With everything from Whole Turkey HOW TOs and Turkey Basics videos to meal solutions that will easily feed a crowd, they have you covered for all your entertaining menus.
Feeling creative? Turkey is a versatile choice and perfect to feed a crowd, you can easily use different flavor profiles, spice blends, seasoning, stuffing and even glazes to make it your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Experiment with different brining and marinating flavors, get creative with your own family favorites.
- Use a glaze like maple, cranberry, jalapeno, paprika, Provence or bourbon to baste your bird throughout the roasting process and add a different flavor finish.
- Create your own rub using family-favorites spices for a unique signature style.
- Stuff your turkey with a selection of aromatics to customize and infuse flavor while cooking – a few of our favorites include shallots and thyme, apples and sage, onion and rosemary.
- Created spiced and flavored butters or oils to rub underneath the skin and add a major flavor boost while cooking.
When it comes to getting creative with turkey we’ve got a recipe that will knock your socks off. This one-pan Turkey Pilaf with Olives, Orange and Apricots takes your turkey to a whole new flavor profile.
One Pan Turkey Pilaf with Olives, Orange and Apricots Recipe
This recipe is simple to make and easily feeds a crowd. All you need is 25 minutes of prep and about an hour cooking time and you’re all set. If used as a main dish you can easily feed 6-8 people.
One Pan Turkey Pilaf with Olives, Orange and Apricots
Ingredients
- 4-6 Canadian turkey thighs
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 shallots
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 2 cups turkey broth
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ tsp. cloves
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 2 pods star anise
- 5 small pods green cardamom
- ¼ tsp. saffron
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup chopped apricots
- ½ cup sliced green olives
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 stalks green onion chopped
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tbsps. chopped mint
- 1 tbsps. chopped parsley
- 1 tbsps. chopped cilantro
- 1 ½ tbsps. sesame seeds
- 1 tbsps. slivered orange rind
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or Dutch oven.
- Thinly slice shallots and fry until golden, 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Season turkey thighs with salt, pepper and paprika.
- Brown both sides over medium heat.
- Deglaze with white wine.
- Add turkey broth. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 40 – 50 minutes until turkey is cooked through and almost falling off the bone.
- Remove turkey thighs from the pan to cool. Once cooled, discard the skin, remove the meat from the bones and break up into chunks. Set aside.
- Pour out the sauce from the pan into a heatproof container. Add water until you have 4 cups liquid in total. Set liquid mixture aside.
- Add 1 tsp. of olive oil to the pan over medium heat. Add rice, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom. Stir to toast rice and spices, 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add liquid mixture, saffron, raisins and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover until rice is cooked through, 10 – 12 minutes. Turn off heat. Uncover, fluff with a fork and cover again for 10 minutes.
- Add chickpeas, apricots, olives and turkey to the rice and combine.
- To serve, top with shallots, green onions, almonds, mint, parsley, cilantro, sesame seeds and orange rind. Enjoy!
You can easily make a variation of this recipe by using turkey breast instead of thighs to make it lighter or a combination of both to use up your leftovers. It will quickly become a family favorite.
What's your favorite turkey recipe?
I’ve teamed up with Canadian Turkey for this great giveaway where one lucky reader will win an Amazon.ca gift card!
Canadian Turkey #TurkeyTraditions Giveaway
1 Winner each will receive: $75 Amazon.ca Gift Card
Giveaway Open to: Canadian Residents, except where prohibited
Ends: December 10, 2017
The fine print: All entries must be received by 11:59 pm MST 12/10/17. The winners will be notified via email and have 48 hrs to respond. If no response with 48 hrs a new winner will be chosen. Open to Canada only, prize supplied by Canadian Turkey.
Good luck!
View Comments (64)
I'd like to add the Gluten-Free Red Quinoa Stuffing with Apples and Walnuts recipe. We have members that need gluten free now so this would work out perfect.
The HONEY MUSTARD AND SRIRACHA TURKEY THIGHS sounds amazing! I have to try it out for the holidays!
Peach Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast would be scrumptious I'm sure.
My family would really enjoy the Maple-Thyme Basted Roast Turkey, we love those flavours.
I’d like to add the Asparagus and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Turkey Cutlets to my holiday celebrations!
I'm going to make the mushroom, leek and turkey sausage stuffing this year for xmas dinner.
I would like to try the SUNDRIED TOMATO & GREENS STUFFED TURKEY BREAST ROAST
The turkey falafel bites look good!
ALL-IN-ONE THANKSGIVING DINNER BOWL sounds like the perfect way to use up the holiday dinner leftovers
I would like to add the mushroom leek stuffing.