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People love their coffee. You can just look on the market at all the different roasts, blends, coffee makers, and accessories to see that coffee is a huge hit. While Thanksgiving may not be a holiday that immediately makes you think about coffee, there are many ways that it can be incorporated into your special holiday meal. There are recipes for dinner and dessert that include coffee, which we will share below. We’ll also help you with making sure you have plenty of hot coffee available for your guests during dessert. Thanksgiving is a holiday of gratitude and guests are sure to be thankful that you put so much effort into an amazing meal for the day.
Plan for the Big Holiday
Before we jump into all the ways that coffee can be used on Thanksgiving, we want to share some tips on hosting this holiday like a professional. Once you have a few things planned and ready to go, you’ll be in a position to show your loved ones the best Thanksgiving holiday ever. Here are some of the things to think about when planning your dinner, dessert, and other entertainment.
Decide How Much Meat You Need
People are often not great at calculating how much food they need for a crowd. Experts note that you should plan for every guest to eat about eight ounces of protein. So, if you’re serving only turkey, expect to need eight ounces times the number of people who will be dining. If you add in a chicken, turkey, or other protein, you can bump the numbers down. For instance, if you have ham and turkey, assume the average guest will eat about four ounces of each. Going with too much food is always better than ending up with too little so err on the side of extravagance. After all, you can also enjoy the leftovers once your guests have headed home.
Assume Others Will Bring Some Side Dishes
If you’re having a bunch of people over for the holiday, don’t feel like you have to take care of every dish that needs to be made. It’s likely that you’ll be in charge of the turkey, but that doesn’t mean you need to be attempting to bake pies, cook casseroles, peel potatoes, and everything else while you do so. If a large number of people are visiting, ask them each to bring a side dish. If it’s a smaller event, settle for a couple of side dishes instead of attempting to do everything possible. Potluck style dining is a great option for Thanksgiving and can save you time and money, too.
Consider the Meals for the Day Before
It probably comes as no great surprise that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a huge one for Chinese takeout and pizza delivery. If you have the extra cash to spend on delivery, go for it. However, if you are searching for ways to keep your budget in check, think about what you’ll eat the night before Thanksgiving. You likely won’t want to do any intensive cooking, but you could stop by the local grocery store and grab a pizza, sandwich, or chicken strips from the deli. You’ll have a full stomach before heading off to bed and you won’t end up spending $50 in the process.
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Make Online Orders Early
If you need to order food to cook the great Thursday feast, make your order as soon as possible. In many cases, you can get a great price on organic meat when shopping online. Some retailers also offer potatoes, salad, and string beans at a low cost. Consider which side dishes you might be making and see if you are able to get a deal. If you don’t feel like baking, add on a couple of pies to take care of dessert. Take a look at the grocers nearby and determine which one you want to go with. You may find that prices are lower this way than expected.
Plan Ahead and Get the Shopping Done
Whether this is your first-time hosting Thanksgiving or you have done it dozens of times before, it’s likely you will end up forgetting something you should have picked up. It’s a good idea to get the items you will need early to avoid this issue. If you can get in days before Thanksgiving, you’re likely to have an easier time as far as the wallet goes. In addition, you won’t be stressing to thaw out a turkey at the very last minute. While you may end up hitting the shop again later due to forgetting an important ingredient, it’s better to pay a premium on one or two items than on dozens of them for an entire dinner.
Follow the five tips above to ensure the best possible Thanksgiving. Below we’ll share some great ways that coffee can make an appearance on your menu and provide some recipes for amazing coffee drinks to enjoy with your dessert. But first, make sure you’re prepared and ready for the massive holiday that is now nearly upon us.
Fantastic Thanksgiving Dishes Using Coffee
Now that you have an idea of what types of coffee to make for Thanksgiving and how to property serve coffee to a crowd, it’s time to look at dishes that incorporate coffee into your favorite meal. You might be surprised how versatile coffee can be when added to the right ingredients. It can be used in tons of different desserts, but it also has a place in savory dishes that are commonly seen at the Thanksgiving table. We’ll share some of our favorite dishes, so you can add a boost of caffeine at your own home over the holidays.
Coffee Toffee Banana Bread
While the biggest meal at Thanksgiving isn’t breakfast, having something in your tummy will make the long hours of cooking much more manageable. This recipe offers a scrumptious banana bread backed with coffee, toffee bits, and dark brown sugar. It’s sure to satiate your hunger until the turkey is done and you can sit down to enjoy the stuffing and cranberry sauce. We recommend making it the night before, so you can grab a slice when you wake up in the morning.
Maple Espresso BakedOatmeal
For a different breakfast option on Thanksgiving, these baked oatmeal muffins are a fantastic option. This recipe has tons of oats, cherries, pecans, and maple syrup, along with instant expresso. It does take nearly an hour to bake, so make sure you make it early or rise before you need to put the turkey in, so you have the oven at your disposal. It goes great with a cup of yogurt so have that on hand, as well.
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Sweet Coffee Glazed Smoked Turkey
Turkey. It’s the one thing that nearly everyone has on the menu for Thanksgiving. It’s savory and tasty and beloved by those young and old. With this sweet glaze, you can add an extra layer of flavor to the main course on Thanksgiving. You’ll need a grill with a lid along with hickory chips or a smoker works if that is available. The turkey is braised in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, coffee, and cane sugar or brown sugar. The end result is a turkey that is herbaceous, sweet, and savory all at once.
Mahogany Chicken
While turkey is the show stealer on Thanksgiving, a moist glazed chicken will also hit the spot for many of your guests. This recipe is simple and can be done by even beginners. It incorporates not only coffee, but mustard, honey, lemon, and garlic for a huge mix of tantalizing flavors. Your relatives and friends will happily devour this irresistible and succulent dish and ask you for the recipe after licking their fingers clean.
Coffee Glazed Ham
To make the perfect trio, this ham will accompany your turkey and chicken while managing to hold its own in the process. Rather than a boring traditional glaze, this recipe includes spices like cinnamon, allspice, and ginger alongside brown sugar and espresso powder for a taste like no other. The coffee works well with the spices and is sure to wow everyone at the table.
Coffee Rubbed Prime Rib Roast
Prime rib might not be something on everyone’s menu but if you want something new to try, this recipe will be a great addition to your holiday meal. The recipe uses coffee grounds, chili pepper, ginger, onions, and garlic to add a fantastic flavor to the mix. The garlic gorgonzola butter will add the extra layer of taste to have people rushing to get the last piece of roast. It’s an excellent use of coffee to ensure an outstanding meal.
Sausage Gravy
This recipe is a low-carb version of a Thanksgiving favorite that incorporate sage sausage and brewed coffee. This might seem like a strange recipe for coffee to be highlighted, which means it needs to be savored to be believed. It only takes a few simple ingredients like flour, water, salt, and pepper along with the coffee that makes it truly shine. It’s fantastic on mashed potatoes and will have people asking what makes it so different from their own sausage grave.
Smoky Black Bean Soup
A nice warm pot of soup or chili is always a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner. This black bean soup adds a dash of coffee to create a fantastic flavor when combined with the ham hock, cilantro, sour cream, and bay leaf. The flavor of this soup is nuanced with hints of saltiness, smokiness, and a toasted background note. It’s a great way to fill up guests and get people warm after trudging in from the chilly outdoors.
Coffee Beef Stew
An alternative to the bean soup is a beef stew, which is just as warm and tasty for guests. This version includes stew beef, thyme, bay leaves, bell peppers, and strongly brewed coffee. Don’t worry though, it won’t take up your whole day to create this scrumptious stew. It takes a bit more than an hour to cook, but you can also choose to make it in a crockpot or instant pot for more flexibility.
Espresso Coffee Cake Monkey Bread
Dessert is one of the most exciting parts of Thanksgiving and this monkey bread is sure to appeal. The espresso mixes well with the cinnamon, sugar, and butter that take point on this recipe. The crumble over the top of the bread is delicious and adds another layer of coffee to the sweet course of your holiday meal. It’s easy to make and you’ll be sure to love it.
Espresso Cheesecake
While there are sure to be pumpkin, fruit, or pecan pies at your celebration, this is an alternative that is creamy, sweet, and deep with notes of coffee and chocolate. The ganache that goes over the top of the cake makes it aesthetically inspired and guests will rave over it. The best part, though, is how good it tastes with a cup of coffee on the side.
Coffee & Roasted Almond Chocolate Bark
If you’re looking for a dessert recipe that is fairly simple but will look like it took you ages, chocolate bark is one of your best options. All you need to make it is dark chocolate, instant coffee powder, and roasted almonds. The preparation process takes little time and most of the waiting comes while the chocolate is hardening in your refrigerator. Before serving, you just have to break it up and you’re ready to serve a sweet treat that can be made again for Christmas or New Year’s Eve.
Choosing the Right Coffee to Serve Your Loved Ones
After you and your loved ones have enjoyed as much turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes as you can eat, you might be tempted to head off for a nap. However, one way to beat the sleepiness that can come from the tryptophan in turkey is to enjoy a nice cup of coffee. By providing a great brew to your guests, you can perk everyone up so they’re ready to try dessert and enjoying each other’s company. Coffee is a fantastic option for pairing with dessert, but some drinks are more likely to appeal than others.
Bourbon Coffee Cocktails
If your guests are a fan of coffee and a bit of booze, this might be the perfect beverage to have on offer. It has a strong coffee base with a bit of alcohol and even a toasted marshmallow for added depth. Here’s how to create this delicious and refreshing cocktail:
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces of cold brew coffee
- 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon
- 1 1/4 ounces of bitters
- 1/2 ounce of amaretto
- 1/2 ounce of orange juice
- 1 marshmallow
Instructions:
You’ll first want to brew your coffee at least 12 hours before Thanksgiving so it has time to steep and gain flavor. If you aren’t sure how to make cold brew, there are many resources online that explain the process. However, it’s not as simple as just brewing a cup of coffee with a pot.
To make the drink after the cold brew is finished, add the bitters, amaretto, bourbon, orange juice, and coffee to a shaker and add ice.
Shake and then strain the drink into a rocks glass.
Take the marshmallow and skewer it with a cocktail pick or bamboo spear. Just before serving, light the marshmallow with a culinary torch.
Before drinking, blow out the flame, bite the marshmallow and take a sip.
Horchata Iced Coffee
Another option, one that forgoes the alcohol, is the horchata iced coffee. This is a refreshing beverage that is especially appreciated when you live in a warmer climate. This is a great drink to serve between dinner and before dessert to get everyone’s plates ready for the sweeter dishes that are coming. The recipe is posted below:
Ingredients:
- 1 1/3 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Iced coffee
- Whipped cream
Instructions:
Add the rice, water, and cinnamon sticks to a blender and blend until chunky. The rice should be smaller and the sticks broken up. Leave this to sit for at least three hours and up to 24 hours.
Next, place a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour the rice mixture into the strainer and squeeze the rice to push out all of the liquid possible.
Add milk and sugar to the strained mixture and whisk to combine. Use the blender to combine the strained mixture, sugar, and milk. Pour the contents into a container and store in the refrigerator.
To serve, add ice to a glass and then combine the liquid with an equal amount of iced coffee. Garnish with whipped cream if you desire.
Irish Affogato
Another adults only beverage that will appeal to your Thanksgiving guests is the Irish affogato. The traditional affogato involves taking a scoop of ice cream or gelato and pouring a shot of espresso over the top of it. This recipe takes it a bit farther and incorporates a hint of Bailey’s into the mix.
Ingredients:
- 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 2 ounces of hot espresso
- 1 ounce Baileys Irish Cream
Instructions:
Scoop your ice cream into a coffee mug and pour the Baileys and espresso over the top. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Coffee and Ice Cream Punch
A big bowl of punch is always a hit at Thanksgiving and by adding coffee to your punch, you will delight every last guest at your event. This is a tasty recipe that will end up empty by the end of the night. You may even end up making more before all the guests head home for the night. The best part is how easy it is to make. Check it out below.
Ingredients:
- 1 quart of chilled coffee concentrate
- 1 quart of chocolate ice cream
- 1 quart of vanilla ice cream
- 1 cup of whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
- Dash of salt
- Optional toppings including whipped cream or freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions:
The first step to making this punch involves combining the coffee concentrate with the almond extract, whipping cream, and salt.
Next, you will scoop the two types of ice cream into a punch bowl. Pour the coffee concentrate in gently and stir until the ice cream is slightly melted.
Serve in glass mugs and enjoy with any garnishes.
Tips for Serving Coffee to a Group
If you are in charge of hosting Thanksgiving this year, there may be one thing you haven’t thought about. Coffee. When it comes time for dessert, nothing is more intoxicating than enjoying a cup of coffee with the pie, cakes, and cookies that are on display. However,brewing coffee for a large group takes a bit more planning than brewing coffee for yourself or you and a partner. We’ll share a few tips that will help you get ready for the big day and ensure everyone has a hot mug of joe to enjoy while savoring dessert.
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If Possible, Avoid Brewing Ahead
While Thanksgiving is a time for making many dishes ahead, coffee is not something that works well when it’s made far in advance. If you make the coffee too early and it sits around in the pot, it won’t have the rich flavor you want and it will become more and more bitter as time goes on. If you’re looking for the right moment to start a pot of coffee, consider starting it just after dinner. This will give it time to brew while the table is cleared and ready to go when dessert hits the table and everyone gets together again.
If Making Ahead, Use a Concentrate
Sometimes making the coffee ahead might be your only option. While this isn’t the best solution, it can be done. If this is what you need to do, you’ll want to make a coffee concentrate rather than making a simple pot of brewed coffee. If you’ve made iced coffee, this is the exact same sort of concentrate and can be used for hot coffee, too. After the concentrate is made, you just have to boil some water to start passing out cups of coffee at Thanksgiving dessert. Below we’ll explain how to make the concentrate:
Ingredients and Equipment Needed:
- 12 ounces of coarsely ground coffee
- 6 cups of water
- 2 large pitches or bowls
- Cheesecloth or kitchen towel
- Sieve
- Large coffee filter
- Container for storage, such as a quart canning jar
Instructions:
The first step is to place the ground coffee into one of the bowls or pitchers and cover it with room temperature water. You will want to stir to ensure all of the grounds get wet. After that, cover the mixture with a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Next, put your sieve in the other large pitcher or bowel. Moisten the coffee filter and line the sieve with it. You will then slowly and gently pour the grounds and coffee into the sieve, stopping when it becomes too full. Let it sit for around an hour or until no more liquid goes through the sieve. This will leave you with about a quart of concentrate.
Move the concentrate to the covered container. You can toss or compost the coffee grounds that are remaining. The concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for up to seven days, which means you can get this started super early to be ready for the big holiday.
On the day of Thanksgiving, dilute your concentrate with two-part boiling water. For example, you might boil two quarts of water and then pour it into a thermos. Add the concentrate, stir, and serve. That’s all there it to it!
Don’t Bother With Pour Over Methods
When you are making your own cup of coffee in the morning, an Aeropress or pour over method is a great option. However, this is not the case when you are making coffee for a large group. If you already have a coffee maker that can produce a large amount of coffee, use that. If that isn’t possible, go the concentrate route if you prefer not to invest in a new coffee maker. You can use an electric kettle to boil the water needed to make the coffee on Thanksgiving.
Utilize a Thermos or Carafe for Warming
If your coffee maker comes with a metal carafe, you can use that to keep the coffee warm for as long as needed. This type of carafe holds in heat much better than a glass carafe will do. When you use a metal carafe or a thermos, you can be sure that your guests are being served extremely hot coffee during the entirety of dessert. Even going back for a second cup won’t leave you with lukewarm coffee to deal with.
Have the Extras Available on Thanksgiving
Even if you prefer to drink your coffee black, that won’t apply to all of your Thanksgiving day guests. Make sure that you have all the options, so your guests can enjoy coffee in their favorite way. You should have sweeteners, cream, milk, and other items on hand. If you want to make the coffee even more festive, consider having a bottle of whiskey or Kahlua on hand for those who want it. Everyone will leave the dessert table satisfied once they enjoy pie and a cup of their favorite coffee.
Traveling with Coffee to Thanksgiving Dinner
Even if you aren’t hosting Thanksgiving, you probably want a hot cup of coffee to sip on while the day goes on. If you’re headed somewhere without coffee or no more than a coffee maker from the 1990s, you may need to bring some supplies of your own along. Don’t worry! You can bring along a few bags of coffee, easy brewing options, and you’ll make it through the day without any stress about where you will get your caffeine. We’ll walk you through exactly what to pack in the car, so you have a cup of java whenever you need one.
Choice of Coffee
If you don’t want to be snooping in cabinets searching for a decent coffee, it might be a good idea to bring your own. You can grab whatever your regular ground coffee is or try something new for the holidays. If you go with the latter, we have some great picks that will pair with the Thanksgiving festivities. It’s likely that at least one other guest will be excited to see someone bringing in good coffee, as well. You might even be the cause of someone hopping on the coffee train. Here are a few coffees that might work well on Thanksgiving.
Death Wish Ground Coffee
Are you going to need to get up at the crack of dawn to head to dinner? If so, there’s no better coffee to bring with you than Death Wish. This coffee offers a dark roast and tons of caffeine to get you out of bed, into the car, and to your destination while all in one piece. As an additional plus, this coffee is USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade. While this coffee is very strong, it’s still smooth and has a nice taste behind it. It’s a great way to start your Thanksgiving day.
Café Du Monde Coffee
This is an interesting blend of chicory and coffee and is popular in New Orleans and beyond. This coffee is traditionally served au lait, or mixed half and half with milk. This coffee will be a hit with nearly everyone, even those who prefer a sweet and creamy drink with less of a coffee flavor. The chicory in the coffee adds depth and richness to each sip and is a fantastic coffee to get you through the day once you reach the destination of turkey, ham, and pumpkin pies.
Variety Sampler K-Cups
If you know there’s a Keurig where you’ll be visiting, bringing along a variety of coffee pods can be a great option. Not only will you have a selection to choose from as you go through the day, but others at the house can find their favorites, too. Everyone will be excited to see the large variety you brought in, especially those who have been cooking since dawn. You can pick up a variety pack fairly inexpensively and it saves you having to bring your own coffee tools along with you.
Coffee Brewing Tools
Now that you have figured out what coffee you want to bring along on your trip, you still need something to brew it in. It’s up to you whether you feel like carting along a massive brewer or you prefer something a little less bulky and heavy. We’ve come up with a few options that will meet your needs, no matter what you decide. The best way to survive hours with family members is keeping caffeinated and enjoying the day as much as possible, so consider these coffee makers.
French Press
The French press is one of the easiest brewing options out there and many people absolutely love the coffee it makes. It’s easy and can be done in minutes. You add hot water and coffee grounds together then allow it to steep for a few minutes. After that, there is a screen you can use to remove the grounds from the liquid. You can then pour a cup of coffee and move on. There are many different French presses out there, but if you don’t own one already, you might want a simple inexpensive one for your upcoming travel.
Espresso Maker
If you want a whole host of options when brewing beverages over Thanksgiving, you may want to lug in an expresso machine. These can run the gamut from fairly inexpensive to quite expensive if you need to buy one specifically for the holidays. You probably don’t need the biggest and most expensive option out there but skip over the ones that seem overly inexpensive. You want a machine with all the technology, but you don’t need to break the bank for something to use at Thanksgiving.
K-Cup Coffee Maker
We mentioned the coffee pods earlier and a Keurig is the answer to having that sort of variety without being required to spend ages on brewing coffee for every family member, friend, and neighbor who shows up to dinner. The best part is that there are small portable Keurig machines that won’t take up a lot of room on the trip over. These can make a single cup at a time but also offer a space to store pods, so you have easy access to them throughout the day.
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The Wrap Up
Now that we’ve gone over how to roast a turkey with a coffee glaze, how to make some sweet desserts your families will love, and the best way to prepare coffee for a large group, you should be good to go in terms of Thanksgiving or other holidays. We’ve also shared some great options for transporting and brewing coffee if you are the one traveling to another destination for the holiday in case you aren’t hosting this year. All in all, Thanksgiving shouldn’t be a hassle and there’s no reason you can’t incorporate a great caffeinated beverage into the festivities. So, get your plan in place and start preparing. You’ll be good to go when the morning of Thanksgiving is upon you. Good luck!
Bonus Questions
1. What desserts go well with coffee?
There are tons of recipes that work well with a steaming cup of coffee or a glass of iced coffee. Some options include brownies, ice cream pie, truffles, cheesecake, and banana bread.
2. Why is coffee a dessert?
Coffee is often served with dessert because it cuts down some of the sweetness and richness of the dish. In many cases, a second cup of coffee is provided after the desserts are consumed and the table has been cleared.
3. Why do you have coffee after a meal?
Drinking a coffee beverage after having a meal can help aid your digestion. Drinking coffee can also prevent sleepiness after a meal with large amounts of carbohydrates.
4. How much caffeine is in a strong cup of coffee?
The average 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 85 milligrams of caffeine. An espresso shot typically contains about 30 milligrams, while decaf coffee contains less than 5 mg.
5. Does black coffee start your metabolism?
Yes! Caffeine can help boost your metabolic rate, which increases the rate of fat burning in your body. If you consume coffee regularly over a period of time, this benefit may begin to wane.
6. Is today International Coffee Day?
International Coffee Day is a holiday that takes place on October 1st each year. Several countries also celebrate national coffee day on various days and months of the year.
7. How can I make coffee stronger at home?
There are several ways to make your coffee stronger. You can try a new brewing method, select a darker roast than normal, or change the ratio of water to grounds when brewing coffee.
8. What can I substitute for instant coffee in a recipe?
You can substitute instant coffee with finely ground espresso. Brewed coffee can also work as a substitution for instant coffee in a dessert recipe. However, the taste and texture may be changed to some degree.
9. Can I substitute coffee for espresso powder?
You can substitute a dark roast instant coffee for espresso powder, although the flavor may not be exactly the same. Finely ground coffee can also be used but you will need a smaller amount.
10. Can I substitute coffee for water in a cake mix?
You absolutely can. It can add a dash of flavor to a typical box cake and make it richer for consumption. You can substitute half the water for coffee for a less intense flavor change.
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Sources:
https://www.thekitchn.com/serving-coffee-after-thanksgiving-dinner-heres-the-important-stuff-251010
https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/191263/perfect-coffee-drinks-for-after-thanksgiving-dinner/
https://www.nutmegnanny.com/vanilla-bean-horchata-iced-coffee/
http://bakelovegive.com/baileys-irish-affogato/
https://www.theroasterie.com/blog/the-roasteries-5-favorite-coffee-inspired-thanksgiving-recipes/
https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/192040/classic-thanksgiving-desserts-with-a-coffee-kick/
https://sprudge.com/survive-thanksgiving-coffee-89758.html
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/coffee-rubbed-prime-rib-roast-roasted-garlic-gorgonzola-butter/
Last update on 2024-07-27 at 04:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API