Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so we’ve teamed up with a few friends to create the ultimate friendsgiving menu perfect for holiday entertaining, from appetizers to dessert. We contributed Lolli’s beloved recipe for Turkey Pâté, written out below. Scroll to the end of the post for the complete menu!
For as long as I can remember, Lolli has always prepared a stunning smoked turkey for our family’s Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. It’s a focal point of our holiday menu, and something everyone looks forward to year after year. Since a traditional Thanksgiving turkey can be dull, dry and hard to flavor, we enjoy this dressed-up version of the classic menu centerpiece – Lolli’s version is both scrumptious and presentable! We all enjoy this addictive spread on crackers with sweet-and-spicy jalapeños and other accoutrements as people arrive and while the rest of the meal is being prepared. It’s an appetizer that everyone from toddlers to grandparents enjoys and raves about all year long! Now, this stunning turkey tradition is more of an art than a science, but Lolli is willing to share her best version of a recipe for you this holiday season. Scroll down for ingredients and directions:
Lolli’s Signature Smoked Turkey “Pâté”
Ingredients
- 1 10-lb. Smoked Turkey (Our preferred source is Greenberg Smoked Turkey but many grocery stores carry seasonal smoked turkeys at smaller weights)
- 16 oz. Philadelphia© Cream Cheese (softened)
- 16 oz. Hellmann’s© Mayonnaise
- Garlic Powder, to taste (Do NOT substitute Garlic Salt)
- 1-2 bunches Fresh Parsley
- ½ lb. Texas Pecans
Directions
Cut the turkey breasts out of the turkey and discard skin. Carve out the breast cavities on both sides of the bird to make a place for pâté to go back in once prepared, but be sure not to make a hole into the gut of the turkey.
Tear breast meat into pieces and place into a food processor. Grind finely. Place ground turkey meat into a large bowl, then add equal parts cream cheese and mayonnaise, with garlic powder to taste (approx. 1-2 tbsp). Mix these ingredients by hand to ensure they are completely combined. You can make this a day or two ahead of time if stored in an airtight container. Refrigerate until it’s turkey time, then stuff all of the pâté mixture back into the breast cavities of the turkey, and prepare the garnish.
Use a food processor to chop the parsley and pecans, then apply the mixture by hand as a top-layer garnish over the pâté, as photographed. If you have washed your parsley just prior to chopping it in the food processor, be sure it is completely dry before blending. The parsley and pecan mixture is also a lovely garnish sprinkled atop a turkey ball, which can be made from the pâté leftovers—if there are any!
Embellish the turkey platter with ruffly lettuces, peppers and pickled vegetables, crackers, grapes and other complementary edibles! If you have an extra bunch or two of parsley, stuff the turkey’s tail with it for more festive greenery.
After the pâté is devoured, save the remainder of your turkey to debone for a soup later. (Greenberg Smoked Turkey provides a storage bag in shipment, which you should not throw away but can use to put your bird back in the refrigerator until it’s soup time.)
VOILA, Y’ALL!™ Please tag #lolliandme in your posts if you give this a try and let us know how your version turns out!
Shop dishes and serveware for your friendsgiving event:
The entire Ultimate Friendsgiving Menu is listed below. Be sure to pin the image below on Pinterest so that you can easily reference all these fabulous recipes!
The Ultimate Friendsgiving menu includes:
- Sweet Potato Crostini with Blue Cheese and Honey from Desiree at Beautifully Seaside
- Spiced Ginger Orange Cranberry Baked Brie from Alicia at The Lush List
- Swiss Green Bean Casserole from Brooke at KBStyled
- Cinnamon Apple Cider Margarita from Courtney at A Thoughtful Place
- Cranberry Lime Tart from Kristin at INK Foods
- Friendsgiving Whole30 Salad with Homemade Ranch from Andrea at Loubies and Lulu
- Mama Mary’s Apple Pie from Sara at Haute and Humid
- Smoked Turkey “Pate” from Elizabeth and Lolli at Lolli and Me
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