Thanksgiving is all about tradition, however in this amazing year, some traditions are difficult if not impossible to carry out.  Try adding a bit of red or green chile to some of  your favorite dishes and I am sure you will be surprised at how yummy they will be. 

For starters, try adding some hot or mild red chile powder to the turkey gravy.  When I first decided to try it, my family and I were so impressed with first, the beautiful reddish brown color of the gravy and then the flavor.  The flavor  was richer and I have been  adding red chile to  the turkey gravy ever since.

As an aside,  with all the lock downs and difficulty having family and friends together for the big dinner, chiles are  the world's best natural endorphin booster--in simple language they are the best attitude adjuster.  And they supply so much health to all parts of our bodies.  So why not?

Another favorite idea for adding green chiles is to put them in your favorite dressing or stuffing.  If you want to go all out for a New Mexican taste, make a batch of blue cornbread a few days before Thanksgiving and let it dry out a bit and then add peeled and chopped green chile or some of our green chile powder to the dressing recipe.  I am going to give you the recipe I use.

And, if like to serve  white potatoes in addition to sweet potatoes, try adding some green chile and cheese to your favorite scalloped potato recipe. 

Sweet potatoes are enhanced with red chile.  Try whipping  the sweet potatoes and if you like add a "tease" of tequila, then add some caribe chile, butter and salt to them.  I like sweet potatoes this way so much better  than the sweet gooey style.

To make adding chiles to your T-Day dinner a bit easier, I am offering our red and green chile powders in addition to our caribe chile on a 25% off special for the next two days. 

You can even add a sprinkle of caribe to your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

Sage Roasted Turkey Breast with Blue Cornbread Dressing

I created this recipe for Cuisine magazine a few years ago and it has become one of my most requested recipes. The dressing can be doubled or tripled for stuffing full sized turkeys.

6-8 pound bone-in turkey breast, with skin

1 Tablespoon salt

½ cup Spanish dry sherry

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 Tablespoons thinly sliced sage or 1 Tablespoon of sage powder

Blue Cornbread Dressing, recipe attached

1. Salt the inside of the turkey 2-12 hours before roasting. Try not to get salt on the skin as it may crack and release juices during roasting.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Place stuffing in a well-buttered, shallow casserole for roasting. Mold dressing into a football shape to accommodate turkey.

3. Drizzle sherry over dressing. Drape boned breast skin side up over the dressing and mold to a nice, round uniform shape. Tuck sides and any loose skin under the dressing.

4. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle sage over the breast. Roast for 45 minutes, then turn breast and roast for another 45 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast reads 165 degrees F.

5. Let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Blue Cornbread Dressing

1/4 cup sweet, unsalted butter

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

½ cup pinon nuts, toasted

Blue Cornbread, recipe attached

1 cup parched green chiles, chopped or 1 Tablespoon or to taste of green chile powder

2 Tablespoons minced fresh sage or 1 Tablespoon of sage powder

½ cup chicken broth

Salt to taste

1. Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Saute onion and celery until celery is soft and onions begin to turn translucent.
2. In large mixing bowl, break cornbread into large pieces. Combine with onion, celery, green chiles, and fresh sage. Blend gently.
3. Add chicken broth and pinon nuts. Blend, but do not over mix. Salt to taste.

Blue Cornbread

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup blue corn flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in skillet and place in oven while preheating to melt butter.
2. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. In separate bowl whisk together egg and milk. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Pour melted butter into mixture. Stir just until combined. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. Cool in skillet.

S