It’s not the holiday season without food, family and some good wine. That’s why chef and restaurateur Alex Guarnaschelli teamed up with Woodbridge wines by Robert Mondavi to help prepare her delicious holiday meals.
“Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi has always been my go to for entertaining—it’s a quality option for sharing with friends and family,” said Guarnaschelli, who is a habitual entertainer. “I can combine my love of food and flavor with wines that are affordable and food friendly. It is a perfect match, which is why I keep coming back.”
The chef loves Thanksgiving and cooks a full holiday meal every year with her staff at her restaurant, Butter. The tradition at the restaurant is a favorite, until Guarnaschelli goes home and starts from scratch for her family and friends.
“I love to cook Thanksgiving, even more than I like to eat it, but I have a lot of help,” she said. “I have a lot of sous chefs—the older I get, the more help I have.”
As for Guarnaschelli’s favorite Thanksgiving recipe, she loves the sides and has a special place in her heart for the classic green bean casserole.
“I never had it growing up, so every year I have it, it feels like new,” she said. “Try making it from scratch and see what a fun project and great result it produces.”
So take a cue from your favorite chef and pair your holiday menu with delicious and affordable wine that your guests will love. If you have any left over, Christmas is right around the corner.
Pumpkin Pie Parfait with Ice Cream
Serves 6-8
3 cups Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
½ cup premade caramel sauce
1 pint vanilla ice cream
The Parfait
4 cups leftover pumpkin pie
(crust and filling both)
2 cups whipped cream
½ cup pecans, toasted
1. In a medium pot, reduce the cabernet sauvignon over medium heat until there is about ½ cup of liquid remaining. Gently whisk in the caramel sauce until combined. Refrigerate until cold and drizzle over the ice cream. Do not stir. Freeze.
2. Spoon some of the pie into the parfait glasses. Top with a layer of whipped cream. Top with another layer of pie and another layer of cream. The glasses should be about ¾ full.
3. When ready to serve, top with some of the nuts and spoon the ice cream on top. Serve immediately.
Spinach and Turkey Phyllo with Fondue
Makes 12 turnovers
Turnovers
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt
¾ pound leftover roasted Butterball turkey meat, dark and white meat, “flaked” into bite-size pieces
½ cup leftover (thick) turkey gravy
1 box spinach and feta phyllo appetizers
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parley
Fondue sauce
Makes 3 cups
2 cups Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
2 cups finely grated Swiss cheese
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Tabasco
Turnover directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium-size skillet, heat the butter and add the turkey meat. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 3-5 minutes or until the turkey is warm. Stir in the gravy and cook until the gravy coats the meat, an additional 3-5 minutes.
3. Arrange the spinach and phyllo appetizers in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Bake until they are golden brown, an average of 12-15 minutes. Turn the phyllo out onto a platter and arrange in a single layer. Stir the parsley into the turkey and arrange a generous spoonful on top of each phyllo triangle. Serve immediately with the warm fondue sauce for drizzling and dunking.
Fondue directions:
1. In a medium pot, reduce the chardonnay over medium heat until the liquid measures about ½ cup, 5-8 minutes.
2. In the same pot, add the cream and the mustard to a simmer gently with a pinch of salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the Swiss cheese, parmesan, Worcestershire and Tabasco and continue stirring until cheese melts. Taste for seasoning.
Root Vegetable & Mashed Potato Cake
Serves 8-10
Sauce
3 cups Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Root vegetable cake
2 large Idaho potatoes
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 medium head rutabaga, peeled and quartered
1 medium head celery root, peeled and quartered
¾ cup clarified butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
2 cups leftover stuffing
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium pot, reduce the cabernet sauvignon until about ½ cup liquid remains. Transfer to a medium bowl. Whisk in mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil with a pinch salt.
3. Use the largest size holes on a box grater to shred the potatoes, rutabaga and celery root. Toss in ½ cup of the butter and the garlic and season with salt. You should have about 4 cups of grated vegetables.
4. In a 9-inch nonstick skillet, heat the remaining butter over medium heat. Remove skillet from the stove and fill halfway with vegetables. Top with a layer of mashed potatoes. Top with remaining vegetables. Skillet will likely be overfilled. Put the skillet back on the stove and cook over high heat until the edges of the underside brown, 5-8 minutes.
5. Spread the stuffing in a thin layer on a baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Place the skillet on another baking sheet in the oven and cook until tender when pierced in the center with the tip of a knife, 25-30 minutes. Remove both from the oven. Drain excess butter. Season with salt. Place a 12-inch round platter over the skillet and turn the cake out on its second side onto the platter.
6. Cut into 8-10 wedges. Top with all of the stuffing. Serve immediately with sauce.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Double Decker Sandwich
Makes 2 double decker sandwiches
2 cups Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon
6 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 green apple, cored and cut into thin slices
1 cup leftover stuffing
½ cup leftover cranberry sauce
½ pound slices of leftover turkey meat, preferably light and dark meat
1. In a small pot, reduce the wine over medium low heat until only about ⅓ of a cup of liquid remains. The liquid should be syrupy in consistency. Refrigerate to cool. When cool, stir the cabernet sauvignon into your leftover cranberry sauce.
2. On a flat surface, spread some mayonnaise and apple slices on two slices of the bread. Top with some layers of turkey. Top each with another slice of toast. Layer some of the stuffing, a few apple slices and some of the cranberry sauce. Drizzle with dressing, the remaining turkey and remaining stuffing. Top with remaining cranberry sauce and the last two slices of bread. Press down on the sandwiches. Use a serrated knife to cut the sandwiches in half.
