A German Thanksgiving & WÜSTHOF and Whole Foods Giveaway

Oven-Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey with German Sides

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This week is an exciting week! With Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday, I thought it would be perfectly appropriate to celebrate with a fun giveaway, so I partnered with my favorite knife company WÜSTHOF and my favorite grocery store Whole Foods (thanks for the turkey, too!) to give you the perfect incentive to start subscribing to my blog if you aren't already (read below on how to qualify!). But first, let's look at Thanksgiving from a German point of view.

The German Thanksgiving Feast

I thought to myself:

"How fun would it be to roast a juicy, flavorful, crisp-skinned turkey and present her the German way, with Käsespätzle (think of it like the German Mac & Cheese), Rotkohl (braised red cabbage), and Semmelknödel (think of them as stuffing dumplings if you would like!)?"

Yes, I think in long, nestled, parenthesized questions sometimes, don't you?  Anyways, if you're still struggling to find the perfect item to bring to Thanksgiving dinner, and you're comfortable trying new things besides the too common marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes (in my opinion, the worst invention of a dish ever!) and green bean casserole, then please gain some inspiration from these recipes! They're very common to serve with German feasts!

The German Mac & Cheese aka Käsespätzle or Cheese Spätzle

Spätzle are a homemade German egg noodle, that's then tossed in Emmentaler cheese and topped with caramelized onions - to die for! I brought it for Friendsgiving dinner last weekend, and everyone loved it! Try the below recipe and also make sure to try out spätzle with lentils, one of my very first recipes from my Oma Sieghilde I posted almost 2 years ago! Also, if you haven't already invested in a spätzle press, it's about time! They're really pretty versatile and I use it for mashed potatoes or other vegetable purées as well.

Ingredients for Käsespätzle:

• 2 cups of flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• pepper, nutmeg (1 pinch each)
• 10 oz (300 g) grated Emmentaler Cheese (you can also use Swiss cheese, Gruyère or any other cheese you prefer!)
• 2 medium sized onions, cut into half, then sliced into thin half rings
• 2 tablespoon butter
• parsley (for garnish, if desired)

Rotkohl aka Braised Red Cabbage

The wintery vegetables, including wholesome, nutrient-rich cabbage are all the rage again!  Try some of your veggies the German way, by braising a beautiful red cabbage with apples, onions and red wine for an easy and healthy Thanksgiving companion (okay, I used a bit of bacon grease, so not entirely healthy!). Rotkohl is a standard side for German dishes, often served with a nice roast and gravy over potato dumplings. Here the recipe:

Ingredients for Rotkohl:

• 1 head of red cabbage (about 2 lbs)
• grease from 2 slices of sauteed bacon plus 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium sized onion, small diced
• 2 medium sized apples, small diced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 1 c water
• salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoon flour, to thicken (if needed)
• 2 oz red cabbage

Method for Rotkohl:

1. Rinse and dry the cabbage, then cut into quarters, remove the core, and slice thinly.
2. Over medium high heat, sautée onion, apples and sugar in the grease and butter until softened. Add the cabbage and vinegar, then cover and let steam for 10 minutes.
3. Add the water, salt and spices and let cook for 30 to 45 minutes until soft. If needed, add more water. If desired, thicken with flour whisked together with some water. Add red wine to taste.
4. Guten Appetit!

Semmelknödel aka German Stuffing or Bread Dumplings

Germans serve stuffing as dumplings. If you want to try them out, make sure to visit this Semmelknödel recipe I posted a few months ago. Feel free to ditch the mushroom sauce and replace with gravy if desired! Yum!

Schlumberger Rosé Wine Pairing

I love a nice bubbly to go with anything festive! The wine pairing I suggest today is an Austrian rosé sparkling wine called Schlumberger, made in the traditional champagne method since 1842, making it the oldest producer of sparkling wine in Austria. It adds a perfect lightness to your Thanksgiving dinner, balancing the heavy food with its crisp fruitiness. Make sure to check Niche Import Co.'s website to see where Schlumberger Rosé is available in your area!

Subscribe & Enter WÜSTHOF & Whole Foods Giveaway!

Thank you for stopping by my blog! Please stay a while, drool over some delicious German food! Please also leave me some feedback and ideas in the comment section below, and subscribe to receive weekly emails with new recipes! I promise I won't spam you (1 to 2 emails a week, and always with links to great, new German recipes!), and will give you plenty more chances to win in the future!