Everyone knows that at the holiday table, while the turkey, ham or roast can easily get top billing, it’s really all about the sides. From a simple but flavorful butternut squash salad to an elegant pumpkin risotto, these exclusive recipes from Balducci’s Executive Chef Jason Miller will take you from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve. Of course, you could always pick up dinner from the store’s Greenwich or Westport, CT, or Scarsdale, NY locations (we won’t tell!).
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
4 cups peeled butternut squash, diced into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons Balducci’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 sage leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons red onion, minced
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss squash with the oil, sage, and salt and
pepper and place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Roast for 13 minutes until the squash is tender.
3. Allow to cool, then toss with the onion and vinegar, serving while still warm.
Cornbread & Pancetta Stuffing
Serves: Serves 10-12
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
1 pound pancetta or bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
8 whole corn muffins, crumbled
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
½ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
1 stick unsalted butter
½ cup sweet vermouth
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large sauté pan, cook pancetta until golden brown, drain and add to crumbled corn muffins.
2. Add diced celery into bacon fat, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then add diced onion and
sauté for 5 more minutes or until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and add to corn muffin mixture.
3. In the same pan, heat butter. Add in sliced shiitake mushrooms, sauté for 5 minutes and add minced garlic, cooking until mushrooms start to release their liquid, about 5 more minutes. Deglaze pan with sweet vermouth and reduce mixture by half. Cool slightly and add to corn muffin mixture.
4. Toss all cooked ingredients together, adding in chicken stock a little at a time, until corn muffin mixture is moistened, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer to a large lightly oiled baking dish, drizzle top with olive oil and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Pumpkin and Sage Risotto with Broccolini
Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup Balducci’s Sauvignon Blanc
1½ cup pumpkin purée
1 pound broccolini, trimmed and cut to 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup light cream
½ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Juice of ½ lemon
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
1. In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken stock and bay leaf. You will use this hot broth throughout the cooking of the risotto, so keep it at a low simmer.
2. Using a heavy bottom saucepan or Dutch oven, heat about 1 tablespoon of o
live oil until hot. Add the sausage and cook until well browned. Transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Drain the fat from the pan and return it to the stovetop over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan then add onion and ¾ of the garlic. Sauté until onion starts to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and sage and stir to coat the rice with olive oil and onion mixture. Add the wine and cook until it has been almost fully absorbed.
4. Next, add the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Add chicken stock 1 cup at a time, continuously stirring until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue this process until all
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccolini and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and season the broccolini with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm while the risotto cooks.
6. When the risotto is finished, add the sausage, broccolini and the thyme, stirring to combine. Stir in the cream and season the risotto with nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste.
7. If necessary, add a splash of the lemon juice, remove the pot from the heat, stir in cheese and garnish with parsley.
Serve immediately.
