Thanksgiving Table With Metropolitan Market
I am a sucker for aesthetics, we know this. Every year I make a desperate attempt to take over our Thanksgiving table and have my way with the decor. One year I remember hollowing out half shells of walnuts for individual salt cellars for each person's place-setting. Some lofty Martha-esque DIY I came across, I'm sure. The result was hilarity and confusion at the table. My papa asked if squirrels were loose in the house and I think my dad made the mistake of dumping the entire contents on his gravy as his fingers were too big to grab a pinch of salt out of a walnut shell. Live and learn, right? Thankfully, I've since moved on to a more sophisticated (and less confusing) design aesthetic. So, I was absolutely thrilled when Metropolitan Market asked if I'd be interested in collaborating on a Thanksgiving table spread! Um, heck yes.
I've teamed up with Metropolitan Market to show you how pulling together an effortless Thanksgiving table full of beautiful details and the highest quality ingredients can be stress-free and easy. Metropolitan Market is unique in that you can find everything you need under one roof: from everyday ingredients to those hard-to-find foodie treasures, beautiful table linens and kitchen tools, and everything in between. If you're like me, you're willing to go to the ends of the earth to track down that one obscure gourmet ingredient, the best flowers, and every last detail to pull together the perfect meal. But how awesome is it that Metropolitan Market makes it easy to find it ALL under one roof? I picked up all the freshest local (and organic!) produce, exceptional meats, beautiful and unique florals, table linens, and even the perfect wine for this spread. I got all the goods to create simple, fuss-free dishes that are still elevated and beautiful, using the best ingredients around.
Setting The Table //
I found these beautiful soft grey napkins in the housewares department at Metropolitan Market. They are a beautiful contrast to the creamy white, warm gold and copper tones, and deep burgundy and burnt orange color palette I went with. I created simple place cards using brown cardstock and a few sprigs of greenery to tie it all together.
It's All in The Details //
Since Met Market has an incredible array of flowers and botanical bits to choose from, I decided to let them be the main focal point of the table, along with some gorgeous white pumpkins. I used a variety of types and textures but tried to stay within the same color family of muted oranges, soft greens, and deep burgundy. I arranged long branches of blooms in clumps along the center of the table, nestling around the pumpkins. I rounded out the flowers by tucking in a few seasonal fruits like pomegranates and persimmons and finished the table off with some mini mason jars housing tea lights to add warmth. The result is an effortlessly beautiful table with minimal effort that allows the beauty of the flowers to speak for themselves. No crazy origami napkin folding or ice sculptures necessary. Easy and beautiful, what more could you want?!
That Charcuterie + wine, Though //
Charcuterie may not be the first appetizer that comes to mind for Thanksgiving but who doesn't love meat and cheese? Exactly. Metropolitan Market just launched a new line of delicious assorted charcuterie. The line includes offerings like Black Pepper Salame, Prosciutto, and Milano Salame & Fontina. They're a perfect pairing alongside the wide array of artisanal cheeses Met Market offers for a stress-free appetizer. I went with Speck and Sopressata along with a creamy Camembert and nutty Mimolette cheese. Boom. Instant delicious app. I guarantee it'll be the first to disappear.
Metropolitan Market also has an impressive wine selection to choose from, including some top-notch local Washington State wines under their own label. I picked up a bottle of both their Red and White so everyone was happy. They also offer Rosé in the Summer, and it's definitely one of my faves. I used it here for my Drunk Peach Shortcake.
THREE ELEGANT & FUSS-FREE RECIPES //
NANNY'S CORNBREAD STUFFING
THIS STUFFING. Guys, I am so excited to share this recipe with you. This is my grandmother's cornbread stuffing recipe and it's been the best thing on our Thanksgiving table each year for as long as I can remember. Though my grandma, or Nanny as we call her, has since handed the torch down to my mom and aunt to make sure this ends up on the table, she has over 5 decades of practice whipping this up, and all by heart with no written recipe to speak of. So after much experimenting and much consulting with my mom, I present you with the best stuffing you'll ever have. With its eggy, custardy base and sweet cornbread running throughout and plenty of earthy sage, the result is borderline savory bread pudding so no wonder it's delicious.
I picked up Metropolitan Market's own Classic Holiday Stuffing Mix and beautiful local eggs to whip up the stuffing along with milk from a local farm and fresh organic celery and herbs. And the little message printed on the inside of the egg carton makes my heart swoon.
Nanny's Cornbread Stuffing
serves 8
2 c whole milk
4 eggs
1 c celery, washed and roughly chopped (about 6 stalks)
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 c chicken or turkey stock
1 stick plus 2 T butter, melted, plus more for buttering baking dish
2 T dried sage
salt and pepper
2 c cubed bread mix
1 8 x 8 in pan prepared cornbread
Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9 x 13 in baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the celery and onions over medium heat, until cooked through and slightly translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, stock, and sage. Add in the cubed bread mix and, using your hands, crumble in the cornbread into about 1 inch chunks. Drizzle over half the melted butter. Add in the sauteed celery and onions and mix to combine. The mixture should be fairly wet, similar to a bread pudding. If the mixture looks too dry, add in a little more stock. Add the mixture to the buttered baking dish and drizzle the top with the remaining melted butter. Bake for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the middle has set. Serve warm.
BACON-ROASTED CARROTS
Whenever I'm home to visit my parents and sister, my mom spoils me by making my favorite meal: roasted chicken and vegetables. So humble and unassuming but the way she makes it is undeniably delicious. The chicken is stuffed with lemons and herbs and set on a bed of root vegetables and onions. She lays strips of bacon across the back so as it roasts in the oven, the bacon fat bastes the chicken and drips down into the vegetables, along with the chicken juices. The result is herby, juicy chicken punctuated with plenty of bright lemon and the most scrumptious roasted vegetables you've ever had. I wanted to emulate those same flavors in a side dish without having to go to the trouble of roasting an entire chicken. These carrots pack the same flavor punch and are a perfect accompaniment to a holiday meal. And bonus, they're like, really easy.
Check out those organic rainbow carrots! Total heart-eyes emoji for those. And Metropolitan Market's new thick-sliced bacon is perfect in this dish. I really appreciate the quality of this bacon, too 'cause do you know how hard it can be to find nitrate/nitrite free bacon?! Real hard.
Bacon-Roasted Carrots
serves 8
1 bunch carrots, washed and halved lengthwise
6 slices thick bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces
handful fresh thyme sprigs
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
2 T butter, melted (preferably grassfed)
2 lemons, sliced into wedges
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the carrots in a single layer on a large baking tray. Drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the carrots then toss the squeezed wedges in to roast alongside the carrots. Sprinkle on the bacon evenly over the carrots and the whole sprigs of thyme. It's important to use thick-cut bacon here as thinner bacon will cook too quickly and burn before the carrots have a chance to fully roast and caramelize. The idea is to have the bacon fat slowly baste the carrots while roasting and the bacon will end up crispy. Roast the carrots for 35-40 minutes, until golden and caramelized, and the bacon is crisp. Serve warm.
SWEET POTATO ROUNDS WITH MAPLE-ROASTED GRAPES + STILTON
Sweet and earthy roasted sweet potatoes, tender juicy grapes accented with the warm flavors of maple and fresh thyme, nutty and sharp stilton cheese, and crunchy, rich walnuts all combine to create one harmoniously balanced Fall bite. This is the perfect fuss-free sweet potato dish for your Thanksgiving table. It's great as an appetizer or a light side.
I grabbed some of Metropolitan Market's proprietary Organic Maple Syrup and Organic Olive Oil along with the grapes and sweet potatoes to really elevate the dish and add tons of flavor.
Sweet Potato Rounds with Maple-Roasted Grapes + Stilton
serves 8
4 large sweet potatoes, sliced in 1/4 in rounds
2 c concord or thompson grapes, washed and left on the stem
3 T maple syrup
3 T olive oil
2 T fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 oz stilton
1/4 c walnuts, roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato slices with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper then lay out on a parchment-lined baking tray in a single layer. Roast for about 20 minutes, then flip and roast another 10, until both sides are golden and sweet potato slices are cooked through. Meanwhile, toss the grapes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and thyme. Arrange the clumps of grapes on a parchment-lined baking tray and roast alongside the sweet potatoes for about 30 minutes, until juices are bubbling and grapes have shrunk slightly. Top each sweet potato round with a teaspoon or so of crumbled stilton and a small clump of grapes. Sprinkle walnuts over the top. Serve warm.
This post was crafted in collaboration with Metropolitan Market. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me.
** Also, big shout out to my incredible little sister for being my assistant throughout this shoot and my cousin for letting me take over her kitchen and brand new dining table for the day! **
