Thanksgiving Citrus Recipes to Wow your Friends and Family!
With Thanksgiving right around the corner many families are beginning to plan out their
delicious dinners. While many families have their own traditions, citrus is a great way to put a
new spin on an old family classics! Listed below are a just a few recipes that can help your
Thanksgiving be healthier, unique, and supremely special!
Citrus-Cranberry Sauce
Total Time: 30 min
Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients:
2 large navel oranges
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries, picked over
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
Directions: Remove the peel and pith from oranges with a paring knife, cut each section into
quarters. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat combine oranges, cranberries, sugar, water,
and ground ginger. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in
lemon and lime juice. Cover sauce and chill before serving. Can be made up to 3 days prior to
serving.
Citrus Sweet Potato Pie
Makes: 12 servings
Carb Grams Per Serving: 25
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed, cooked, peeled sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute* equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 Baked Oil Pastry (see recipe below)
Frozen fat-free whipped dessert topping, thawed (optional)
Ground nutmeg (optional)
Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degree F. Prepare Oil Pastry. On a well-floured surface, use your
hands to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edge into a circle about 11 inches in
diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin. Unroll pastry into 9-inch tart pan
with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pan without stretching it. Press
pastry into fluted sides of tart pan and trim edges. (Or, if using a pie plate, crimp edge as
desired.) Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 5
minutes more. Cool on a wire rack while preparing filling.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F. For filling: In a large bowl, stir together mashed
sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla, lemon peel, lemon juice, and the 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Add egg.
Beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually add evaporated milk; stir until combined.
Pour filling into baked pastry shell. To prevent over browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake
for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are
puffed. If necessary to allow pastry to brown, remove foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking.
Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.
To serve, remove tart from pan or leave pie in pie plate. Cut tart or pie into wedges. If desired,
top each serving with a dollop of dessert topping and sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Makes 12
servings.
*Sugar Substitute: Choose from Splenda Granular or Sweet 'N Low bulk or packets. Follow
package directions to use product amount equivalent to 3/4 cup sugar.
Citrus-Roasted Turkey with Lemon Aïoli
Total Time: 5 Hours
Hands-on Time: 45 Mins
Yield: 10 servings
Seasoning with a citrus-salt rub and stuffing the cavity with lemons and oranges imparts fresh
flavor and citrus fragrance and keeps the turkey extra juicy.
Ingredients:
1 (14- to 16-lb.) whole fresh turkey Citrus-Salt Rub 2 lemons, quartered 2 small oranges,
quartered 2 celery ribs, chopped 1 onion, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons black pepper 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided Kitchen string 3
tablespoons fresh orange juice 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth Lemon Aïoli
Directions:
Remove giblets and neck from turkey, and rinse turkey with cold water. Drain cavity well; pat
dry. Rub 4 Tbsp. Citrus-Salt Rub into cavity. Rub skin with remaining rub. Cover and chill 18 to
24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. Rinse turkey; drain cavity well, and pat dry. Toss together lemons, next 6
ingredients, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl; spoon mixture
into cavity of turkey. Tie ends of legs together with kitchen string; tuck wingtips under. Place
turkey, breast side up, on a lightly greased roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Whisk together
orange juice and remaining 3 Tbsp. lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl; gradually whisk in
remaining 1/4 cup oil until blended. Brush half of orange juice mixture over turkey. Bake at 350°
on lowest oven rack 1 hour. Brush remaining orange juice mixture over turkey, and bake 45
more minutes. Pour 1 cup broth into pan; bake 45 minutes. Pour remaining 1 cup broth into pan;
bake 45 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thigh
registers 165°. Remove from oven, reserving pan juices. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 30
minutes. Transfer to a platter; serve with pan juices and Lemon Aïoli.
If any of these recipes interested you, be sure to check out our Facebook page and Instagram
account where we post new citrus recipes every Wednesday!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floridacitrushalloffame/
Instagram: citrusarchives
Works Cited
“Citrus-Roasted Turkey with Lemon Aïoli.” MyRecipes ,www.myrecipes.com/recipe/citrus-roasted-turkey.
“Citrus-Sweet Potato Pie.” Diabetic Living Online ,
www.diabeticlivingonline.com/recipe/pies/citrus-sweet-potato-pie.
Network, Food. “Citrus-Cranberry Sauce.” Food Network , Food Network, 14 Nov. 2013,
www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/citrus-cranberry-sauce-recipe-1909012.
Written By: Emma Morton
Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
