We don’t need to tell you that drinking bourbon and the holiday season go hand-in-hand. However, you might not realize that bourbon doesn’t have to be limited to your glass during this special time of year. Plenty of delicious recipes put bourbon on your plate, too.
In fact, you can cook up an entire holiday meal featuring bourbon. From appetizers and entrees to even desserts, your holiday feast can center around this festive libation. Since many of the flavors in bourbon complement the flavors in classic holiday dishes, crafting a menu based on bourbon makes sense. For example, David Nicholson 1843 has notes of honey, butter, vanilla, and oak. While David Nicholson Reserve features notes of vanilla, smokiness, spice, and caramel.
We’ve put together a recipe guide to help you make your next meal boozy and delicious. Don’t forget to save yourself a dram of your favorite David Nicholson Bourbon to sip on while you cook. As the chef, you deserve it!
Bourbon BBQ Merry Meatballs
These meatballs are the ideal appetizer to get any holiday meal off to a delicious start. The sauce is perfectly balanced, and the addition of David Nicholson Reserve adds nuance and depth of flavor.
Ingredients
The Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup David Nicholson Reserve
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Pinch kosher salt
Meatballs
1 lb. ground meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork, and veal)
1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and use your hands to mix. Once the ingredients are incorporated, roll them into 2-inch balls and place them on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Once cooked through, remove from the oven and set aside. While the meatballs are cooking, you can prepare the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients to a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Whisk together until smooth, then allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Once it’s begun to cook down, add the meatballs, cover, and allow to simmer for five minutes. Flip the meatballs and simmer for another few minutes until ready to serve, ensuring the sauce doesn’t cook down too much.
David’s Good Tidings Turkey
Turkey is the star of any traditional holiday meal, so why not kick it up a notch with bourbon? The hint of sweetness from the bourbon complements the richness of the bird, and the addition of orange zest adds fresh citrus notes.
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 (12- to 15-pound) whole turkey, thawed if frozen, neck and giblets removed
2 cups low-sodium turkey broth
1/4 cup David Nicholson 1843
Instructions
Position one oven rack in the lower third of the oven and remove any additional racks. Then, preheat to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, orange zest, one teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mashing together with a spoon or spatula until incorporated.
Place the turkey breast side up on a rimmed baking sheet and gently loosen the skin on the breasts and legs, taking care not to tear it. Rub half of the butter mixture under the loosened skin and distribute evenly, then season the outside of the turkey generously with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on a roasting rack breast-side up, tie the legs together with kitchen twine, then pour all the broth into the pan.
Place the turkey in the oven and lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. As the turkey roasts, make the glaze by melting the remaining half of the butter mixture over medium heat in a small saucepan and adding the David Nicholson 1843. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for 10 minutes.
After the turkey has been in the oven for 1 ½ hour, begin brushing the turkey with the glaze every 20 minutes. After two hours, check the temperature and remove the turkey when a thermometer reads 165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone). You should account for about 13 minutes of roasting time per pound.
Once the turkey is cooked, remove it from the oven and place it on the stovetop. Lift the neck up with a wadded paper towel to allow the juices to flow out of the cavity and into the roasting pan. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, then serve with your favorite gravy.
Bourbon Candied Yuletide Yams
Sweet potatoes are even sweeter when you add a splash of David Nicholson. This dish is decadent, easy to make, and all about comfort. Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg bring out the spicy notes in the bourbon to help make these yams shine.
Ingredients
3 lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and diced into about 1 – 1 1/2″ pieces
5 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar packed
1/4 cup apple cider
2 – 3 tablespoons David Nicholson 1843
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add the diced sweet potatoes to the prepared dish and set aside. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, apple cider, David Nicholson 1843, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and stir until mixed. Add this mixture to the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Bake, uncovered for 40-45 minutes, stirring the potatoes every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven once the potatoes are tender and caramelized, then serve.
St. Louis Apple Pie with David Nicholson Bourbon Caramel Sauce
No holiday meal is complete without dessert! We highly recommend serving this pie with a pour of David Nicholson Reserve for a pairing everyone will love.
Ingredients
The Crust
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
¼ cup cold David Nicholson Reserve
¼ ice water
1 egg for the wash
The Filling
5-6 green apples peeled and cored
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
David Nicholson caramel sauce (see below)
David Nicholson Bourbon Caramel Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons David Nicholson Reserve
Instructions
To make the crust, add the flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Then add the butter and pulse until the mix has formed pea-sized balls. Add the David Nicholson Reserve and water and mix just until the mixture comes together. Pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead it into a disk. Divide the disk in two, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
While the dough is chilling, begin making the sauce by bringing the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, then simmer for 10 minutes, gently swirling the pan every few minutes. Once the mixture has turned to an amber color, remove from heat and stir in the cream and David Nicholson Reserve. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, and cornstarch.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Assemble the pie by rolling one of the pie crust disks out until it’s about 12 inches in diameter. Place it in the bottom of a pie pan and trim the edges if needed. Then add the apple filling and pour the sauce on top.
Roll the other pie crust out and cover the pie. Pinch the top and bottom crusts together and add a few vents by cutting through the top of the crust. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-60 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for four hours before serving.
Cheers and Happy Holidays to you and your family!
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