1. Roasted Turkey
No main course causes more sweat and grief than the Thanksgiving turkey, so for a crispier exterior and a juicier brine, put your trust in a convection oven! Roasted meats thrive when heated in a convection oven, as the drier environment cooks them more thoroughly and brings out the spicy and herbal flavors of marinated skins.
To roast a classic rendition of this holiday staple, we suggest rubbing rosemary and thyme onto an oiled 8–12-pound turkey. Long after presetting the oven to 350 degrees on the convection setting, place your bird on the lowest rack, and let it roast until the internal temperature of the turkey thigh reaches 180 degrees.
2. Cinnamon Toast Rolls
Lean into the spirit of fall by doling out some cinnamon-toasted rolls for dinner. To whip up this 4-ingredient offering, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and dunk some yeast rolls in the mixture to thoroughly coat them. Slather some more of the cinnamon-infused butter on some sheet pans, and pop the glistening buns into the oven.
The convection setting will rapidly dissipate moisture, efficiently dehydrating the rolls and toasting them to satisfaction. After just a few minutes, you’ll have sweetly crusted bread that will be hard to resist until dinnertime.
3. Cherry Pie
Feel like you’re rolling in the dough by preparing a pie that is equal parts sweet and tart. Ideal for generating steam quickly, a convection oven helps create more lift in pie doughs—and thereby allaying fear of sunken pie crusts.
Concoct the syrupy cherry filling on your stovetop using fresh cherries, vanilla extract, salt, sugar and cornstarch. Preheat your convection oven to 350 degrees, and unroll a store-bought pie crust to press into a pan. Brush the inside of the pie crust with egg wash and then pour your cooled cherry filling into the crust. After crafting a lattice top with a second roll of pie dough, bake the pie until the cherry filling bubbles up and the edges are brown. Once cooled, cherry-sh your dessert!
4. Butter Pecan Cookies
If you tend to double down when it comes to baking, then a double oven range is a must-have kitchen appliance! With many models now equipped with convection heat technology, a double oven range will have you baking trays upon trays of cookies fast—just in time for the holidays.
Sweeten your life with butter pecan cookies, preheating your convection oven to 350 degrees and whisking together some flour, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Separately, mix some melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and finely chopped pecans to then combine with the dry ingredients. After the dough is chilled for 4 hours, press a whole pecan on the top of each cookie, and bake your batch for about 10 minutes.
5. Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole
Instead of succumbing to turkey hoagie lunches the week after Thanksgiving, why not repurpose your leftovers for something more satisfying? Put your convection oven to work again, and rustle up a mouthwatering casserole. As a bonus, since moisture loss is not an issue with foil-covered casseroles, the convection oven will churn out this meal in no time!
As your oven is preheating at 375 degrees, evenly spread your leftover turkey on the bottom of a baking dish, with some cranberry sauce mixed in. Then, press some mashed potatoes and corn on top, and mix together milk and gravy to pour evenly over the top of the corn-speckled potatoes. Coat the top of your casserole with leftover stuffing, and drizzle some chicken broth over the top. After covering the casserole dish with tin foil, bake!
Holiday cooking doesn’t have to be a hassle. Swing by Spencer’s today, and we’ll help you find the perfect kitchen appliances to help make your dinner preparations a breeze!