Taste Buds: Free-range turkeys and Thanksgiving sides

Stephanie Hansen checks out life on the farm at Ferndale Market, where they raise free-range turkeys in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Stephanie Hansen checks out life on the farm at Ferndale Market, where they raise free-range turkeys in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

Siblings John and Katie Peterson, the third generation on the family farm, take the Taste Buds crew through their market and out to visit a flock of turkeys, where Stephanie tries to make a few new friends.

Ferndale Market offers fresh turkeys for pickup ahead of Thanksgiving, and they ship frozen turkeys nationwide. Learn more about their products and farming practices at ferndalemarket.com.

Back at home, Stephanie and her daughter Ellie make their favorite Thanksgiving sides: cranberry caramelized onion butter, roasted carrots with honey brickle, and baked mac and cheese.

Cranberry Caramelized Onion Butter

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large (2 cups) onions, coarsely chopped or sliced thin with a mandolin
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup softened butter (for best results use high-quality salted), Plus 1 Tbsp for cooking
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Pinch cinnamon

Instructions:

Melt 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until sizzling; add onion, salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until the onions start to take on color and become fragrant.
Add the cranberries.
Stir the mixture for another 10 minutes until the onions are golden brown and caramelized.
Place mixture into a medium bowl and cool for 15 minutes.
Add 1 cup softened butter, a pinch cinnamon to taste, and mix well. Add salt to taste.
Wrap in parchment paper to store in fridge or serve immediately.

Roasted Carrots with Honey Brickle

Ingredients

For the carrots:

14 carrots washed and cut in half lengthwise, then cut into approximately 2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 oz half of a small goat cheese log, crumbled or left on the side

For the honey brickle:

2 oz sliced baking almonds
2 Tbsp honey
Pinch salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and add olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Arrange them in a single layer with space in between so they have room to roast. If they're too crowded, split them into two pans.
Place the carrots in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until softened with some brown roasted spots.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet on the stovetop until they turn lightly brown, nutty, and fragrant. Add 2 Tbsp honey to the nuts, and they will bubble. Stir to coat the nuts with honey. Spread them out on parchment paper, hit them with a pinch of salt, and let them set. When complete, they will be pliable, sticky honey clusters.
Place the roasted carrots on a serving platter, top with the crumbled goat cheese (or leave on the side) and the honey almond brickle, and decorate with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Baked Mac and Cheese

8 oz macaroni noodles
1 cup mozzarella
2 cups orange cheddar
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
12 oz can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk whole
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (omit if sensitive to spice)
1 teaspoon paprika for sprinkling on top

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook macaroni according to the package directions in salted water. Drain and drizzle very lightly with olive oil, mix so the pasta does not stick.
In a large high-walled saucepan on medium-low heat, melt the butter until frothy, then add the flour. Whisk the flour into the butter and continue to whisk over heat until the mixture is smooth and blonde, and the smell of raw flour is gone.
Slowly pour in the evaporated milk while whisking to prevent lumps from forming, then add in the buttermilk and whole milk. Cook the bechamel for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened and smooth.
Add mustard, nutmeg, pepper, and cayenne. Stir to incorporate.
Bring to a simmer and let it simmer gently for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the cheese (reserve some for later, approximately a cup), and continue stirring until the cheese has melted completely and the sauce is smooth.
Add the cooked pasta to the pot and stir to incorporate evenly.
Transfer half of the pasta mixture to a pan or a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish and top with half the remaining cheese, add the other half of the pasta mixture top with the rest of the cheese, and sprinkle paprika over the dish.
Bake at 375° F for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.