GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — WOOD TV8 Daybreak aired a special broadcast Thursday morning called “Holiday at Home.” Throughout the show, anchor Teresa Weakley cooked a turkey, her dad’s green bean casserole recipe and pumpkin cheesecake pops.

The recipes for each dish are below:

SPATCHCOCK TURKEY

This is a faster way to cook a turkey without drying out the white meat.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Dry off the turkey: As is true with all meat, the drier you can get the surface of the turkey skin, the crispier the skin will get as it cooks. Pat the turkey dry all over with paper towels, letting the juices from the bird briefly absorb into the paper towel.

Cut along one side of the backbone: Lay the turkey on your cutting board with the breast facedown and the backbone facing up. Locate the backbone, then cut along one side of it using kitchen shears or a very sharp boning knife, starting at the tail end. If you have a sharp boning knife, it is helpful to run the knife along the spine, puncturing the skin down to the bone before cutting through with the kitchen shears. You will be cutting through cartilage and bones. Don’t be afraid to put a little muscle into it. Remove the backbone and save it to help flavor your gravy.

Flatten the bird: Turn the turkey over on the cutting board so the cut side is on the board and the breast side is facing up. Using both of your hands, press down on the bird forcefully until you hear the crack of the wishbone and the turkey rests flat on the cutting board.

Season the turkey: Season the turkey all over with salt (about 1/4 cup should do the trick) and pepper. Or make the dry brine outlined in this recipe, which adds extra flavor. Feel free to substitute spices to change the flavor profile. Apply it to the turkey by loosening the skin from the breast and thighs and sliding it underneath.

Roast according to weight, about six minutes per pound. Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.

MR. WEAKLEY’S HOMEMADE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and halved
  • 12 ounces of mushrooms, trimmed and cut into half-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • Good quality French fried onions

Directions:

Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add beans and blanch for five minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Then drain again.

Melt the butter in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid (about five minutes).

Add the garlic and nutmeg and cook for another one to two minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stir to combine, and cook for one minute.

Add broth and simmer for one minute. Decrease heat to medium-low, add half-and-half and cook until mixture thickens between eight to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in 1/4 of the fried onions and all the green beans. Top with remaining onions.

6. Bake until bubbly, around 15 to 22 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE POPS

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (plus extra for rolling)
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 ounces white chocolate, melted (for dipping)

Directions:

Mix the cheesecake filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Add graham cracker crumbs: Stir in the graham cracker crumbs until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape. If it’s too soft, add more graham cracker crumbs as needed.

Shape the balls: Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out portions of the pumpkin cheesecake mixture and roll them into bite-sized balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Chill the balls: Refrigerate the balls for at least one to two hours or until firm.

Coat in white chocolate: Once the balls are chilled and firm, melt the white chocolate. Dip each cheesecake ball into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off. Place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Roll in graham crumbs: Before the chocolate sets, roll the balls in extra graham cracker crumbs for a delicious crunch and a pretty finish.

Chill and serve: Place the coated pumpkin cheesecake balls in the fridge for another 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set fully.