Thanksgiving is the time to gather around the table, share a meal and give thanks for the people we love. But anyone who has ever hosted knows that preparing the feast can keep you tucked away in the kitchen, checking the turkey temperature and finishing the sides and desserts instead of spending time with your loved ones.
“Customers have shared that they are so relieved not to be tied down in the kitchen and instead spending their time visiting family,” says Chef Jackie Djordjevic, owner and head chef of Heirloom Chef.
Each Thanksgiving, Jackie and her team prepare complete family meals from scratch, using real, wholesome ingredients. The menu includes carved turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes and a choice of seasonal sides such as sage and brown butter Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole, green beans with lemon and shallots and maple-roasted baby carrots. Gluten-free and dairy-free options allow families with different dietary needs to enjoy the familiar dishes that make Thanksgiving special.
“My approach to cooking is to keep it simple, letting the ingredients speak for themselves,” she says. “I want to use real foods and recognizable recipes that bring comfort and nourish the body at the same time.”
Keeping traditional favorites familiar while adapting them for different dietary needs is central to Jackie’s approach.
“I love making the stuffing! We have gluten-free and sourdough options. Stuffing is my favorite part of the meal, and I think it just brings together the whole picture,” Jackie explains. “We love to keep the traditional foods people love, but it’s quite simple to make them the ‘Heirloom Chef way,’ gluten-free and dairy-free.”
Jackie’s focus on nourishing food grew out of her own experience. After stepping away from cooking while battling an autoimmune condition that made the long hours on her feet difficult, she began looking more closely at the connection between food and her health. That experience ultimately inspired her to create Heirloom Chef, a name inspired by family recipes and heirloom seeds.
“It’s like heirloom seeds that you plant in your garden, saved each season and planted again and again, always growing something new but borrowed from something old,” she says.
Thanksgiving preorders open Nov. 5, with meals delivered the day before Thanksgiving. Throughout the year, Heirloom Chef offers weekly meal prep, including family-style and individual meals that can be customized for specific dietary needs.
Whether it’s a holiday feast or a busy weeknight dinner, Jackie hopes to make eating well a little easier and give families more time to spend together. For additional information or to place an order, visit HeirloomChefCincy.com.
Vanilla & Maple Baked Pears with Oat-Pecan Crumble
For a fresh finish to the feast, Jackie shared her baked pears recipe. “It still feels like a decadent dessert with warm fall spices, but it’s lighter when you’re already full from dinner,” she shares. Bonus: Leftovers make a great breakfast the next morning!
Recipe By: Chef Jackie Djordjevic
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the pears
2 D’Anjou or Red Bartlett pears, halved with cores scooped out
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
For the crumble
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place the pears cut-side up in a small baking dish.
- Mix the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
- Pour the mixture over the pears and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, combine the rolled oats, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Once the pears are tender, top them evenly with the crumble mixture.
- Return the pears to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve warm. If desired, top with Greek yogurt or whipped cream.