Stuffing is, without a doubt, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving. Here at Alexian, we like to put our own twist on things, and this seasonal classic is no different. Read on for some of our favorite pâté-inspired stuffing ideas to try in your own home this season:

Mouthwatering Mushroom-Leek

The warm, earthy flavors of mushroom paired with the mild bite of a leek is a classic combination in holiday cooking. Bring those flavors to life in a new way by incorporating our Wild Forest Mushroom Pâté into your classic recipe.

First, make a classic stuffing base. Sauté chopped onions, shiitake mushrooms and leeks until soft. Add the sautéed vegetables to your base mix and add a hearty amount of our Forest Mushroom Pâté. Serve the stuffing as you would normally.

Apple+Duck Delight

Our Duck Rillette has an abundance of flavor, in part to the special blend of spices we add during the slow-cooking process. First, create a cornbread stuffing base, with celery and onion. Next, peel, core and chop three apples. Then combine it all together and bake until golden brown.

Top the cooked stuffing with a layer of our Duck Rillette, and serve.

Turn it into an Appetizer

With hungry guests eagerly awaiting the dinner of the year, you’re sure to get the occasional wanderer in the kitchen hoping to score a sample. Don’t make your guests wait for the main course! Tease their appetites with a bit of stuffing.

Simply double your classic stuffing recipe (or set some aside if you’re making a lot already), then scoop the uncooked ingredients into a lined cupcake pan. Bake until golden brown.

To make each cup more filling, top with something savory, like our Truffle Mousse or our Black Peppercorn Mousse. Top with a dollop of cranberry sauce for an added bite of sweetness.

Decadent Pheasant Rosemary Stuffing

Thanksgiving is a day of indulgence, and what better way is there to spoil yourself than with a decadent gourmet stuffing?

Create a meal to remember by adding our Pheasant Rosemary Pâté – rich with pheasant, pork, and duck meats, rosemary and pecans – to your stuffing recipe!

Simply cut this coarse-cut pâté into small cubes and mix into your stuffing base, along with garlic, shallot, parsley, thyme and (optionally) mushrooms.

As it cooks, the flavors of pheasant and rosemary will blend into your stuffing, giving your whole meal a heavenly taste.

It’s football season and you know what that means: Beer. Rules. All.

While there’s only a handful of ways to drink a beer, there are limitless options for how you can throw a beer party to remember. Here’s a handy checklist that will cover the basics you’ll need. Cheers!

There are thousands of craft beers currently in circulation across the US.  Seasonal beers or IPAs are an excellent choice for Fall gatherings, especially if purchased from a local brewery.Pumpkin lagers or Oktoberfest beers are also a fun seasonal addition that will be sure to win over the party. 

It’s important to remember that beer parties aren’t just about… well, beer. 

Presentation is key. Toss out the red solo cups and opt for 16-ounce growlers or Hefeweizen glasses. If you want to channel Oktoberfest, you can’t go wrong with boot-shaped glasses (but maybe don’t fill them up all the way). 

While decorations aren’t too big of a deal when the beer is stealing the show, Fall decor of some sort is a favorable option for a beer party. From haybills and pumpkins (if it’s an outdoor party), to fall wreaths and gourds, Fall decor can truly amp up the spirit of your beer-estivities.

Food is important to all social gatherings (and plus, it’ll prevent most people from getting too rowdy from alcohol). While chips and pretzels are great for snacking, we suggest giving your party goers something a little more savory and substantial with our vast selection of pâté. While no one pâté is a better beer companion than the other, our coarse cut pâté, like our Grand Marnier and Pheasant and Rosemary Pâté, are our favorites!

Lastly, when it comes to your beer party, fun is what people are going to take away from it. 

Drinking games are a dime a dozen on the internet (or with the right deck of cards) and are easy for anybody to pick up and learn. Outdoor games, like cornhole, are also an easy to play (but never easy to win) October staple. Additionally, music set to the right playlist or station offers the perfect ambience. 

Ultimately, know your audience (if not your beer), offer up the best of snacks (wink wink pâté), and give a toast to make this year’s Autumnal beer drinking season one to remember.

The most beautiful season of the year has arrived, and while we’ll all fondly miss the fresh bites and tasty pairings that Summer brings, Autumn has plenty of treats for us.

Enter pâté.

Below, we highlight a few of our favorite Fall foods that go with pâté!

Candy Apples: The ultimate combination of healthy and, well, not so healthy. While an apple swirled with caramel glaze is classic, up your candy apple game with fresh ingredients. After dipping your apple in caramel, try dipping it into a bowl of sugar sprinkled pecans or walnuts for extra crunch on top of your crunch. If you prefer an apple without the candy component,, pair it with pâté and cheeses for a filling snack.

Pumpkin Seeds: Roasted with everything— from salt to cinnamon sugar, to jalapeno cheddar—

 you can spruce up a charcuterie board with more than just crunchy crackers. If homemade, you also get a pumpkin to keep (and carve!). There’s no better way to celebrate Fall than with a beautiful charcuterie board with pâté and seasonal accompaniments. 

Apple Cider: Beer and pâté are a match made in paradise, so why not apple cider? (Bonus points if your batch includes alcohol.) The sweet and acidic flavor of cider meshes well with the savory taste of most  pâtés, especially our Duck Liver Mousse.

When it comes to the perfect Fall pâté, we honestly can’t choose (sorry!). When given the right combination, all styles of pâté can be an ever enjoyable Autumn snack.

Cucumber bites: the perfect healthy snack with plenty of crunch.

As savory as they are fulfilling, there are tons of different recipes for cucumber bites (because like pâté, they can pretty much go with everything). These bites of deliciousness are portable for picnics, easily shareable for group gatherings, and the coolness of the cucumber is particularly refreshing in warm weather.

The best part about cucumber bites? They’re incredibly easy to make! Check out our five favorite recipes below.

Shrimp Cucumber Bites

Ingredients:

• 3 cucumbers
• 1 pound of cooked, peeled shrimp 
• Cajun seasoning, to taste
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste
• Guacamole (any brand)
• 2 tbsp of Cilantro, finely choppedInstructions:
• Cut and peel cucumbers before slicing them into tokens.
• Roughly chop shrimp
• Combine lime juice, honey, garlic, and olive oil, n a bowl. Add shrimp and sprinkle in both cajun seasoning and sea salt.  Mix and let marinate. Pro tip: the longer you marinate, the more flavorful the shrimp.
• Slather guacamole on cucumbers, add shrimp mixture, and garnish with cilantro.

Classic Dilly Cucumber Bites

Ingredients:

• 3 Cucumbers
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced
• Container of Greek yogurt
• An 8-ounce block of cream cheese
• 1 small container of ranch dressing
• 3 tbsp of fresh dill
  

Instructions:

• Cut and peel cucumbers before slicing them into tokens. 
• Combine yogurt, cream cheese, and dill in a bowl. Add ranch dressing for flavoring. 
• Slather mixture on cucumbers and garnish with grape tomatoes. Yum!

Prosciutto Cheese Cucumber Bites with Prosciutto

Ingredients:

• 3 Cucumbers
• 1 slice of Alexian Eggplant and Goat Cheese Pâté 
• 3 ounces of thinly sliced prosciutto

Instructions:

• Cut and peel cucumbers before slicing into tokens
• Slather eggplant and Goat Cheese Pâté onto each token
• Garnish with prosciutto

Cucumber Bites

Ingredients:

• 3 Cucumbers
• 1 slice of Alexian Chicken and Veal Pâté, thinly sliced
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh arsley leaves

Instructions:

• Cut and peel cucumbers before slicing into tokens. Place thin slices of Chicken and Veal Pâté onto cucumber tokens.
• Use toothpicks to stack cucumber, pâté, a slice of grape tomato, and parsley together.

Tomato Basil Cucumber Bites

Ingredients:

• 3 Cucumbers
• 1 slice of Alexian Tomato Basil Pâté
• That’s all! (Yes, seriously.)

Instructions:

• Cut and peel cucumbers before slicing into tokens. 
• Spread Tomato Basil Pâté.
• That’s all you need for this simple yet savory snack!

With much of the country sheltering in place, your evenings may be starting to feel the same. We have just the thing to change them up while you’re streaming movies or playing board games with the family. 

Here, we have three fun and (mostly) healthy snack recipes with a focus on simplicity. These snacks are worth the effort, and whether alone or with family, you’ll pass these nights by with extra flavor.

1. Baked Banana Chips

Ingredients:

• Three large bananas (for a serving size that accommodates 2-3) 
• Cinnamon (can be swapped out with sea salt) 
• 3 tablespoons of orange juice (can be swapped with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice) 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 250?
• Chop bananas into little “tokens”. 
• Dip each token into the orange or lemon juice, and follow withthe cinnamon or sea salt. 
• Place on pan and bake at 250 for about 2 hours (cook until crispy, and make sure to flip them at least once).
• Enjoy!

2. Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:

• 6 large Jalapenos (Reminder: one jalapeno makes two stuffed jalapenos. Adjust according to desired amount)
• An 8 ounce package of cream cheese
• ¼ cup of shredded cheese
• Garlic powder, Cayenne Pepper, and/or Onion powder, depending on preference. Most seasonings can be used for extra flavor. Get creative!

Instructions:

• Cut Jalapenos length-wize and hollow them out of seeds and membrane. Then boil Jalapenos in hot water for about ten minutes. (Depending on how spicythey are, you can boil them for longer to make them mild. If you want them extra spicy, boil them for only three minutes).
• Mixall of the other ingredients in a large bowl.
• Fill the Jalapenos with cheese and then place on a large cooking sheet.
• Bake at 400? for 5-10 minutes depending on how many jalapenos have been used.
• Bonus: Cook bacon strips and wrap one around each cooked pepper!

Chef’s Tip: You can swap out the cheese with pâté for an even more delicious treat!

3. Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

• One loaf of French Baguette
• Butter
• Grated Cheese of any type (we prefer Parmesan, or cheddar)
• Garlic Powder
• (Optional): Parsley

Instructions:

• Half the baguette  and cut into an even number of slices.
• Smear butter on each slice, followed by the garlic powder (as well as the parsley flakes if using) and finally the cheese.
• Place on cooking pan and bake at 350? for 10 minutes or until golden brown. 

  While those three delicious snacks can each stand alone, why not get festive and make all three? Better yet, each one of these recipes is delicious with a spread of Alexian Pâté. It’s no secret that pâté is the ultimate combination food and the secret formula to make your ordinary night one to remember.