A few weeks ago the Ukrop’s team went to visit Bevans Oysters, the family-owned business that supplies the local oysters we sell in our stores. In 1966, Ronnie and Shirley Bevans started Bevans Oysters with a small building and six shuckers. Today the Bevans plant is the largest distributer of oysters on the east coast. “What’s unique about us is that Ronnie is so hands on,” says Ronnie’s daughter, Margaret Ransone, “Everything is hand-picked and hand-graded. When a truck pulls in, Ronnie Bevans goes out, shucks an oyster and personally checks it…He would never send anything out of here that he, himself, wouldn’t eat.”

Oysters arrive at Bevans fresh from the surrounding rivers. They are shucked, packed and shipped out within 24 hours to ensure absolute freshness. In a typical season, shuckers arrive at the company in Kinsale, Va., around 3 a.m. to start shucking and during busy months, they arrive at 1 a.m. or even midnight. Once they are shucked, the oysters are cleaned and packed by size. Starting early in the morning allows oysters to be shipped first thing in the morning, often meaning that the oysters arrive at Ukrop’s less than 24 hours after they were caught.

After being around oysters for so many years, the Bevans family has also had plenty of experience cooking them. Every Thanksgiving they indulge in freshly made oyster stuffing, and they’ve shared their family recipe with us. Why not try it in your home this year?

Bevans Family Oyster Stuffing

1 pint Bevans Shucked Oysters
¾ cup minced onion
1 ½ cups chopped celery
2 Tbsps. butter, melted
9 cups soft bread cubes
¾ cup butter
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. crushed sage leaves
½ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook onion and celery in 2 Tbsps. butter until onions are tender. Stir in about 1/3 of the bread cubes. Empty into a deep bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Bake the turkey or in a separate, covered casserole dish for 25 to 40 minutes or until heated through with a crust on top.

Small, seedless Satsuma mandarins are easy to peel and distinctly delicious. Satsumas are similar to clementines in appearance, but they are juicier and much easier to peel. Enjoy them as a snack or use them in salads or seafood recipes. These delicious fruits have a limited growing season and will only be in stores for about two weeks. Stop in and get them while you can!

Okay, the pressure is on. There’s just a bit more than a week until Thanksgiving. Here are some tips on what to tackle now.

-     Finalize recipes and make a grocery list. If write your list by hand, organize it by department so you’ll be less likely to miss anything. Bring a pen with you to the store and cross off items as you add them to your cart. You can also use the “My Ukrop’s” portion of our web site to make a grocery list and print it.

-     Get in touch with any guests you don’t know well and ask about special dietary restrictions. You don’t want to add bacon to your green beans and mashed potatoes only to find out your brother’s new girlfriend doesn’t eat meat. If you need a tasty vegetarian entrée, make our stuffed acorn squash recipe, replacing the sausage with tofu crumbles and the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

-     As you’re creating your list, think about garnishes and other special items you can pick up to make your table grand. Maybe a centerpiece from Ukrop’s Floral Department? Or something as simple as a bowl of fresh Fall fruits and vegetables to set the harvest theme? Also remember to pick up lemons, mint leaves, berries or any other items you want to add to your dishes and drinks to make them look elegant.

-     Don’t forget appetizers. Even if you’re planning a heavy meal, you’ll want to have some snacks for people to munch on as you’re putting the final touches on the meal. Pick up some of our new Spinach Artichoke with Pepper Jack Cheese Dip and a veggie tray. Or, make it even easier by putting your favorite variety of Joe’s Market nuts into a festive bowl.

-     Upgrade your after-dinner coffee. Thanksgiving is the time to treat yourself and your guests to a rich, hot beverage. While you’re at the store, pick up some of our Joe’s Market Holiday Blend Coffee (available in select stores) and impress your guests with this special full-bodied blend is spicy with hints of cocoa. Make it even more indulgent by serving ground cinnamon, cloves, cocoa or even mini chocolate chips along with it so guests can enhance the holiday flavor.

-    Minimize the clean up with foil pans. Does the idea of scrubbing dried turkey juice off a roasting pan after the guests depart leave you feeling less than excited? Make your dishes in affordable, disposable handi-foil pans, and then move them to your bowls before serving. You’ve just cut your dishwashing in half.

-    Feeling a little overwhelmed? You’ve still got a few more days to let Ukrop’s do it all by ordering a Ukrop’s Complete Holiday Meal. We’ll gather a turkey or ham and all the sides and have it ready when you come into the store. You can even reserve a pumpkin pie and we’ll have it ready too! Click here to reserve your holiday meal.

-    You can also let Ukrop’s share the work. Reserve the sides, appetizers and desserts you don’t feel like making and then pick them up when you stop in to get the ingredients for your favorite recipes. It’ll make the holiday less stressful because you can focus on the items you enjoy making. Click here to reserve your favorites from our kitchen. Don’t forget our Chef’s Specials case (available only in select stores) will also be packed with delightful holiday dishes.

-    What are your a-week-before tips? Please share them in the “comments” section!

Use leftover Thanksgiving turkey in new way with this indulgent sandwich. Add the ingredients to your Thanksgiving shopping list so you’ll already have everything you need on hand!

Not Your Traditional Turkey Sandwich
Yield: 6 sandwiches | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes

12 slices center-cut bacon
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter
2 Tbsps. flour
2½ cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices Ukrop’s Old Fashioned White Bread
12-16 slices leftover turkey
1 large tomato

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lay out bacon. Bake in oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. While bacon is cooking, heat butter over medium-high heat in a medium sauté pan. When the butter sizzles, add flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add the milk. Once combined, let cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cheese. Once cheese is melted, add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Set aside. Toast slices of bread and layer with turkey and tomato. Pour cheese sauce over the sandwich (adding extra cheddar if desired) and top with 2 slices of bacon.

Serve this as a side dish at Thanksgiving dinner or as a hearty weeknight meal. If you've got vegetarians coming to dinner, replace the turkey sausage with tofu crumbles or mushrooms and use vegetable stock in place of chicken and serve this dish as a hearty vegetarian entree.

Flavor-Packed Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1.5 hours

4 small acorn squashes
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter
½ package mild Italian turkey sausage
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped or julienned carrot
½ cup chicken stock
1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
1 6-ounce package fresh spinach, chopped
1 ½ tsps. dried oregano
1 tart apple, chopped into bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste  
½ cup toasted walnuts
½ cup feta cheese
¼ cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1 inch off the top of each acorn squash and scoop out seeds. Cut off a small piece of the bottom to allow squash to sit upright. Divide butter into 4 pieces and put 1 piece inside each squash. Set aside.

Place a large sauté pan in the oven over medium heat. Remove casing from turkey sausage and place in pan. Cook, breaking into small pieces, until it’s no longer pink. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Add olive oil, onion and celery to pan, and cook for about 8 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add chicken broth to pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. 

Add rice, spinach, oregano, sausage and salt and pepper to taste to pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until warm.  Remove from heat and stir in walnuts, feta and dried cranberries. Fill each squash with stuffing, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, replace lid and bake for 1 hour or until squash can be easily pricked with a fork.