Do You have the Seasonings this Season?

Well, it's officially Holiday season again. Roasted turkey and ham, mashed potatoes with a well of gravy, stuffing, toasted rolls with butter, candied sweet potatoes, and pecan pie. Oh, and family.

In every family, there is someone who is a Thanksgiving dinner legend. The holidays conjure up memories of Grandma slicing up a pumpkin pie, or Uncle George carving up a honey glazed ham, or Auntie Carol's unbeatable cranberry sauce... If you want to step into those shoes this year, we'd better brush up on your seasoning game. McCormick has been my go-to for years, so here's all the best additions to make your classic feast dishes stand out this year.

Hot Cider or Apple Pie: Cinnamon, cloves, star anise, allspice, nutmeg, and even a tiny tiny bit of peppercorns. A little old bay caramel seasoning and pure vanilla extract adds a particularly homey taste that sets you a notch above store-bought.

Ham: The goal here is a consistency that creates a crust, with some flavors that bring out the natural sweet notes of ham and some that balance it to complement the savory. You can start with brown sugar and just a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Then counteract with onion powder, mustard powder, and good ol' black pepper. If you like a little kick, substitute in cayenne! Adding brandy to taste can help you nail the consistency, plus it deepens the flavor's penetration into the ham and steams off easily to create a crust. If measuring by soul isn't your thing, definitely pick up some McCormick Brown Sugar Bourbon Marinade and matching dry rub. If your ham is whole, mix the two to create a glaze consistency that won't slide off onto the pan. However, I recommend slicing the ham beforehand, and adding rub and marinade between the slices to cover more surface area with flavor.

Turkey: Poultry is incredibly easy to dry out, especially in the oven. I recommend carving the turkey beforehand, leaving it in marinade overnight, tossing it in a spice coating and half of the marinade, and THEN baking it. Luckily McCormick is making it easy for Holiday chefs from far and wide...they make a scrumptious Smoky Applewood Marinade, and a matching bottle of dry spice.

Mashed Potatoes: By nature, mashed potatoes are creamy with an earthy flavor palette. The most impressive mashed potatoes stay true to that. Melt in butter and brie cheese to add to the creaminess, then play into the earthy theme with smoky paprika, salt, and onion powder. If it looks a little beige sitting on the table, add a sprinkle of chopped chives and bacon bits to the top.

Stuffing: There's really no excuse for stuffing tasting like packing peanuts; the absorbency potential of the bread cubes allows you to add a lot of flavor. Luckily, people figured out that bread tastes great with oil and herbs centuries ago. Butter makes a great base to your seasoning, because it allows the flavor inside the bread, instead of clinging to the outside. For the herbs: add sage, thyme, rosemary, a little basil (just a little), and dill. To diffuse the herbal flavor through the butter, simmer the mixture on low heat for a few minutes before you add it to the bread cubes.

Gingerbread: Gingerbread flavoring is like a cousin to the apple cider and pie flavoring. It should carry a little more power though.. almost to the point of being spicy, but not quite. Fear not, McCormick has a perfectly proportioned, pre-concocted bottle of Gingerbread Spice waiting for you.

Seriously, save yourself some time.

McCormick is an expert in spices...they've been in the game for 133 years and counting. So for all the home chefs stumped on the seasonings this season, McCormick's got your back.