Try Our Favorite Recipes at Your Johns Creek Thanksgiving Feast

Did you know before he became a top producing Realtor, Eric Robb was a professional chef? He even studied at the Culinary Institute of America. Growing up in New York around big family gatherings, Eric learned how to cook from his self-taught chef grandfather who worked in the restaurant industry for over 10 years. His grandmother was also a baker who could cook some of the best desserts you could ever imagine. Eric worked in a popular South Florida restaurant chain for years, opening three of their restaurants, before making his way to Johns Creek.

Fast forward to the present day, Eric has transferred the hard work, determination, grit and discipline he learned in the kitchen over to Real Estate. With Thanksgiving around the corner next week, we thought it would be fun to share a couple of our favorite recipes as well as a local insider tip that will save you time baking dessert. Let us know which ones you try at your Johns Creek or Alpharetta Thanksgiving Feast.

Appetizer from Laura Cason, Eric Robb's Assistant: Bacon Wrapped Dates

If you’re looking for an easy way to wow your guests before the main course, these three-ingredient bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese are the way to go. 

Ingredients:

• Two Packs Thin Cut Bacon

• 32 Medjool Dates - Pits Removed

• 8 Oz Goat Cheese

• Toothpicks for Serving


Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Slice dates lengthwise. 

• Stuff goat cheese into the cavity of the date and close the sides. 

• Cut bacon slices in thirds. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. 

• Arrange evenly on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

• Remove dates and use toothpicks to flip the dates. Reinsert the dates and Cook for another 15 minutes. 

• Remove the dates from the oven and let cool on a paper-towel lined plate for 5 minutes.

• Serve immediately.


Main Course Dish from Eric Robb: Sausage Stuffing

Straight from the chef's kitchen, this homemade sausage stuffing recipe has been used for years at the Robb family Thanksgiving feast.

Ingredients:

• 2 bags of plain bread cubes with no spices

• 1 roll Jimmy Dean’s Pork Sausage

• 2 Onions chopped Fine

• 7 Stalks Celery including Celery Leaves chopped Fine

• 1 large Container of Chicken Stock

• Sage, Parsley, Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: 

• Fry Pork Sausage until cooked and crumbly. Drain grease.

• Add Onion and Celery and Saute until semi-soft.

• Mix Bread Cubes, Chicken Stock and Spices in a bowl.

• Add Onion and Celery Mixture and Sausage to Bread Cubes and to Bread Crumb mixture.

• Add entire mixture to Cavity of Turkey and bake until Turkey is complete.


Dessert: Shop Local at Crave Pie Studio in Duluth

If you are local to Johns Creek, Alpharetta or Duluth, trust us when we say that you can find a store bought pie that tastes homemade (or better!) that will save you hours of baking. Crave Pie Studio in downtown Duluth offers homemade pies made fresh daily including traditional pies that feed 8-10 as well as mini-individual pies. Thanksgiving brings the perfect opportunity for you to shop local and impress your out of town guests. Our personal favorite is their Bourbon Chocolate Pecan pie, but we haven’t tried a pie we didn’t like.