What's your standard menu? Any new ideas to share?
Ours:
Turkey (roasted without stuffing)
Stuffing baked seperately (secret family recipe!)
Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Giblet Gravy
Crescent Rolls
Olive & Crudite tray
Homemade Cranberry-orange-ginger sauce
The canned jelly sauce for those who can't do without it
Sweet Potato Pie
My recipe for
Sugar-free Homemade Cranberry Orange Ginger Sauce
Mix splenda, cranberries, water, and ginger; simmer over medium heat until cranberries pop. Add the grated rind of one orange. Continue to simmer over low heat until sauce consistency.
I am making my first Thanksgiving dinner this year. I always make Xmas but this is totally different. I don't know for how many yet. It could be 3 or up to 7 people for dinner. Not much, I know but Turkies scare me!! LOL Looking for some yummy and fool-proof ideas.
Deb
R & D 10/17/92~Engaged 10/24/02~Married 5/8/04~Charlotte Emilia 8/31/07
LadyD088--that link that I posted above, from Good Eats with Alton Brown, has a definite fool-proof turkey recipe--I always trust Good Eats. However, it might be a little complicated for your first try. You should try calling the Butterball Turkey Hotline--they're open (I believe) 24 hours for all of November.
I'm sure they'd have simple, fool-proof directions for beginners--those ladies won't steer you wrong!
Take giblets and neck out of turkey and remove paper. Put them in a pan with water to cover and simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove giblets and put in a bowl to cool. Continue to simmer neck, adding more water as necessary. You want at least 4 cups of broth, I usually try for 6 or 8. You need a cup or two of broth for the stuffing too.
after another hour, remove neck and set aside to cool. When cool, peel meat off of neck and dice with giblets.
When you take the turkey out of the oven and remove it to the platter, drain the drippings into a measuring cup, and use a spoon or spatula to get the brown crusty goodness out of the pan. whisk about 1/2 cup of drippings and cracklings with (this is the cheating secret) 1 packet of dry turkey gravy mix for every 2 cups of broth you have. When well combined, whisk this paste into the hot broth and add the giblets and about 1/2 cup heavy cream. Simmer over low heat until thickened and the floury taste is cooked out.
Stuffing:
4 stalks celery and 1 medium onion, diced
1 stick of butter
1 loaf of whole wheat bread, toasted
1 pan of cornbread (make from jiffy mix the day before)
1-2 cups of giblet broth
1-2 tsp of poultry seasoning
2 eggs
1 tsp of salt
Tear toasted bread into small pieces and put into a huge mixing bowl. Crumble cornbread and add. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a skillet and add onions & celery when melted. Sautee until softened and transparent but not browned! Pour this into the bread crumbs.
Mix well with a big wooden spoon. Sprinkle over this the salt and poultry seasoning and toss until well combined. Beat the eggs and pour over, and add enough broth to make very moist but not mushy. Press into a pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until browned on top and hot throughout. (we do not stuff our turkey)
I'm not making the main meal, but we're going to MIL/FIL's for dinner, and I'm not known to be the best cook. Does anyone have any easy but impressive recipes for a side dish or dessert that I could make that morning and bring? Thanks!
Ooh I made a really, really yummy mashed white & sweet potato baked thing last year... I"ll find the recipe and post. It was really easy and everyone FREAKED OUT over it.
We host Thanksgiving dinner for our family and I prefer to make new things every year. I also have a big work pot luck Thanksgiving dinner this year, too. I would love to see your recipes- tried and true or something new you may want to try. Thanks!!
Rice Salad
2 boxes of Uncle Ben Rice Wild Rice long Grain- Original
(prepare as directed by the box)- let it cool
_________
Cut up in small cubes:
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 cup scallions
1/2 parsley
_______
1 cup of dried cranberries
2/3 cup of olive oil (may want to add liquid to taste at times it gets too
oily- your call)
1/3 cup of raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
______
You may add 1 cup of toasted pecans
Mix all ingredients - keep cool for 2 hours before serving- great to make
the day before.
Nancy & David 10/12/02 Connor Ryan born 7/15/05 Avery Elaine born 4/2/07
3/4 Cup milk
1/8 tsp pepper
10 3/4 oz can cambells cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cut green beans, drained -OR- 2 (9oz) pkgs frozen cut green beans, thawed.
1 1/3 cups french's original fried onions
In 1 1/2 Qt casserole, mix all ingredients except 2/3 cup french onions.
Bake 30 min at 350F or until hot; stir.
Top with 2/3 cup onions Bake 5 min or until onions are golden serves 6
Washington State Apple Pie
I have made this apple pie quite a lot this fall. I've even sent DH to work with a couple of them and made one for his friend's family who couldnt get enough of it! This pie is Super easy to make.. it's the first pie I ever made and it turned out perfectly!
6 Cups sliced peeled tart apples (5 to 6 medium)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt (I always use half of what is called for)
Pastry for double-crust pie (9-in)
In a saucepan, combine apples, water and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat just until apples are tender. Remove from the heat and cool (do not drain). In a large bowl, combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; add apples and toss to coat.
Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge. Add fillinf. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350; bake 35-45 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield 6 - 8 servings
Thanksgiving menus/recipes/ideas
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Does anyone have any easy but impressive recipes for a side dish or dessert that I could make that morning and bring? Thanks!
