Thanksgiving Meal

[Melanie]

What are you serving this year? :turkey:

[Mickey'sGirl]

We ate ours on October 11! ;)

We had Turkey and a Spiral Ham, and brussel sprouts and turnip and mashed taters and stuffing and gravy and green beans and pickles and beets and red cabbage and for dessert, apple, pumpkin or pecan pie!

[Ed]

Spam and PopTarts. :ill:

Oh, wait... that's Carnival Cruise Line's menu. :D

We're doing a pretty traditional dinner - turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc.

But this year, we've got one more thing to be thankful for. Our oldest son and his wife are coming up from Naples, and bringing with them our future #9 grandchild, who will be about 4 months old next Thanksgiving.

After dinner, we'll be joining the rest of the family 'up north' via Skype.

:pilgram:

[Melanie]

We ate ours on October 11! ;)

Ah yes! Happy belated Thanksgiving to our northern pals. :)

Keep those menus coming folks. As you can probably tell, I'm trying to get ideas. ;)

[Disney4us2]

For us it is the usual Thanksgiving fare. I bring the greenbean casserole, the sugar free/no sugar added pie. This year I am also bringing DD's birthday cake:party: so we can celebrate an early birthday since we will be at WDW for her actual birthday:party::cloud9:

[princessgirls]

LOVE Thanksgiving!!!

Fred and I do the turkey and stuffing.
This year my brother's inlaws are hosting. They are lovely fun warm people.

May everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Julie:mickey:

[MNNHFLTX]

Every year I brine a turkey to prepare for dinner. Mashed potatoes/gravy and cranberry jello mold (Dave makes it, based on his mom's recipe) are also a constant on the menu. However, every year I find a new recipe for the stuffing and a pie or two. I'm thinking of making a sausage, apple and cranberry stuffing this year and maybe an apple butter pumpkin pie (with a pecan topping--yum!)

[Melanie]

I specifically need help with a dressing recipe. Not stuffing, dressing. I won't be stuffing anything into our turkey. :nono: It just doesn't appeal to me for some reason. That said, I'm pretty new to being the one preparing Thanksgiving dinner, and a good dressing recipe has alluded me. Help me out! :D

[Ms. Mode]

I brine my turkey too...it makes it so juicy. :thumbsup:

I think this year we will have pumpkin cake with a special "whipped" cream icing just to mix things up.

Menu: Turkey, dressing, (real) cranberry sauce, new potatoes (semi-mashed) w/ gravy, green beans and/or corn and rolls.

I'd help you out with the dressing recipe, but you might not like mine, it's more of a casserole. :mickey:

[Scar]

I specifically need help with a dressing recipe.How about oil & vinegar? :D

This thread is making me hungry.

[Disney4us2]

I don't stuff the turkey when cooking it. One time I made the dressing with the turkey. I just took fresh french and sourdough bread. Broke it up into bite size portions. Seasoned it with herbs, a little Hawaiin salt... can use the course salt as well. I then put it around the outside of the turkey. It soaked up all of the drippings. I also basted it with chicken broth. It was sooooo good. The outside was toasted and so moist under the top part. You could add any other things to it, cranberries, apples, wine, nuts... etc. What ever you like the best. Best of all it is sooo easy.

[Melanie]

I'd help you out with the dressing recipe, but you might not like mine, it's more of a casserole.[/FONT] :mickey:

That's kinda what I'm looking for. :thumbsup:

[azdisneymom]

We are having a typical hi carb meal - Sausage dressing, potatoes, crescent rolls, more dressing and oh yes, deep fried turkey.

We are adding a few appetizers - a cheese platter (all sliced cheese will be cut into the shape of leaves), shrimp cocktail, and a cranberry cheese.

Our desserts always include pumpkin pie and my favorite Disney recipe - pineapple upside down cheesecake from the Boma.

[murphy1]

Mel, I do dressing and stuffing--one in the bird and one in a regular casserole dish. I make two batches of Martha White cornbread the day before when I bake pies, so it's ready to use TG Day. It is similar to this recipe, (don't use exact measurements b/c of the taste factor, it is good):

cornbread, crumbled up
butter
minced onion
celery chopped fine
salt and pepper
sage
poultry seasoning to taste
turkey stock made from turkey neck and chicken broth (when you add the stock, make sure stuffing part is very moist b/c it soaks up more liquid than the dressing in the bird.

I do add one egg to the portion going into the dish out of the bird just to bind it better. The one in the bird, no egg. This way I have the dressing from the turkey that is really moist (my fave way) and then the one in the casserole dish that is more like stuffing. This recipe is from my great grandma all the way down to me. I like it b/c it is Southern. You can add other stuff in if you like, like mushrooms, sausage, chestnuts, but we do basic here. I think one of my cousins even puts cheese, like mozzarella in hers.

Shari

[Dulcee]

We do Thanksgiving Dinner every year for about 35-40 relatives.

This year we have 3 18lb turkeys :blush:

[MNNHFLTX]

I don't stuff the bird either, Mel. I should have probably said dressing instead of stuffing in my last post.

Here's a relatively easy recipe that I've used a couple of times and received a lot of favorable comments. Here's the recipe if you want to check it out:

Sausage Stuffing
Recipe courtesy Julie Song


•1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
•1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
•3 cups onion, chopped
•2 cups celery, chopped
•1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
•2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
•6 cups croutons
•1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
•1/4 cup maple syrup
•2 cups dried cherries
•1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
•2 cups chicken stock, plus extra as needed
•2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
•Salt and pepper

Directions
Saute sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling sausage with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Discard sausage fat in pan. Add butter, onions, and celery to skillet and saute until tender, about 10 to15 minutes. Add to sausage, along with herbs and croutons, mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine allspice, maple syrup, cherries, pecans, and chicken stock. Add to crouton mixture. The mixture should be moist, but not soggy. Add more chicken stock, if necessary. Transfer stuffing to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top is golden.

**I used turkey sausage to cut down on the fat content and instead of the croutons, one bag of the Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing mix, and I've substituted dried herbs for some of the "fresh chopped" ones and it still tasted great. And one year I used dried cranberries instead of cherries. I would recommend going light on the chicken broth in the initial preparation and saving a little to drizzle over the top of dressing about midway through baking in the oven.
.

[RedSoxFan]

We are having turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrot/turnips, dressing, cranberry sauce, olives, pickles and cranberry bread.

Thanksgiving (and Christmas) will be different as DS22 (almost 23) is a tv reporter in Syracuse and has to work. However, he gets to anchor the morning news on Christmas (his first time) so that will be sweet to watch!!

Mel: I have 2 recipes for dressing for you.

My Mother's:

1 loaf of bread broken up into bite size pieces. Do this the night before and put into sealed container. The following morning: add chopped onion, 1/4C melted butter, dash or two of black pepper, dash or two of sage, and dash or two of poultry seasoning. Mix with bread and add hot water as needed to get the mixture moist. Put in tin foil or covered bowl (I use tin foil as this is how my mother does it) for 1 hr at 350.

My Mother-In-Law's:

Toast 2 loaves of bread and cut into cubes and put into large bowl. Add 1 tube of crushed ritz crackers.

Saute 1 stick of butter, chopped onion and chopped celery. Add to toasted bread cubes along with a dash of poultry seasoning and salt to taste. You may need to add hot water to moisten. Cook in covered dish for 1 hr at 350.

[murphy1]

I'm hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tink1]

Cannot help with dressing, I do stuffing. I start with 10 loaves of stale bread broken up, toss in onions and celery that was sauteed in lots-o-butter, add some eggs, some broth and George Washington Golden Seasoning.

Hopefully that is enough to stuff the birds (yes plural) if not I run to the store and get 5 MORE loaves of bread, dry it out in the oven and start again.

25-35 pounds of mashed Potatoes- Friend makes and brings
Gravy-I make from the "for leftovers" turkey I cook on Wednesday and heat the gravy in a crock pot on Thursday.
Rutabega- mom's contribution
Cole Slaw- mom again
Cranberry Sauce - Ocean Spray
Onion Pies - I make ahead and freeze, then reheat
Roasted Brussel Sprouts- my sister
Mushrooms - I make
Stuffed Clams- me again
Green Beans- niece
Random Vegetable- niece
baked sweet potatoes- me
Baked Acorn Squashes - me
Pillsbury rolls- whoever finds them on sale first.

Dessert is a make your own sundae bar that we switched to years ago since no one liked the pie, but fought over the ice cream cake I had leftover in the freezer.

Can you tell I cook for more than 4?! :D

Nanc

[BriarRose0708]

ahhhh, my all time favorite meal of the year! We always do:

Turkey
dressing (just traditional Stove Top, I'm afraid we're not much help in the creativity department)
gravy (of course!)
Mashed potatoes
baked sweet potatoes
green bean casserole
cranberry sauce (both chunky and gelled)
corn
squash
bread
salad with fixings
PIES! Usually apple, pumpkin, mince meat (for my dad, he eats the entire pie from Thursday to Sunday), an peanut butter (not "traditional" but a family staple).

And if we have other extended family and friends over they bring a variety of other side dishes and treats!

I can't wait!!!

[BriarRose0708]

Thanksgiving (and Christmas) will be different as DS22 (almost 23) is a tv reporter in Syracuse and has to work. However, he gets to anchor the morning news on Christmas (his first time) so that will be sweet to watch!!


Wow! I am from Norwich originally and we always watch Syracuse News. Which station is he on? We watch channel 9 with Rod and Carrie.

[Melanie]

Can you tell I cook for more than 4?! :D

How many DO you cook for Nanci?

Loving everyone's menus. Maybe someone else can get some good ideas out of this thead. :tasty:

[Tink1]

How many DO you cook for Nanci?

Loving everyone's menus. Maybe someone else can get some good ideas out of this thead. :tasty:

It depends on how many international kids the boys bring home, how many neighbors cannot get home to see family, and how many people that my husband works with that will be solo that day. I would hate for anyone to be alone on a holiday.Normally, it goes anywhere from 30-60. 30 is local family only, if out of state ones come it is 40, then friends.

We then play BINGO after dinner and win prizes that we gather through the year at yard sales, flea markets and junk stores. Last years highlight was an Elvis Nose hair clipper.

I love every minute of Thanksgiving. It is the best holiday ever. No gifts, no decorating, just food, family and friends.


Nanc

[BrerGnat]

We are having what my sister and parents make, IF DH comes home on time! He is scheduled to return between Wed before TDay to the Friday after. So, we're hoping for Wed, because otherwise, I'm not making a Thanksgiving meal just for myself (as my boys won't touch any of the traditional T-day foods...) :(

Mel, this is my stuffing recipe. It's been the one my mom has been using for decades. It's simple, but REALLY good. The key is using Pepperidge Farm (bagged) HERB SEASONED bread CUBES, not crumbs...CUBES. You can do the regular or the "country style" which is made with whole wheat bread.

For each bag of stuffing:
1 stick of butter
1 cup of diced celery
1 cup of diced onion
(cook these three things until veggies are slightly soft, but still have a bit of crunch in them)
1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 tablespoon ground sage
1/2 tablespoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Turkey Stock (the exact amount will be listed on the bag...go by what they recommend, add the bread cubes, and then add more liquid if it seems too dry). The key is HOMEMADE turkey stock.

Once it's done, put in a buttered casserole dish. Stick it in the oven when you take the turkey out to "rest". By the time you are ready to serve it, it will have a nice crunch on the top.

Use the rest of the turkey stock to make the gravy. :thumbsup:

[RedSoxFan]

Wow! I am from Norwich originally and we always watch Syracuse News. Which station is he on? We watch channel 9 with Rod and Carrie.


Chris McGrath is on channel 3. He is reporting tonight (not sure if he's on the 10pm or 11pm or both). He's off tomorrow & Wednesday and back on Thursday --- but I don't know if he'll be reporting evening or the late news. It's a crazy schedule!!

[faline]

This year, I'll have a larger group than usual (last year we had a total of 4 including us - this year, we'll be a total of 10 though I've had more in years past).

Anyway, I'm planning....

Appetizers:
Cheese & crackers
Chips & dip
Shrimp & cocktail sauce

Soup:
Pumpking and Sweet Potato

Salad:
Mixed greens with dried cranberries

Main Couse:
Turkey
Sausage Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Squash
Creamed Onions (maybe - I'd skip them but my husband is asking for them and I know my brother in law loves them)
Bread
Wine

Dessert:
Apple Pie
Blueberry Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie

Think that'll be enough?

[faline]

Oops! Almost forgot - there'll also be cranberry sauce! Why do I keep forgetting that?!!!

[Melanie]

Okay, let me just ask, what are creamed onions and how do you prepare them? I've honestly never heard of them.

[bostonsam]

awe yeah...it's that time of year:thumbsup:
all the fixings in our fam:
Turkey(20lb.er for leftovers;))
mom's gravy
mushroom stuffing
mashed potatoes
carrots/peas
cranberry sauce
pie(s)pumpkin,apple and custard

then lots and lots of walking :blush:lol

[Scar]

Okay, let me just ask, what are creamed onions and how do you prepare them? I've honestly never heard of them.Pretty much just what it says, onions in a cream sauce. I don't know to make it but you can find a recipe on line. I prefer the real small onions.

[Janmac]

I seldom make dressing and don't like to put stuffing in the turkey either.

One year I dreamed a dressing recipe and it actually worked out pretty well. As for ingredient amounts, had to kinda guess, because my dream wasn't that precise. :D

The dressing was wild rice, with fresh spinach and mushrooms. I prepared the rice - maybe 2 or maybe 3 cups cooked, folded the chopped fresh spinach in, and probably sauteed the mushrooms before adding them. Probably used chicken broth in the rice - making sure it was fairly wet. Probably put it in a medium oven about 30 minutes. It was a major hit. Surprised me, because as I said, I had to guess at a lot.

Another hit I dreamed up was leeky squash. This is yellow squash, cubed with about the same amount of sliced leeks in it. Small amount of water, enough to steam the veggies without burning anything. And that's about it. Folks could salt or butter to their taste. The leeks impart a great flavor to the squash. When we have enough squash lovers in the house, I make this.

A typical menu will be turkey - and this year we're adding a ham. When we have someone frying a turkey I also bake one in the oven because that's my favorite. We also have mashed potatoes, gravy, my sister's favorite crescent rolls, cranberry jelly (sauce?) that everyone insists on and no one eats :confused:, regular green beans, and lately, last couple years, some "chinese" green beans - the long skinny ones with the garlic bits on. That's a big hit with my niece and grandson. And my sister's special sweet potatoes which has all manner of sweet stuff in it: marshmallows, brown sugar and I don't know what. It's almost like candy. (Big hit too)

Some years we have a lot of people and then we have more side dishes. When there are only a few of us - like maybe 6 to 10 - there won't be as many different dishes.

Same with pies. We generally will have a pecan and a pumpkin but with more folks, we might have an apple or a mixed berry is becoming a favorite. And plenty of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

We generally eat about 4 pm. My grandson's other grandparents eat closer to noon. When do you eat?

Jan

[jennbunn]

This year we are going with a spiral ham instead of turkey. The sides will be mashed potaoes,sweet potatoes,green bean caserole,chessy corn bake,cranberry sauce, homemade rolls, stuffing,and jello mold. For desert we are having pumpkin bars and red velvet cheesecake. Wow that is a ton of food for just the 3 of us. Thank god dh's friends come over often and eat my leftovers : )

[VWL Mom]

Okay, let me just ask, what are creamed onions and how do you prepare them? I've honestly never heard of them.

Since my mom passed I've resorted to buying Birds Eye frozen creamed onions and popping them in the microwave. :secret:

Previous to that it was little pearl onions which were a pain to peel in a basic cream sauce topped with ground black pepper.

[lynnek]

Last year we tried ordering a "to go" dinner from a local gourmet kitchen. I made the desserts. It worked fine; just wasn't the same. I am extremely busy with work prior to Christmas, owning my own business, I feel blessed to be busy. But, this year, I am cooking with my two sous chefs, DS12 and DD10. I was watching Thanksgiving Throwdown with Bobby Flay last night, while writing trip report:) He went up against Pioneer Woman. She had an interesting brine that I think I may try. Pies--it is traditional to make lots of pies, everyone gets their own choice. Wednesday night is pie night!

[coloradowendyl]

Number of people to be determined still lol!
Son is instructed to bring home everyone left in his dorm, some family friends, my brother and SIL.

90% of cooking is done by me.

The day starts with cranberry and date nut breads and sweet rolls with Mimosas. Then onward to football snacks and dinner.

Football game snacks:
Homemade Cheese Ball
Shrimp Cocktail

Dinner:
Turkey and gravy (huge bird and 8 extra legs)
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potato casserole (friend)
Herb Bread Stuffing
Cornbread/Cranberry/Sausage dressing
Creamed Onions
Green Bean Casserole
Candied Carrots
Mac/Cheese (college son request)
Relish Tray (olives, gerkins, spiced apples)
Homemade dinner rolls
Cran Orange Relish
Pumpkin Pie
Mincemeat Pie (friend)
Cider/Eggnog/Wine/Cranberry Juice

Dishes: done by anyone but me lol!

I taught in Plymouth MA for 12 years so Thanksgiving is THE HOLIDAY in our house!

Wendy

[coloradowendyl]

Okay, let me just ask, what are creamed onions and how do you prepare them? I've honestly never heard of them.

Super easy to do and pretty much a New England thing.

I simmer my frozen pearl onions for a bit in some water and a splash of white vinegar. While they are simmering, I make a basic white sauce:
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
2 cups milk
pinch of salt and pepper

Melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for about 2 minutes to get floury taste out. Slowly add milk whisking constantly. Add salt and pepper and cook until thickened. If very thick, add a bit more milk.

Drain onions and add to white sauce. Throw in a few tablespoons of parsley and simmer. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

We grew up with creamed onions for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is the one really identified holiday food for me other than turkey and stuffing!

Wendy