Thanksgiving Dinner

Menu includes:

• Cranberry Sauce (prepare day b4)
• Crockpot Jalepeno Bacon Mac & Cheese
• Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes
• Corn Pudding
• Old Fashion Country Stuffing
• Brussel Sprout casserole
• Turkey (some prep day b4)
• Fernet Branca (to help digest afterwards, see http://goo.gl/owafS )

Alternatives:

• Breakfast Stratta
• Hawaiian 🌺 Bread 🍞 Stuffing
• Simple Mashed Potatoes 🥔

*** 

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice (not cocktail)
• 1 cup honey
• 1 pound cranberries

Directions

Wash the cranberries 

Combine the orange juice, cranberry juice and honey in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes

Add cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. 

Do not cook for more than 15 minutes as the pectin will start to break down and the sauce will not set as well

Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes

Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce into a 3 cup mold

Place in the refrigerator overnight (@ least 6 hours)

*** 

Crockpot Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pkg bacon
• box macaroni
• 1/2 cup (cube) butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 20oz shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 jalepeno chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

• fry & crumble bacon
• boil pasta al dente (according to pkg) and drain
• melt butter in large saucepan
• sprinkle in flour and whisk together creating a roux
• slowly whisk in milk
• slowly whisk in evaporated milk
• stir in cheese, jalepeno, 1/2 of the bacon, salt, pepper
• combine pasta & sauce 
• poor into crockpot
• cook low for 2 hours
• stir in rest of bacon

***

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place potatoes in 13x9 glass baking dish

In small sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt

Bring to boil over medium heat

Stir until sugar dissolves

Pour mixture over sweet potatoes and toss to coat

Cover dish with foil & bake for 45 minutes

Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes

***

Twiced Cooked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into forths
• 1 stick butter
• 1 8oz pkg cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk (or cream)
• Sprinkle of Paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large pot, boil salted water

Add potatos and boil for 15mins (or until tender)

Drain Water from pot (return potatoes to pot afterwards)

Add stick of butter & cream cheese

Mash potatoes until butter & cream cheese are well blended in

Spatula potatoes into 9x13 baking dish

Sprinkle Paprika on top

Bake for 30 mins

***

Old Fashion Country Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 loaves oven-dried white bread 
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 sleeve crushed crackers
• 1 pound spicy italian sausage (casings removed)
• 2 cups celery chopped
• 1 large onion chopped
• 48 oz chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning  (or 1 tsp each of thyme, marjoram, savory & sage)
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 stick butter melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter 9x13 glass dish

Crumble oven-dried bread into a large bowl. 

Add rice and crushed saltines

Cook sausage in a large skillet until it starts to brown

Add celery and onion and saute 10 minutes

Turn off heat, add butter and stir until melted

Pour over bread and rice mixture

Stir in chicken stock 

Stir in salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning

Scoup stuffing into buttered dish and bake 45 minutes

***

Brussel Sprout Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts,outer leaves and stems removed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup french fried onions

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Butter a 2-quart baking dish

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil 

Add the Brussels sprouts and cook 9 minutes

Drain the Brussels sprouts and cut each into quarters

Transfer to the prepared baking dish

Stir in half of the fried onions 

Toss with the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

Pour the cream evenly over the top

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top

Lay remaining fried onions over the top

Dot with the butter pieces

Bake for 15 minutes

***

Corn Pudding

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 (8 1/2 ounce) box Jiffy cornbread mix

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can creamed corn

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

Directions:

Melt butter in a casserole dish

Mix in eggs

Mix in all remaining ingredients

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

***

Turkey

Ingredients

• Brine Mix
• 13 Gallon Plastic Kitchen Bag 
• Turkey
• Cheese Cloth
• 2 lemons halved
• Garlic Bulb cut in half
• 1 Onion halved with layer pieces separated
• Tbsp poultry seasoning  (or 1 tsp each of thyme, marjoram, savory & sage)
• .5 sticks butter

Directions

Prepare Brine according to instructions

Remove giblets from turkey (save Giblets for gravy, eg. https://goo.gl/WRT3Gf )

Place plastic kitchen bag in turkey pan

Place turkey in kitchen bag, breast side down

Pour brine over Turkey in bag

Add enough water so that turkey is completely submerged

Place in refridgerator over night (@ least 6 hours)

Next day: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Rinse turkey inside & out

Stuff Turkey (neck & main caverns) with Lemons, Onions & Garlic

Heat butter in small pot then remove from heat

Stir in poultry seasoning

Soak Cheese Cloth in butter mixture (open it up & swish it around a little)

Wrap turkey in Cheese Cloth and place in turkey pan

Place themometer in the inner side of the thigh (45 degree angle, make sure it doesn't touch the bone)

Place turkey on lower rack

Bake @ 350 degrees for approximately 13 minutes per pound, until thermometer registers about 165 degrees 

Remove from oven and tent foil over turkey for about 1/2 hour (before cutting & serving)

***

Breakfast Stratta

Ingredients 

French bread loaf, cubed (about 5 cups)

1/2 bag spinach (2.5 oz)

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

1 Pkg Bacon sliced in 1/2 inch pieces 

1 small onion chopped 

5 cloves minced garlic

1 bell pepper sliced

3 tablespoons flour 

2 cups chicken broth 

1/2 cup dry white wine  

8oz sour cream 

8 eggs, lightly beaten 

Chopped fresh chives 

Directions 

Place bread cubes & Spinach in a buttered 13x9 inch dish

Sprinkle top with cheeses

In medium sized pot, fry bacon, remove & sprinkle over cheeses

Lay bell pepper slices over bacon

Add onion & garlic to pot with bacon fat and sauté until tender

Whisk in flour until it becomes a smooth roux

Whisk in broth & wine

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring until thickened

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream 

Gradually whisk about one-fourth of the sour cream mixture into beaten eggs, then mix the entire egg mixture back into remaining sour cream mixture

Pour mixture over top in baking dish

Cover with aluminum foil and chill overnight 

Preheat oven to 350°

Bake covered for 30 minutes, remove foil, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more

*** 

Hawaiian Bread Stuffing

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

2 packs stale Hawaiian bread (24 rolls) cut into 1 inch squares 

1 cup butter

1 onion diced

4 ribs celery sliced

2 tablespoons parsley

2 tablespoons sage 

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 1/2 cups broth

3 eggs beaten

Directions

Toss bread in olive oil

Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. 

Heat oven to lowest setting and bake 60 mins 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Butter 9x13 pan 

In large pot, sauté onions and celery in butter

Mix in bread, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. 

Mix in broth until bread is moistened. 

Mix in eggs

Transfer to baking dish & cover with foil 

bake for 30 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more 

*** 

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds (907.18 g) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter

¾ cup (177.44 ml) half-and-half

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.

Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and half-and-half in a small saucepan over low heat.

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Mash up the potatoes a little with a potato masher. Add the melted butter mixture a little at a time and use the potato masher to combine. Once it has all been added, use a wooden spoon or spatula to give it a few stirs to combine completely. Stir in the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

***

Thanksgiving Eating Tips

• Don't fill up on bread, nuts, salad and things you can usually have on regular days
• Breathe, don't scarf, smell the aromas while you eat
• If some items look most-likely to be leftovers, eat the ones you want to try that are almost gone first

*** 

Also, a Hawaiian Thanksgiving: link