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 🥔
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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
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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
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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
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.
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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
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Also, a Hawaiian Thanksgiving: link
