Thanksgiving 2016: Planning

It’s time to start planning for our Thanksgiving weekend meals.

I’m starting with my previous post Thanksgiving Menu 2010 and will make adjustments as needed.

I’m thinking maybe adding an Apple Pie and excluding the Pumpkin Pie, although it does seem like a violation of the holiday to do that.

The Menu:

Turkey, Dressing (or Stuffing)

Mashed Potatoes & Giblet Gravy

Yam & Cranberry Casserole

Potato Rolls

Cranberry Sauce

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Pies: Mixed Berry, Texas Pecan, Apple or Pumpkin

Here is my beginning grocery list:

• Fresh Veggies – celery, carrots, onions, flat leaf parsley, curly leaf parsley, russet potatoes (& maybe yukon golds – 2 lbs), fresh cranberries, fresh mixed berries (or frozen), 2 – 10oz bags brussel sprouts, walnuts,
• Canned and boxed goods – quick cooking tapioca, canned evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, canned cranberry sauce, shortening, dry yeast, canned sliced or chopped mushrooms, canned sliced black olives, chicken stock, corn meal or cornbread mix, stuffing mix, kitchen bouquet, 2 – 17oz canned yams, miniature marshmallows,
• Refrigerated and Frozen products – butter, margarine, whole turkey, turkey breast, turkey bone parts for broth, eggs, heavy cream, fresh berries, bacon, vanilla ice-cream, milk,

Holiday Yam & Cranberry Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make crumb topping by mixing these ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Then cut in 1/3 cup margarine or butter (pea sized bits).

Stir in 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats.

Stir all together. Gently mix one cup of the oat topping with the yams and cranberries and save the rest for the topping.

Butter or spray Pam on the inside of 1 1/2 qt casserole dish.

Pour in 2 17 oz cans of Yams (drained),

2 cups fresh (washed and drained) or frozen cranberries

and the reserved 1 cup of crumb mixture.

Top with remaining crumb mixture and bake uncovered for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Right before serving, sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows and broil until lightly browned

(DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM  THE BROILER, they burn quickly, even caught on fire once). It stays warm for quite a while, serve and enjoy.

I think my mother and I found this in a women’s magazine in the 70’s. It’s been a family favorite ever since.

Turkey Giblet Gravy

Remove bag of giblets & neck from turkey cavity, rinse and place in a medium size saucepan, with 5 cups of water.

Add:

1 Bay Leaf

2 celery tops (with leaves)

1 carrot, broke in half

1 Tablespoon salt

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1-3 hours. Take out giblets and neck, allow to cool enough to handle. Strip edible meat from bones, chop and save for dressing.

Strain broth into a heat proof measuring cup (it should be 4 cups of broth).

Save 2 cups for the dressing and use the other 2 cups for the gravy.

Mix 1/4 cup softened margarine (or butter) with 1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet Browning liquid and 1/4 cup all purpose flour in a small bowl with a fork, until it forms a smooth paste.

Heat broth in a medium sized saucepan over med. high heat. Stir in paste with a whisk until it starts to boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer and thicken, keep warm until time to serve.

Note: Left over gravy can be refrigerated but add water and whisk before reheating. You can also add some of the diced turkey meat from the neck and giblets if you don’t want a smooth gravy. This recipe is from my Mom but I believe she got it from her sister, my Aunt Clara.

Aunt Clara’s Turkey Dressing/Stuffing

1 pkg seasoned stuffing/dressing mix, cubed

1/2 of a 9 inch square pan left-over cornbread

1/2 cup margarine (or butter)

Onions, celery, mushrooms (fresh or canned), aprox 1 cup of each of these vegetables, choppped.

2-3 boiled eggs, chopped

1-2 eggs, raw

2 cups (or more) turkey (from neck/giblets) or chicken stock

chopped, cooked giblets from turkey

1 small can sliced olives

ground poultry seasoning (to taste, aprox 1 Tablespoon)

ground sage (to taste, aprox 2 teaspoons)

fresh or dried parsley (to taste, aprox. 2-3 Tablespoons)

Salt and pepper if broth is not very salty

Drippings from turkey as it cooks

Place dressing mix and left-over crumbled cornbread in a very large mixing bowl.

Saute onions, celery and mushrooms in margarine or butter until onions are translucent. Pour over dressing mix. Add boiled eggs, giblets, olives and seasoning and mix well. Add raw eggs and mix well. Pour enough cooled broth to moisten but not make soupy (you don’t want to lose the cube shapes of bread). Add drippings from turkey for extra flavor and moisture if desired.

Place in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish (it may take an additional 9 inch square or more to hold it all) that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven until very hot in the center (test with instant read thermometer, should register at least 165 degrees), at least 30 minutes (cover with foil if it browns too quickly or cover first and remove for the last 10 minutes).  For quicker cooking and crispy edges, place in muffin tins that have been sprayed with Pam and cook for about 15 minutes, but be careful to not let it dry out.

Easy Potato Rolls

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup cooked, mashed potato

2 eggs

2 pkgs dry yeast

1 1/3 cups warm water (105-115 degrees), divided

6-6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cream shortening; gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add salt, potato and eggs; beat until smooth.

Dissolve yeast mixture in 2/3 warm water. Add yeast mixture and remaining 2/3 warm water to creamed mixture; beat until smooth. Gradually stir in enough flour to make smooth dough. Cover and let rise in warm place (85 degrees) free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or till double in bulk.

Punch down dough; turn out onto a floured surface. Knead lightly 3-4 times. Divide dough into thirds. Shape one portion at a time into 15 balls, place in a well greased (butter), 9 inch round cake or pie pan.

Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or until double in bulk.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

I usually brush with butter while they are still warm.

Yield 45 rolls

I tried to under bake two pans for freezing but my oven gets too hot and the tin pans brown on bottom faster. Glass is my favorite but I forgot that it can make a difference.

Note: Dough may be refrigerated for up to 4 days before shaping. To freeze rolls prepare and bake as directed (under brown though); let cool. Wrap in aluminum foil; freeze. To serve, let rolls thaw; then bake in foil in 375 oven for 12-15 minutes or until heated through.

(This recipe is from my friend Jeanenne in Texas)

Thanksgiving Menu 2010

 

Last week I practiced brining a turkey breast to get myself ready for our Thanksgiving Dinner next week. Here is the menu I have planned, now if I can just get over my cold and start baking I’ll be on target. I’ll do the potato rolls first because they freeze  and reheat so well.

 

Turkey (Whole Brined & Roasted) http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/turkey-brine & http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/turkey-brine-from-living

Turkey Breast (Crockpot) http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1739,154178-247206,00.html or http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-crock-pot-turkey-breast-with-fail-proof-gravy-102833

Cornbread Dressing/Stuffing (My Mother’s recipe from my Aunt Clara) https://tjtalks.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/aunt-claras-turkey-dressingstuffing/

Mashed Potatoes http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/luxurious-mashed-potatoes

Giblet Gravy (My Mother’s Recipe) https://tjtalks.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/turkey-giblet-gravy/

Yam and Cranberry Casserole (The Recipe my Mother found in a magazine) https://tjtalks.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/holiday-yam-cranberry-casserole/

Cranberry Sauce (one canned and one home-made (?) http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/orange-scented-cranberry-sauce )

Potato Rolls & Butter (Jeanenne’s Recipe) https://tjtalks.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/easy-potato-rolls/

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon (?) or canned Corn http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-recipe/index.html

Pies:

Mixed Berry (My Recipe) https://tjtalks.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/berry-pie/

Texas Pecan (Food Editors Cookbook) https://tjtalks.wordpress.com/2009/12/08/texas-pecan-pie-thanksgiving-tradition/

Pumpkin (Libby’s Canned Pumpkin label) Libby’s pumpkin pie