See below as to why I need a menu NOW. Trust me, I am NOT the Martha Stewart type (although I do have a set of her cooking DVDs and the outtakes are kind of funny, in a Martha Stewart-ish way).
I really, really need to plan ahead and at least have a game plan. So please share any recipes or links to favorites you have - or just your menu and I can take it from there. If you haven't tried a recipe but think it sounds good, say so, just so I'll know to test it first.
Here is why I'm planning ahead:
I am not super organized. I have an elderly parent that needs attention, my family, a part-time job, a full-time house and a cat that has some mysterious ailment that isn't showing up on bloodwork and x-rays. One son is painting a room orange, the fumes are everywhere and bats are mysteriously appearing here and there in the house, the kind that look like mice, only with wings, probably lured out of hiding by those fumes. ANother son burst his eardrum while diving into a pool and essentially doing an ear flop, which is like a belly flop, only the ear part hits the water. HARD. I had no idea an eardrum could burst that way. I could have done without the knowledge.
So I figure I better get my menu together now, just in case things don't get better. I am thinking good thoughts and being optimistic, so don't anyone tell me to do that, please. If you do, I know you won't have gotten to the previous sentence.
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Comments: 49
I like to get a smoked turkey from Sams (though you can find them other places). They're already cooked so no worries about Salmonella. Also, they're not so dry as regular turkeys, they have good flavor and, yay, they only take a couple of hours. Ham's good too (and also just needs to be warmed) if yours aren't the turkey crowd.
Gravy you can make from the turkey drippings with corn starch. All the rest aren't as tough as they sound. Let me know if you want more info and I can get you details.
Or if you want to go another way than the "traditional," that's fine, too.
One of my sons is now vegetarian, but the others aren't. That makes a fun challenge.
5lbs potatoes
1 8oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp margarine
Cook the potatoes and mash until smooth. Add the other ingredients; beat until light and fluffy. Cool and place in a 2 1/2 quart greased casserole dish. Refrigerate.
You can make this up to two weeks before serving. To warm, preheat oven to 350 degrees and baked covered for 35 - 40 minutes.
Mary Mc
I also believe in brining the turkey in a salt, sugar and water mixture for a couple days too.
I have to try that gravy Shannon. Sounds wonderful.
You can also do squash and candied yams. When I say, candied yams, what I'm really doing is boiling yams (sweet potatoes) adding a little brown sugar, a little cinnamon to them as I mash them up. Then I put them in a casserole dish covered with little marshmallows. Just pop it in the oven on T-day and you'll be good with little T-day sweat. I'll get more specific stuff from my sister who has the recipe though I don't.
Butternut squash is even easier. Remove seeds and cut it up in LARGE chunks (I leave the peel on because peeling is a nightmare raw), boil until soft. Then, carefully, as soon as it's cool enough I can safely handle it, I pull of the peels, drain it, mash it up with some butter and salt and it's ready. That can be reheated in the microwave no problem.
My husband, who is not a fan of "fowl", likes to have ham on Thanksgiving instead of turkey, though he doesn't mind the smoked turkey so much.
:)
And we use whatever is on sale at that time. I've use rhine and chardonnay. I recommend using a drier, less sweet white wine.
Here's where I can't help you. I have cooked a couple of Thanksgiving dinners, but with a family as vast as mine I usually go to someone else's place AND make my rounds afterwards (after the football game). Like it that way; don't want to cook on Thanksgiving on any other holiday if I can avoid it! My apologies. But you have got some otherwise good ideas up there in the threads.
Sorry about your son.
I make this corn pudding souffle every year for Thanksgiving dinner and take it to my brother's. It's fabulous and so easy. And my family loves it!
And good for you for planning ahead!
CORN PUDDING SOUFFLE
1 #2 can cream style corn
1 #2 can whole kernel corn and liquid
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 stick butter, melted
salt and pepper
1 pkg. Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
Combine and pour into an 8-inch buttered pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. This may take longer. Test it with a toothpick (in the center) to make sure it's done. Works well to bake it in a souffle pan. Try it ahead. It's also good with ham.
Then I got a call from my son in college who'd had some accident involving orange house paint and a cellphone falling in the paint. It was an "emergency" because he considers that phone practically a third arm. Then I rushed to the bank and then the grocery store and....dinner, homework.....that is how it goes.
I like going with the traditional turkey, we have so many wild one running around here lately maybe one will get caught in my grill by then.
I can take on cats, dogs and unexpected footballs kicked by the neighborhood kids. And, of course, repairman are a snap. They look burly and strong but I had the one in MY crawl space screaming like crazy and running away. I can get an attitude when awakened out of a sound sleep like he did, putting his hand on me. WHAT WAS HE THINKING? (you can read about here on Gather)
Madame Donna and everyone -thanks!
my husbands family serves turkey and ham, pinapple, sourkraut, pork, dumplins, this delicious cassorole that is broc. and califlower and carrots with cream of mushroom soup over it. and frenchs onions on top. They also have green beans, and cranberry sauce. A gravy that is to die for (pan gravy with a bit of cream of mushroom soup and something else in it), tons of stuffing, and pumpkin pie.
So now we share the cooking duties. Thanksgiving I bake the pies and fix the candied yams that my family can't seem to go without and no one else knows how to fix.
Christmas I make the Turkey and Ham
Giblet gravey with pulled dark meat off the turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Candied Yams with optioional pineapple and walnuts
Corn on the cob
dressing with whole cranberrys
Hawaiian sweet rolls
drink choices are: water,coffee, milk and Pepsi
Pumkin pie
Apple raisin pie
Banana creme pie
Blessings
Great menu, Wiaka!