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Holiday Menu


Kanyon71

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Wish you were closer, most of us prefer the dark meat.....The breast is the last to go and it gets drowned in cranberry sauce to make it moist enough...

 

Try making some extra gravy (I use McCormick packets), cutting up the breast and storing it in the gravy. It keeps the turkey moist, and flavorful. It works for us, and I make two large breasts every year.

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Well, the family voted the Green Bean Casserole out this year. I've never liked it, my kids don't like it, my husband eats it but not with gusto, last year I noticed neither of my brothers ate it, so I asked my parents and they said it's not their favorite either...I think it was just a holdover from Thanksgivings past when I had grandparents. Gram always made it, and everyone always ate whatever Gram made (out of a combo of respect and fear.) So now it's out! However, my oldest reminded me that I HAVE to make him banana cream pie, so that's on the list.
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Darn it I should not have looked at this post. Seems since my Son joined the Navy my Thanksgiving table gets bigger each year. LOL I have not even started to plan my menu and this year I will be cooking for 11 Sailors who will be coming to my Son's apartment on the Saturday after Thanksgiving,  I cannot cook for them on Thursday since they all will be working but have off the Saturday and Sunday,  

 

 

Now I have to plan then come back and post,  Last year we had 5 Sailors plus my Son, Hubby me and my Daughter,  Not complaining it is great to take care of these young men and women when I can,  :) :) :) 

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Well, the family voted the Green Bean Casserole out this year. I've never liked it, my kids don't like it, my husband eats it but not with gusto, last year I noticed neither of my brothers ate it, so I asked my parents and they said it's not their favorite either...I think it was just a holdover from Thanksgivings past when I had grandparents. Gram always made it, and everyone always ate whatever Gram made (out of a combo of respect and fear.) So now it's out! However, my oldest reminded me that I HAVE to make him banana cream pie, so that's on the list.

I love the stuff but it's SO rich I have to watch how much I eat or I will have HORRIBLE indigestion lol. Doesn't really stop me from eating it.

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Wow I COMPLETELY forgot Pumpkin Pie :)

 

Turkey is fairly easy to make. Preheat your oven to 325. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed, open it up and make sire you get all the giblets and neck and such out of it. I usually rinse it out well then pat it all dry. I usually put a little olive oil on the skin sprinkle with some salt and pepper inside and out. Put it in a shallow roasting pan (if you use the aluminum disposable ones I suggest a cookie sheet under for stability) breast side up. Roast it until the thickest part of the breast is about 165 degrees and the thigh is about 180. Usually about 2/3 rds of the way into cooking I cover it loosely with foil so that the skin doesn't get overdone. I've also seen people put the foil on for the first hour or so then pull it, whichever works for you. The time in the over will depend on the size of the bird. Once you pull it from the oven let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the juices to pull back in then carve it up. :)

I just slather my turkey with mayo (not Miracle Whip) and throw some herbs in the cavity. It sounds gross but it comes out nicely browned and juicy as long as it is tented with foil when it starts to get too brown. 

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Cranberry (Thinking about trying to make our own this year as well as the can shaped stuff) :)

Please make your own cranberry sauce.  If you have a child 3 years +, they can help with this.  It is on of the best cooking experiences because simple ingredients, big change in what finished product looks like, and short cooking time. Can/should be done a couple of days in advance so all ingredients can meld and less of a stress on the day of the dinner.  I try to have a time that nephews can come over to my house the weekend before Thanksgiving so that each can make/help with a dish.

 

Darla

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Please make your own cranberry sauce.  If you have a child 3 years +, they can help with this.  It is on of the best cooking experiences because simple ingredients, big change in what finished product looks like, and short cooking time. Can/should be done a couple of days in advance so all ingredients can meld and less of a stress on the day of the dinner.  I try to have a time that nephews can come over to my house the weekend before Thanksgiving so that each can make/help with a dish.

 

Darla

Yes we are probably doing both this year. I haven't made it in the past but looks fairly straight forward. My daughter (4) loves to help cook so she will have her hands in a lot of it. I cooked for a living at one time so I don't stress about these types of dinners I just treat it like I'm working a banquet lol.

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Wasn't hungry before reading this thread but I am now!  lol

 

We will go to a relatives (my husband's mother's cousin - whatever that is  :lmao: ) for Thanksgiving and she and her daughter take care of most of the food.  But every year I am tasked with bringing two things.

 

Herb Cream Cheese Crescents - Puff pastry filled with cream cheese that has chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder and S&P mixed in.  Each little triangle of pastry is spread with that mixture and rolled up into a crescent.  SO yum!

 

Southern Living Deluxe Cheesecake - A plain cheesecake that has a boatload of stuff in it!  It's nutso!  4 packs of cream cheese, 7 eggs, 24 oz sour cream, etc.  It's a once a year type of cheesecake!  And then I have some cherry pie filling and blueberry pie filling I canned this summer to go on top.  Can't wait!

Edited by AuntJamelle
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We are not doing a Turkey this year. No family coming or going. Just my husband and daughter.  We are going to have Prime Rib.  None of us are huge turkey fans so since no one is coming over and we aren't going anywhere, we figure we will go outside the norm and get what we want   :)

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Welcome home Kanyon71! Where abouts are you at?  I am in the Metro Detroit area.  Maybe I'll come and check out your tasty dinner!  :lolrun:

 

 

Just Mom and me this year, with my dad having passed.  And mom is going in for an emergency hip replacement this week so honestly -- no thanksgiving at my house this year (again).  When mom is out of rehab and we are stuck at home for those first couple of weeks of recovery then I will cook the 15lb hen turkey that has been sitting in my freezer all year.  (Yeah, I know  15 lbs for only 2 people!  But in my defense, buying the whole darn bird was cheaper then just buying a turkey breast!!)  The menu is simple for us.

 

Turkey with sausage stuffing (grandma's recipe of course.)

Those to die for crock pot loaded mashed potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes (already made from locally grown sweet potatoes and in the freezer.)

Canned whole cranberry sauce  (because mom can't stand up to make her homemade cranberry sauce this year)

One of those Marie Calendar Chocolate silk pies

 

And time to break into the holiday liqueurs I made over the summer...raspberry, blackberry and cherry bounce.   YUMMMMM!  :gdlicklips:

 

Eh!  Who needs to eat!.....maybe we'll just jump straight to the after dinner liqueurs......

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Everyone's menu sounds delicious! There are only three of us this year (me, hubby and dd) and none of us like turkey or ham...so we are having:

 

Brisket

Scalloped potatoes

Broccoli casserole

Stuffing

Cranberry sauce

Waldorf salad

White sweet potatoes

Rolls

 

Pecan pie

Pumpkin pie

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Welcome home Kanyon71! Where abouts are you at?  I am in the Metro Detroit area.  Maybe I'll come and check out your tasty dinner!  :lolrun:

 

 

Just Mom and me this year, with my dad having passed.  And mom is going in for an emergency hip replacement this week so honestly -- no thanksgiving at my house this year (again).  When mom is out of rehab and we are stuck at home for those first couple of weeks of recovery then I will cook the 15lb hen turkey that has been sitting in my freezer all year.  (Yeah, I know  15 lbs for only 2 people!  But in my defense, buying the whole darn bird was cheaper then just buying a turkey breast!!)  The menu is simple for us.

 

Turkey with sausage stuffing (grandma's recipe of course.)

Those to die for crock pot loaded mashed potatoes

Candied sweet potatoes (already made from locally grown sweet potatoes and in the freezer.)

Canned whole cranberry sauce  (because mom can't stand up to make her homemade cranberry sauce this year)

One of those Marie Calendar Chocolate silk pies

 

And time to break into the holiday liqueurs I made over the summer...raspberry, blackberry and cherry bounce.   YUMMMMM!  :gdlicklips:

 

Eh!  Who needs to eat!.....maybe we'll just jump straight to the after dinner liqueurs......

Metro Detroit area also. Sorry to hear about the passing and the surgery. Still delayed is good you will get to spend it with her and have a good meal. :)

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thanksgiving is not at my house.. oddly when it use to be... i cooked it all.. did not have anyone bring anything.. and we had 30+ people..

now its at my brothers house, and once it moved from my house , the idea was mentioned that everyone should bring one item so one person doesn't cook it all.

so not sure of the menu.i am waiting to see what others are bringing to decide what i will.

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Deep frying a turkey

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Homemade cranberry sauce

Stuffing

Green Bean Casserole

Corn

Green and black olives, pickles

Cheese platter

Rolls & butter

Homemade crockpot macaroni and cheese

Calico beans

Sweet potato w/ marshmallow

Milk, Soda, Egg Nog, Chocolate Milk

Pecan pie, pumpkin pie, layered pumpkin pie, whip cream

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Here's this year's festive meal.

 

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Turkey smokin' away

 

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The groaning board

 

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Turkey sliced and plated

Home made cranberry orange sauce plated out of jello mold

 

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Right:  Plated crockpot stuffing (about a third of what we made)

Left:  Sweet potato and apple gratin

 

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Left:  Spinach and Artichoke Casserole

Center:  Home made blueberry pie

Right:  Home made pumpkin bread

 

Yumm...

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Oh!

 

Forgot to mention.  The blue thermos in the upper left of the last photo is holding home made turkey gravy.  Alton Brown suggests storing gravy that way, so it doesn't cool and start to congeal.  It works a treat, but you have to remove all caps and spouts; the gravy is too thick to come out the normal pour spout.

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