Thanksgiving Dinner

[bluebear]

Personally, I prefer the mashed butternut/acorn squash version. This recipe is pretty good.

 

Make it easier on yourself by buying pre-peeled and cubed squash. I know I've seen it at Trader Joe's; you should find it in other produce departments as well. Steam the cubes on the stovetop until tender and able to be mashed/pureed, rather than microwave them. The texture is better. Whatever you do, don't try to defrost frozen mashed butternut squash. It turns out far inferior.

 

I personally like the casserole to be deep, so I double the filling ingredients and bake for 55 minutes to an hour before topping. However, if you and your mom are the only ones who will eat it, make the amount stated, but put it in an 8"×8" pan, rather than a 9"×13". That should still result in a nice deep casserole.

 

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/22936/butternut-squash-casserole/

Thanks! And thank you for the tips.

[Kash]

We always have Thanksgiving Dinner at my dad's (my mom passed away four years ago). It will be myself, my husband, our daughter, our two sons and their wives, my sister, her husband, her two kids, and my dad and his girlfriend. We are doing it on Fri, Nov 12 this year though because it was the only day that everyone could be there.

 

I am bringing turkey, dressing, homemade mac-n-cheese, and oreo dirt cake (my daughter is fixing that). My sister is bringing ham, corn on the cob, and rolls. My daughter in laws are bringing drinks, green beans, dessert, sweet potato souffle, and coleslaw.

 

I will also make another dessert, I'm just not sure what I want to make yet.

How did it go?

[Gator Pam]

I got a 14+ pound frozen turkey from one of the food banks this year last Tuesday. Since I do a three day dry brine, I immediately put it in the refrigerator to defrost. I just pulled it to start prepping, and while mostly defrosted, the neck area is still "crunchy" when I palpitate it, leading me to believe the giblets may be still frozen to the interior. So, in to a cold water soak it goes, to be checked, drained, and refilled every 30 minutes until ready.

 

I'm hoping it will only take one round of soaking.

We'll see...

[Gator Pam]

Turkey took two soak cycles, and it still had ice crystals inside. I scraped them out as best I could.

 

Bird sprinkled with Sage and Bay dry brine. Set on a rack over a half sheet pan and set on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

 

Loosely draped with a flour sack towel I reserve for pressure cooking my bone broth/stock.

[jesusluvu]

Okay here goes......

 

Turkey, Ham, Ribs, Bakes-Fried- and BBQ chicken, Chitterlings (not for me), Collars, Turnip greens, Green beans, corn, corn on the cob, yams, rice, potato salad, cranberry sauce, fat back, macaroni and cheese, rolls, corn bread, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, lemon meringue pie, cherry pie, apple pie with cinnamon rolls, pound cakes (multiple flavors), banana pudding, some Oreo desert, deviled eggs, etc. I know I am missing some stuff but you get the drift that it will be to much food. 

[Kanyon71]

Okay here goes......

 

Turkey, Ham, Ribs, Bakes-Fried- and BBQ chicken, Chitterlings (not for me), Collars, Turnip greens, Green beans, corn, corn on the cob, yams, rice, potato salad, cranberry sauce, fat back, macaroni and cheese, rolls, corn bread, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, lemon meringue pie, cherry pie, apple pie with cinnamon rolls, pound cakes (multiple flavors), banana pudding, some Oreo desert, deviled eggs, etc. I know I am missing some stuff but you get the drift that it will be to much food.

What time do I show up?

 

Greens, fried chicken and sweet potato pie. DANG that sounds good.

[speeddiva]

Turkey

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Sweet potato casserole

Green beans

Cranberry meatballs

Deviled eggs

Dinner rolls

Turtle pie

[Coastiwife]

Fried turkey

Dressing

Sweet potato casserole

Green bean casserole

Corn casserole

Mac n cheese

Deviled eggs

Rolls

Cranberry sauce( right out the can)

Chocolate pie

Cherry dump cake

Apple dump cake

Punch

7 of us this year

[Gator Pam]

Tonight I'll remove the flour sack towel from the birdie, pat it dry, and refrigerate uncovered overnight to really set in the dry brine. In the meantime, prep continues...

 

Enhanced homemade poultry bone broth, enriched with the turkey neck, gizzards, heart, onion, carrot, parsnip, and celery.

 

The strained out giblets and aromatics. Made for a great lunch today.

 

The enhanced stock strained and defatted, awaiting the turkey drippings to be made in to gravy.

 

Enhanced mirepoix or trinity, waiting to be mixed in to the crockpot stuffing tomorrow.

 

Beginning of the cranberry sauce. I forgot the sprig of fresh rosemary prior to taking the photo. I added it after and simmered the sugar syrup an additional few minutes.

 

Raw cranberries added to the sugar syrup, as well about a shot and a half of bourbon.

 

The finished cranberry sauce with the orange zest stirred in cooling before packaging for the overnight chill.

 

Cranberry sauce ready to chill overnight.

Edited November 24, 2021 by Gator Pam

[Kanyon71]

Just finished cooking the cranberry sauce. Waiting for it to cool so it can go in the fridge for the night. Wife made the cornbread. Tomorrow morning we start the rest. Turkey and Goose go on the smoker in the morning.

[Gator Pam]

Final preparations attempting to be timed together.

 

Fortified stock to flavor and moisten the stuffing

 

Stuffing cubes with mirepoix on top

 

Stuffing and mirepoix mixed together

 

Stuffing mixture moistened with stock and butter

 

Whipped eggs to add to stuffing mixture

 

Buttered crockpot insert

 

Mixture with whipped eggs in crockpot ready to go

 

Birdie straight from fridge after 3-day dry brining

 

My rosemary bush for fresh sprigs

 

Aromatics for birdie's cavity:

Apple, onion and cinnamon stick to be steeped

Fresh sage and rosemary

 

Steeped aromatics placed in cavity

 

Followed by the fresh herbs

 

Birdie after 500°F blast for 30 minutes

 

Foil shield to protect breasts with two probe thermometers inserted

 

Breast meat at 157°F, thigh at 175°F

 

Remote receiver for thermometer in thigh so I can leave kitchen

 

Birdie pulled at temperature, awaiting a light cover of foil to rest for an hour before carving

[Gator Pam]

Dinner was served about three hours ago. Timing came together pretty well.

 

From left to right:

Homemade cranberry orange sauce with rosemary and bourbon

Homemade gravy from giblet stock and turkey drippings in thermos

Keto green bean casserole

 

Carved whole roasted turkey

Crockpot stuffing

 

Homemade pumpkin bread

Homemade apple pie

 

Close up of cranberry sauce

 

Close up of keto green bean casserole

 

Close up of whole carved turkey. On the platter is both legs, both thighs, both wings, and one breast

 

Close up of crockpot stuffing

 

Homemade gravy still on the stove

 

My first dinner plate. I definitely had seconds, although much smaller servings of each item.