OT: Thanksgiving menu ideas

[jeepgirl30]

Awhile ago there was a thread and someone posted a massive week long prep for thanksgiving! I tried to go back but could not find it.

I need ideas for a menu. For the last several years MIL has insisted on hosting and cooking. I love to cook but she refuses to allow me to bring anything at all. This year she is working so she is unable to have us over. My family is all away this year. So its just DH, DD, DS and me. I want to cook them a massive spread though!

MIL is not a traditions person and has over the years had a very strange meal pop up instead of a normal turkey day menu. Like one year it was ham, one year she made stuffed cabbage rolls (i was pregnant and it made me so sick to smell that!) I want a very normal TURKEY day menu! My grandmother used to make the most amazing holiday meals. I want my kids to experience that.

What all is on your menu for the day? Recipes?

 

[wide awake]

Turkey, ham, bread stuffing, oyster stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, cranberry marshmallow pineapple salad, rolls, pickles and olives, pumpkin cheesecake, pecan pie, and chocolate cake w/ fresh whipped cream.

 

[pnutmnm]

It is just me and DS14 and DS11 this year. We will be having a turkey, wild rice, stuffing (or mashed potatoes), corn and biscuits. I will either order a pie from Market Day or make a cheesecake with DS14 for dessert.

 

[KT27]

Love my Mom's Cranberry Orange Relish MMMMMMmmmmmm!

Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
1 (12-ounce) package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 unpeeled orange, cut into eighths and seeded
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
Place half the cranberries and half the orange slices in food processor container. Process until mixture is evenly chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining cranberries and orange slices. Stir in sugar. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
Makes about 3 cups.
NOTE: May also be prepared in a food grinder

 

[Cinerbelle]

I think you are talking about my timeline... Is this what you are looking for?

THANKSGIVING TIME LINE


SATURDAY THE 17TH:
Thaw Turkey in frig.

TUES. NIGHT:
Grocery Shop

WED:
Make Sweet Potatoes
Make Corn Chowder
Make Cranberry Sauce
Make Mashed Potatoes and store in Crock Pot
Make Gingerbread Cake for Trifle…let cool
Make pudding for Trifle…let cool
Put Together the Gingerbread Trifle and refrigerate overnight
Make Artichoke Dip…don’t cook until right before guests arrive
Oven dry the white bread for the Cornbread Stuffing
Brine and soak the turkey overnight


THUR.:
6am - Take shower/get ready
7am – Make Shrimp Dip
7:30 - Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes
9am - Take Mashed Potatoes out of frig…let stand at room temp
9am – Put Corn Chowder on to warm in Crock Pot…peeps can eat soup around 1ish
9am – Put Turkey in over @ 500 degrees for 30 min.
9am – Cook Giblets for gravy & chop when cooled
9:30 – Take Turkey out and cover w/foil…bring oven down to 350 and cook for 3 ½ to 4 hours
10am – Put Mashed Potatoes on High…check to make sure they don’t over cook.
11 – Robbie needs to run to store for ice and bread for the artichoke dip
11 – Make Cornbread Stuffing…put in frig
12pm – Put Artichoke Dip in oven…will be ready at 12:30p.m.
1 pm - Make Slow Berry Cobbler...let cook in Crock Pot on High for 3 to 4 hours
1 pm – Put Stuffing in over for 45-60 minutes.
1:15 – Put Sweet Potatoes in oven…cook for 40 to 45 minutes
1:30 - Make Carrots so they are ready at 2:00p.m.
1:30 – Take Turkey out of oven
1:30 – Put Marleens Broccoli Casserole in the oven
1:45 – Make the Giblet Gravy
2:00 – Take Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli Casserole, Stuffing out of oven
EAT

 

[jeepgirl30]

Oh yes that is it! thanks!

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

I love timelines! Thank you

 

[Cinerbelle]

I meant to take out the shower line... I guess you didn't need to see that one!

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

Turkey
Cornbread dressing
Giblet Gravy
Auburn Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Cheesy Corn Bake
Copper Penny Carrots
Cranberry sauce
Rolls
Celery Sticks
Relish tray
Blueberry Salad
Coconut Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie

We may have a squash casserole instead of the broccoli casserole. The Auburn Sweet Potatoes are everyone's favorite. It is the one dish DH & DD ask for every holiday. Plus we get asked to bring it when getting together with other family members and friends.

Auburn Plantation Sweet Potatoes
3 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Topping:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Bake sweet potatoes and mash. Mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk with sweet potatoes. Put in 9 X 13 baking dish. For topping: mix ingredients together and sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Serves 10-12.

 

[HarleyMom]

Turkey
Sausage/Apple stuffing
gravy
cream cheese mashed potatoes
sweet potato casserole
broccoli/carrot wild rice pilaf (YUMMY!)
scalloped corn
cranberry/apple chutney
caramel/apple pie (in a paper bag - I buy this)
brownie trifle

I'd love the gingerbread trifle recipe if you have that handy! Sounds wonderful!

 

[Cinerbelle]

I'd love the gingerbread trifle recipe if you have that handy! Sounds wonderful!

Ingredients

* 2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
* 1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
* 1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
* 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
* 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

 

[HunnyPots]

Ah... Thanksgiving, probably my favorite day of the whole year!

I always make the same things every year:
Turkey
Cornbread dressing
Mashed potatoes
Turkey gravy (no guts in my gravy, thank you!)
Green bean casserole
Sweet potatoes (for mom and dh)
Cranberry sauce
Cranberry salad

For dessert there will be an assortment of pies, including pumpkin and pecan.

I can't wait!

 

[kmchar1]

We eat so much for Thanksgiving. There will be 13 (only 1 child) of us.

Veggie Tray with Dip
Cheese/Cracker Tray
Pickles/Olive Tray
Spinach Dip in a bread bowl
Shrimp Cocktail

Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Mashed Taters
Sweet Taters
Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Beans
Corn
Green Beans
Broccoli Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls

Pumpkin Roll
Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Pudding Pie
Cherry Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Various cookies/sweets

We start eating during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (appetizers and baked goods)..eat midday or when everyone has assembled from their home or work and continue snacking until we're all ready to go home in the evening.

 

[Pooki]

Last year was the first time I've ever made a turkey; my mom would always cook it and I would do the ham. Since we moved far from her last year, I had no idea how to make a good turkey! I used Alton Brown's recipe on foodnetwork, and it was to DIE for! You have to brine the turkey overnight, which I was really, really intimidated to do, but it was pretty easy, and was by far the the most flavorful, moist, and best turkey I've ever had (and I made it!). I highly recommend trying out that recipe!! Here it is:

“Good Eats” Roast Turkey
* 1 - 14-16 lb. turkey
Brine:
* 1 cup kosher salt
* ½ cup light brown sugar
* 1 gallon vegetable stock
* 1T black peppercorns
* ½ t allspice berries
* ½ t candied ginger
* 1 gallon iced water
Aromatics:
* 1 red apple, sliced
* ½ onion, sliced
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 cup water
* 4 sprigs rosemary
* 6 sage leaves
* canola oil
1. Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir, remove from heat; cool to room temperature, refrigerate.
2. Early on the day of cooking (or late night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket (or foam cooler). Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and set in a cool area for six hours. Turn turkey over once half-way through brining.
3. A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500۫. Combine apple, onion, cinnamon stick and a cup of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
4. Remove bird from brine and rinse. Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with oil.
5. Roast on lowest level of oven at 500۫ for 30 minutes. Cover turkey with foil, reduce heat to 350۫. Insert probe thermometer into thickest part of breast and cook to 161۫. Let turkey rest 15 minutes before carving.

***I bought a foam-disposable cooler, used lots of ice, and let it sit outside overnight to let it brine. Worked like a charm!

 

[HarleyMom]

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Thanks SO much! It's very similar to the brownie one that I make (brownies, chocolate pudding, whipped topping & crushed heath bars - YUM!), but more appropriate for Thanksgiving!

 

[nikkistevej]

We eat so much for Thanksgiving. There will be 13 (only 1 child) of us.

Veggie Tray with Dip
Cheese/Cracker Tray
Pickles/Olive Tray
Spinach Dip in a bread bowl
Shrimp Cocktail

Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Mashed Taters
Sweet Taters
Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Beans
Corn
Green Beans
Broccoli Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls

Pumpkin Roll
Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Pudding Pie
Cherry Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Various cookies/sweets

We start eating during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (appetizers and baked goods)..eat midday or when everyone has assembled from their home or work and continue snacking until we're all ready to go home in the evening.

I'm coming to your house- that all sounds so good!! Do you think you will notice 3 extras?? LOL

 

[intheworks]

Will the posters with the blueberry salad and the cherry cream pie on their menus please share the recipes?

 

[nikkistevej]

Turkey
Cornbread dressing
Giblet Gravy
Auburn Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Cheesy Corn Bake
Copper Penny Carrots
Cranberry sauce
Rolls
Celery Sticks
Relish tray
Blueberry Salad
Coconut Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie

We may have a squash casserole instead of the broccoli casserole. The Auburn Sweet Potatoes are everyone's favorite. It is the one dish DH & DD ask for every holiday. Plus we get asked to bring it when getting together with other family members and friends.

Auburn Plantation Sweet Potatoes
3 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Topping:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Bake sweet potatoes and mash. Mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk with sweet potatoes. Put in 9 X 13 baking dish. For topping: mix ingredients together and sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Serves 10-12.

The Auburn Plantation Sweet Potatoes sound great- I think I'm going to make them.

 

[JandJ]

One thing I highly recommend after doing it for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year - use cheesecloth on your turkey! Soak the cheesecloth in a mixture of 1 stick melted unsalted butter and 1 bottle white wine (you can use the cheap stuff). Lightly ring out the cheesecloth (not dripping but not really wrung out either) and cover the turkey - especially the wings. Bake as usual and baste directly over the cheesecloth from the bowl of butter/wine mixture and when that runs out, baste from the pan juices. Remove the cheesecloth for the last 30-40 minutes - it will be brown and hard - removing it at the end will allow the bird's skin to get a light golden crunch. I always had problems with the wings burning and the skin getting too done. With foil, you can't baste through it, so cheesecloth was the perfect answer for me

 

[jlima]

deviled eggs
bacon & asparagus appetizers
vegetables & dip
cheese ball & crackers

turkey
Bread stuffing
spiral cut ham
green beans with bacon
scalloped potatoes
rice
gravy
dinner rolls
jellied cranberries

pumpkin pie
pecan pie
vanilla ice cream