Thanksgiving Dinner

Here is our traditional Thanksgiving Dinner that my mom has made every year for Thanksgiving. Some of these may not be her original recipes, but the menu is!

Menu

Turkey & Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
Pearl Onions
Veggie Tray with Spinach Dip
Ritz Crackers with Cheese Ball
Blueberry Muffins (for breakfast!)
Red Jello Salad
Green Jello Salad
Cranberries
Fresh French Bread or Rhodes Rolls
Cream Soda
Pumpkin Pie

Turkey by Alton Brown

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock (16 cups)
1 TBSP black peppercorns
1/2 TBSP allspice berries
1/2 TBSP candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 sage leaves
Canola oil

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey (with insides removed) breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 to 8 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

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 canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Stuffing

I use Stovetop

Mashed Potatoes

4 pounds golden creamer potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Put the potatoes into a large pot, add the bay leaf, 2 tablespoons salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain them well and remove the bay leaf. Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan. Put the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. Add the hot cream and season with salt and pepper. Mix together with a spoon and add the chives.

Gravy

Turkey drippings
Water
Knorr chicken bullion cubes
Cornstarch

Add 2-4 cups of water and bullion cubes Turkey drippings. Follow guidelines on box to add correct amount of bullion cubes for 2-4 cups of water. Heat to boiling over stove and then slowly add cornstarch and water mixture (see below). Use whisk to beat. Keep stirring and adding cornstarch & water mixture until desired consistency is reached. Makes great no lumps gravy.

Cornstarch Mixture

1/2 cup COLD water
2-3 heaping TBSP cornstarch

Stir with a fork until mixed thoroughly.

Green Bean Casserole

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans (or 2 cans)
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Mix soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir, Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes more.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe.

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

1 medium cauliflower
2 cups milk
8 oz Velveeta cheese
1 TBSP butter

Take off leaves, core cauliflower and wash in cold water. Put in a microwave safe bowl with 1 TBSP water. Cover TIGHTLY with food grade plastic wrap and cook for 5-7 minutes depending on the size of the cauliflower. Let set in microwave for 10 more minutes to finish cooking.

To make the cheese sauce, cook milk, cheese and butter over medium low heat until melted. Add cornstarch mixture (see below) to hot cheese sauce until thickened.

Pour cheese sauce over cauliflower and serve.

Cornstarch Mixture

1/2 cup COLD milk
2-4 heaping TBSP cornstarch

Stir with a fork until mixed thoroughly.

Pearl Onions

Pearl Onions
2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup half & half
salt and pepper to taste

Peel skins off onions, place in pan with 1 inch of water. Cover pan, bring to boil, then let simmer until tender. Drain water, add butter, cream, salt & pepper. Let butter melt, stir & serve warm. For moms only!! Don't share with kids.

Veggie Tray with Spinach Dip

Baby Carrots
Olives
Sliced Celery or Green Bell Pepper

Knorr Spinach Dip

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
1 (4 oz) pkg Knorr vegetable recipe mix
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped

Squeeze spinach until dry. In medium bowl, stir together spinach, sour cream and soup mix. Add finely chopped water chestnuts and green onions. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Great with the veggies or the French Bread!

Snowflake Ritz Crackers with Cheese Ball

Usually I buy these store bought. This year I am planning to try a couple from the Galleria Gourmet Cookbook!

Blueberry Muffins with Butter

Muffins are made from a store bought mix. I add fresh blueberries instead of using the ones from the can. These are eaten for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning!

Red Jello Salad

Jello:
1 (3 oz) pkg strawberry Jello
1 cup boiling water
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling

Topping:
1 cup sour cream (approximately)
1/2 bag miniature marshmallows

Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add cherry pie filling. Let set. Mix together sour cream and marshmallows. Spread on top of jello. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Green Jello Salad

1 (6 oz) pkg lime Jello
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice and water
2 pkgs dream whip
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 lb. 4 oz. can crushed pineapple

Pour boiling water over the jello and sugar. Stir and add lemon juice. Then add the pineapple juice and water mixture. Let soft set (about 2 hours in the fridge). Whip dream whip (according to pkg. directions) and then whip the cream cheese into the dream whip. Add crushed pineapple to the Jello, then fold in the dream whip mixture into the Jello. Refrigerate until set. A little harder to make than the Red Jello, but well worth the effort!

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

French Bread or Rhodes Rolls

Store bought

Cream Soda

In bottles of course!

Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 oz) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream, Cool Whip or Ice Cream for topping

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.