Thanksgiving Menu



So, what's everyone making for Thanksgiving??  I've been trying to decide what to make for the past two weeks.  I never have trouble coming up with enough dishes to make.  My issue is paring it down.  I love to go BIG!!  If it were up to me, I'd have a huge table covered with 20 different dishes.  But, in a smallish Brooklyn apartment, this simply is not feasible.

At the same time, this was one of my mom's favorite holidays.  Since losing her in 2000, I do my best to remember her by making dishes she used to make when my brother and I were kids.  My menu has become a mix of those recipes, plus a few of my own I've grown to love over the years. 

So, after much consideration, this will be Thanksgiving 2010's menu at our home!

• Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
• Cornbread Stuffing
• Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes w/ Turkey Gravy
• Baked Mac n Cheese
• Green Bean Casserole
• Cranberry Sauce
• Pumpkin Tiramisu
• Dinner Rolls

Here are the recipes for each.  I will post my actual pics of each item once I make them on Thanksgiving. 

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

• 1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
• About 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter, semi-melted (or do half butter half bacon grease)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, butter (or butter/bacon grease mixture), and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat (under the skin). Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil.

When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey or use drippings to make a gravy.

(Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker and Ina Garten.)

Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

• Cornbread, recipe follows
• A few slices of cooked bacon chopped
• 7 slices oven-dried white bread
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
• 5 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines; set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning (if using). Add the bacon.  Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Cornbread:

• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.  (I typically will make this a day ahead or that morning.)

(Recipe adapted from Paula Dean and my PawPaw.)




Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• Olive oil
• 2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered
• Few quarts of chicken stock or water (enough to cover potatoes to boil)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Handful or two of shredded cheddar or american cheese (optional, but gives it a great texture)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Drizzle head with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the cloves and mash with a wooden spoon.

Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water (I like to boil mine in chicken stock to give it added flavor, but that's optional). Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Meanwhile heat butter and cream until butter melts. Add the roasted garlic and potatoes and mash all together.  If you're going to add the cheese, do it now and stir.  Cover and let sit for a few minutes and mix again.

Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Since potatoes cool quickly, I try to let this be one of the last things I make when orchestrating the meal  (:


Baked Mac n Cheese...  Since this is the best thing I make, I'm going to wait and post this tomorrow and let it have a post all its own.  It's really THAT good!

Green Bean Casserole

My family has always used the recipe on the back of the French's Fried Onion can.  I don't care what anyone says, it's the best!

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can CAMPBELL'S® Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 2 (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed*
• 1 1/3 cups FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

Directions:

MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.

BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.

STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

Cranberry Sauce...  This is something that I will forever prefer straight out of the can in gelled format.  I don't care if I can still see the can ridges in the sides of the sauce as it comes out in a plop.  It reminds me of childhood.  And I personally think it tastes better than any homemade cranberry sauce I've tried.  For me, it's all about the texture.

Refrigerator Rolls

I like to make these the night before.  The less I have to do the day of, the better!

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside to proof.

In another bowl, mix together sugar, salt, shortening, and egg with an electric mixer at low speed. Add mixture to yeast, and stir in flour. The last 3 cups of flour will have to be mixed in by hand.

Cover dough with a damp cloth, and place in refrigerator. Punch down occasionally as dough rises. You can leave dough in refrigerator overnight.

Two hours before baking, shape the dough into rolls. Place on greased pans, baking trays or muffin pans. Let rise 2 hours.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Tiramisu recipe was posted on my blog on the 19th.  Please see that post for the recipe.

Please feel free to share your menu plans for Thanksgiving.  I'd love to check them out!