Are you hosting a family Thanksgiving at your house this year? Before you break into a sweat wondering what to prepare, don't worry. Writer Kimberly Lainson already has the menu laid out for you.
Thanksgiving Menu:
Roast Turkey
Herb Stuffing
French-Style Green Beans in Mustard Sauce
Spicy Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Individual Pumpkin Pies
Recipes:
Roast Turkey with Herb Stuffing
Set out a shallow roasting pan with rack. If turkey is frozen - thaw
according to directions on package. Clean turkey, rinse, drain and pat
turkey dry with absorbent paper towel. Set aside.
Prepare Herb Stuffing:
Mix: 3/4 cup melted butter, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sage or 1/2 tsp. of thyme, 1/2
tsp. rosemary and 1/2 tsp. marjoram and add 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Lightly toss butter mixture with 2 qt. soft bread cubes, 3/4 cup milk, 1/3
cup chopped celery with leaves and 1/3 cup chopped onion.
Spoon stuffing into neck and body of the turkey just before roasting. Extra stuffing may be placed in greased covered baking dish and baked with turkey the last hour of baking time.
To close body cavity, sew or skewer and lace with cord. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer. Tie drumsticks to tail. Bring wing tips onto back. Brush skin thoroughly with olive oil. The olive oil will help seal the skin and give it a golden brown look when cooked.
Roast uncovered at 325°F for 4 to 4 1/2 hours (12 to 12 lb turkey). The turkey is done when the temperature on your meat thermometer shows 190°F. If your turkey starts to get too golden - place an oil moistened piece of cheesecloth over the turkey and keep basting the cloth with the juices on the bottom of the pan. You should baste your turkey several times during the cooking process whether you use the cloth or not.
After the turkey is done - remove from oven and let stand 30 to 40 minutes before serving. This allows the turkey to absorb its juices and become easier to carve. This also allows time to prepare gravy and garnishes. Place your turkey on a platter and garnish with parsley and spicy cranberry sauce.
French-Style Green Beans in Mustard Sauce
Wash and break off ends of fresh green beans. Cut lengthwise into fine
strips. 1 1/2 lbs. (about 5 cups) green beans.
For Mustard Sauce - scald 3/4 cup cream or undiluted evaporated milk. Stir 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tbs. dry mustard, 2 tsp. cornstarch and 1/2 tsp salt. Add gradually the scalded milk; stir constantly.
Stirring gently and constantly, bring to a rapid boil over direct heat and cook for 3 minutes. Pour into double boiler top and place over simmering water.
Cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove cover and vigorously stir about 3 tbs. of hot mixture into one egg yolk slightly beaten.
Immediately blend into mixture in double boiler. Cook over simmering water for three to five minutes. Stir slowly and keep mixture cooking evenly.
Remove from heat. Add gradually, stirring in 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Put beans into hot serving dish. pour sauce over beans and serve immediately. Serves 4 or 5.
Spicy Cranberry Sauce
Combine in a small saucepan and heat to boiling - 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water,
1 3-in. piece cinnamon stick and 1/2 tsp salt. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes.
Add 2 cups (about 1/2 lb.) cranberries, washed and sorted. Continue to boil
uncovered without stirring, about 5 min. or until skins pop open. Cool and
remove cinnamon stick. Serve with meat or poultry.
Mashed Potatoes
Cube and boil potatoes - my rule of thumb is on1 potato for each person and
1 or 2 for the pot depending on many people.
Cook until tender and a fork goes through the potato easily. Drain and put back into your pot. Slice butter into pats and add/mix until you get the desired consistency. For creamier mashed potatoes add a little mayonnaise to taste.
Gravy
Make a roué by adding flour to a small amount of milk. Wisk until
thoroughly blended. Add roué to your pan with juice from your meat. Cook
for a few minutes stirring consistently. Add milk slowly to your pan while
stirring, and cook until thickened.
Individual Pumpkin Pies
For those who prefer a light-colored, delicately spiced pumpkin pie then you
must try these. You can purchase little pie or tart shells or make your own crust and put
into 4-inch pie/tart pans.
Pastry Crust - one 8 or 9 inch pie
Mix flour and salt and cut in shortening with pastry blender or two knives until pieces are size of small peas. Sprinkle gradually over mixture a teaspoon at a time the 2 1/2 tbs. cold water. Mix lightly with a fork after each addition. Add only enough water to hold pastry together.
Work quickly and do not over handle. Shape into a ball and flatten on a lightly floured surface. Roll from center to edge into a round about 1/8 inches thick and about one inch larger than overall size of pan. With knife or spatula, loosen pastry from surface wherever sticking occurs; lift pastry slightly and sprinkle flour underneath.
Loosen one-half from board with spatula and fold over other half. Loosen remaining part and fold in quarters. Gently lay in pan and unfold pastry, fitting it to the pan so that it is not stretched.
Trim edge with scissors or sharp knife to overlap 1/2 in. fold extra pastry under at edge and press edges together with a fork or flute. Thoroughly prick bottom and sides of shell with a fork. Omit pricking if filling is to be baked in shell.
NOTE: Do not bake if you are making the below recipe - just put shells into refrigerator.
Bake at 450°F for 10 to 15 min. or until crust is light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack.
Save left over crust or make extra and roll out and cut with a cookie cutter and place on top of your pie for a festive look.
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Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Combine 2 cups canned pumpkin, 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar and a
mixture of the following: 1 tsp mace, 3/4 tsp ginger, 3/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2
tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt. Combine and add to pumpkin mixture, mixing
until smooth the following 2 eggs slightly beaten, 1 cup cream and 1 cup
milk.
Remove pastry from refrigerator. pour about 1/2 cup filling into each pastry shell. Sprinkle tops with nutmeg and add your cookie cutter cut out shape of crust to top. Bake at 450°F for 10 min. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20 min. longer or until silver knife comes out clean when inserted halfway between center and edge.
Remove pies from oven and cool on cooling rack. Pipe whipped cream around center decoration in pie and sprinkle with autumn leave candy confetti just before serving.
Links, information and more for you
About the author: Kimberly Lainson is the daughter part of a mother and daughter team who own and operate The PartyWorks, a fun, colorful online party store with designs specializing in kid's birthday parties, bridal and baby showers and general entertainment and offer pre-packaged discounted parties. They continually add to the valuable information offered to all visitors which includes free kids party games, patterns for theme cakes, shower games, recipes, and more. Kids as well as parents enjoy surfing through their site.
