I have a huge document with menus, utensils needed, timing, etc if you need it (I need to find it)! Here's the plan for this year:
Apps (starting at 12 noon, we usually eat at 6 pm) Stuffed mushrooms Cheese plate Veggies with BLT dip Spiced nuts Marinated olives Cranberry sparkling sangria
Main meal Turkey (I brine and cover with a cheese cloth that has been soaked in reisling and butter) Mashed potatoes Gravy (brown and white) Butternut squash gratin (amazing; roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, and leeks) Cornbread dressing Roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and pomegrante balsamic glaze Jalapeno corn creme brulee Green beans (prepared very basic for the kids) Cranberry orange sauce Yeast rolls Pinot noir (still haven't picked which one) Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc
Dessserts Caramel apple crisp with homemade sea salt vanilla ice cream Pumpkin pie Some sort of nut/chocolate dessert TBD
Post by chickadee77 on Nov 12, 2012 9:02:48 GMT -5
I don't care for traditional stuffing, either. Last year I did Savannah Seafood Stuffing from Allrecipes.com and it was a hit with everyone. In addition, I do
Veggies, cheese, sausage, crackers, shrimp, cocktail sauce for apps Turkey Sweet potato casserole (family recipe of H's, the kind with cranberries and marshmallows on top) Mashed potatoes Gravy Green bean bundles (another of H's family recipes involving wrapping beans in bacon) Steamed corn, carrots, peas (because I can't bear that everything else is BROWN!) Dinner rolls
Dessert is pie, typically pumpkin and key lime, and if MIL feels like it, chess pie.
Depending on who is with us, I'll add items if I know they're a favorite. For example, my dad loves yams, my SILis vegetarian, so I've done a meatless lasagna for her that others enjoyed as a side, etc.
I've been doing full-blown T-day dinner since 18 (with a few years' break when H's mom was cooking for everyone - but that was potluck, too) so I've got a pretty good handle on what goes over well with our crews, lol.
I have a huge document with menus, utensils needed, timing, etc if you need it (I need to find it)! Here's the plan for this year:
Apps (starting at 12 noon, we usually eat at 6 pm) Stuffed mushrooms Cheese plate Veggies with BLT dip Spiced nuts Marinated olives Cranberry sparkling sangria
Main meal Turkey (I brine and cover with a cheese cloth that has been soaked in reisling and butter) Mashed potatoes Gravy (brown and white) Butternut squash gratin (amazing; roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, and leeks) Cornbread dressing Roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and pomegrante balsamic glaze Jalapeno corn creme brulee Green beans (prepared very basic for the kids) Cranberry orange sauce Yeast rolls Pinot noir (still haven't picked which one) Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc
Dessserts Caramel apple crisp with homemade sea salt vanilla ice cream Pumpkin pie Some sort of nut/chocolate dessert TBD
Desserts
OMG - if you find the document, could you pm it to me? I basically want all of the recipes!
Still undecided on a green veg but probably some kind of Brussels sprouts dish. And some kind of cranberry sauce.
Dessert - leaning towards pumpkin pie. I may try a shortbread crust to mix it up a little bit.
If you want a cocktail, I made this recently at a party. It was absolutely fantastic. Not too sweet, and just boozy enough that you feel like you are drinking a cocktail but not so boozy that you have to stop at one.
I have a huge document with menus, utensils needed, timing, etc if you need it (I need to find it)! Here's the plan for this year:
Apps (starting at 12 noon, we usually eat at 6 pm) Stuffed mushrooms Cheese plate Veggies with BLT dip Spiced nuts Marinated olives Cranberry sparkling sangria
Main meal Turkey (I brine and cover with a cheese cloth that has been soaked in reisling and butter) Mashed potatoes Gravy (brown and white) Butternut squash gratin (amazing; roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, and leeks) Cornbread dressing Roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and pomegrante balsamic glaze Jalapeno corn creme brulee Green beans (prepared very basic for the kids) Cranberry orange sauce Yeast rolls Pinot noir (still haven't picked which one) Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc
Dessserts Caramel apple crisp with homemade sea salt vanilla ice cream Pumpkin pie Some sort of nut/chocolate dessert TBD
Desserts
OMG - if you find the document, could you pm it to me? I basically want all of the recipes!
I'm not making it this year but this is usually my menu with some variations:
Appetizers: Roasted nuts with herbs Baked brie with apple compote Relish tray
Brined turkey roasted with butter on it (it browns the skin) Mashed potatoes with mucho butter, S/P Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows and maple syrup Cranberry/orange sauce Sausage & herb stuffing Vegetable Tian (Ina Garten) or Fall garden salad (cranberries, goat cheese, almonds, pear/champagne vinegarette) Yeast rolls with compound herb and honey/cinnamon butters Pumpkin & Pecan Pies with pear caramel ice cream
It's nothing fancy. I like enhancing "classic" dishes with fun flavors. That's as exciting as I get.
I have a huge document with menus, utensils needed, timing, etc if you need it (I need to find it)! Here's the plan for this year:
Apps (starting at 12 noon, we usually eat at 6 pm) Stuffed mushrooms Cheese plate Veggies with BLT dip Spiced nuts Marinated olives Cranberry sparkling sangria
Main meal Turkey (I brine and cover with a cheese cloth that has been soaked in reisling and butter) Mashed potatoes Gravy (brown and white) Butternut squash gratin (amazing; roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, and leeks) Cornbread dressing Roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and pomegrante balsamic glaze Jalapeno corn creme brulee Green beans (prepared very basic for the kids) Cranberry orange sauce Yeast rolls Pinot noir (still haven't picked which one) Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc
Dessserts Caramel apple crisp with homemade sea salt vanilla ice cream Pumpkin pie Some sort of nut/chocolate dessert TBD
Desserts
I need to get my spreadsheet out, check the times and be sure they are accurate for this year too! Glad you mentioned it!
Post by megalicious on Nov 12, 2012 14:07:14 GMT -5
It'll just be us and DD (who will likely only eat yogurt anyway). We're meatless, so this is the plan:
Standards: -Mashed potatoes -rolls -sweet potato casserole (the standard canned yams, brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows) -green bean casserole -pumpkin pie -apple pie -pumpkin cookies
IMO, the side dishes are really the best part, so H eats the entire sweet potato casserole, I eat the entire green bean casserole, and we split the potatoes and rolls. We'll see how the lentil loaf comes out!
I've started making Martha Stewart's Bourbon Glazed Sweet Potatoes at Thanksgiving. My DH, who generally doesn't like sweet potatoes, loves these. They are really, really good.
I don't really use a recipe for this. I use some champagne (usually an asti or at least something semi-sweet, no brut). For each bottle I use about 1/2 cup of triple sec, some sparkling cranberry juice/water, and a bag of cranberries that I freeze.
Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta and Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients Brussel sprouts, 1 to 1 ½ lbs Olive oil, 2 tbsp Butter, 2 tbsp Garlic, 2 cloves crushed Shallots, 1 to 2 minced Pancetta, 4 oz White wine Pomegrante juice, ¾ cup Balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup Cornstarch, 2 tsp Brown sugar, 2 tsp Brown mustard, 2 tbsp Thyme, ½ tbsp fresh Salt and pepper
Equipment Sauté pan Baking sheet with silpat Oval covered baker for serving
Instructions Clean and half brussel sprouts. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 40 min at 400oF.
Melt butter in sauté pan, add pancetta and cook until brown. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until tender. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add pomegranate juice, vinegar, cornstarch, brown sugar, mustard, and thyme. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced.
Place brussel sprouts in serving dish. Toss with pancetta mixture.
Timeline - Wednesday evening: prep brussel sprouts - Thursday morning: make glaze, keep at room temperature - Thursday afternoon: roast sprouts while turkey is resting
Butternut Squash Gratin (I'd recommend making a double batch of this)
Ingredients Butternut squash, 8 cups cubed (3 ½ lbs) Olive oil Kosher salt Butter, ½ stick Leeks, 3 cups sliced Sage, 1 ½ tsp chopped Goat cheese, 5 ½ ounces Whipping cream, 1 cup Panko bread crumbs Parmesan cheese
Equipment Baking sheet Medium white dish
Instructions Preheat oven to 400°F. Place butternut squash cubes and olive oil in large bowl; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and ground pepper and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until just tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and chopped sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Coat 11x7-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread half of leek mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of squash and half of cheese. Repeat layering with leeks, squash, and cheese. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour cream evenly over gratin. Bake uncovered until gratin is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if previously chilled).
Timeline - Tuesday evening: roast squash - Wednesday morning/evening: prepare gratin - Thursday: remove from fridge 1-2 hours before turkey is finished. Bake in oven while turkey is resting.