Thanksgiving 2016

MENU:

Appetizers:
Deviled Eggs
Balsamic Poached Pear Crustini

Dinner:
Roasted Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Candied Yams
Sage Sausage Dressing
Baked Beans
Butternut Squash and Kale Salad
Roasted Corn on the Cob
Cranberry Mousse
Rolls (see bread recipe page)

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie
Dutch Apple Pie

TUESDAY:

Prep:

1. Chop herbs, onions, celery, and carrots for stuffing/dressing.
2. Make Rolls (see bread recipes)
3. Make Strawberry Jello for cranberry mousse - use directions on  box, but subsititute cranberry juice for cold water.
4. Make Pie Crust

 Flaky Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

8 tbsp butter

6 tbsp Crisco shortening

1 tbsp white vinegar

2 tbsp - 1/4 cup water

Using a fork or a pastry blender, mix butter, shortening, salt, and flour together until it looks like small beads. Add vinegar and 2 tbsp water and mix until dough forms. If it is too dry to mix add water, a tbsp at a time until it comes together. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 20 minutes (can be refrigerated for up to 3 days). After resting, roll out into 2 circles for your pie.

WED - DAY BEFORE

Make Deviled Eggs, see recipe link above

Roast Squash

Poach Pears

Roast Yams/Sweet Potatoes and Squash 2 pounds sweet potatoes. peel and cube. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake on a sheet pan at 350F for 20 minutes (they will finish baking day of). Refrigerate for thanksgiving.

Baked Beans: 2 (11 oz) pork and beans. 1/4 cup ketchup. 1 tbsp deli style brown mustard, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp maple syrup. Mix together. Cook on stove top day of for 15-30 minutes, or until desired thickness is reached. Put into oven (or microwave) safe casserole dish.

Pumpkin Pie: 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pie mix/filling), 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix. Pour into uncooked pie crust. Bake 350F until set, about 40 minutes. Cool, cover and refrigerate until day of.

Dutch Apple Pie

DAY OF (in order):

Roast Turkey
1 bone-in turkey (or bone-in turkey breast)
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut into 3 chunks
1 celery stlak with leaves, cut into chunks
3 bay leaves
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp Seasoning Salt (such as Johnny's)
1 tsp dried ground sage
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp butter or oil
for gravy: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp AP flour, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix Seasoning salt, sage, paprika and pepper together, set aside. Rinse and pat dry turkey. Gently seperate skin from breast meat, so you can rub 1 tbsp butter and half the seasoning on the meat. Rub the skin with the other 1 tbsp butter and remainder of seasoning. Place the onion, carrot, celery, 1 bay leave, garlic in the cavity. In a large roasting pan with a bottom tray, pour in the water. But the 2 bay leaves in the water. Place the turkey breast up on the rack in the pan. Cover (if the pan does not have a lid, use a foil "tent"). Bake at 325F for 20 minutes per pound. For the last 30 minutes, heat the oven to 425F and take of the cover to brown the skin, basting once. Thickest part of the turkey should reach 170F when done. Remove and discard veggies.
For gravy: in a bowl, mix butter and flour. Use drippings from pan, pour into sauce pot. Whisk in butter mixture. Boil on high heat until it's desired thickness is reached.

Assemble appetizer: crustini on bottom, smear of goat cheese or brie, slice of poached pear on top. 

Sage, Sausage, and Apple Dressing

1 stick butter, unsalted

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 large stocks celery

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 pound Italian bulk sausage

2 garlic cloves, pressed

3 tsp poultry seasoning

4 tsp dried sage

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 tsp dried thyme

24 oz toasted/dry bread cubes

1 1/2 - 2 cups (1 pint) vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions, celery, garlic, apples, and sausage, breaking up the sausage as you cook. When sausage is done add the seasonings and walnuts. Add the bread and moisten with the vegetable stock, add a little at a time stirring continuously, until all bread is moistened. Season stuffing with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place into a buttered casserole dish and bake (at same temp as turkey) for 35-45 minutes, or until top is browned.

Roast Corn

Mashed Potatoes
4 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp salt and pepper
Boil potatoes in a large stock pan until tender, do not over cook. Mash with potato masher or a ricer keep in pan. Add butter cream and salt and pepper. Mix over low heat until butter is melted and everything is incorporated. Serve in a serving bowl immediately. 

Candied Sweet Potatoes

sweet potatoes (roasted previously)

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dish

1 (10 1/2-ounce) bag mini marshmallows

Directions

Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter. 

Spread sweet potatoes out in the 13X9 dish. Sprinkle with salt, butter and sugar. Then top with marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are golden, about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Heat baked beans in microwave ( 5 minutes) or oven (20 minutes)

Make Whipped Cream refrigerate until dessert time.

Warm rolls in oven, until warm, about 10 minutes.