>Thankgiving Menu Secrets REVEALED
>If there’s one thing I love, it’s Thanksgiving.
The funny thing is, I used to despise it as a kid because I never really liked any of the traditional Thanksgiving foods. And I really didn’t like having to get all dressed up to eat them. And I really, really didn’t like having to clear and rinse all the dishes afterward.
As an adult, I’ve changed all that. Ever since discovering when I married Hubs that I love to cook, Thanksgiving has become my own personal Olympics. Over the years, I’ve found some absolutely fantastic recipes, and I always try one or two new ones, too. I’m putting together my menu for this year and I figured, why not make it a collaborative thing? I can share some of my favorite recipes with you and you can share yours with the rest of us. So without further adieu, here are my Thanksgiving secrets…
My main secret is that I don’t do my own turkey. I mean, I could and I have, but with a New Orleanian in town who does the best Cajun-infused deep fried turkey you’ve ever put in your mouth, why should I do it myself? Ordering a turkey means I have full use of my oven, allowing me to concentrate on some mouth-watering sides.
The one must-have side I do each year is Sausage and Wild Mushroom Stuffing. If you love mushrooms, then this is a showstopper. It is decadent and it is delectable and it is guaranteed to overshadow everything else on the table.
I am planning to do these easy homemade yeast rolls, as well. Impress everyone with your own homemade bread!
And of course, you have to have homemade cranberry sauce. This recipe is my personal favorite.
Other delectable options I’ve done in the past and may do again… A Cranberry Apple Casserole that kids (and adults) will love and Party Potatoes, which are basically the best mashed potatoes you can possibly imagine.
Of course, you need a vegetable. You can’t go wrong with this simple Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews recipe– It’s the only broccoli dish I actually crave sometimes in the middle of the night. From my mother-in-law, there’s this super easy and simply incredible Creamed Corn recipe– It’s my girls’ favorite dish that their grandmother makes, and she is an excellent cook.
For dessert, how about Hummingbird Cake? You will put everyone else to shame if you bring this to the table. Seriously, it’s the best cake recipe I’ve found, and people I’ve made a lot of cakes.
And what do you do with all that leftover turkey? Try a delicious Turkey Tettrazini and my mother-in-law’s absolutely FABULOUS Turkey Continental Soup (and I am not a big soup eater, so this is saying a lot).
And these are my options so far. But I want to hear what you have to offer. Post your own favorite Thanksgiving recipe on your blog or give me a link where I can find it and I’ll post all of your links below. Come on, everyone! Let’s make this the most delicious Thanksgiving ever!
- Nicole will be making Whole Roasted Turkey with Citrus Rosemary Salt. She says: “It’s really juicy and not salty at all.”
- Felicity has this brussels sprout recommendation: “I get them fresh, wash and cut them in two, or quarter them. I prefer the smaller ones anyway, so if they’re about 1″ diameter… anyway you get the point. Then I pan fry them in butter, garlic salt, and lemon juice until they are soft, but still have a bit of crunch to them. They actually taste good!”
- Michelle is making Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Bars. She writes, “Believe me, you will LOVE these (everyone at my office did).”
- McKenzie uses this recipe for Emeril Lagasse’s Brined Whole Turkey every year. She writes that it’s, “A bit on the salty side, but simply to die for!”
- Sarah is making these Apple Cider Donuts on Thanksgiving morning. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
- Susie is posting the recipes for her entire Thanksgiving menu every Monday. Here’s a full listing. It includes a homemade apple pie recipe. YUM.
- “Anonymous” recommends the Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Pecans (and bourbon!) from Cook’s Illustrated. You’ll have to sign up for a trial membership to get the recipe, but Anonymous swears it’s worth it.
- Amalia recommends her grandmother’s apple pie recipe. She says, “It’s phenomenal!”
- Dimberly loves this Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake. She writes, “I’ve even made the cheesecake batter and driven up 900 miles with it in a cooler at Christmas, so I could make it again at my mother-in-laws house. It got rave reviews and I’m still asked to make it again.”
- Kelli writes, “For any family function, I always make hashbrown casserole, but not just any hashbrown casserole…the one from Loveless.” That would be the Loveless Cafe, y’all, which makes some of the best food I’ve ever put in my mouth. I think I might be making this one for Thanksgiving now!
- Daisy shares this cool pumpkin recipe from Trader Joe’s.
- Caroline shares her entire Thanksgiving menu here, complete with recipes!
>You must be talking about Bro’s!! OMG, I can’t WAIT to get my turkey!!!! Of course, I still have to cook one (I’ll put my most awesome turkey recipe on here) because we’ll have a bazillion people here this year….
>DEFINITELY Bro’s! One year, Hubs went to pick up our turkey and one of their deep fryers had broken- There was a mob waiting of angry customers and some people DIDN’T GET THEIR TURKEYS. Can you even imagine?!
>I would have died! I LOVE Bro’s. I may get some Gumbo to serve too. We have a pretty traditional menu but I like to spice it up when I can. My favorite turkey recipe is Roasted turkey with Citrus Rosemary Salt. It’s really juicy and not salty at all. I got it from Michael Chiarello http://tinyurl.com/citrusturkey
>when I was a kid, brussel sprouts were like little cabbages from hell! Now I get them fresh, wash and cut them in two, or quarter them. I prefer the smaller ones anyway, so if they’re about 1″ diameter… anyway you get the point. Then I pan fry them in butter, garlic salt, and lemon juice until they are soft, but still have a bit of crunch to them. They actually taste good!
>These are my new favorite pumpkin incarnation that counts as a full-fledged dessert (I make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, too, but reserve those for everyday baking). I haven’t debuted them at Thanksgiving yet, but plan to take them to the new in-laws’ for Thanksgiving, even making a non-chocolate version for my father-in-law who can’t have chocolate.Ta da! Chocolate pumpkin pie bars. Believe me, you will LOVE these (everyone at my office did)http://bakingbites.com/2008/10/chocolate-pumpkin-pie-bars/
>I am sooo excited! I have never hosted Thanksgiving before (and have never been asked to bring anything other than the bread) so all your ideas are going to make me look so good! Thank you thank you thank you!
>Hi! I also love making new things (or traditional things with a twist) at Thanksgiving.Here’s my menu. I’ll post recipes on my blog by the end of this week, but can I post the website here without being tacky? Let me know. Moroccan turkey with preserved lemons, saffron, onion, cilantro, and cracked green olivesGravy made with above’s pan drippingsA 150-year-old recipe for cornbread dressing, jazzed up with sausage, lots of fresh sage, and onionCelery root-carrot-sunchoke slaw with creamy dressing and fresh thymeGreen bean cassarole, the only dish to remain untouched at the request of the person who will make itCranberry chutney: cooked down with dried apricots, dark rum, orange zest, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and pecansSpinach-avocado-grapefruit salad with homemade poppy seed dressingPear crisp served with pumpkin pie ice creamMaple coffee from New HampshireI’m hungry reading all these posts.
>Thanksgiving has become one of my favorite holidays as well, and my secret to a delicious turkey with all of the fixins? Go to my SiL’s house. I’ve never eaten a turkey as good as hers. Her mom has moved near by and helps with the cooking, so it’s even better. Plus they won’t let you help with the dishes either, so I basically entertain them while they cook and clean with my witty banter. It’s exhausting really.
>What? There is a New Orleanian in TN making Cajun Turkeys. Damn hurricanes blowing people everywhere! :)We always get a stuffed chicken (with crawfish rice) as a side dish to a turkey. Or you can always go for a Turducken. That is a turkey stuffed with a duck and the chicken. Since it will be just us and the kids, I might just do away with the turkey altogether and just get a stuffed chicken. Happy Eating!!!P.S. You can always fry your own turkey. It is not that hard, but it is usually man’s work around these parts.
>Caroline, that sounds AMAZING. Let me know when you get your recipes up and I’ll link to your blog in this post.
>I’ve made this every year for Thanksgiving since we married in ’02. A bit on the salty side, but simply to die for! http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/brinedwholeturkey.shtml
>I haven’t even started thinking about this year’s menu, so thanks. I LOVE the traditional Thanksgiving food though. I save the adventure for my regular weekly cooking.;)BUT, I can tell you that I’ll be making apple cider. And here’s what I will be making Thanksgiving morning:Apple Cider Donuts!http://kingdomtwindom.blogspot.com/2008/10/foody-friday_10.html
>I’m definitely going to try the sausage and wild mushroom stuffing – that sounds delicious!
>This is my Thanksgiving Menu:http://susieshomemade.blogspot.com/2008/11/thanksgiving-menu.html
>Cook’s Illustrated’s Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Pecans is the besthttp://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=7160You may need to sign up for the free sample membership, but it’s worth it. I make my own cranberry sauce on the stove – just cranberries, water, and sugar. Use the recipe on the bag, but cut back a little on the sugar. Pure cranberry flavor, no weird ingredients.I could go on, but if you buy your turkey, how do you make the gravy? Gravy is key!
>Oh yeah… Gravy. I hate gravy so I um, actually buy a container of it in the deli at the grocery. *hangs head in shame*
>Since my smoke detectors are set for speed dial to the Fire Department (anytime I get within 10 feet of the stove), I reckon I’ll just read some of the great recipes herein and dream, while I eat a bologna sandwich at work that day :(It isn’t so bad; at least it won’t be ingested with a lot of excess smoke…
>Here is a link to my grammie’s apple pie recipe, complete with crust. It’s phenomenal!http://caringforbear.blogspot.com/2008/09/grammie-ruths-apple-pie.html
>The one thing I HAVE to make every Thanksgiving is Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake. It’s truly a fabulous cheesecake, but being pumpkin it’s our Thanksgiving desert now. My kids check throughout the year, “you’re going to make that for Thanksgiving, right? RIGHT?”. I’ve even made the cheesecake batter and driven up 900 miles with it in a cooler at Christmas, so I could make it again at my mother-in-laws house. It got rave reviews and I’m still asked to make it again.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Pumpkin-Cheesecake-108770
>For any family function, I always make hashbrown casserole, but not just any hashbrown casserole…the one from Loveless. And there is never any left. I don’t have a blog, but here’s a link: http://kelliecooks.blogspot.com/2007/08/weekend-brunch-hash-brown-casseroles.html
>I am planning on making this the first time for Thanksgiving because we have been enjoying eating it throughout the fall– it is a delicious pumpkin recipehttp://mangotango328.blogspot.com/2008/10/pumpkin-for-dinner.html
>i know you posted this awhile ago – just wanted to say, the stuffing recipe sounds AWESOME – i’m going to make it today – wish me luck!(i used to hate stuffing until i found out there was such a thing a sausage stuffing …)
>Good luck! I just bought the mushrooms for it this morning. 🙂 If you love mushrooms, it’s a shoo-in.
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