If this is your first time hosting Thanksgiving dinner, I truly hope reading through all of this will inspire you to make you own timetable and plan so you can enjoy the holiday as much as your guests will.
Grammy’s Thanksgiving/Christmas Feast
The Food
Cranberry sauce “in-the-shape-of-a-can”
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Creamed cauliflower
Sweet potatoes
Green bean casserole
Green pear/Jello salad
Rolls
Relish tray
Dessert
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Apple pie
Assorted goodies
Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider
Carol’s cranberry slush punch
Egg nog
TIME TABLE
(or how I saved my sanity and enjoyed learned to enjoy the holidays as hostess.)
THE DAY BEFORE :
SET THE TABLE or at least get all the dishes out you’ll be using. Wash if necessary. Ditto polishing silverware.Don’t forget to have the cutting board ready to go and an electric knife comes in really handy. Plus a meat thermometer.
Roast the sweet potatoes for your recipe.
You can also cook the cauliflower a day early too and the house will smell better.
Make the dishes listed below
Green Jello & Pear Salad
1 large pkg lime jello
1 large can pears
8 oz cream cheese
1 pkg Dream Whip (1 envelope is all you’ll use)
(can add ½ cup nuts but we never do)
Dump Jello in blender.
Boil juice from pears with enough water to make 2 cups, then blend with jello. Cut cream cheese in cubes and blend those in.
In a separate bowl, prepare Dream Whip according to package directions.
Fold in jello mixture and chill in bowl or mold
OPTIONAL--Stasi & Christal like it when the dream whip is not totally mixed leaving white clouds of DW in the jello. Or they used to before they became foodies.
PIES (recipes below—or ask someone to bring them)
POSSIBLY THE DAY BEFORE—not as good usually—or ask someone else to bring these:
Classic Green Bean Casserole
Use the recipe on the onion ring can or...
Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions
Directions: Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
Easy Substitution: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans, drained or about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.
To make without canned soup use this white/mushroom sauce instead
Better-Than-Condensed-Soup White Sauce makes about the same as one 10-oz. can
3 Tablespoons butter 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
3 Tablespoons unbleached flour 1 T. finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, stock or combination
mushroom: saute 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the butter, before adding the flour
- Melt butter in heavy saucepan.
- Saute 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the butter, before adding the flour
- Blend in the flour and salt, cooking until bubbly.
- Stir in your choice of milk, stock or a combination of the two, using a wire whisk to prevent lumps.
- Cook until just smooth and thickened.
ALL INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of fresh green beans
Salt
Fresh Grinder Pepper
18 oz baby portabella mushrooms
2 T Butter
2 T fresh garlic, minced
3 T flour 1 C chicken stock
3 T Dry Sherry
1.5 cup half & half or heavy cream (do not use fat-free – as cream acts as thickener)
1 small can French’s Fried Onions
On DAY of serving, place in a ‘greased’ 6-7 qt Crock Pot in layers 1st the beans - 2nd the soup spread evenly & 3rd about ½ a can of French’s Fried Onions Cook on high 3.5 to 4 hours in Crock (till bubbly and browned a little is great)
The DAY BEFORE MAKE:
BEANS: 2 lbs of fresh green beans, snapped – remove ends – place in crock & cover with water; not more water than necessary to cover beans, stir in 1 T salt, and cook on high 4 hours. Drain (actually drain on paper towel to dry beans well). Place in fridge overnight. Be sure beans to tender!!
SOUP: 18 oz baby portabella mushrooms broken up into large pieces by hand (using knife causes bitterness in mushrooms)
2 T butter
2 T fresh garlic, minced
1 t salt or to taste
Grind fresh pepper or to taste
3 T flour 1. C chicken stock
3 T dry sherry
1.5 cup half & half or heavy cream (do not use fat-free – as cream acts as thickener)
Salt & pepper to taste
Wash mushrooms with cloth, discard stems & break tops into pieces by hand. Melt the butter in skillet till shimmery, (do not brown) add in mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper.
Stirring often, cook 6 Min for mushrooms to soften & exude their liquid.
Now stir in flour and cook 1 more minute.
Pour in chicken stock and sherry & bring to a simmer.
Now add in half & half or cream till sauce thickens (takes about 10 - 15 minutes). Taste to adjust the seasonings.
(To BAKE in Oven - Preheat oven to 425F spread in baking dish according to Crock layering, and bake uncovered till begins to brown on top a little - 45 minutes approx.)
Mom's Apple Pie to End All Apple Pies
Almost exactly the one I use even the same title—my comments in italics. Got it out of the Moline Daily Dispatch years ago.
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. flour I have sometimes omitted
1 tsp. cinnamon
6 large tart apples
(Granny Smith or Rome Beauty, pared, quartered, cored and sliced)
2 tablespoons butter
Topping:
1 c. lightly spooned all-purpose flour I use about 3/4
1 tsp. cinnamon I have sometimes omitted b/c I’m not that crazy about cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
Filling:Combine sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, pressing out any lumps. Add sliced apples and toss well to mix. Fill pastry shell with apples top with butter. (Cut into little pieces.)
Topping: Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Scatter topping thickly over apple filling. Bake in a hot oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust and topping are nicely browned. Cool pie on wire rack. Before cutting, dust with pow
dered sugar if you wish.
1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar (DAD says if you’re using light CS use BROWN sugar and with Dark CS use White sugar)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust. Put a cover around the crust if you have one. If not, buy one.
Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly - it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.
(I actually read today that it’s better to make this the day of while you are preparing the turkey to go in the oven)
Filling:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or use ½ tsp ginger & ½ tsp cloves instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin
Crust:
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury) Cooking spray
Topping:
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Preparation
Position oven rack to lowest position.
Preheat oven to 425°.To prepare filling, combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add pumpkin, and stir with a whisk until smooth.
To prepare crust, roll dough into an 11-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under and flute.
Pour pumpkin mixture into the crust. Place pie plate on a baking sheet. Place baking she
et on lowest oven rack. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove pie from oven); bake an additional 50 minutes or until almost set. Cool completely on wire rack.
To prepare topping, beat cream with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar, and beat until blended. Serve with pie.
Cherry-O Cheese Pie was a favorite for years so I’m including the recipe
1- 9in. crumb crust
1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened at room temp.
1- can sweetened condensed milk (Borden Eagle Brand or other)
1/3 cup lemon juice--( measure accurately)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1- can chilled cherry pie filling. (1-lb. 5 oz.)
In medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk and stir until blended. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Turn into crust. Refrigerate (not freeze) 2 to 3 hours. Garnish with chilled pie filling before serving.
MAKE ON THE DAY OF THE MEAL
Rolls—I like the frozen kind Don’t forget to take them out about 4 hours (or so)to give them time to thaw.
THE TURKEY
TAKE THAT TURKEY OUT of the freezer 4-5 DAYS EARLY! THAW IN THE REFRIGERATOR. For Thanksgiving, that means the turkey should be in the FRIG BY SATURDAY.
Turkeys are easy! Don't be intimidated by that big, old bird. Buy a Reynold’s Oven Bag sized for large enough for your turkey. Stuff and follow directions on the oven bag package. This greatly reduces cooking time and keeps the turkey juicy.
DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE THE LITTLE PAPER WRAPPED PACKAGES OUT OF THE NECK AND THE TAIL OF THE TURKEY, otherwise know as the gizzard, liver, heart, neck etc. (although some very great cooks I know have made that mistake including me and several relatives. And if you do, don't worry, the turkey will be fine anyway.)
Stuffing
I like Kellogg’s stuffing cubes (it’s not a mix) I use the recipe on the bag PLUS make corn bread and add it to the crumbs.
ALAS !!! after I wrote the above I found out Kellogg’s has discontinued Croutettes! The last they made was Sept. 2010 so no Croutettes! I was able to find the recipe online tho and I noticed it has about 2X as much butter which is probably why it is the best.
I use mostly Petridge Farms of all varieties. The corn bread stuffing from them is good too, but I still add corn bread. Use lots of butter and extra chicken broth to keep the stuffing moist. It should be gooey when you finish.
Recipe for Stuffing, Shirley/Gail Style
Make your own cornbread—don’t use sugar in it!! Yuk! (8x8 pan)
And notice the amounts depend on how big the turkey is!!
Also where it says use “packages of Kelloggs,” just use whatever you’ve got in the given proportions. Keep adding MELTED butter, or hot chicken stock if it's not VERY mushy. Very mushy going in means moist stuffing coming out.
The recipie from Croutettes® Stuffing (9-11 lbs.turkey) (Kelloggs Crouttes Discont’d Sept 2010) but the recipe is still my favorite. This year, I think I may try putting it in muffins tins to cook. It will cook faster PLUS more yummy, crunchy stuffing.
Ingredients
1 1/2 packages Kellogg's® Stuffing Mix ( or bags
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup butter or margarine (I use butter, Mom used marg)
1 1/2 cups hot chicken broth (Mom used water, broth is better. I add as needed to have really moist stuffing)
Directions
1. Pour Kellogg's® Stuffing Mix into large mixing bowl.
2. Cook celery and onions in butter until tender. Add mixture to stuffing mix while tossing gently. Stir lightly while adding hot chicken broth.
Note If desired, omit celery and onions. Mix melted butter with stuffing mix before adding chicken broth. BUT IT WON'T TASTE AS GOOD.
Amount of broth may be varied depending on preference for fluffy or more moist stuffing.
12-15 lb Turkey
2 packages (6 oz. each) Kellogg's® Stuffing Mix
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups hot chicken broth
6-8 lbs turkey
1 package (6 oz.) Kellogg's® Stuffing Mix
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup hot chicken broth
Creamed Cauliflower
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sppper
4 Tbls. butter
This is what I used for Creamed Cauliflower. Cut up and cook the cauliflower first in the microwave or steam on the stove. Then put in a sauce pan and follow directions above.
Blues Clues Thankful Sweet Potato Treat (about 2007?found online -it’s very good!)
DOUBLE THIS RECIPE(you’ll need to at least double this recipe or at least double the potatoes and half again the other stuff)
2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
6 TBS. butter, melted, divided in two
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ tsp. salt
12 ginger cookies, finely crushed (Aldi has good ones—I use the food
processor to crush)
½ cup chopped pecans (I leave out, sigh)
3 tsp brown sugar
*Florence Mama’s Candied Yams (2010 from BHG read while at Chriro office wa iting)a family recipe passed down to Chef Tyler Florence from his late grandmother. I thought it looked better than it tasted)
Makes 8 to 10 servings + leftovers.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 cinnamon sticks
1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In an ungreased 2-quart baking dish place sweet potato slices, overlapping slightly and covering the dish. In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then add the orange slices. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, covering the entire surface.
Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake 40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until top is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 8 to 10 servings + leftovers.
*Bourbon Sweet Potatoes from Martha S.
Serves 8
- 3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
- 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange sweet potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add sugar and bourbon and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and glazed, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, tossing every 30 minutes. Stir in butter before serving.
Relish tray—
I like watermelon pickles, Josiah likes Tiny Little Midgets sweet pickles, olives, cream cheese stuffed celery, spiced apple rings or peaches.
Rolls--
put in about 30 minutes before dinner is served
I'm including my Christmas morning brunch, too. It's easy and very yummy.
Easter Egg B’fast Casserole
Butter Braid (these are in the freezer section of the store and are made in Iowa. Cream Cheese is the best. You take it out the night before and leave it in the oven all night to rise, then bake it when everyone is up)
OR coffee cake or rolls
Fresh Fruit – melon, strawberries, oranges
Orange juice
Coffee
Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole
I typically make this on Christmas Eve, when the kitchen is finally quiet again and most of the mess from Christmas Eve dinner is cleared away. In other words, I've made it as late as 11:30PM or 12 midnight. It's a nice ending for evening.
6 slices buttered white bread, cut in fourths (Aunt Dorothy Baird liked to trim the crusts-I usually don't butter the bread. I've also use wheat bread, but it changes the taste to be sweeter. White works better)
2 Cups grated cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 Cups milk
(1/2 pound of Jimmy Dean sausage, crumbled and browned, if desired- this is my own addition. It's fine without the sausage)
In a buttered 9x13 casserole pan, spread a layer of bread slices , then a layer of cheese, alternating until all are used up. (Usually I just put in the bread, then the cheese and skip trying to alternate them)
Mix the beaten eggs and milk with the seasonings a bit and pour it over the bread and cheese. Let stand a few minutes to overnight in the frig.
When ready to bake, sprinkle the cooked sausage on the top.
Then bake @350 degrees for 45 minutes. ( I usually let it stand overnight in the frig.)
Easy Overnight Rolls
1 Pkg. frozen dinner rolls (24 Rhodes dinner rolls)
Spread out in a greased 9X13 pan.
1 4 oz. box regular (not instant) butterscotch pudding mix, dry
1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
Mix and sprinkle over dough balls.
Dot with 3-4 Tablespoons butter (You could add nuts if your kids won’t complain)
Set pan of dough balls in cold oven before going to bed. In the morning turn oven to 350 and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn onto platter as soon as taken from the oven. There now, wasn't that easy? Gail Smith
Banana Fruit Slush (we don’t usually have this but it was a Ladies Handbell Tradition))
6 cups cold water
4 cups sugar
1 12 oz. frozen orange juice, mixed with water as directed
1 6 oz. can frozen lemonade, undiluted (this is hard to find, so I usually just cut a 12 oz. in half and make lemonade with the leftover.)
1 46 oz. can unsweetend pineapple juice
6 bananas blended until soupy
Boil water and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
Combine juices with sugar syrup and freeze. You can keep and eye on it and take it out of the freezer when it's slushy or freeze 'till firm and then take it out ahead of time to thaw a little. BE SURE TO STIR when you remove it from the freezer to make sure of the consistency.
I usually pour into two plastic buckets to freeze. It is wonderfully refreshing!
