Hello hello! I thought that this week instead of sharing the menu for the whole week I’d give you a glimpse at our big meal for Thursday. I’m a little nervous and somewhat excited to host our first Thanksgiving- what if I’m responsible for the hypothetical Great Turkey Disaster of 2009? Anyway, the best way to deal with nerves is to go in with a game plan, so here is my menu that is planned, plotted, shopped for & ready to go:
Organic turkey that we ordered from a poultry farmer at the Green City Market – we are picking up the 15 pound turkey on Wednesday morning and then immediately sending the gobbler to the spa brining bag filled with Williams-Sonoma traditional turkey brine. 
To accompany Henri (I believe naming the turkey is necessary) I’m making my family’s old tried & true sausage and sage filler- half of it will go in the turkey (the stuffing) and the other half will be baked in a separate dish (the dressing). One of my biggest annoyances is people who call stuffing & dressing by the wrong name(s)- they are two separate dishes with different textures & flavors!!
Of course we are making mashed potatoes (yum!) and I’m making a sweet potato side dish that is topped with teeny tiny marshmallows & toasted pecans – a little throwback to the marshmallow/yam dishes of the years past, but without quite so much goo. I’m also making the family favorite green bean casserole, although I prefer to use French-style canned green beans instead of frozen green beans, along with cream of celery soup instead of cream of mushroom. Me and the casseroles, I find the need to tweak them…. I’m also making a fresh cranberry, orange and mint relish and The Pioneer Woman’s whiskey glazed carrots. There will also be rolls and gravy and butter and probably too much food all around. Finally for dessert I’m making Katie’s pumpkin pie & and a marble swirl cheesecake.
So tell me, what are you having on Thursday?
Marian
November 22nd, 2009
My family’s the most widespread we have ever been this year, with me in DC, Dad/Stepfamily in CA, Bro in AK, and Mom in Albania. So I’ll be at family friends’ place for Thanksgiving this year. The only menu item I’ve heard about is a pumpkin-banana pie, which sounds pretty good!
My preferred Thanksgiving is fairly southern:
Turkey – I prefer white meat, deep fried, but usually end up with dark meat, grilled/baked.
Potatoes – mashed with butter and milk, plus PLENTY of salt and pepper.
Sweet potatoes – souffléd.
Green beans – plain, but then I’m half Yankee… not my fault!
Dressing and stuffing – cornbread/white bread mix and definitely two discrete entities.
Pie – pecan (and unique to Dad’s house, boysenberry. He freezes gallons upon gallons of berries off our vines every year and there is ALWAYS pie when I go home.) There’s usually pumpkin, but I think it’s pretty overrated.
Rolls – Mom makes rolls that someone once called “lighter than an angel’s heart.” My stepmother thinks they are nice but unnecessary, so I’m the designated rollmaker. I made my first batch last year with Pioneer Woman’s no knead recipe–I love you, Mom, but I am not even going to try! The rolls turned out great but the recipe made enough to fill all available muffin pans (48 rolls) PLUS a challah-esque braided loaf that we baked and ate with pomegranate jelly.
Cranberry sauce – prefer homemade, sorta chunky, and without the ONIONS that my stepmother put in last year! (I cannot explain this and kinda do not want to know.)
The one thing my family makes that I think is ridiculous/inedible:
“Swampmuck” – ingredients include lime jello, mayonnaise, and cucumber. Blech.
Mrs. D
November 23rd, 2009
Oh wow that sounds AMAZING! Your family is really lucky to have you at the helm.
We are having all the regulars… But I’m not cooking a THING. Because Great Turkey Fire of 2009? That would definitely happen if I were in charge of food prep!
Recently wrote about what we’re doing instead. Am still fretting that it’s a bad choice. But the wheels are in motion!
Your cranberry relish sounds delicious. Any chance you’d post the recipe?
bronwynm23
November 23rd, 2009
Pioneer Woman has a gingersnap caramel pumpkin cheesecake that I’m going to try! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/caramel-pumpkin-gingersnap-cheesecake-so-there/
I’m also brining a turkey for the first time; everyone’s been raving about it, so I’d best get on board. I’ve heard good things about the Williams-Sonoma brining jar, but I’m trying Bed, Bath and Beyond’s version. It’s $10 and you can use a 20% off coupon.
Daisy, quick question. The brining “recipe” in Sunday’s Trib said to completely immerse the turkey in water, but your picture above shows the turkey only 1/2 immersed. Any comment or suggestion on the proper way to brine a turkey? Thanks!