How do you cook your turkey and dressing?

[sparks]

Lets see. we have vegetarians, gluten-free, lactose-free kids. I make something special for everyone. And all the usual suspects..turkey, stuffing,mashed potatoes and all the regulars. A large production but so rewarding to have the family gather!

 

[ORChick]

IMO Thanksgiving dinner is the easiest meal of the year. Time consuming, certainly, but there is NO thought involved; the family would rebel if too many changes were made, so I make things more or less as my mother always did - with a few small changes squeezed in over many years. It helps that we have no other traditions that we need to mesh with - my DH is European, therefore no Thanksgiving tradition, and SIL is Korean, so no Thanksgiving tradition. As far as they are concerned the way I do it is the official and only way . And other SIL is easy going, and doesn't have the chance to get to Oregon that often anyway.
The turkey is roasted in a covered roaster, stuffed with bread stuffing - recently I have been adding chestmuts to the stuffing. Gravy, mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, 2 kinds of cranberry sauce - one sweeter, and one with horseradish, homemade rolls. Dessert is pumpkin pie and mince pie, with whipped cream; homemade vegetarian mincemeat made with green tomatoes. Korean SIL is an excellent cook, but not in the American tradition. So she watches, and peels potatoes, and (best of all!) cleans up after the feast. That means I get to do all the cooking, but, as I said, it truly is the easiest meal of the year after so much repetition over the years.

 

[FarmerChick]

Wait a minute...you mean I have to cook?

I think we'll just throw some steaks on the grill and call it good.

I hear ya. We did steaks on the grill for Christmas last year. Delish.

 

[Marianne]

Wait a minute...you mean I have to cook?

I think we'll just throw some steaks on the grill and call it good.

I hear ya. We did steaks on the grill for Christmas last year. Delish.

One year when I mentioned to a friend that I wish I could come up with something different, she quipped 'meatloaf!'.

 

[yourbadd]

I'm trying to be positive this year since I won't be doing any of the cooking!! Believe it or not, I love to make Thanksgiving dinner. My wonderful sister-in-law wants to host the meal at their new house so I couldn't say no, however, her meal plan includes boxed stuffing mix , yams with marshmallows and rolls from a tube. Being a stuffing fanatic, I'm a little sad. I don't want to hurt her feeling by bringing my own so I may buy a small turkey breast and whip up a small meal the following week. Gotta have my homemade stuffing with apples!!


My typical menu is:Roast Turkey, homemade stuffing with apples, sweet potatoes with pecan topping, homemade yeast rolls, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes (chipolte potatoes for hubby), pumpkin roll, apple pie, and lots of spiked punch!!

 

[Neko-chan]

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[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

We have a really large rooster, appropriate named Thanksgiving, that we're cooking. Night before, I'll get out the big crockpot, add a little oil and water on the bottom, plop him in, add some butter/smart balance, garlic cloves and onions inside, then more outside plus poultry seasoning. Cook on low overnight. In a.m., I'll start another crockpot on low with sliced sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries and brown sugar.

For stuffing, I just do on the stove ... my specialty has sliced water chestnuts, diced onions and sliced mushrooms in it.

Delicious!

 

[ORChick]

Thanksgiving is not a holiday down here, alas.

It's also late spring/early summer, and usually warm and sticky, meaning cooking of any sort becomes... unpleasant.

But I have a small gathering for it anyway (usually on a Saturday, because I have to work around peoples work schedules). I call it my excuse to have a party with friends over.

There are some Thanksgiving aspects, such as fresh bread and toffee'd sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, but the rest is done summer picnic style: potato salad, green salad, a roasted chicken (because last year I couldn't order in anything remotely turkey, and I probably won't be able to this year either [Turkey is the most popular thing to have for Christmas, so the providers hoard them all]).

I think deviled eggs is an excellent idea, so I'll put that on our list. I actually have to start really thinking about this, because it's coming up soon, and I have to send the invitations.

When I lived in Germany, back when I was first married (a long time ago ) I made a valiant attempt at Thanksgiving every year, and our friends loved it! I found the biggest turkey I could (at the butcher that specialized in poultry and game) - only 12 lbs , but that was alright because nothing larger would have fit in my oven! Finding a pumpkin was a problem; I found sweet and sour pickled pumpkin, but squash were only grown back then for animal feed - and we lived in a city. One day I was out in one of the villages, and saw a garden with a pumpkin patch (for the pigs, no doubt). I mustered up both my courage (I was very shy) and my not very great German language abilities, and rang the doorbell. The lady of the house seemed quite puzzled that I would want one, but sold me a pumpkin for a small amount. The rest of the dinner came together somehow, and for years after, back in California, whenever we had guests from Germany they requested Thanksgiving dinner - didn't matter if it was in March or May or August . One couple even brought me a carving set of good German steel as a hostess gift in anticipation of the feast!

 

[Neko-chan]

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[Icu4dzs]

Way back when I lived in Pensacola, Fl (USN aviation school, etc) I had a next door neighbor who taught me the Southern Secret...Deep Fried Turkey. Having him teach me made it really simple because I didn't have to learn anything "the hard way" and the turkey always comes out so good people ask me "what is your secret?" I use something from the Louisiana School of Cooking called "Joe's Stuff". I defrost the turkey 3 days in advance (in the fridge) and then take it out and cover it from tip to tail with "Joe's stuff" inside and out. I put it back in the fridge and leave it for two days (covered with papertowel and aluminum foil. When the big day comes I take it out and slowly lower it into the pot of heated peanut oil (350F) VERY SLOWLY. Cook for 3 minutes per pound (can only get a 12-14 lb turkey in there) and before you know it, I have the best tasting turkey in the world. Now you say, ooohhh, fried in oil...bad for the coronary arteries? Well, just to let you know, the first year I did that for Thanksgiving at my MIL's house, my BIL who is a full professor of medicine (Cardiologist) liked it so much he had me teach him to do it and that is the way he does his turkey every year since then! So once a year, I take a big chance with my cholesterol level and fry a turkey. But it is so good, it is really hard to stop.
All the rest of the meal is the usual, stuffing in the oven, sweet potato, string bean casserole, and home-made bread along with all the assorted snacks to enjoy.
I find if I invite enough folks over to share the meal, I don't have a lot of left-over that would spoil before I ate it. I like NO left overs because I hate to see food go to waste, I spent too many days poor in this life and I am careful with that.
Hope all have a good Thanksgiving Holiday and spend time with your family. Be sure to tell them you love them. Don't just assume that they know because there will be a day when you will regret that you never told them. Don't let that day come. Tell them while they can appreciate it.
Best to all,
Trim sends

//BT//