Recipe(tried): Gina's Thanksgiving 2008 Menu and Recipes

Hello Everyone!

I am sure everyone is keeping their eyes on the specials for the upcoming holiday. I have already stocked up on the cranberry sauce.

This year we are keeping to the "tried and trues", the familiar dishes from childhood that bring a warm smile to our faces. The ones we all love...

Happy Thanksgiving to all our wonderful cooks out there!

---

THANKSGIVING MENU 2008

Burnt Sugar Pecans
Warmed Brie with Red Bell Pepper & Ancho Chili Jam

Apple Cider Glazed Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Apple Pecan Sausage Stuffing
Mashed Yukon Mashers and Garlic Butter
Rolls and Butter
Peas
Sweet Buttered Corn Kernels
Sweet Potato Crunch
Corn Pudding
Spinach Kugel
Cranberry Sauce

Chocolate Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Pastry Crust
Sweet Potato Poundcake with Buttermilk Glaze

---

APPETIZERS:

Burnt Sugar Pecans (Bought at TJ Maxx, Old Dominion brand, excellent nuts!

Warmed Brie with Red Bell Pepper & Ancho Chili Jam (Brie from Publix and warmed...Jam jar from The Fresh Market, Earth & Vine Provisions.

Two appetizers, one warm and one cool to please everyone. Keep the Burnt Sugar Pecans in little bowls scattered around and the Warm Brie on a platter topped with the jam and served with crackers.

---

APPLE CIDER GLAZED TURKEY WITH SAVORY HERB GRAVY

1 (10- to 12-pound) whole fresh turkey
1/2 cup melted butter
12 fresh sage leaves
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups apple juice
Turkey Gravy (Optional)

Rinse the inside of the turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Carefully use your hands to loosen the skin of the turkey at the breast. Gently arrange the sage and parsley leaves under the skin so that you can see them. Spoon stuffing into neck and body cavities. Pull neck skin to the back and use skewers or sew up. Twist foil around the wing tips. Close up the front cavity using skewers and stuff half an apple in opening. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place turkey breast side up, on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush butter mixture on top and all over turkey. Cover loosely with foil. Pour apple juice and chicken broth in bottom of pan.

Roast turkey in a 325 degrees F oven for 3-4 hours. Baste every 1/2 hour. If using thermometer, the meat should register 180 and the stuffing inside should register 165. Take foil off turkey the last hour to brown and glaze and cover again if it gets too dark.

Remove turkey from pan, reserving pan drippings. Place turkey on a platter and make gravy.

---

SAVORY HERB GRAVY
Makes about 1 3/4 cups

Pan drippings
2 tablespoons flour

Pour pan drippings into a fat strainer; let stand until fat rises to top. Pour 1 3/4 cups turkey broth into a liquid measuring cup; reserve 2 tablespoons fat from drippings. Heat reserved fat in bottom of heavy-duty roasting pan. Whisk in flour, and cook 5 minutes, whisking to loosen particles from bottom of pan. Gradually whisk in reserved turkey broth, and cook, whisking constantly, 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve immediately with turkey.

---

SAUSAGE, APPLE AND PECAN STUFFING
This is our family favorite and it's incredible!

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Pork mild sausage
3 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery, including leaves
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 (14 oz.) bag plus 1 small bag Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing
3 red apples, washed, cored, and chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans or walnuts
2 packets G Washington's Seasonings
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups homemade turkey stock (recipe follows), divided use
salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage in skillet till browned. Drain and set aside.

Saute onions and celery in butter till onions begin to golden.

In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry stuffing, the onions and celery, sausage, chopped apple, raisins, nuts, seasoning packets, and cinnamon; begin blending, with your hands, add 1 cup of broth at a time till you get to the desired stuffing consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper to taste.

Put the stuffing in a casserole with foil over (refrigerate until ready to bake). Remove from refrigerator, let stand 15 minutes and then bake the last 45 minutes with the turkey or until heated through.

TO MAKE THE TURKEY STOCK:
I make turkey stock by putting the bagged contents that come inside the turkey in a pressure cooker, top with water, 1/2 and onion studded with 6 whole cloves, 2 garlic cloves, a sprig of parsley, 1 celery stalk cut in half, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper. I pressure cook for about 45 minutes. I take out the turkey neck and pick off all the tender meat and place in a bowl. I then strain the broth. Discard everything else and use the stock and turkey meat to add to the stuffing.

---

YUKON MASHERS WITH GARLIC BUTTER
3 1/2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
3/4 cup half-and-half
salt and white pepper, to taste
1 stick garlic butter

Place potatoes in a pot with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until tender. Drain potatoes; mash, add garlic butter and half-and-half, season with salt and white pepper. Beat til fluffy.

---

DINNER ROLLS

1 pkg. frozen white roll dough
1/2 cup melted butter
Italian seasonings

Thaw and rise package of roll dough. After rising, brush with melted butter and sprinkle herbs on. Bake according to package directions.

---

CORN PUDDING
Servings: 6

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 (1 lb) can cream-style corn
1 (1 lb) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream (1 cup)
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 scallion, chopped
paprika for sprinkling top

Preheat oven top 350 degrees F. Grease a 12x8x2-inch baking dish

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and blend well. Pour into prepared baking dish, sprinkle paprika over top.

Bake for 45 minutes.

---

SWEET POTATO CRUNCH

6 sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/3 cup well packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
FOR THE CRUNCH TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
handful of small marshmallows (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil potatoes til tender. Take skin off when cooled and able to handle. Put in a large bowl and whip them til fluffy adding all other ingredients. Pour into a buttered casserole.

Combine the ingredients for the Crunch Topping (except marshmallows) and spread over the potato mixture.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle on marshmallows around the edges and bake additional 5 minutes.

---

SPINACH AND LEEK NOODLE PUDDING (KUGEL)
Servings: 8

2 leek stalks, washed & chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, divided use
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (8 oz.) pkg. egg noodles (fine or medium)
2 pkg Birds Eye Frozen Creamed Spinach
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
bread crumbs to sprinkle on top
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute leeks in 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter until golden. Toss in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Cook noodles according to directions on pkg. Drain noodles and put them in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining1/2 stick of butter and toss to blend.

Cook creamed spinach according to package directions. Add to noodles with sour cream, sauteed onions, eggs, and nutmeg. Blend well. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese.

Bake 350 for 45-60 minutes.

---

PUMPKIN PIE WITH PECAN PASTRY CRUST
Makes 1 (9 inch) pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Allow crust to come to room temperature. Press chopped pecans onto bottom of crust.

With mixer beat pumpkin, Eagle Brand , eggs, spices and salt. Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 ; bake 35 to 40 minutes longer. Cool. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

---

MISS BETTY BROWN'S CHOCOLATE MOUNTAIN PIE
Serves 8

1 ready made graham cracker pie crust
1 1/4 cups cold milk
1 package large (6 oz.) Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding
2 tubs (8 oz. each) Cool Whip, thawed, divided use
1 small chocolate bar, shaved in curls

Pour the cold milk into a large bowl. Beat in the chocolate pudding mix using a whisk. Fold in half of the Cool Whip and spread into the prepared pie crust. Top with the remaining Cool Whip and shave the chocolate bar in curls over the top. Refrigerate before serving.

---

SWEET POTATO POUNDCAKE WITH BUTTERMILK GLAZE
Source: Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott
Serves 8-10

3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 sticks(1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
Buttermilk Glaze (recipe follows)

Oven at 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to mix well. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Ad the mashed sweet potatoes and mix on low for 1 minute. Add about half theflour mixture and beat gently using a wooden spoon or a mixer on low speed until the flour disappears. Add half the milk mixture and combine gently. Mix in remaining flour and milk and mix til yo have a smooth, thick batter.

Scrape batter into tube pan and bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes. Cake should be evenly browned and a cake knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Then use a knife to loosen cake from pan. Invert onto wire rack, place it top side up and place a plate underneath to catch extra glaze. Prick top of cake with a fork and spoon glaze all over top. Let cake cool to room temperature.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch or flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine the buttermilk, sugar, butter, cornstarch and baking soda. Bring it to a gentle boil. Remove at once, stir well, and cool to room temperature. Add the vanilla and set aside until the cake is done. Spoon the buttermilk glaze over the warm cake and cool completely.