Recipe(tried): Thanksgiving Dinner 2005 at our house.....

After fussing and shuffling and then reshuffling I finally came up with the menu for our Thanksgiving Dinner. There isn't always much rearranging actually because there are certain items that just have to be made. I noticed when I was gathering recipes that I have been making the cranberry salad (very traditional recipe) since 1978. I always put the date that I first make new recipes in my cookbooks. It is sort of like having a recipe diary. My youngest daughter has loved making the cranberry salad since she was quite small. For the past 15 years or so (she is 25) that has been her task the day before Thanksgiving. Not all of these recipes are terribly creative but as I said earlier, some things just have to be. My new son-in-law's favorite is the same green bean casserole that our grandmothers made but he loves it, so I make it. To me that is what Thanksgiving is.....loving my family and friends with my cooking. So here is the menu. Many of the recipes have come off this site but there are a few new ones. I hope that all of you are enjoying getting ready for this wonderful holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nancy

THANKGIVING DINNER MENU 2005
Deep Fried Turkey
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (crockpot)
Make Ahead Gravy
Stuffing Balls
Oyster Dressing
Broccoli Puff
Velvet Corn
Green Bean Casserole
Tennessee Sippin' Yams with Whiskey Sauce
Pineapple Casserole
Cranberry Salad
Rolls
Hot spiced cider
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Roll
Death by Chocolate

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MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATOES (CROCKPOT)
Source: Cooking Club at Recipelink.com
From: Nancy/AZ 12-15-1999
Makes 12 servings

I posted this recipe back before I was Nancy/IL.

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 15 medium)
6 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon margarine or butter

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling water until tender. Mash until there are no lumps. Add cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and egg whites; blend well. Cool slightly, place in covered container and refrigerate (I put them in the removable liner of my crockpot)

Take out of refrigerator about 3 1/2 hours before you plan to serve them. Place in slow-cooker. Dot with margarine or butter. Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring once or twice. They can be held an additional 30 minutes or more.

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MAKE AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY
Source: Holiday Cooking and Baking at Recipelink.com
From: Jen in NJ 10-29-1999 - Woman's Day Magazine (11/16/99)
B00005N7TM

Make up to 3 months in advance and freeze in an airtight container. Thaw 2 days in refrigerator. Reheat in saucepan, whisking often.

4 turkey wings (about 3 lbs)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp. stick butter or margarine
1/2 tsp pepper*

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Have ready a large roasting pan.

Arrange wings in a single layer in pan; scatter onions over top. Roast 1 1/4 hours until wings are browned.

Put wings and onions in a 5-to-6 qt. pot. Add water to roasting pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on bottom. Add to pot. Add 6 cups broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), carrot and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.

Remove wings to cutting board. When cool, pull off skin and meat. Discard skin; save meat for another use.

Strain broth into a 3-qt saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables; skim fat off broth, and discard. (If time permits, refrigerated broth overnight to make fat-skimming easier.)
Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended and smooth.

Bring broth in pot to a gentle boil. Whisk in broth-flavored mixture and boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken gravy and remove floury taste.

Stir in butter and pepper. Serve or pour into containers; refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 6 months.

This is supposed to make 8 cups of gravy. It made 7 cups for me. I refrigerated it overnight and the whole thing turned to gelatin. It was so easy to scrape the fat off the top.

My tip for straining the broth: I have a big colander with small holes, and a bowl that is bigger than the colander. I put the colander in the bowl and just poured everything in the colander. The broth strained right into the bowl and the vegetables stayed behind. It was easy and no mess. Any little bits of vegetable sank to the bottom. When I emptied the broth "gel" into a saucepan, I just had to scrape the bits of vegetable off the "top".

*This recipe makes really good gravy but next time I will probably use less pepper

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TENNESSEE SIPPIN' YAMS
Source: Holiday Cooking and Baking at Recipelink.com
From: MED 11-15-1998
Servings: 8-10

4 lbs. sweet potatoes, cooked & mashed
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup sour mash whiskey or bourbon
(If made for Tennesseans, you must use Jack Dainels)
1/3 cup orange juice (if not using whiskey,
increase juice by 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice (or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
and cinnamon)
1/2 cup pecan halves or Pecan Crumble (recipe follows)
Whiskey Sauce (optional) (recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients except pecans. Pour into greased 2 1/2 qt. casserole; arrange pecans around edge of dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

PECAN CRUMBLE
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup grated coconut (optional)
1/3 cup butter

If using as topping for TN Sippin' Yams, eliminate pecans from yam recipe. Instead mix the above ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle on top and bake for 30 min.

WHISKEY SAUCE
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup, light or dark
4 tablespoons water
4 Tablespoons butter
pinch of mace
1/2 cup whiskey (TN 'sippin)

Cook the first five ingredients in top of double boiler until thick. Remove from heat and add whiskey. Serve over sweet potatoes, roast pork or as a dessert sauce.

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STUFFING BALLS
Source: the latest issue of Kraft Food and Family
Servings: 8

1 lb. ground pork
1 pkg. (6 oz) Stove-top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
3/4 c. whole cranberry sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Brown meat; drain. Combine with dry stuffing mix in large bowl. Stir in cranberry sauce, egg, and 1 cup water. Shape mixture into 16 balls on foil-covered baking sheet; brush balls with melted butter. Bake 20 minutes.

You can prepare without baking and freeze balls up to a month before you need them. Thaw in refrigerator when needed, and bake as directed.

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OYSTER DRESSING

This recipe has been in my husband's family for a long, long time. This is one that I am not allowed to tamper with!

4 eggs
3/4 loaf egg bread, broken into pieces
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 pint fresh oysters
1 cup turkey or chicken broth
salt and pepper

I mix this and cook it in a crockpot for 5 to 6 hours on low. My mother-in-law used to stuff the turkey with it or bake it in the oven.

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BROCCOLI PUFF

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped broccoli
1 can mushroom soup
2 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp. melted butter

Cook broccoli and drain well. Put in 1 quart baking dish. Mix soup, cheese, mayo, milk and egg. Pour over broccoli. Sprinkle with crumbs and drizzle butter on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

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VELVET CORN
Source: Cooking Club at Recipelink.com
From: Page, 5-26-1998

I make what we have dubbed velvet corn here at TRL. It is very good and was called creamed corn before we renamed it :)

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen corn cooked per pkg. directions and drained
1/4 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese (cut up)

Melt cream cheese and butter add to corn serve .

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GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Servings: 10

2 cans condensed mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
8 cups cooked green beans
2 2/3 cup French's French fried onions

Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, beans and 1 1/3 cup onions in 3 qt. casserole. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Stir. Sprinkle remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes longer.

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This is wonderful with ham. It is my daughter's favorite so she always asks for it at Thanksgiving even if we aren't having ham!

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PINEAPPLE CASSEROLE
Source: Southern Elegance: a Collection of the Best of Carolina Cuisine
Servings: 8

8 slices bread (king size)...I use Hawaiian bread
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 cups pineapple chunks
3/4 cup milk

Cube the bread and mix with sugar and butter. Set aside. Mix eggs, drained pineapple, and milk together; combine with bread mixture. Pour into casserole dish and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

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CRANBERRY SALAD

2 cups uncooked cranberries
1 large thin skinned orange
1 red apple
1 cup chopped celery
1 (3 oz) pkg. Jello (any red flavor)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Prepare Jello as directed. Chill until slightly thickened. Grind cranberries, orange, and apple. Add celery, sugar, and nuts. Mix well. Add the mixed ingredients to the slightly thickened Jello and pour into 9x13 pan. Chill overnight. Cut into squares. May serve with mayonnaise.

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PERFECT PUMPKIN PIE
I found this recipe in the coupon section of Sunday's paper.

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (2 cups)
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (9-inch) prepared unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425. Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt until smooth. Pour into crust and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350 and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Refrigerate leftovers.

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PUMPKIN ROLL
Source: America's Best Recipes from Oxmoor House

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup mashed cooked pumpkin
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 to 4 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar
1 8-oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans, divided

Grease a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper. Beat eggs and 1 cup sugar at medium speed of electric mixer. Add pumpkin, flour, soda, and cinnamon; mix well. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup pecans. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Sift 3 to 4 tbsp. powdered sugar in a 15 x 10 inch rectangle onto a clean tea towel. Loosen cake from pan and turn out onto sugared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together; place cake seam side down on a wire rack to cool completely. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Unroll cake. Spread cake with cream cheese mixture; sprinkle with 2/3 cup chopped pecans. Carefully reroll cake, without towel. Place cake, seam side down, on serving plate. 10 servings.

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DEATH BY CHOCOLATE

1 (19.8 oz) family size fudge brownie mix
1/4 to 1/2 cups Kahlua or coffee liqueur (may substitute mix of 1 tsp. sugar and 4 Tbsp. leftover coffee)
3 (3.5 ounce Jello chocolate mousse (I've used Knorr)
8 (1.2 to 1.4 oz) Skor or Heath candy bars
1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed

Bake brownies according to package directions. Cool. Punch holes in top with fork. Pour Kahlua over and set aside.

Make mousse according to package directions.

Break candy bars into small pieces in processor or with mallet in wrapper.

Crumble half of soaked brownies and place in glass trifle dish. Cover with half mousse, layer with half candy, then add 1/2 whipped topping. Repeat layers.