Thanksgiving 2016

ProfessionalHobbit · October 24, 2016

I didn't see a topic for this year but if there is, would one of our lovely staff move this?

Even though it's a month away, we've started to think about the menu because a dinner party of the size we're planning requires thought for successful execution.

We've determined that our T-day menu will be Italian instead of the usual ~~boring~~ traditional turkey, etc. But I'm curious about your offerings, and maybe, if they're enticing, I'll use a couple.

Right now, it looks like:

Antipasto plate

Cipolle en agrodolce -- sweet-and-sour onions

Crostini di pomodorini (slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, if available at the market)

Crostini di fagiolini di rosso e aglio (cranberry bean and garlic crostini)

Salsicce e salumi (various sausages and Italian pork-based cold cuts)

Braised meats

Spaghetti with meatballs and Sunday sauce

Vegetable sides (subject to market availability)

Dolce -- maybe homemade, maybe store-bought

We're skipping the primi because the main will involve pasta as one of the offerings.

We nearly always have two desserts on hand because one member of the group we're inviting hates anything made with fruit and prefers creamy/chocolate-y.

What's on your menu?

kayb · October 24, 2016

3 hours ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

I didn't see a topic for this year but if there is, would one of our lovely staff move this?

Even though it's a month away, we've started to think about the menu because a dinner party of the size we're planning requires thought for successful execution.

We've determined that our T-day menu will be Italian instead of the usual ~~boring~~ traditional turkey, etc. But I'm curious about your offerings, and maybe, if they're enticing, I'll use a couple.

Right now, it looks like:

Antipasto plate

Cipolle en agrodolce -- sweet-and-sour onions

Crostini di pomodorini (slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, if available at the market)

Crostini di fagiolini di rosso e aglio (cranberry bean and garlic crostini)

Salsicce e salumi (various sausages and Italian pork-based cold cuts)

Braised meats

Spaghetti with meatballs and Sunday sauce

Vegetable sides (subject to market availability)

Dolce -- maybe homemade, maybe store-bought

We're skipping the primi because the main will involve pasta as one of the offerings.

We nearly always have two desserts on hand because one member of the group we're inviting hates anything made with fruit and prefers creamy/chocolate-y.

What's on your menu?

I usually go pretty traditional at Thanksgiving. Turkey (farm-raised, fresh, brined, roasted per the NYT method). Sweet potato casserole (sweet potatoes mashed with eggs, a bit of sugar, lots of butter) with a brown sugar/pecan crumble on top. Cranberry salad. Cornbread dressing flavored with sage. Green beans with soy sauce and bacon. Roasted broccoli. Mashed potatoes for the son-in-law, who can eat his weight in them. Homemade rolls. Dessert will likely be a cheesecake, but maybe a pecan pie or a coconut cake.

pistolabella · November 2, 2016

I am cooking my very first Thanksgiving dinner this year....and I'm pretty excited. I have tons of questions and techniques to figure out, but the menu is looking like this:

Nibbles : cranberry chipotle sausage balls; a cheese/relish tray; spiced nuts

- Fresh whole turkey in this brine : http://inasouthernkitchen.com/the-turkey-brine/

- traditional herb dressing (my parents will bring)

- a "wild card" dressing/stuffing I will make - tbd, possibly cornbread (if the sh*t hits the fan, this will be the dish that doesn't make the cut as it is the least necessary)

- My stepfather's amazing shiitake and sherry turkey gravy

- sweet potato casserole - pecan topping - considering trying a crockpot recipe I found for this but a little unsure about that

- cranberry clementine relish (parents bring this as well)

- Collard green gratin

- cider roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, garlic, parsnips)

- green beans with bacon

Dessert:

- a pumpkin something my mom will make

- chocolate coca cola cake

I am excited and also totally overwhelmed. I can rattle of 30 things I'd like to make, but, I'm one lady with one oven and one fridge so something's got to give. I am also scared of buying into too many "make this in a crock pot" and "make this 2 weeks ahead" things. It's tempting, but if it doesn't cut the mustard, I am stuck with a slow cooker full of gluey potatoes. All tips for first timers appreciated! I would totally add a mac & cheese to the mix if anyone has a highly-recommended version that can actually be made ahead and reheated without turning into a brick.

kayb · November 2, 2016

1 hour ago, pistolabella said:

I am cooking my very first Thanksgiving dinner this year....and I'm pretty excited. I have tons of questions and techniques to figure out, but the menu is looking like this:

Nibbles : cranberry chipotle sausage balls; a cheese/relish tray; spiced nuts

- Fresh whole turkey in this brine : http://inasouthernkitchen.com/the-turkey-brine/

- traditional herb dressing (my parents will bring)

- a "wild card" dressing/stuffing I will make - tbd, possibly cornbread (if the sh*t hits the fan, this will be the dish that doesn't make the cut as it is the least necessary)

- My stepfather's amazing shiitake and sherry turkey gravy

- sweet potato casserole - pecan topping - considering trying a crockpot recipe I found for this but a little unsure about that

- cranberry clementine relish (parents bring this as well)

- Collard green gratin

- cider roasted vegetables (potatoes, carrots, garlic, parsnips)

- green beans with bacon

Dessert:

- a pumpkin something my mom will make

- chocolate coca cola cake

I am excited and also totally overwhelmed. I can rattle of 30 things I'd like to make, but, I'm one lady with one oven and one fridge so something's got to give. I am also scared of buying into too many "make this in a crock pot" and "make this 2 weeks ahead" things. It's tempting, but if it doesn't cut the mustard, I am stuck with a slow cooker full of gluey potatoes. All tips for first timers appreciated! I would totally add a mac & cheese to the mix if anyone has a highly-recommended version that can actually be made ahead and reheated without turning into a brick.

Let me offer you my tried-and-true sweet potato casserole recipe. It's been prepared at every Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house for the past 30-plus years, and in my mother-in-law's house for God knows how many years before that. You can make it up to the point of final baking/browning ahead of time; I usually do it the day before and stick it in the fridge.

3-4 large sweet potatoes

1/2 stick butter

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

TOPPING

1/2 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Boil the sweet potatoes in their skins until they can easily be pierced with a table knife. Drain and cool, peel, and mash. I don't get real picky about measuring the potato pulp. This is a very forgiving recipe. Toss in the half-stick of butter (room temp means it's easier for the residual heat from the potatoes to melt it), the vanilla, the sugar, and the eggs, beaten well. Stir until all is completely incoporated, and pour into a casserole dish. (I usually use my 9 x 13.)

To make the topping, melt the butter, and combine with the brown sugar and flour. Stir in the pecans. Crumble over the surface. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes (may need to go an hour if it's from the fridge),until it's bubbling and topping is well melted and browning.

It needs to be served warm, but it's not a critical "straight from the oven" service, so I generally bake it earlier, cover it with foil, and let it rest while I'm baking rolls and other last-minute stuff.

If I wanted to do mac and cheese, I'd use the crock pot for that. Boil your noodles stovetop, drain, transfer to crockpot, add butter, milk, cheese and whatever seasonings and add-ins you use, put it on low for up to two or three hours, then switch over to keep warm.

I would suspect your wild card dressing,the collard green gratin and your cider roasted veggies (and I'd be real interested in a recipe for that!) could also be prepped ahead and roasted day of. I find that I can start my prep on Monday and do a few things every day, making my Thursday much less tiring and stressful.

pistolabella · November 4, 2016

Thanks for the sweet tater recipe!! as for the cider-roasted veg, I'm going to riff on these recipes...I've seen suggestion of roasting ahead of time and then bringing back to temp, but I may have to do a trial of that first. I don't want a tray full of beautiful but soggy vegetables. Maybe I'll do as Real Simple suggests, and roast them the day of, a couple of hours before dinner..then just keep them at room temperature.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-vegetable-salad-apple-cider-vinaigrette

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/seasonal/make-ahead-thanksgiving-recipes/cider-roasted-vegetables