Thanksgiving

A Week Before

Buy the supplies you can way in advance, stores will sell out quick, especially pie supplies. Always buy name brand for Thanksgiving. Buy eggs at least 2 weeks in advance, fresh eggs sometimes are hard, if not impossible, to peel. Buy you turkey a month in advance especially if you want a certain size like small.

The Day Before

Do as much prep work the day before for a fun Thanksgiving day. Cut everything you can cut and store in bags.

• Ice – Dump the pan in a bag the day before to have enough ice so it can refill overnight.
• Clean the turkey and soak in salt water.
• Make your pies the day before, or buy.

The BIG Feast

Menu (10+ people)

• Turkey (18 lb) – Carrots, Onions, Celery (4 1/2 hours) Remove and cover with towels to keep warm.
• Ham – precooked spiral cut (1 hour) cover with towel to keep warm
• Chicken liver/hearts for dressing
• Dressing – Swanson Cornbread and/or White (45 minutes)
• Green Bean casserole – Frenches onions, french green bean, cream mushroom soup (30 minutes)
• Sweet Potato Casserole – 4 Large sweet potatoes (30 minutes)
• Deviled Eggs – Eggs, Pickles, Mayo, Paprika (30 minutes)
• Mashed Potatoes – 5lbs potatoes, butter, milk (30 minutes)
• Noodles
• Gravy – Dripping and Cornstarch (15 minutes)
• Cranberry Sauce – Jelled in a can
• French Bread or Rolls
• Tea – Lipton instant sweet in can
• Pecan Pie – Karo white, brown sugar, pecans, eggs, butter, (Secret: 1 tbsp corn starch to gel)
• Pumpkin Pie – Can mix, Eggs, Carnation evaporated milk
• Whip Cream – large tub or can.
• Milk
• Coffee
• Ice cream
• Fudge
• Seven layer cookies

Other Needs

• Foil pans – 1 for turkey and everything else you don’t want to clean
• Heavy Duty Foil
• Large and Quart storage bags
• Bread for sandwiches
• Plastic cups
• Paper plates for dinner and after meals
• Paper towels
• Napkins

Next Day Breakfast Suggestions

• Jumbo Biscuits and Jelly
• Bacon and Eggs
• Pancakes and syrup
• Taquitos

Second Day Dinner Recommendation

• Spaghetti

Perfect Turkey

 INGREDIENTS

    * 1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
    * 2 cups kosher salt
    * 1/2 cup butter, melted
    * 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
    * 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
    * 4 stalks celery, chopped
    * 2 sprigs fresh thyme
    * 1 bay leaf
    * 1 cup chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

   1. Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.
   2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.
   3. Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the chicken broth.
   4. Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.

Stuffing – Old Fashion

 INGREDIENTS

    * 30 slices white bread, lightly toasted
    * 2 tablespoons butter
    * 1 large onion, finely chopped
    * 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
    * 2 eggs, lightly beaten
    * 2 cups chicken broth
    * 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
    * 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    * salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

   1. Allow the toasted bread to sit approximately 24 hours, until hard.
   2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
   3. Crush the bread into crumbs with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a large bowl.
   4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery and slowly cook until soft. Remove from heat and drain.
   5. Mix the eggs and chicken broth into the bread crumbs. The mixture should be moist, but not mushy. Use water, if necessary, to attain desired consistency. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
   6. Press the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is brown and crisp.

Sweet Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS

    * 4 cups sweet potato, cubed
    * 1/2 cup white sugar
    * 2 eggs, beaten
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 4 tablespoons butter, softened
    * 1/2 cup milk
    * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    * 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    * 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
    * 3 tablespoons butter, softened
    * 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

   1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
   2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
   3. In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
   4. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Green Bean Casserole

 1 can 10 3/4 Oz mushroom soup
 3/4 cup milk
 1/8 tsp pepper
 4 cups cooked green beans
 1 1/3 cups crispy fried onions

 Mix soup, milk and pepper
 Stir in beans and 2/3 cup crispy onions
 Bake 350 for 30 then top with the rest of 
 the onions bake 5 more or until golden

Au gratin Potatoes
    * 4 large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
    * 1 onion chopped
    * salt and pepper to taste
    * 3 tablespoons butter
    * 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 2 cups milk
    * 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.
Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion and 1/2 cup of cheese, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, with the last 30 minutes being open so the top can brown.


Sweet Potato Pie - Dave Lieberman

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/sweet-potato-pie-recipe-1944658

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, about 10 ounces each
• 1 3/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about 15 whole crackers, finely ground)
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap the sweet potatoes tightly in 2 layers of aluminum foil and roast them in the oven until very soft, about 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. In a bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar until well combined. Add the butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press firmly and evenly on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate to create a crust, being sure there are no cracks. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven. Meanwhile, make the filling: Unwrap the potatoes and peel them. Put the flesh into a bowl and mash well with a fork. Add the eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cream, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and whip until very smooth with a whisk. Pour the filling into the partially baked crust. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon brown sugar over top and bake in the center of the oven until set, about 40 minutes. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting. Serve at room temperature.

How to Make Spaetzle

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup of milk
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour

Instructions:

1. Mix together the beaten eggs, milk, salt, and flour. The dough will be sticky.
2. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil.
3. Spray a spaetzle maker with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Place the spaetzle maker over the pot and pour the dough inside the holder on the spaetzle maker.
5. Slide the holder back and forth over the boiling water. The spaetzle is ready when it floats.
6. Remove the spaetzle with a slotted spoon and drain.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and mix.

Premium Grade Stainless Steel Spaetzle Maker with Comfort Grip Handle Traditional German Egg Noodle Maker https://a.co/d/7bfMonN

Chicken and Rice (Mom’s recipe)

• 1 whole chicken cut up
• 1 can Campbell’s cream of chicken and one can of cream of mushroom or cream of celery
• 2 to 3 cups of Minute instant rice, people like the rice the most
• 1 Stick of Margarine or butter
• 1 Package of Lipton onion soup mix

Note: use name brand ingredients or you will be sorry. More rice, less flavor or add more soup.

Preheat oven to 400. Use the cold stick of butter to coat a backing dish well or use spray oil. Put rice in a mixing bowl add 2 (or 3 for 3 cups of rice) cans of soup to rice and stir well. Add 1/2 of soup mix to rice and soup and stir some. Pour rice in buttered/oil dish and flatten evenly. Wash the chicken and cut into pieces. Put the chicken on top of rice. Melt the butter stick and add the rest of the soup mix to the butter. Pour butter mix combo over chicken, coat each piece. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 400 on middle rack, reduce heat to 350 and cook another 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for 10 minutes in the oven while you make other items. Note: For two cups of rice use 1 can of Cream of Chicken soup and 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup. If you have dried or canned mushrooms use Cream of Celery. You can use Beef Bounion and Dried Onion for Lipton Soup mix or to add more flavor for 3 cups of rice recipe.

• 1 whole chicken cutup or 4 chicken breasts (cubed)
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 stick of margarine or butter
• 3 garlic clove diced or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 can of Cream of Chicken and 1 can of Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom (not the cheap stuff)
• 2 cups of chicken broth (Use broth from boiling chicken – be sure and skin the scum and oil)
• 1 small velvetta cheese
• 1 – 16oz pack of spaghetti

1. Boil the chicken and de-bone or half way cook the chicken breasts in butter (full cooked is too dry)
2. Cook the onions and garlic until clear. (Be ready for the crowd to gather)
3. Add pepper and soups
4. Add the broth from the boiling of the chicken without the scum or oil. Don’t add too much, you can add more later but it sure is hard to take it out.
5. Add the chicken and stir reduce to med/low heat (no boiling)
6. Cut the cheese into small 1 inch cubes and add. Don’t let them sink to the bottom where they will burn.
7. Add more broth to thin if needed.
8. Cook the spaghetti, angel hair is faster, drain but don’t rinse
9. Ring the bell and serve it up!

Variations:

• 1/2 cup of celery cooked with the onions and use Cream of Mushroom
• 1/2 cup of mushrooms (real) cooked with the onions and use cream of celery
• 1/2 cup of black olives (kids don’t like this)

Quick method:

Cook chicken breasts in microwave and start the angel hair spaghetti boiling. In a large pan add soups, garlic powder, dried onion, broth from a can, pepper, add the cheese and you are done in about 15 minutes.