My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Traditional Foods at my house

Turkey

I cook mine in a roasting pan. Before the roasting pan and my basting husband, I cooked in the oven a turkey bag. If you are doing the bag method the instructions are in the package. I hope you did not lose them as I did one year and the internet was a mess anywhere it said Turkey.

http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--997/roasting-a-turkey-in-an-electric-roaster.asp

My Turkeys are washed and rubbed with salted butter inside and out and then are stuffed or rubbed down with fresh poultry herbs. One year I did bacon wrap instead of butter it turned out sooo goood. I did not baste it at all. You can not make a good gravy with bacon-wrapped turkey juices though.
I have an oil separator to save juices for gravy

 Stuffing

We love stovetop but have used other brands as well. Just add some butter to a frying pan and saute celery and onions to throw in to give it some flavor. Now there for a while, I was making my own stuffing with UDI's gluten-free bread because I could not figure out what was giving me belly aches.

1C of Celery chopped

1 medium onion chopped

1/3 cup of butter

1 tsp. poultry seasoning, double it if it is fresh.

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

8 Cups of dried bread crumbs ( you can toast them real quick in the oven if they are not dried)

1/2- 3/4 C of Broth or water. I prefer Swanson's in a box.

In a pot on top of the stove, saute veggies while the butter melts when they look like stained glass windows they are done.stir in seasonings. put breadcrumbs in pot and drizzle with broth just to moisten. add to a baking dish if you desire to and bake for 30 minutes in the oven at 325*

Pumpkin Pie

If your not into Libby's here is my leftover fall decoration pumpkins recipe:

pie pumpkin, or butternut squash(baked) 

1.25 Cups honey or 1 cup of sugar

1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ground cloves 

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 

1/2 teaspoon mace, (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, (optional) 

4 large eggs 

3 cups cooked and blended squash you baked

1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk(19 fl. oz. total)

Mix well using a hand blender or mixer.

Bake at 425 F (210 C ) for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F ( 175 C ) and bake another 45 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

 Rolls and cranberry sauce
I don't bake rolls, Its Cosco or Hawaiian rolls for me. Just put them in the turned-off warm oven and serve them with a can or jar of cranberry sauce your family likes.
adding orange zest or some orange juice adds a Lil kick for something different just mix it in.

 Green Bean casserole 

4 cans of green beans

2 cans of mushroom soup

pimentos are optional for color

bake till hot  or Green beans are done top with french fried onion bake till browned
I am sure there is a more official recipe out there but I do not use one.

Candied Yams & Sweet Potatoes

 I used canned yams and sweet potatoes mixed in this dish. butter cinnamon and tablespoon or so of Orange juice, sprinkle in some brown sugar. when hot, top with marshmallows and immediately pull them out when mallows are melted. it burns super quick if you do not.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and gravy. 

Follow instructions of mashed potatoes and add in some garlic to your liking
Gravy:
Use leftover separated juices from the turkey. add in cut up pieces of turkey giblets if you have them.

Heat some of the oil from separation shake in 2 TB of flour and stir till it looks like peanut butter and smells almost like burnt popcorn. Immediately add in the broth while stirring. If it does not thicken enough or fast enough add in a teaspoon of mashed potato flakes at a time till it reaches the desired thickness.

Thanksgiving prep, What foods can be prepped in Advanced?

28 days- order a Turkey if you are not cooking it at home. I love a smoked turkey! Start cooking the foods in your freezer to make room for freezing prep.
21 days- completely freeze a whole unbaked pie
 frozen gravy can be thawed in the fridge overnight, then reheated over low heat, whisking to smooth out any separation
3days-classic green bean casserole, that can even be assembled without the crisp onion topping and store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-makeahead-mashed-potato-casserole-recipes-from-the-kitchn-212438

https://www.delish.com/cooking/a49898/thanksgiving-dinner-prep-timeline/

https://www.thekitchn.com/foods-you-can-prep-now-for-thanksgiving-tips-from-the-kitchn-212516