Pink Poogle Toy Forum

Okay I want to cook this year and I need a menu, so I thought I'd ask you guys what are your favorite Thanksgiving meals. It would be helpful too if you know the recepies for them, if not, I can always look them up.

Each year in our house we usually have the following:

Mashed potatoes and gravy
Turkey
Ham or ribs
stuffing
punch
pumpkin pie
macaroni and cheese
corn
sweet potatoes
rice
biscuits

I would like to make it different and much more "classy" this year lol, well at least not all from a box X_x, which is what me and my sister did last year .

Also, share what you guys do on Thanksgiving if you celebrate it, usually we eat and talk and then we may watch some movies or play a board game. We sometimes go to our relatives and have even more food x_X

Yum. I especially like the first three and the last on your list. Pumpkin pie is a tradition and a favorite of mine, but there can't be anything wrong with cheesecake, can there? Because that's what I'm serving.

I've seen pumpkin pie cheesecake , I haven't tried it so I don't know if it's good. I'll be having it on Friday possibly, so I can let you know

Interesting combination that hadn't crossed my mind.

We usually have a lot of what you already listed, but also homemade beef and noodles (*drool*) and pecan pie is great at Thanksgiving. Pumpkin roll is also quite good, at least if you use real pumpkin, not that canned gunk.

Here's a generic comment about the immorality of thanksgiving!

What about sweet potato "fries" or chips?

I had to go look in my old recipe book - I haven't made any of this in years.

We always had Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, a vegetable, cranberry sauce, buttermilk biscuits or crescent rolls (thank goodnes for those - before them I had to scratch make biscuits) and pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream (for those who don't like the pie) for dessert.

When I made turkey, I would always put a washed, cored whole apple inside instead of stuffing (this is optional -- if you were making goose I'd probably insist on it, as the apple helps absorb any excess fat and gives a nice flavor) and I'd put an aluminum foil "tent" over it, very loosely, for the first couple of hours. It seemed to keep the turkey more moist. Then I'd remove it for the last 2 or so hours and just keep basting ... if you tie the legs together before cooking (most people do), cut the string about 45 minutes before it's done cooking. That way the inside of the drumsticks will be nice and done too! How long to cook depends on the weight and alot of turkeys now have that little pop-up thermometer thing that's supposed to let you know when it's done. I don't know how well they work, I don't eat any poultry anymore.

Skillet Candied Sweet Potatoes:

Mix 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp sald in a heavy skillet. Cook until the mixture boils. Add 6 pre-cooked sweet potatoes (or yams, whichever you like) and put on low heat, cooking slowly. Turn the potatoes occasionally. About 20 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and caramelly.


Bread Stuffing:

A good, non-fancy, basic (we always thought) bread stuffing recipe for turkey - I always cooked mine in a separate baking dish. Nothing worse than wet stuffing.

This will make about 3 quarts of stuffing (enough for a 12 lb turkey ... note that a 1 lb loaf of bread makes about 8 cups of bread cubes.)

1 cup butter, 3/4 minced onion, 12 cups bread cubes (I always cut the crust off first, then stacked a few slices of bread and cut into cubes), 1 1/2 cups chopped celery, 1 tbl salt (adjust to your taste), 1 tlb sage and thyme and if you like some poultry seasoning (to taste)

Melt the butter in a large (trust me, you need a large one so you don't have too many bread cubes doing kamikazi dives out of the pan) heavy (like cast iron if you have it) skillet. Add the onion and cook until yellow, stirring so there's no burning. If you're using dried herbs, add them in now too so they have a chance to soften and release their flavor. Stir in about 1/4 of the bread. Now on low heat stir to mix. Pour that into a lardge bowl. Mix in all the remaining ingredients. Now stir in a little hot water or broth, just enough so you have a moist - not wet - stuffing. Then put in a greased baking dish and bake. You can put this in the oven about 2 hours after you put the turkey in -- just keep an eye on it so it doesn't get too brown or burnt on top.

Macaroni and Cheese

an 8 oz box of macaroni - cook that. While that's cooking, do your prep:

2 cups cut up chedder cheese (I liked to try to slice it - easier to layer)
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
paprika (optional)
parsley (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (this is about the temp you should be cooking your turkey and stuffing at, so it should already be going as the turkey normally takes hours to cook).

Drain the macaroni. Layer the still hot macaroni and cheese in a greased baking dish, with a layer of cheese on the top. Pour the milk mixed with the salt and pepper over that. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until it's a nice golden brown on top. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika (if you like) and/or a sprig of parsley (if you like).

A vegetable, something simple like green beans with almonds sauteed in olive oil then sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese is nice.

I'd include cramberry sauce in the menu (that's so traditional and you only have to buy the canned, chill it then open and put it on a plate).

Biscuits? I have recipes, but there's nothing wrong with the ones you can buy in a tube and bake. Same for the pumpkin pie - either get a frozen bake at home or get one from a good bakery.

OOOO great, I was looking for a stuffing recepie and was just going to do stove top if I didn't find one . I think I can do this .

I need an appetizer, I wanted to involve shrimp but that's not too thanksgivinish. Any ideas anyone?

Also, any recipe for green beans?

I hope I can get a small turkey still, usually at this time all that is left is the huge turkeys X_X

Hi, hi

Appetizer, hmm. Don't know about shrimp, but if I remember my history (was a very long time ago), there was fish at the first thanksgiving. So, why not shrimp? Personally? I'd keep it simple.

If this is just something to have out to munch while waiting for dinner, I'd get precooked, peeled/deveined shrimp and cocktail sauce ... arrange on a plate with the sauce in a dish in the center. Have a small plate nearby for the tails. You could also make deviled eggs, though I'd make those Wednesday (the filling), it just tastes better the next day.

If the shrimp are to be incorporated with the dinner, I'd make a mixed greens salad on individual plates and put a few large shrimp on top of the salad and pour a little vinagrette over it. That's easy to make, or you can buy your favorite salad dressing.

For the green beans, I still go with french cut green beans ... sautee some slivered plain almonds with garlic and olive oil, then toss that with cooked french cut green beans. Drizzle a little more olive oil on if needed.

Need any other recipes? I'll check back here if you do

OMG, I so had in mind deviled eggs . I haven't had them in a while and quite enjoy them. Now I can't decide, because I know my brother in law loves shrimp x_x.

I'm going today to buy the necessary ingredients for everything.

Any ideas for a good punch or thankgiving type drink?

I need a good turkey marinade too. My bestfriend's mom makes it with tequila but I don't know what else she adds, they say it's really good. I don't just want the whole salt and pepper and put it in the oven.

Beans.


Our family doesn't celebrate it. But I would KILL for Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

Charisma, you're making me glad I never got around to culling my old recipe book!

Depending on how many people, there's no reason to not have both the deviled eggs and shrimp cocktail as pre-dinner appetizers ... unless cost is an issue. Then I'd go with the eggs and set out a crudite platter - baby carrots, sliced celery, mushroom caps, cherry tomatoes with a dip for them. That's really good.

Marinade I can't help with, I've never used one for turkey. I also never use salt and pepper. I always just put a cored apple (skin on) in the cavity for a bit of flavor.

Punch. I actually DO have a punch recipe!

4 quarts water
3 cups sugar (you could use sugar substitute if needed)
2 6 ounce cans frozen lemon juice
1 quart apple juice
2 quart cranberry juice
1 pint orange juice
1 pint strong tea (do this first)

Mix the water and sugar in a large pot, bring to a boil. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix really well. Make sure the lemon juice is completely melted and blended. Then chill the punch.

I personally always liked hot cider. Just get some apple cider, whichever brand you like. Get some cinnamon sticks. Put the cider and some of the cinnamon sticks in a large pot and warm up. Tastes good, the smell is wonderful and welcoming.

I also have a Wassail Bowl recipe (really more for christmas I think, but hey, this is a holiday, right?)

Heat your oven to 325. Take 3 oranges and push whole cloves into them - all over. Put these on a baking pan with a little water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. The oranges will be floated in the punch bowl ... the actual punch for this:

6 cups apple cider
cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbl. lemon juice - you'll only need 1 lemon for the juice and rind
1 tsp. lemon rind (you can leave this out if you like, just add another tsp or so of lemon juice)
1 can unsweetened pineapple juice (about a 20 oz can)

Heat the cider and cinnamon stick in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 3 minutes. Mix everything else together and add to the cider. Keep this warm. When your family arrives, pour the punch into a punch bowl, add the oranges. This is another great warm drink.

Great, great, great thanks . I decided to go with the deviled eggs b/c the shrimp I wanted would require me going to costco (a different store from were I was) and I was too tired.

I think I'm going with the first drink. Question though, when you say strong tea? Just like regular tea or some fruity type? Or is there something called strong tea?

Hi Sorry I just got home.

Strong tea just means brew a pint of tea and let it sit alot longer than you would if you were going to drink it by itself. Kind of like, let it sit and stew the way you would for making iced tea (a couple of hours or so). Just regular tea works fine!

I've never had pumpkin pie I love pumpkins and I love pie... so I reckon I'd like it! I'm going to have to find a recipe and make one, one day