Thanksgiving Recipes

11/14/2009 | me

[Shimmer1]

My kids, even the meat eaters, just eat this right up. You’ll like it. :)

[HungarianGypsy]

I am making my first turkey this year. I know ... unbelievable... but we always have had turkey at the in laws’ or my sweetie would make the turkey. So, I don’t have anything to brine it in and I am not deep frying or smoking it. (when I do searches for what I want to do, this is what I see info on) I just want to be able to season it ahead of time. What is the best way to do this?

[HungarianGypsy]

Opened my docs to copy recipes into and saw one labeled from last year. Freeper Thanksgiving Recipes. :)

[HungarianGypsy]

Love this and have the ingredients in my pantry. Definitely making this one.

[Joya]

I love the idea of it being an alternative to sandwiches.

Thanks again,

[Joya]

Hiya HG, so good to see you. I think some of the best cooking threads on FR are the TG threads.

[Joya]

Interesting, that blogger’s comments on the broth granules,

George Washington Broth

- I think I didn’t make Cottage Cheese Loaf very often in my former life because the only place I could find this stuff was at the Adventist Book Center (the Adventist book and vegetarian food store). But, in Lincoln, the Hyvee on 70th and Pioneers carries this stuff. It’s in the soup and cracker aisle, next to the chicken broth, right up at eye level at the very end of the aisle. They probably carry it because that’s the Hyvee closest to Union College and all the Adventists were asking for it. Maybe. We used to substitute dry chicken broth granules for the George Washington Broth when I was a kid, but it just isn’t quite as good.

[Joya]

And I like the picture too, of the cottage cheese loaf,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pageta/429338555/

[Shimmer1]

Right. I don’t know where else, but any Adventist Book Center health food store (often at Adventist churches too, if they have a health food store in there)

[Joya]

This just in, as a quick-n-easy recipe

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/quick-and-easy-crispy-chocolate-almond-sticks/

Crispy Chocolate Almond Sticks
by Ree Drummond

Very thin, plain Italian breadsticks
1 cup meltable chocolate wafers or chocolate bark
2 heaping tablespoons Nutella
1/2 cup very finely chopped almonds

Melt chocolate with Nutella and stir together. Add nuts and stir. Break breadsticks in half and dip the broken half in the chocolate/almond mixture, being careful to coat. Lay on waxed paper and sprinkle with extra nuts. Allow to set before serving.

[Joya]

I LOVE to get recipes at americanprofile.com

http://www.americanprofile.com/recipes/view/81/pear-romaine-salad.html

Pear Romaine Salad
submitted by reader Glenna Hoff of Prescott, AZ

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 firm pear
1 tablespoon butter
8 to 10 pecan halves

Instructions
Wash, dry, and slice romaine lettuce into long, thin strips. Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil and pour on lettuce. Toss well. Put on salad plates. Cut pear into cubes or slices and sauté in butter until brown. Put on top of lettuce. Top with pecan halves. Serves 2.

Tips From Our Test Kitchen: This salad also is delicious with bleu cheese or Gorgonzola crumbles. It’s the perfect foil to the sweetness of the pears.

[Joya]

http://www.americanprofile.com/recipes/view/81/pear-romaine-salad.html

Snow Day Vegetable Soup
submitted by reader Joann Simon of Wilkes-Barre, PA

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, minced
3 large white potatoes, fresh or frozen, diced
3 large carrots, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1 or 2 bay leaves
Garlic salt
3 1/2 quarts chicken broth of water
2 1/2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 cup green beans, fresh or frozen

Instructions
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven and add celery, onions, green onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots; sauté until slightly tender. Add parsley, thyme, basil, bay leaves and stir to combine. Season with garlic salt. Add chicken broth and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Add green peas, corn and green beans.

Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove bay leaves.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Serves 8.

[Joya]

Link for the soup recipe,

http://www.americanprofile.com/recipes/view/22631/snow-day-vegetable-soup.html

and you could add leftover turkey to it too ...

[Springman]

I have a question. My Mother in Law will be cooking two turkeys and is worried about them fitting in the oven.

I made a half joke about, why don’t you put one on the gas grill?

She would be too worried about it drying out, but might try another time.

Any ideas on how not to dry the bird out? I joked about the pics I saw about putting bacon on the bird.

Thanks.

[tsmith130]

She could brine it (brining requires prep work the day before because the bird needs to soak overnight). I'd also definitely cook it breast side down.

Actually, I lived overseas in Asia for a number of years and the ovens there are typically very small (think Easy Bake Oven size!). I cooked my turkey on the grill (gas) all the time. I just put it in a turkey roaster. For some reason, those years I had the best gravy...I think it was because the drippings got darker on the grill and were more flavorful.

[varina davis]

Here’s Southern pie for the holidays:

Southern Peanut Butter Pie

1 pie crust
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup salted peanuts
Chill the homemade pie crust or slightly thaw a frozen crust. Beat eggs. Add corn syrup, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in the peanuts. Pour filling into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes in preheated 400 degree oven. Then reduct heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving

[varina davis]

Nothing better than this for Thanksgiving Day appetizer to keep folks happy until the turkey is ready:

Smoked Mullet Dip

8-ounce packages light cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3 cups flaked smoked Florida mullet meat (or other smoked fish if you’re not lucky enough to live in Florida
3 tablespoons chopped parsley paprika crackers

Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, grated onion and hot pepper sauce; whip until smooth and fluffy. Stir in fish and parsley. Form into a ball and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve with crackers. Makes 3 cups or 48 tablespoon size servings.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Sorry to make you wait for this one. It’s really, really good but once or twice a year (usually Thanksgiving or Christmas) is enough. Wildly popular with dinner guests too.

Peanut Soup:

6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery (combine with onion and saute in 4 tbsp butter)
1 tsp cayene pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups 1/2&1/2
combine the above and whisk until smooth
cook low for 4 hours
combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water
bring soup to boil, add flour/water mix and stir til soup thickens
ladle into bowls
garnish with a couple tablespoons chopped peanuts and serve.

Hint: lace a splash of bourbon or brandy over the tops just before serving. You won’t go wrong with this one.

[FrdmLvr]

Ooooh, thanks for that advice! I’m going to try it. It just happens to be exactly the same size bird I got today, too! 15.55 lbs! Roasted in beer, that would make tasty gravy. My gravy always gets rave reviews, but this one will have a little extra something!

[Umanbean]

You are so right. My MIL made the one and only good fruitcake any member of her family ever tasted. We could not find her recipe after her passing. That was in 1985 and I still read recipes hoping one sounds right.