Well yeah, color me surprised.
the following is a basic Peruvian style stuffing. It’s basically the stuffing we’ve served at Thanksgiving and Christmas for 39-years. ?!
A meal in itself, a spoonful or two makes me forget the turkey. Great with turkey and cranberry sauce on a sandwich.
Cooks, tweak it to suit. I wouldn’t taste the difference so have at it.
Buan Provecho!
Turkey Stuffing
Relleno de Pavo
1 lb. lean hamburger or meatloaf mix
2 stalks celery - chopped
2 onions - chopped
1 green pepper – chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 apples – peeled & chopped
1 cup mixed raisins, chopped prunes or dried cherries
4 garlic cloves - crushed
1 tsp. ground achiote
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup sliced Peruvian Botija purple or black Kalamata olives
3-4 sprigs of oregano, thyme or parsley.
salt and pepper to suit
1 loaf of white bread – cubed
Brown ground beef or meatloaf mix. Drain excess grease.
Add chopped vegetables, fruits, nuts and spices to browned meat.
Cube bread and add to mixture.
Adjust seasonings to suit
By hand, thoroughly combine ingredients
Maintain moisture in stuffing by adding vegetable or chicken stock to suit.
Per your method, stuff and cook turkey.
Place prepared stuffing in a suitable bowl and serve.
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Foe what it’s worth, a note about Peruvian style cooking; potatoes and rice - double starchies - is typical in many recipes. It works so adjust to suit.
A tasty meal easily prepared with leftover turkey and canned corn. Serve with sliced Yukon gold potatoes and rice. Depending on taste, a mix of canned creamed corn and corn kernels may be used. Either way, coarsely chop the corn in a blender or food processor.
A variation of this dish may be prepared by omitting the turkey. Cube and process 2-3 green zucchini or Pepian squash. Follow the remaining cooking process. Serve with rice and potatoes. May also be served separately with grilled meat as desired.
Creamed Corn with Pulled Turkey
Pepian de Pavo
2 lbs. leftover pulled turkey
4 large ears of sweet corn - 16 oz. of frozen corn or canned equivalent
1 small red onion - chopped
2-3 Tbsp. Ají Amarillo paste - Peruvian Yellow Hot Pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
3 cups turkey stock
½ cup butter
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro,
Salt, pepper and cumin to suit.
Shell the corn and coarsely chop using a mixer or food processor, blend with ½ cup of broth.
In a saucepan melt the butter and gently brown the garlic.
Add the Aji paste and onion. Cook for five minutes.
Add the chopped cilantro and broth. Season to suit with salt, cumin and pepper.
When it reaches a boil, add the blended corn and stir until the mixture thickens.
Stir in pulled turkey.
Serve turkey-corn mixture over white rice with boiled, thick-sliced Yukon Gold potatoes. Arrange sliced boiled egg and purple Peruvian or Kalamata olives on the side.
Yield: 8 servings
If using sliced turkey, warm slices and arrange on serving plate and top with sauce. A more formal version of Pepián may be prepared using sliced boneless turkey or chicken breast filets instead of leftover turkey. Prepare filets as desired, slice and serve topped with sauce and accompaniments.
Pulled Taffy (we pulled taffy in the garage the evening of Thanksgiving and Christmas day)
After the turkey was cooked, the stuffing would slide out of the cavity all in one piece and we'd slice it with a knife. Topped with gravy, it was delicious.
Grandma’s creamed pearl onions, baked, browned, cream straight from the cow.
Your post has taken on a life all its own with a mixture of nostalgia, recipes, and interesting information. It’s a Thanksgiving Dinner with our Freeper family.
Dressing.
This is not stuffing but dressing.
First thing you do is bake three large pans of cornbread two days before. Leave one out for the husband to eat with a big pot of pinto beans and greens, hide one in the pantry for husband to find, hide the third.....(not telling. He reads FR sometimes) retrieve it Thanksgiving morning and crumble.
Brown one pound of sausage, chopped mushrooms, one onion (diced), four celery stalks (diced) and a carrot (grated).
Add in sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, parsley and mace. (to taste)
Dried cranberries, about a half cup.
When nicely cooked take off heat, add in cornbread and mix.
Beat two eggs and half cup of cream and mix in.
If it is too dry add in some chicken stock.
Pack lightly into buttered baking dish and let bake about a half hour.
Let cool slightly and eat.
It’s not really a good item, but a record of time. We have a linen table cloth that everyone signs with a sharpie pen. I love looking down and seeing friends and family signatures that are no longer with us.
Way back in the 70s I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with an artist, a childhood friend, to a cabin in the Maine woods owned by Red Grooms, famous for his “Manhattan Ruckus”.
I was living in Manhattan at the time and took Amtrak to Boston to connect with my friends younger sister for the drive to to the Maine woods. Got a late start due to the snow so it was a straight run past Camden with no food stops, just gas.
There were a few feet of snow on the ground, perfect New England Thanksgiving setting. Cozy cabin with wood burning stove and fireplace. Dropped off my offerings, warmed up a bit with some mulled wine before we set off for the dinner hosts cabin near bye.
Another cozy cabin a bit larger but just as warm and inviting. All sat by the fire drinking wine and chatting before dinner. Starving at this point.
Table was set, what looked like large browned turkey breast ruled as the center piece on the large refactory table, steaming bowls of mashed sweet potatoes, squash and home made bread along with condiments filled the rest of the groaning board. Grace was said and the host started carving the centerpiece. I immediately realized that something was dreadfully wrong when I saw him using a large serving spoon on what now suspect “roast”. My fears were realized when the hostess proudly announced that this was largest tofu offering she'd ever made. Well, I manned up without a word and with a warm smile accepted this alien and sacrilegious portion, thinking that at least the sweet potatoes and squash would be well buttered. But no, another disappointment. they were dairy free vegetarians...and damn poor cooks as well. Swallowed as much mush as I could tolerate while pushing the tofu around.
That's when I learned that Labrador retriever also wanted no part of the meal. Had to fake drop some cutlery and quietly wipe up the mess on the floor by my chair, leaving my mounded napkin on the table.
Soon the hostess announced that we should leave room for The Dessert. Hope returned with the prospect of a traditional pumpkin pie, surely that would be edible and tasty. A large handmade pottery pie plate was brought to the table...without the golden orange delight I anticipated. Instead the pie had what appeared to be a sodden gray shirt cardboard, somewhat lop sided, with a strange topography. Ahh, I thought these artists had reproduced a model of their property. But I was deceived yet again. It was the hostess's first attempt at a rye flour pie crust and as all amateur attempts doomed to ignominious failure.
I excused myself to go outside for a smoke, my mind focused on the large axe by the wood pile. Perhaps I could find a nearby moose to slaughter in the wintry night. I suspect the Lab that followed me out had the same hopes. I learned my lesson.
Now I boldly reply to dinner invitations stating that I am an apex carnivorous predator of a religious order that requires quantities of fresh meat, preferably rare or medium rare.
Pay heed to my misfortune lest it happen to you.
Pocket dressing. The cornbread dressing is made into small patties. It was made for the hunters of the family could take them in their pockets to eat while hunting. My grandmother used to make them, as well as my Mother. I made them a few years ago for my grandchildren.
I think, for 2020, our family should have had some recreational pharmaceuticals as our unique dish. But for my family, I guess for Mom’s (RIP) side, it would have to be the stuffing. Quite unique every year.
This is probably the wrong thread for this, but does anyone know what makes candied yams crispy? Do you put them under the broiler or something to crisp up the sugar mixture?
If there’s a Thanksgiving cooking thread lead me to it?
Chili Relleno Pie. More specifically, Picadillo style, which I think refers to the raisins and blanched almonds in the mix. This has been a real hit for holiday meals, but only recently, not a tradition yet.
The Pie “crust” is made with whipped egg whites plus added yolks, flour, & salt. That’s the bottom layer. Poblano or pasilla chilis layered above the egg. Roast & skin the chilis if the skin is tough. Remove the seeds if it needs to be tamed down (for kids or ... ). Next layer is plenty of muenster cheese slices.
Next, the stove-top-cooked filling: chopped vegetables (onion, garlic, carrots, optional jalapenos) + some canned corn, black beans, & tomatoes + “pulled” chicken or any other chopped or ground meat + chopped raisins & blanched/chopped almonds, and also spices (cumin, oregano, cinnamon, red pepper). Reverse the next layers: cheese, then chilis, and lastly the whipped egg white concoction. Bake & serve.
It’s different ... and delectable. Easier to make than regular Chili Rellenos, and never fails to please.
Lots of great stuff
Thanks for posting
Deep fried turkey
Gravy made with roasted off turkey wings
Cranberry sauce with real cranberries and fresh squeezed orange juice
Mashed yukons
Chestnut dressing with Bell’s seasoning
Green bean casserole
Fresh roasted pumpkin pie
Homemade french vanilla ice cream