Thanksgiving meal plan?
I would like to make a kid friendly thanksgiving dinner. This is my first year to attempt it so any help is appreciated. Recipes, tips and ideas, thanks!
Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing
INGREDIENTS
* 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
* 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
* 1 pound ground turkey sausage
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup chopped celery
* 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
* 3/4 cup dried cranberries
* 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
* 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
* 3/4 cup turkey stock
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.
Banana Sour Cream Bread
INGREDIENTS
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3 cups white sugar
* 3 eggs
* 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
* 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 teaspoons baking soda
* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7×3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Homestyle Turkey, the Michigander Way
INGREDIENTS
* 1 (12 pound) whole turkey
* 6 tablespoons butter, divided
* 4 cups warm water
* 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon
* 2 tablespoons dried parsley
* 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
* 2 tablespoons seasoning salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if they are anyone’s favorites.
2. Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and breast meat. This makes for very juicy breast meat.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the water with the bouillon. Sprinkle in the parsley and minced onion. Pour over the top of the turkey. Sprinkle seasoning salt over the turkey.
4. Cover with foil, and bake in the preheated oven 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). For the last 45 minutes or so, remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.
All Day Apple Butter
INGREDIENTS
* 5 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 4 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
This tasty apple butter is a real slow cooker, but well worth the wait. Depending on the sweetness of the apples used, the amount of sugar may be adjusted to taste
I know that you want to do the cooking and I applaud you for it. I am a grandmom and have cooked, cooked, cooked for years. I am now doing the easiest way possible for any of the holidays. So I would like for you to know that you can now get your supermarket to cook the turkey and all the side dishes for you. You pick the whole dinner up on Thanksgiving morning.
If your supermarket does not include the dessert, you can buy one from the freezer section and let it defrost. Or if it is something such as Mrs. Smiths frozen pies, bake it as per the directions on the box. Delicious.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, dear.
Edit:
You can get roasted chicken from your supermarket too any day of the week.
References :
I don’t know how good your skills are in the kitchen you can either go the real way from scratch, or make boxed stove top, and potatoes. Starting off with a turkey, of course. Mashed potatoes..2 1/2 pounds Russet, or baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks, about 8 cups of cut up potatoes
1/4 cup milk or half-and-half, or more to taste
1/4 cup butter
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place potatoes in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes thoroughly. For the smoothest potatoes, you can put the potatoes through a ricer at this point. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl. With an electric hand-held mixer, beat potato mixture until light and creamy.
Mashed potato recipe serves 4 to 6.
Stuffing..2 loaves oven-dried white bread (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 cups cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 stick butter, melted
Mushroom Giblet Gravy, recipe follows
Green Bean Casserole..1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 cups cooked green beans
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 1/3 cups French fried onions
Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup fried onions and bake about 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.
Serves 6.
White/Wheat dinner rolls.
Cranberry sauce (canned)
pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie for dessert, top it off with some vanilla icecream, or whipped cream.
Good Luck..hope your thanksgiving turns out yummy!!!
References :
Two or my three kids are PICKY… they always seem to do better with plain food, instead of the casseroles that are traditional for Thanksgiving.
You could offer chicken drumsticks (my grocery store has frozen ones for baking at home) alongside turkey breast which you have sliced already in the kitchen before bringing it to the table on a platter. And don’t bother to stuff the turkey; bake dressing separately — that is, if you know people like it. I don’t care for it, my daughter doesn’t really like it, my boys hold their noses… I make a small portion for my husband and in-laws.
Plain green beans instead of green bean casserole.
Most kids love mashed potatoes. (Mine don’t. They eat rolls instead of potatoes, and that’s okay with me for nutrition.)
Bumps-on-a-log as an appetizer. (That’s celery sticks filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins.)
Frozen rolls you let rise and then bake.
Jello with fruit. I have a recipe which incorporates red jello (strawberry, cherry, whatever), whole-berry cranberry sauce, pineapple, mandarin oranges, celery, and pecans. You can leave out any of those ingredients your kids might not eat.
Pumpkin and/or apple pies. Frozen pies are pretty good, if you don’t want to bother making your own.
SIMPLE IS BEST. Period.
Check out allrecipes.com — it’s full of real recipes from real people and I can usually find what I want there. Best of luck!
References :
Awesome Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing
INGREDIENTS
* 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
* 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
* 1 pound ground turkey sausage
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup chopped celery
* 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
* 3/4 cup dried cranberries
* 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
* 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
* 3/4 cup turkey stock
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.
Banana Sour Cream Bread
INGREDIENTS
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3 cups white sugar
* 3 eggs
* 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
* 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 teaspoons baking soda
* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease four 7×3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust pans lightly with cinnamon and sugar mixture.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix in salt, baking soda and flour. Stir in nuts. Divide into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Homestyle Turkey, the Michigander Way
INGREDIENTS
* 1 (12 pound) whole turkey
* 6 tablespoons butter, divided
* 4 cups warm water
* 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon
* 2 tablespoons dried parsley
* 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
* 2 tablespoons seasoning salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if they are anyone’s favorites.
2. Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and breast meat. This makes for very juicy breast meat.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the water with the bouillon. Sprinkle in the parsley and minced onion. Pour over the top of the turkey. Sprinkle seasoning salt over the turkey.
4. Cover with foil, and bake in the preheated oven 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). For the last 45 minutes or so, remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.
All Day Apple Butter
INGREDIENTS
* 5 1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 4 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
This tasty apple butter is a real slow cooker, but well worth the wait. Depending on the sweetness of the apples used, the amount of sugar may be adjusted to taste
References :
1 (8 to 24-pound) frozen turkey
To Prepare Turkey:
Thaw turkey in original plastic wrapper according to directions below. Keep thawed turkey refrigerated. Do not stuff until roasting time. Roast within 24 hours after thawing. Refreezing is not recommended.
Approximate Thawing Times
8 to 12 pounds: 4 to 6 hours in cold water* or 1 to 2 days in refrigerator
10 to 16 pounds: 6 to 8 hours in cold water* or 2 to 3 days in refrigerator
16 to 20 pounds: 8 to 10 hours in cold water* or 3 to 4 days in refrigerator
20 to 24 pounds: 10 to 12 hours in cold water* or 4 to 5 days in refrigerator
*Change water frequently to keep cold.
Remove turkey from plastic bag. Remove neck and giblets from cavities. Rinse turkey thoroughly in cold water; drain well.
Stuff neck and body cavities lightly (about 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey).
Fold neck skin to back of bird and secure. Fold wing tips under back or tie to body. Tuck tail into body cavity. Tie legs together.
To Roast Turkey:
Heat oven to 325°. Place turkey, breast-side up, in shallow pan; brush with melted butter.
Roast turkey according to directions below.
If using a standard meat thermometer, insert into thigh muscle next to body, not touching bone. Turkey is done when meat thermometer reaches 180° to 185°F.
Giblets, except liver, may be cooked over low heat in salted water for 2 to 2 1/2 hours; add liver for last half hour. Use cooked, chopped giblets in gravy or dressing.
Approximate Roasting Times
8 to 12 pounds
Unstuffed: 2 3/4 to 3 hours; Stuffed: 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds
Unstuffed: 3 to 3 3/4 hours; Stuffed: 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds
Unstuffed: 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 hours; Stuffed: 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds
Unstuffed: 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours; Stuffed: 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds
Unstuffed: 4 1/2 to 5 hours; Stuffed: 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
TIP: Roasting time will be shorter or longer than indicated on the chart if the turkey is warmer or colder than refrigerator temperature.
CORNBREAD STUFFING
Cornbread and bacon are mixed for a one-of-a-kind, country-style stuffing, which is also called dressing.
Preparation time: 20 min
Yield: 8 (3/4-cup) servings
4 cups crumbled prepared cornbread
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1/4 cup chicken broth
8 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled, reserve drippings
4 ribs (2 cups) celery, sliced 1/2-inch
1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped
3 tablespoons reserved bacon drippings
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Stir together all ingredients in large bowl. Use to stuff 12 to 14 pound turkey.
Casserole Directions: Do not stuff turkey. Heat oven to 350°F. Place mixture into greased 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Cover, bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and temperature in middle reaches 165°F.
Recipe Tip
An 8-inch square baking pan of cornbread will make 4 cups crumbled cornbread
BROWN TURKEY GRAVY
Rich, brown gray is a perfect complement to mashed potatoes and Thanksgiving dinner.
Preparation time: 5 min Cooking time: 6 min
Yield: 12 (1/4-cup) servings
3/4 cup water
Chicken broth or water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
Cracked pepper
Deglaze pan by stirring 1/4 cup water into pan with drippings. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping pan (2 to 3 minutes).
Strain pan juices into 4-cup measure; remove excess fat, reserving 3 tablespoons fat. Add enough chicken broth or water to equal 3 cups liquid; set aside.
Combine 3 cups pan juice mixture and 3 tablespoons reserved fat in 3-quart saucepan; cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil (3 to 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup water and flour in jar with tight-fitting lid; shake well to mix. Slowly stir into hot pan juice mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil; boil 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and cracked pepper.
CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
Cream cheese, sour cream and green onions turn ordinary mashed potatoes into extra special mashed potatoes.
Preparation time: 20 min Cooking time: 25 min
Yield: 12 (1-cup) servings
4 pounds potatoes, peeled, quartered
2 cups LAND O LAKES® Sour Cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Place potatoes in 4-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover. Cook over medium heat until fork tender (25 to 35 minutes); drain.
Combine cooked potatoes and all remaining ingredients in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until potatoes are smooth and creamy.
PISTACHIO SPRINKLED GREEN BEANS
Pistachio nuts are a great flavor complement to green beans.
Preparation time: 15 min Cooking time: 11 min
Yield: 8 servings
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed*
3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped salted pistachio nuts
Place green beans in 3-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover. Cook over medium-high heat until water comes to a full boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until green beans are crisply tender (10 to 15 minutes). Drain.
Return beans to pan; add 2 tablespoons Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until melted (1 minute). Sprinkle with pistachio nuts; top with remaining Spreadable Butter with Canola Oil.
*Substitute 3 (10-ounce) packages frozen green beans. Cook according to package directions.
GARDEN CARROT MEDLEY
This colorful vegetable medley is a tasteful sidedish for dinner.
Preparation time: 10 min Cooking time: 16 min
Yield: 6 (1/2-cup) servings
2 cups baby carrots, halved
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Fresh Buttery Taste™ Spread
1/4 cup chopped green and/or red bell pepper
1 medium (1 cup) yellow summer squash, cut in half lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium (1 cup) zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
Combine carrots and water in 2-quart saucepan. Cover; cook over medium heat until carrots are crisply tender (8 to 10 minutes). Drain.
Add Fresh Buttery Taste™ Spread to carrots in pan. Add green pepper, squash, zucchini and salt. Cover; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisply tender (6 to 8 minutes). Stir in basil.
HOMEMADE SWEET POTATO PIE
Fresh sweet potatoes taste delicious when made into a pie and flavored with cinnamon and ginger.
Preparation time: 30 min Baking time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold LAND O LAKES® Butter
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
Filling Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 medium (1 1/2 cups) sweet potatoes, cooked skins removed, mashed*
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup evaporated milk
3 eggs
Topping Ingredients:
LAND O LAKES™ Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped, sweetened, if desired
References :
All from Land O Lakes