Thanksgiving Planning

we make bbq baked beans, cream cheese mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, pasta salad, cranberry loaf

http://www.recipezaar.com/154884 (cream cheese potatoes)

http://www.recipezaar.com/52799 (mac and cheese)

http://www.recipezaar.com/118912 (cranberry loaf)
References :

Something new is having a Turducken instead of a regular turkey.
A Turducken is a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The name is a portmanteau of those ingredients, turkey, duck, and chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture or sausage meat, although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird. Some recipes call for the turkey to be stuffed with a chicken which is then stuffed with a duckling. It is also called a chuckey.

Some possible side dishes are,
Lemon Rice
Ingredients
1 garlic clove
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

Preparation
1. Slightly smash garlic clove using flat side of a knife. Stir together garlic, broth, butter, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice; reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, 20 minutes or until broth mixture is absorbed and rice is tender.
2. Remove and discard garlic; stir in lemon rind using a fork.

Lemon-Dill Rice: Proceed with recipe as directed, stirring 1 tsp. dried dill into cooked rice with lemon rind.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
6 bacon slices, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Preparation
1. Cook beans in boiling salted water to cover 9 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into salted ice water to stop the cooking process; drain. Cut beans into 1/8- to 1-inch-long pieces.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Stir in sugar and vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

3. Add beans and bacon to skillet, tossing to coat; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Thanksgiving Sparkler

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons mulling spices
Chilled sparkling wine, sparkling water, or club soda

Preparation
1. Stir together sugar, spices, and 1 cup water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard spices.
2. Stir 1 to 2 Tbsp. spiced syrup into a glass of sparkling wine, sparkling water, or club soda. Repeat procedure with remaining syrup.

Parmesan Scallopped Potatoes

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups whipping cream
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in potatoes and next 5 ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring gently, 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake at 400° for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cranberry Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup cranberry-orange crushed fruit or whole-berry cranberry sauce

Preparation
Arrange sweet potato cubes in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Bake at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes or until tender, stirring once after 20 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a large serving bowl; add cranberry-orange crushed fruit or whole-berry cranberry sauce, and toss to combine.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Ocean Spray Cranberry Orange Cran-Fruit.

Sweet Potatoe Pie

INGREDIENTS
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 pound butter, softened
2 eggs, separated
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, butter, egg yolks, brown sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and evaporated milk. Mix together well.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; add 1/4 cup sugar and fold into sweet potato mixture.
Pour into pie shell and bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until firm

Parmesan and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
4 large baking potatoes
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons roasted garlic and parmesan cheese sauce

DIRECTIONS
Wash potatoes and pierce with a fork. Microwave on high for 15 minutes, or until done.
Place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Slice the tops off of the potatoes and scoop the flesh into a large bowl with the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheese sauce and mash mixture until desired consistency is reached, adding more sauce if desired. Spoon mixture back into the skins and place on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
References :

Try this different take on cranberries. It is a staple at my family Thanksgivings and is one of my favorite dishes:
Cranberry Salad
1 lb cranberries, ground
2 c sugar
2 c red seedless grapes, cut in half
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 c pecans, chopped
1 (8 oz) carton cool whip
Combine ground cranberries with sugar and let sit overnight. Drain the next day. Stir in grapes, pineapple, pecans, and cool whip. Chill until ready to serve.
References :

I always make a corn casserole. It is so good and every year someone will ask for the recipe.

1 stick of margarine
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernal corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
Chopped jalapeno peppers (Optional: I have made it without peppers and it is still good. When I do use them, I use about 1/4 cup)

Pour melted butter into a 9×13 pan. Add corn to pan and stir. Add each additional item one at a time, mixing well after each one is added. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until browned on top.
References :