Thanksgiving's coming and I need recipes

Now that I FINALLY own my own house and it has a dining area, I’m taking over turkey day duties from my mother for the first time this year. I’ll be fixing some old favorites that we have every year, but I’d like to try to introduce a couple of new side dishes, too, or maybe try to fix old favorites in a new way. The menu thus far:

[ul]
[li]Turkey (obviously)[/li][li]Stuffing (Which I don’t really know how to make, because I think it’s vile)[/li][li]Mashed potatoes[/li][li]Corn[/li][li]Green beans in some form (see Stuffing)[/li][li]Candied yams (they must have marshmallows on top or there will be a revolt at the dinner table)[/li][li]Cranberry sauce from a can[/li][li]Rolls[/li][li]Traditional pumpkin pie[/li][li]Double layer pumpkin pie[/li][li]Orange jello salad[/li][li]4-layer salad (involves a lot of vanilla pudding and Cool Whip)[/li][/ul]

Which, now that I look at it, seems a little bland. So, any suggestions? I’m on kind of a tight budget and have a tiny kitchen, but I’ve got two ovens at my disposal!

You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant ('cepting Alice).

You’re a little heavy on the starches there, IMO. However, Thanksgiving is all about the carbs. I would suggest a vegetable platter, with as many cheap, colorful veggies as you can manage. I like to put out green bell pepper strips (sometimes other colors too), carrot sticks or baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and broccoli florets, things like that. I also put out black olives and sweet pickles, because that’s what my father likes, so it’s a tradition with me. If I have the time and energy, I’ll hard boil some eggs, quarter them the long way, and devil the yoilks (quartering them makes them go much further). Put this platter out first, and let people snack on it.

For dressing, Stove Top or another commercial brand is all right, especially if you don’t care for stuffing, and don’t really know how to make it. I usually saute some diced onion and celery and mix it into commercial stuffing. I don’t stuff the bird with dressing, instead I put quartered onions and celery stalks inside the cavities. Stuffing a bird is a pain, and getting all the stuffing out is even more of a pain. The onion and celery will flavor the bird very nicely. I do this same thing with chicken.

For green beans, steam them with a little dill weed, if you have it. If you don’t have dill weed, you should still steam the green beans, because they taste better that way, and the meal is rich enough.

I like to make cornbread or corn muffins, as a reminder that it’s a New World harvest festival. I like to have squash of some sort for the same reason.

I don’t see gravy on your list. Don’t forget the gravy!

How ambitious a cook are you?

If you don’t like traditional bread stuffing, how about a rice pilaf stuffing? My mom’s is fabulous - it has long-grain white rice, wild rice, onions, and depending on her mood, mushrooms, slivered toasted almonds, dried apricots, and rosemary.

Sauteed mushrooms with sour cream, sage, and sherry

Stuffed mushrooms

Derby pie Rosemary, dill, and onion bread

I usually make my sweet potatoes with crushed pineapple, orange juice, ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar (and a bit of butter, but not too much). Mash all ingredients until still a bit chunky, then bake until the marshmallows are golden brown and gooey.

You probably don’t like stuffing since you might never have had cornbread stuffing. IMHO, it’s not Thanksgiving without it.

I can’t share my mother’s recipe, but this comes close:

(From epicurious.com)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
8 ounces ham steak, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups)
2 cups chopped onions
3 large celery stalks, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 7.25-ounce jar steamed peeled chestnuts, coarsely crumbled
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 large eggs
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coarsely crumble cornbread onto large rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until slightly dried, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Maintain oven temperature.

Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced ham and sauté until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer ham to large bowl. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and sage; cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to bowl with ham. Stir in chestnuts, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. (Toasted cornbread and ham mixture can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store cornbread at room temperature. Cool ham mixture slightly, then cover and refrigerate.)

Stir crumbled cornbread into ham mixture. Whisk 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Mix into stuffing, adding more chicken broth by tablespoonfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spray sheet of foil on 1 side with nonstick spray. Cover cornbread stuffing with foil, sprayed side down. Bake stuffing 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top begins to brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Makes 8 servings.
Now, I’d forget the ham and use a flavorful sausage…but, that’s me. Oh, and you can add to the seasonings by taste if you prefer sage over thyme, etc.

My Mom’s Turkey stuffing is pretty simple, traditional, and to the point. A loaf to a loaf and a half of Wonder Bread torn in pieces, 6 eggs, 1 large onion and a couple of ribs of celery finely chopped and sauteed in some butter til translucent, some milk or chicken stock to moisten, Two or Three tablespoons of rubbed sage and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together and pack it in the turkey, cook it till the turkey is done…

Baking the stuffing seperately is for wussies, The mountain they made of that molehill in food safety circles is something I’ve never understood, as long as you cook the turkey for an extended period (a few to several hours) and the juices run clear there should be no problem. She’s done it that way for years and we’ve never had a stuffing mishap. Plus, it just tastes better when cooked in the Turkey. I guarantee this stuffing, although simple and basic, is ten times better than that Stove Top© shelf dust and scrapings they dare to call stuffing.

If you’re adventurous and really want to put a treat on the Thanksgiving table, instead of the usual Green Bean Casserole, you could flex your culinary muscles and wow them with an Indian Green Bean Curry.

Green Bean Curry

4 t oil
12 green chillies, halved
2.5 cm / 1 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
10 curry leaves
2 t mustard seeds
1 t turmeric seeds
1/2 t chilli powder
1 onion, finely sliced
400 g / 14 oz green beans, trimmed and cut in half or 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz frozen beans, defrosted
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
50 g / 2 oz freshly grated or desiccated coconut
Salt and ground black pepper

METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric and chilli powder and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the onion and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes or until it is lightly browned. Stir in the green beans, tomatoes and 4 t water. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and tender. Add the coconut, then some salt and pepper to taste and mix well before serving.
(The Hare Krishnas also have some great Green Bean recipes. Should make for some humor if people ask where you got the recipe! :smiley: )

Is there any particular reason why you don’t have apple pie on the menu?

If you want an interesting alternative to cranberry sauce, get some kumquats, reduce them to smaller pieces and take out the seeds (warning: this process is a PITA), then simmer them with a little water and a bunch of sugar till it’s like a thin marmalade.

If you want to make stuffing a little more interesting, fry up some sausage. Crumble up the meat and add it in with the stuffing and substitute the fat for the oil or butter.

Marlitharn check out Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for ciabatta stuffing with pancetta and chestnuts on Food Network Don’t stuff the bird with it. Just make it in a big casserole and serve on the side. This was, by far, the best part of last Thanksgiving’s dinner.

I’m just trying to decide if my co-workers are worthy of this dish at the pot luck in two weeks.

One of the easiest things to make from scratch that is a bazillion times better than commercial/canned is cranberry sauce. Get yer standard bag of cranberries, wash 'em, pick 'em over for any stems, add them to a saucepan with a cup of water and a cup or so of sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook until the berries pop. Chill. That’s it.

You can gussy it up by adding a couple of whole cloves, part of a cinnamon stick, and/or some orange peel to the saucepan when you add the water and sugar.

Really? Because I used to think that too. Then one year I decided to be brave and make a mashed sweet potato recipe with vanilla and cinnamon mixed in with the potatoes (no sugar) and walnut and brown sugar topping. Now there’s going to be a revolt if I don’t make them! I actually mentioned to my husband that I was thinking about trying a new recipe this year and he got upset. Let me know if you’d like to try them and I’ll see if I can find the recipe.

Green bean casserole. It’s simple and homey and it’s always going to have a place on our Thanksgiving table.

2 (14-ounce) cans French-style green beans
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3 green onions, slice
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
Paprika
Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.
In saute pan melt butter and add flour, cook and stir for 1 minute over medium heat. Add sour cream and heat. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, sugar and onions, stirring to mix. Add green beans, gently mixing well and pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles and turns golden brown.

Here’s a favorite recipe of mine. This stuff is so good that I make it year-round:

Cranberry Ketchup

4 cups cranberries
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup cheap white wine
1 cup V-8 Juice
3 cups sugar (white or light brown)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon powdered celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Boil cranberries and minced onions together with wine and V-8 Juice until the berries pop. Allow mixture to cool slightly, then transfer to blender or food processor and puree. Return the puree to saucepan and stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for about an hour until thickened, stirring occasionally. Store in glass jars or bottles. Keeps for a long time in the fridge, or practically forever in the freezer.

:eek:
No succotash?
:frowning:

That sounds good! I was toying with the idea of mashed sweet potatoes, but hadn’t found a good recipe. If you can find yours I’d like to give it a try. If the husband fusses I can always make both kinds of sweet potatoes. Can pecans be substituted for the walnuts? Walnuts make my mom puffy.

Gravy is on the menu, of course. I think I’ll follow Lynn’s suggestion and cram an onion and some celery and probably some rosemary into the bird while it’s roasting, that ought to give the gravy plenty of flavor. I think I’ll try my hand at making homemade cranberry sauce, too.

Cornbread stuffing with chestnuts: Check. I’ve never had stuffing with chestnuts in it and have always been curious about whether it’s as good as tradition says it is.

I’m probably going to steam some fresh green beans, but does anyone know of any simple spices or anything I can put on them so they won’t taste so bloody bitter?

You guys are really giving me some good ideas, keep’em coming!

There’s a fondue resturant around here called The Melting Pot, and they feature this Garlic and Wine seasoning that could actually just be munched on right out of the bottle. It’s fantastic on green beans with just a touch of butter…mmmm…green beans.

I have never had a green bean that I would describe as “bitter”. Are you a supertaster or something?

That being said, IME spicy flavors will trump bitter flavors. So you might want to try something like that green bean curry recipe posted upthread.

Or ginger. A little brandy would not be amiss, either.

I don’t avoid stuffing the bird because of food safety issues, I avoid stuffing it because stuffing is a pain to put in and a pain to take out. I always make stock from the carcass.

Now sometimes I will loosen the skin on the breast and put stuffing in that area. It keeps the breast from overcooking. Usually, though, I coarsely chop the fat that I’ve removed from the bird, mix it with a little seasoning, and put that under the breast skin. In this way, the bird will mostly baste itself.

I will say it again…steam the green beans with dill. It’s delicious. I’ve never had a bitter green bean, though.

Personally, I like the cranberry jelly in a can, the fresh stuff is much too sour for me. I like some sour things, but not cranberry relish.

I suggested Stove Top or other commercial brands of stuffing mix because someone who doesn’t like stuffing isn’t likely to be able to taste when it’s seasoned properly.

These don’t have to be bland.

A really simple recipe:
1 pound green baens
1 large yellow or Spanish onion, coarse chopped, (not diced)
1/2 Cup slivered or sliced almonds

(You can even do this with frozen beans and a nuke, although steaming fresh snapped beans works better.)
For the quick-and-dirty version: Nuke the frozen beans, covered, for five minutes, stir in the onions and nuke, covered, for five minutes, drain, stir in the almonds.