We celebrated last Saturday because Jason has to work on the actual day. Plus, my sisters and niece came, so that made it even more fun. I cannot tell you enough just how much Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love to cook and make things pretty, so give me the kitchen, play with my kids, and I am the happiest camper in the world. This year's menu has been one of my favorites, so I thought I would create a post more for me to find next year than anything else :) If you are looking for a last minute addition, look no more. Here's the menu - I will explain the turkey at the bottom.
Turkey - this year's turkey was the best one I have ever done.
Dressing - I use Paula Deen's recipe, but I don't add all the broth. I keep it at about 4 cups because I tried all 7 cups one year, and my dressing never got as firm as I like it.
Maple Meringue Sweet Potatoes - I did a meringue topping this year because my boys don't like the one with brown sugar. I will just make the regular one next year, but I will keep the actual sweet potato portion of this recipe. The addition of cream cheese to the sweet potatoes was YUM.
Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallot Topping - this was okay. I really have tried to like GBC, but I'd just rather have roasted green beans.
World's Best Mac and Cheese - Seriously YUM. Totally worth wearing the fat pants.
Boursin Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes - I could swim in these. My mouth is watering right now and wishing I still had some.
Cranberry Sauce - I have no idea when this recipe changed. All my recipe has in it is the maple syrup, cranberries, and orange zest. I think I may have squeezed in some of the juice from the orange, but you don't need the other stuff.
Rolls - courtesy of Sister Schubert
Cranberry Apple Salad - this is a super easy salad made with dried cranberries, mixed greens, feta, walnuts, diced red apple, and diced green apple tossed in a poppyseed dressing. Simple and yum.
Deviled eggs - I'm sure there is some sort of law that says these must be present.
Gravy - I didn't even use my turkey drippings. I used a store bought bone broth. I omitted the wine but kept in the heavy cream and cognac.
Pumpkin Pie - this is my go-to pumpkin pie. Jason finished it off a little bit ago.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart - My recipe is similar. I could eat this all by myself. It would probably make me sick to do so, but it is so good I don't think I'd even care.
And there ya have it. The Thanksgiving menu for 2016. So here's what I did to the turkey. This year I had a 16 pounder. I always do a brine (except for last year, and the turkey was icky). This year it got a full 24 hour soak in the brine.
Brine:
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 springs rosemary
2 gallons water
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a non reactive container (I use a plastic bin). Place the turkey inside and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.
Prepare a rub. I usually do this step the day before and store it in a container with a lid until I am ready to cook my bird.
Mix:
1 Tbsp, rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 coarse salt
Place in food processor and pulse until fine. Set aside
When you are ready to cook your turkey, take it out of the brine a pat dry. Place a few pats of butter under the skin. Drizzle olive oil onto the turkey and massage into the turkey. Then, rub the citrus rosemary salt all over the turkey. Place a few sprigs of rosemary and a few lemon halves in the cavity of the turkey.
In your roasting pan, alternate celery and whole carrots on the bottom. Lay the turkey - breast side down - on the veggies and roast for 1 hour at 425. Take the turkey out and place a rack in the roasting pan, flip the bird over, and cook until done at 325.
My turkey is always one of the first things to get done. I always wrap it in foil then towels, place it in a cooler (breast side down) until we are ready to eat. Yum!!!
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