Thanksgiving

beanbot2002

LivLeighton said:

I'm not very excited for Thanksgiving this year because Bri isn't coming and I hoped she would. This is not to make Bri feel bad (I understand that they need to go to her BF's family's house), but it is just the truth about how I'm feeling about this holiday. 

I'm hosting Thanksgiving at my house. My parents, my grandmother, and B will be there, plus potentially my neighbor if she can't make it to her aunt's house because she's working on Thanksgiving. 

The menu:

Appetizers

Butternut bisque shooters

Beet, cheddar, and apple tarts

Bacon and caramelized leek dip

Baked brie with pecans

Gingered nuts

Main course and sides

Pan-roasted turkey with brown sugar and mustard glaze

Sweet potato and sage-butter casserole

Hand-smashed potatoes with herbed butter

Sage, sausage, and apple stuffing

Green bean casserole

Parsnips and carrots with thyme

Orange-scented cranberry sauce

Dessert and Drinks

Apple pie

Pumpkin pie

Hand-churned vanilla ice cream

Fall beers

Mulled wine

Hand-flavored seltzer water

Coffee and tea

I'll take Bri's seat! NOM!

minskat30

@LivLeighton - Your menu sounds so, so, so good.

I'm in charge of Thanksgiving this year and hope I don't screw it up.  I'm cooking for anywhere between 7-20 people (wide range, I know) so I think I'll err on the side of lots of leftovers.

[Deleted User]

I need a good brown turkey gravy.  I want to make it from scratch this year!

cowgirl8238

Skipped some of comments because they were making too hungry but if you like mixing foods you can always try starch surprise!

Basically you boil potatoes (with or without skin) until soft them mash them up.  In that you put garlic powder, diced onions (fresh or "spice rack" variety) some salt and pepper to taste and butter.  Then you add in bacon bits and corn.  Sounds weird but its yummuy

phira

I am not a huge fan of Thanksgiving, not because I hate the holiday or anything, but because I see my family a lot year-round, and so it's just another family dinner for me. However, since my partner and I started dating, it's been a little more stressful. He got it into his head that missing holidays with his family was just unacceptable, and it was very hard for him to come around to the idea of switching back and forth (and spending Thanksgiving with one family and Christmas with the other in a given year).

Last year, we were at his family's Thanksgiving, and this year we'll be at mine. I'm excited because it'll be Thanksgiving AND Chanukah. Hooray!

I don't care a lot about most traditional Thanksgiving food (not a fan of stuffing, turkey isn't my favorite kind of meat, don't like cranberry sauce), but I love pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin in general. I'm drooling just thinking about pumpkin pie.

CASK85

@CocoBellaF - every time I make gravy it turns out a little weird. Always tastes good, but it is either too thin or kinda lumpy. We eat it anyway. 

My grandmother always makes giblet gravy (from the heart and whatever else comes in that weird little white or clear pouch in the turkey cavity), which is awesome. I'll have to get her recipe some day. 

This was a pointless response. sorry!! 

[Deleted User]

@CocoBellaF - I have a great gravy recipe!

• 1/4 Cup Turkey Fat
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 2 Cups Turkey Stock/Chicken Broth
• Salt & Pepper to taste

First you take all of the drippings from the pan and put it in a seperator. Once settled, measure out your fat and your stock. (If I don't have enough stock add chicken broth to make up the difference.) Pour 1/4 cup of turkey fat into a large skillet and heat on medium. Add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk continuously to combine the fat and flour. Continue whisking over the heat until mixture becomes dark brown. (you can't leave this unattended - you must whisk the entire time. The mixture almost looks burnt when it is ready. The darker your roux, the darker your gravy.) SLOWLY add in your 2 cups of stock/broth while whisking. Once combined, leave on heat until gravy reaches desired thickness. Add Salt and Pepper to taste & serve.

I like my gravy pretty thick, but if you don't just add in a little more stock/broth to thin it out. I usually save the leftover turkey fat to make more gravy the next day for leftovers and just use chicken stock for the broth.

[Deleted User]

thank you!  this is perfect, @allusive007.  I need to practice (maybe with a roast chicken?) so I can successfully make it on Thanksgiving!