When I am having people over, I always start out by planing the menu. With a holiday dinner, there are always those things that are staples on the table. For thanksgiving, there will definitely be turkey with dressing and gravy as well as a sweet brown sugar ham. One important thing to think about is how much prep time you will need.
Turkey: The first thing you need to decide is fresh or frozen. If you are doing a fresh turkey, you need to buy it closer to the actual day of cooking than if you are doing frozen. Personally I like the frozen turkey and find that if you thaw it properly, the texture and moisture of the meat is perfect. Make sure to plan plenty of time ahead. You do not want to go to make your turkey on Thanksgiving only to find that the bird is not thawed! A 8-12 pound turkey will need 3 days in a refrigerator to thaw while a larger 13-16 pounder will need 4 days. This is the safest way to thaw a turkey. However, I will admit that when I have been in a crunch, I have put it in the refrigerator for 2 days and then overnight in the sink covered with water to finish.
Ham: It is traditional in both my husband and my family to have ham on Thanksgiving as well. I just buy the precooked spiral ham and then glaze and heat the day of the meal. Just store in the fridge until ready to use. I will post the recipe for the glaze later.
Sides: Of course there will be the traditional stuffing and gravy made with the drippings and stock from the turkey and giblets --- yes, we use the giblets to make the stock! There will also be mashed potatoes, but maybe this year there might be a twist of sour cream mashed potatoes served along side the creamed corn and green beans. Another traditional side is the sweet potato. However, I do not just do the potatoes with marshmallows on top, which I happen to hate. Instead, I do more of a light soufflé topped with a crunchy walnut topping---recipe also to come. The cranberry relish is another place to possibly experiment. Many people are accustomed to just buying the can and plopping it down on a plate. While you are free to eat this if you like, I think I might mix it up and do a fresh cranberry dressing with orange and walnuts.
Bread: I normally do a fresh bread for Thanksgiving. Last year I did a yeast roll recipe of my own and everyone loved it, however, I like to experiment. I saw a recipe on television the other day and think I might be using it instead. Check out the recipe from Kelsey's Essentials for her Rapid Rolls. I think I might like this one because of the use of honey in the mix. It will be the perfect floral sweetness for an extra added flavor plus my recipe has to rise overnight, these are 20 minutes! I will plan some extra time just in case, but that helps to make things simpler.
Desserts: Now this is really where I come alive. I must start planning for 2 different desserts. Typically, the rule of thumb is one variety of pie (normally pumpkin) and one layer cake. However, once again, I might mix it up this year. Right now I am thinking of a pecan pie and my Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake. Just a nice switch up on the classic.
Drinks: Make sure to plan for the beverages. Even if it is just tea and water, make sure to include it in your plan. Maybe this year you incorporate a nice warm cider steeping on the stove. Either way, you need to make sure to plan for it so that you are not running at the last minute to cover yourself.
Whatever your plan, just make sure to have one! I really do like to lay it out as above --- of course without the extra elaboration --- so I can see each part of the meal and make sure they are all covered. Planning 7-10 days in advance helps start the de-stressing process.
Turkey: The first thing you need to decide is fresh or frozen. If you are doing a fresh turkey, you need to buy it closer to the actual day of cooking than if you are doing frozen. Personally I like the frozen turkey and find that if you thaw it properly, the texture and moisture of the meat is perfect. Make sure to plan plenty of time ahead. You do not want to go to make your turkey on Thanksgiving only to find that the bird is not thawed! A 8-12 pound turkey will need 3 days in a refrigerator to thaw while a larger 13-16 pounder will need 4 days. This is the safest way to thaw a turkey. However, I will admit that when I have been in a crunch, I have put it in the refrigerator for 2 days and then overnight in the sink covered with water to finish.
Ham: It is traditional in both my husband and my family to have ham on Thanksgiving as well. I just buy the precooked spiral ham and then glaze and heat the day of the meal. Just store in the fridge until ready to use. I will post the recipe for the glaze later.
Sides: Of course there will be the traditional stuffing and gravy made with the drippings and stock from the turkey and giblets --- yes, we use the giblets to make the stock! There will also be mashed potatoes, but maybe this year there might be a twist of sour cream mashed potatoes served along side the creamed corn and green beans. Another traditional side is the sweet potato. However, I do not just do the potatoes with marshmallows on top, which I happen to hate. Instead, I do more of a light soufflé topped with a crunchy walnut topping---recipe also to come. The cranberry relish is another place to possibly experiment. Many people are accustomed to just buying the can and plopping it down on a plate. While you are free to eat this if you like, I think I might mix it up and do a fresh cranberry dressing with orange and walnuts.
Bread: I normally do a fresh bread for Thanksgiving. Last year I did a yeast roll recipe of my own and everyone loved it, however, I like to experiment. I saw a recipe on television the other day and think I might be using it instead. Check out the recipe from Kelsey's Essentials for her Rapid Rolls. I think I might like this one because of the use of honey in the mix. It will be the perfect floral sweetness for an extra added flavor plus my recipe has to rise overnight, these are 20 minutes! I will plan some extra time just in case, but that helps to make things simpler.
Desserts: Now this is really where I come alive. I must start planning for 2 different desserts. Typically, the rule of thumb is one variety of pie (normally pumpkin) and one layer cake. However, once again, I might mix it up this year. Right now I am thinking of a pecan pie and my Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake. Just a nice switch up on the classic.
Drinks: Make sure to plan for the beverages. Even if it is just tea and water, make sure to include it in your plan. Maybe this year you incorporate a nice warm cider steeping on the stove. Either way, you need to make sure to plan for it so that you are not running at the last minute to cover yourself.
Whatever your plan, just make sure to have one! I really do like to lay it out as above --- of course without the extra elaboration --- so I can see each part of the meal and make sure they are all covered. Planning 7-10 days in advance helps start the de-stressing process.
Make sure to try your new recipes ahead of time. When I wrote this post, I was planning to make the Rapid Roles I liked to in the text. However, I wanted to make sure the bread was as good as it was said to be. When I tried the recipe, it was TERRIBLE! I was looking for a light and fluffy yeast roll and, instead, it was a heavy, dense round. Since I was planning ahead, this allowed me time to revise my menu. Although it is the day before and I will not have time to test this recipe, the fact that it was from 5 years ago and has a large number of reviews makes me less worried about the outcome. I am now going to use the No Kneading Required PW Dinner Rolls. You can find the recipe at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/pw_dinner_rolls_-_no_kneading_required/
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