This year will be my second MARRIED Thanksgiving, my first Thanksgiving with a child (and my last with only 1!) and my first Thanksgiving ALONE, to cook and celebrate with just my little family! Two Thanksgivings or so, ago, we spent some time at my grandmother's house. On the food Network Anne Burrell was cooking a sort of APPLE themed turkey dinner. It looked SO good and me and my dad couldn't stop talking about how much we wanted to eat her meal! She brined the turkey for day in Apple Cider and veggies and then cooked it with an herb rub and it looked juicy and tender and crispy. Also she made an apple, walnut, sausage stuffing on the side. I decided this year I will be making that!
I asked the hubby what types of Thanksgiving dishes he thinks are crucial and IMAGINE that! We had the exact same list!
Turkey (not cause we ADORE it but because its a tradition we want to have)
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
I think that's it. I think that is what the menu will be. I could go crazy and make 12 dishes for us 2 people but what would we do with all that food. We could potentially have people over but I don't know that I want my first experience, which could be a disaster, to be with 3 other families. Also, I want ALL the leftovers frozen so we can eat it for a long time!!! :) Here are the websites/ recipes I will be using!
I don't really think you can go wrong with Martha!: for Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole and Cranberry Sauce.
http://www.marthastewart.com/274421/thanksgiving-side-dish-recipes/@center/276949/everything-thanksgiving#/256663
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 medium russet potatoes (about 4 pounds)
- 1 head peeled garlic cloves (about 15)
- Coarse salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
Directions
1. Peel potatoes and quarter lengthwise; cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick. In a 5-quart saucepan, combine potatoes and garlic cloves; cover with water (about 8 cups) by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Drain; return garlic and potatoes to pan. Stir over medium-high heat until dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. In a small saucepan, bring milk to a boil; pour over potatoes. Add butter and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mash until smooth and creamy.
Prep Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Yield Serves 8
Ingredients
3 cups vegetable oil
6 large shallots, cut into very thin rounds, rings separated
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss together shallots and 1 1/4 cups flour until shallots are evenly coated. In batches, shake off excess flour from shallots and fry until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat if shallots are browning too quickly. With a slotted spoon, transfer to sheet and season with salt. Set aside. (Store in an airtight container at room temperature with a layer of paper towels underneath, up to 2 days.)
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry. (To store, refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag, up to 1 day.)
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add broth, then milk. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate with plastic wrap on surface, up to 2 days. Reheat before using.)
3. Add green beans to mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve topped with fried shallots.Cranberry and Dried-Cherry Relish
- Prep Time5 minutes
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
- 1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
Directions
- In a large saucepan, combine cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen), cherries, sugar, and water.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until most berries have burst and liquid is syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cover, pressing plastic wrap directly on surface of relish; refrigerate.
or
Cranberry Sauce with Dried Figs
- Yield Makes 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 bag fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries
- 5 ounces dried Calimyrna figs, halved (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup dry red wine or cranberry juice
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients; cook over low heat until most of the cranberries have burst, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer cranberry sauce to a small bowl. Let cool; cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature, 30 minutes, before serving.
The glorious Apple Thanksgiving recipes of Anne Burrell: for Stuffing, Gravy and Turkey:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/brined-herb-crusted-turkey-with-apple-cider-gravy-recipe/index.html + http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sausage-apple-and-walnut-stuffing-recipe/index.html
Brined Herb-Crusted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell- Prep Time:
- 1 hr 0 min
- Inactive Prep Time:
- 48 hr 0 min
Cook Time:- 4 hr 0 min
Ingredients
Brine:
- 7 quarts water
- 1 quart apple cider
- 3/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large or 2 small carrots, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 1 head garlic, cut in 1/2 equatorially
- 1/2 bunch fresh rosemary
- 1/2 bunch fresh sage
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey, free range organic is great!
Herb crust:
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves finely chopped
- 3 sticks butter, room temperature
- Kosher salt
Gravy:
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bunch thyme
- Kosher salt
- 1 quart chicken stock, divided
- 2 cups apple cider, divided
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Directions
Special equipment: butcher's twine
To brine the turkey: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine in a large container. Add the turkey and let it brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
To prepare the turkey for cooking: Remove the turkey from the brine the night before roasting and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine the rosemary, sage, and butter for the herb crust in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Work the butter under the skin of the turkey and massage it into the breasts and the legs. Massage the butter on the outside of the skin as well. Tie the legs together over the breast so they will protect it during cooking and help keep it moist and juicy.
Gravy preparation: Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, apples, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and thyme in a roasting pan and season with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! Yes, that's right, uncovered. This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Put 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider in the bottom of the roasting pan. Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until the skin gets really nice and brown, about 40 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so and add more stock to the roasting pan, if needed. Cook about 17 minutes per pound. Once it gets to the proper color, tent the turkey with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
Remove the turkey from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 160 degrees F. Make sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone when doing the reading. When the turkey has reached the proper temperature, remove it from the roasting pan to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Strain all the veggies over a bowl to separate them from the stock/mixture. Discard the veggies. Skim off the fat and add it to the roasting pan. This is the fat for the roux. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and over a low heat and whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 cup apple cider, remaining chicken stock and the stock/cider mixture. Cook until the mixture has thickened and reached a gravy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Pour into a serving pitcher or bowl.
Carve the turkey, transfer to a serving platter and serve with the gravy.
Sausage, Apple, and Walnut Stuffing
Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell- Prep Time:
- 20 min
- Inactive Prep Time:
- --
- Cook Time:
- 1 hr 0 min
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 3 ribs celery, finely diced
- Kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely diced
- 1 pound spicy sausage, casing removed, broken up into bite-size chunks
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 bunch sage, leaves finely chopped
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- 10 cups stale rustic bread, crusts discarded, cut into 1-inch cubes; or fresh bread slices toasted until crispy but no color, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
Directions
Coat a large saute pan, over medium heat, with olive oil and add the onions and celery. Season with salt and cook until the veggies start to become soft and are very aromatic. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage browns. Stir in the apples and apple cider and cook until the apples start to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the sage leaves and the walnuts and turn off the heat.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the diced bread and toss together. Pour in the chicken stock and knead with your hands until the bread is very moist, actually wet. Taste to check for seasoning and season with salt, if needed, (it does). Transfer to a large deep ovenproof dish (roughly 9 by 11 inches) and bake until it is hot all the way through and crusty on top.
Remove from the oven and serve.
For the Sweet Potato Casserole recipe I will be using my moms.. One of Jonathan's favorites!
350degrees, 45 minutes, no cover
4 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
Cook and mash potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and put in a casserole dish.
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup sugar
dash cinnamon
2 tbsp. flour
1 cup of chopped nuts (we all prefer walnuts)
Melt butter and mix with other ingredients. Put on top of potatoe snad bake for 45 minutes.
Sometimes with toppings on Apple-Berry Crisp, Moussaka with the Béchamel on top or this recipe, I double the topping part of the recipe, because everyone ends up trying to scrape extra off for their helping and fighting over it. Its a crunchy delicious topping, so you may as well put extra!
Can't wait for my first Thanksgiving! And happy that my husband has recently gotten into cooking and really enjoys learning how to help! Its like having a sous chef!
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