It’s only a week until Thanksgiving! Like most of you, I’m planning dinner, getting supplies in, checking linens, cleaning house, and generally planning for guests and lots of food, food, food!
I usually mix things up for the holidays – trying at least one new thing every year, and my cranberry sauce varies with my mood. I have a vegetarian for dinner every year too, so I try to include things that he will like. It’s my grandson now, but we used to always have a friend visit who was vegetarian, so I’ve been doing that for many years.
One thing the kids like is Jiffy corn pudding (super easy and “Jiffy” to make), and we always have sparkling cider for them to drink, served in wine glasses, of course. They just moved up from plastic wine glasses to glass last year.
I know by now that most of you love to cook, and have your favorite, dependable, recipes that are crowd pleasers.
Since we come from various backgrounds, and different parts of the country, there will be lots of good food to consider!
P.S.: Don’t forget the cocktails! And bread. And dessert.
Stella's Place 
Freedom from Want, also known as The Thanksgiving Picture or I’ll Be Home for Christmas, is the third of the Four Freedoms series of four oil paintings by American artist Norman Rockwell. The works were inspired by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address, known as Four Freedoms. The painting was created in November 1942 and published in the March 6, 1943 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. All of the people in the picture were friends and family of Rockwell in Arlington, Vermont, who were photographed individually and painted into the scene. The work depicts a group of people gathered around a dinner table for a holiday meal. Having been partially created on Thanksgiving Day to depict the celebration, it has become an iconic representation of the Thanksgiving holiday and family holiday gatherings in general.
That photo you chose looks so yummy! I feel like I could just dive right in! Thanks Stella 🙂
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I love the painting, but not the Four Freedoms as enumerated by Roosevelt. Two of them – freedom from want and freedom from fear – are the bricks in the foundation of the “Great Society”. The other two are religion and speech, as outlined in our Constitution.
Thanks for the history!
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Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Basic needs – food, water, warmth, rest, security, safety. Psychological needs – intimate relationships, friends. Pretty much covered by a pleasant Thanksgiving dinner
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Good observation. For some reason we all seem able to enjoy Thanksgiving, even away from home people will find places to go, friends to celebrate with.
For some reason Christmas seems to bring about melancholy to many people. They seem unable to find ways to enjoy and celebrate it like Thanksgiving. It must bring about different emotions and reactions altogether.
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Just found this King Arthur Flour recipe for pumpkin pie. I think I’ll try it for Thanksgiving.
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-recipe?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=content&utm_content=&sf61747216=1
I’m actually also serving a Michigan four-berry pie from a local pie company (in the freezer for baking next week), and I may make a recipe I found for carrot almond tart. Tell me what you think.
CARROT ALMOND TART
This carrot tart uses an almond cream (crème frangipane), and combines it with orange juice and grated carrots. It is subtle in taste. A weekend project, too, if the crust is homemade (recommended).
Ingredients
1 pie crust
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cups flour
1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
zest and juice of 1 orange
powdered sugar for garnish
Directions
1. Spread your crust on a lightly floured work area; roll out into a circle butter the pie pan and flour it and place the crust on it. Press lightly on crust in the middle and sides. Prick crust with fork cover with wrap and keep in fridge 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Make almond cream: In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, almond flour, and flour; beat until smooth. Add the whipping cream, grated carrots, cinnamon, orange juice and zest, mix gently and pour into the crust. Smooth cream with a spoon.
4. Bake for 45 minutes; the crust should be deep golden and the almond cream puffed up. Cool, unmold and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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NOTE: One source says to use a 10″ tart pan, because a 9″ pie pan would be too small. I imagine a deep-dish pan would work too.
Can also use creme fraiche, sour cream, or thick plain greek yogurt (full fat) in place of the whipping cream.
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Oh that’s looks good 😉 I’ve never thought of putting those things together! King Arthur Flour has some really good recipes, and the comments are helpful too.
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Piccadilly Cafeteria’s Carrot Soufflé for dessert! The recipe at Genius Kitchen has 8 ingredients & bakes for 50 min. No one believes it is carrots (except the color is right). My go-to dessert at the cafeteria.
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Sounds good! I wonder how this would be made with butternut squash?
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/piccadilly-cafeteria-carrot-souffle-9821?ftab=reviews
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Wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Derby Pie! I like to put my chips on the bottom of the crust rather than put them in the batter.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/221977/heides-kentucky-derby-dessert/
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I cannot take credit for this one. I think it was John Denney who posted it. Anyhow, this would be an excellent Thanksgiving breakfast treat to tide you over until lunch or dinner. I made it last weekend. It was not only delicious, it was easy to do, and for once mine turned out just like the picture, only I browned mine more.
As I told Sharon a few days ago, my oven usually cooks somewhat faster than the recipe time calls for, so I checked it earlier, but I actually had to cook it about 20 minutes. This one went to the top of the list for breakfast treats. The flavor is excellent.
https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/maple-nut-cinnamon-twists/
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Glad you like it, Menagerie. 🙂
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Several years ago I was introduced to aebleskivers, otherwise know as Danish pancakes. I have made it a habit to include them in many of our holiday meals now, as a dessert treat. Not only are they delicious, but they are really fun to cook, and every family member has a favorite filling. They gather around the bar while I cook each batch, each calling out for their own favorite. I make lemon, blueberry, nutella, tart cherry, and pear honey filled ones, as well as a few plain.
Here is a good recipe, and one of my own favorites. I think Stella found this one a few years ago when I first found the aebleskiver pan and was talking about it. Fill it with this excellent filling, or whatever you choose.
You do need a special pan to cook these in, it isn’t terribly expensive, and there are several kinds available on Amazon.
This is the most fun thing I cook during the holidays, and it really isn’t hard.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/lemon-mascarpone-filled-pancakes.html
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Cute pumpkin shaped rolls from ready made freezer dough. Haven’t tried them, but they sure look festive!
https://thistlewoodfarms.com/simple-pumpkin-rolls/
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So cute!, and so easy too! Thanks 🙂
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I have made this treat several times. I always use pecans instead of hazelnuts.
https://www.farmflavor.com/recipe/type/cookies-brownies/pumpkin-hazelnut-bars/
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An old favorite.
Streusel Topped Sour Cream Apple Pie
2 cups finely chopped tart apples
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 pie shell, unbaked
Topping
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour; add sour cream, egg, vanilla and salt. Add apples; pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 425° for 20 minutes.
Combine 1/3 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup flour; cut in butter. Sprinkle over pie and return to oven.
Bake for another 20 minutes at 325°.
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well…how about cell phone tarts and video game veggies combined with finger food chicken fingers and some disgusting soda pop…guaranteed to capture the young almost or partial adult crowd who cannot be bothered to sit at a table and merely visit and have a meal together that interrupts the flow of internet networking.
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LOL! 2015 was my first year of experiencing an Internet generation Christmas. 2016 was blessedly mostly Internet-free for both Thanksgiving and Christmas seeing as I was with 50-70 year olds, though the one teenager did, indeed, communicate electronically with her friends while the rest of us actually talked.
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And Cheetos or some such thing eaten straight out of the bag while never looking at the other people.
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This definitely looks good, though I’ve not tried it…
Cakey Crunch Sweet Potato Kugel
Irresistibly sweet and decadent.
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/cakey-crunch-sweet-potato-kugel/
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I found this yesterday, I’ll try it for the big reunion dinner at my Neice’s house Dec. 12!
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes.
18 paper cups
18 gingersnaps
12 oz. cream cheese
3/4 C. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 t. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 eggs
1 C. canned pumpkin
1/3 C. Karo Light Syrup
Put paper liners in cupcake pan. Place a gingersnap in the bottom of each paper cup. Mix everything else up until nice and smooth with a blender. Pour into paper cups.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until set. Chill in refridgerator and garnish as desired.
I think I’ll put a dollop of whipped cream and a wee drizzle of Maple syrup on mine!
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I’m not usually a huge pumpkin pie fan – but this one never fails to bring a smile to my face. It’s also one of my grandson’s favorites so….well, YOU know. I made it last week using butternut squash and will use the squash again for Thanksgiving.
When using squash I cut several small butternut in half and then oven roast at 250 degrees until they are super soft and the skins are blistered and dark brown. Cool the squash, scoop the flesh from what’s left of the skins, measure what I need and then freeze the remainder for later use….
Once assembled, this pie cooks in less than 30 minutes and the results are amazing.
From Food52: https://food52.com/blog/2739-meta-given-s-pumpkin-pie
The other must have is a lemon sponge pie – actually a fairly new addition to the dessert table, but another one of the grandchildren’s favorites.
Lemon Sponge Pie
4 tbsp. butter (room temperature)
1 c. sugar
3 eggs (separated, room temperature)
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Zested rind of one lemon
Juice from 2 lemons
1 1/2 c. hot half and half
Cream butter, add sugar and egg yolks, beat until fluffy.
Stir in flour, salt, lemon juice, grated rind. Add hot half and half in a steady stream and beat until smooth.
Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Pour into 9 inch unbaked pie shell and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees. The top of the pie should be lightly browned and the center should be firm. Let cool on rack – store in ‘fridge.
(If you are like me and like flaky crispy pie crusts, blind bake the crust before adding the filling – I’ve successfully added the filling directly to the hot crust. I’ve never made one of these that required the full 40 minutes – I generally start checking at 25-30 minutes but that’s probably because of the hot crust.)
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Mary Berry (UK food guru) says to preheat a baking sheet in the oven, and put your unbaked pie on the hot sheet pan. This supposedly helps to prevent “soggy bottom”.
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I cook a turkey by filleting off the breast meat, cutting the wings and legs apart at the joints, deboning the thighs, then herb and spice the pieces (including the tail!) and arrange them on a rack over a jelly roll pan to roast at 400, turning the pieces now and then until they’re crispy on the outside and done on the inside, which only takes about an hour for an 11 pound turkey that just fits.
The rest of the carcass I cut into smaller pieces and boil for stock.
Serving is easy, just slice each breast crosswise, leaving all the slices together to be scooped up as one and placed at the far end of an oblong serving platter in front of you with the long axis going away from you . Same with the other breast, placing it next to the first. Same with the two thighs, placing them below the breast meat, then the drums next to the thighs and the wing pieces next to the breast, and the tail at the bottom, sort of reconstructing the bird.
But I miss the stuffing, so I’m thinking I’ll just spread it in the jelly roll pan and let the juices from the pieces drip into it as they roast.
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sorta reminded me of :
Now, first, you put your two knees close up tight,
then you sway ’em to the left, and you sway ’em to the right.
Step around the floor kinda nice
and light then you twist around and twist around with all of your might.
Stretch your lovin’ arms straight out in space,
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I have to tell you that I do a pretty standard American turkey, BUT I do it in an electric roaster, which yields a juicy turkey in a shorter amount of time than in the oven. Preheat the roaster to 450 or 500 (the highest your roaster will go), stuff (if you do) and oil the turkey, cook it at the high heat for 30 minutes, then reduce to 350 until the turkey is done. That’s it. No basting. I am using a fresh free-range veggie-fed turkey, last year too. Delish.
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I cheat by using a cooking bag. I hate having to baste. Some years my DH smokes a turkey as well. This year he’s smoking a ham.
Everything is going to be very traditional this year. Turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy and rolls. Pecan, pumpkin and coconut cream pies.
There’s not going to be a huge gathering this year, which means I don’t have to cook as much this year. It’s just going to be our kids.
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Okay, I know this will sound weird, but if you like sauerkraut, try it with your turkey. It’s a Baltimore thing and although I am not a Maryland native, we serve it and it’s quite good with turkey. Just pour from the can/jar and heat on the stove.
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It’s a Polish thing, too. Really good done this way, except I used bagged sauerkraut.
https://saramoulton.com/2012/11/7763/
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Here it is with turkey:
http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/ethnic-recipes/polish/roast-turkey.htm
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I have sauerkraut and turkey all the time! I did not know it was an ethnic or regional item. I just found out I loved Bubbie’s sauerkraut [1], so I started putting it on almost everything 🙂
[1] found in refrigerated section of (only Whole Foods) stores around here.
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Czar & I discussed buying an already cooked “Cajun” turkey from Popeye’s or local market chain Rouses. Turns out it was cooked & frozen, has to be reheated. Would love to get a fried turkey, but you have to be in New Orleans to get a fresh one or set up the whole cooker-with-gallons-of-oil & risk burning down your house. I know there is an oil-less fryer I could buy but, really, not worth the effort. Easier to just put the turkey in the roaster (graniteware or electric) and go the traditional way. We always cook the breast side down. Tastes great & we don’t care if the presentation is not like the Rockwell pic above.
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Actually, we try to overcome the traditional “brown tones” of Thanksgiving dinner. Used to have friends over who said they liked our spread better than their family one because at the family dinner everything was “beige”, but we served broccoli, red cabbage, things with sweet red & yelllow peppers, soups, etc. One year people brought ethnic foods to supplement, which are exotically flavored & colored.
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I always serve unadulterated green veg (usually broccoli) and roast brussels sprouts (just oil and fresh nutmeg and sea salt). I make my own cranberry sauce, and beets with onions. I’ll probably make Menagerie’s fennel and apple salad too. Almost forgot – corn casserole too. Butternut squash, but plain. I don’t like sweet potatoes unless they are plain roast (no sweet stuff added) or things like green bean casserole.
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I love the results I get in the electric roaster. Very moist and delicious. The roaster I have now even browns the skin.
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Forget whether I ever posted my apple-cranberry pie. Start with your basic apple pie recipe. Cut up 3-4 tart apples, mix with the usual amount of sugar (I use Splenda now) & flour, use cardamom instead of cinnamon, add 1 cup cranberries (cut each berry in half), pour into deep pie shell, dot with butter, cover with another pie crust or lattice. Bake under the usual temps with caveats to cover the edges after 15 minutes. People like it because is not too sweet, & the cardamom is different.
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MMMmm, cardamom and cranberry sounds good.
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Made whole cranberry sauce today. Used apple cider instead of water, decreased the sugar, and added cinnamon and orange zest. Very good! Also made turkey stock (for gravy and stuffing) with fresh turkey necks from my butcher.
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