So, today I decided to start my "Plan of Attack" for Thanksgiving, this year.
Now, it's not like I'm freaking Martha Stewart or anything (Good GAWD), planning a Thanksgiving Feast for 250. Nor am I June Cleaver (Bwahahaha! *SNORT!*).
It's really just Hubs and me (and the dogs! Mustn't forget the hounds!). But I figure a little forethought never hurt anybody. Plus, I know I need to do the Grocery Store Thang... And I *want* to do the Farmer's Market Thang (realizing that the FM probably isn't gonna have everything I need, veggie-wise)...
So there's all my "Justification!"
Now, I'm just gonna post the Thanksgiving Menu, and the proper-order of Execution. And I *may* even include a SHOPPING LIST (Woooooooooo!)
(Yeah. I'm weird. Deal with it!)
* * * * *
Okay, here 'tis:
Thanksgiving
Battle Plan
Weds Morning – Turkey Brine and Pumpkin-Pecan Pie
Turkey Brine
- 1.5 C Apple Cider
- 1 Quart Water
- 2 TBS Fresh Rosemary
- 1-2 TBS Fresh Sage
- 3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- ¾ C Sea Salt
- ½ C Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
- 1-1/2 TBS Whole Peppercorns
- 3 Bay Leaves
- Zest from 2 Oranges
Combine in medium pot, medium heat. Stir until salt/sugar
dissolve. Bring to a boil. Turn-off stove and allow to cool.
Reserve ½ cup of brine (for injection marinade).
Pour brine into 2 gallon Ziplock, add 3 quarts water, mix
well. Add turkey. Put in fridge for
18-24 hours.
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
-
¾ cup Truvia Baking Blend
-
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
-
½ tsp Salt
-
2 Large Eggs
-
1 Can (15oz) Pumpkin
-
1 Can (12oz) Evaporated Milk
-
1 Unbaked Deep-Dish Pie Crust
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50* minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.
*Pecan Topping:
-
½ C Pecan Halves
-
¼ C Butter
-
¼ C Brown Sugar
Chop about 1/2 cup of pecans and add them to a sauce pan
with 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Over low to medium heat, let the
butter sizzle and caramelize the sugar, but be careful not to let the butter
burn! remove from heat and set aside.
Pour on top of pie about 15 minutes before it’s done (when it’s firm,
but looks soft/wet in center).
* * * * *
Thanksgiving Day
àAllow
appx 2-1/2 – 3 hours for cooking the bird.
Rinse the bird under cold running water. Then let it soak in plain water for 15
minutes.
Turkey Injection Marinade
Mine-All-Mine!
-
½ C of Reserved brine (from yesterday)
-
½ C No/Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
-
½ C Unsalted Butter, melted
-
3 TBS Lemon Juice
-
½ tsp Garlic Powder
-
½ tsp Onion Powder
-
½ tsp Finely Ground Pepper
-
½ tsp Rubbed Sage
-
1 T Splenda Brown-Sugar Blend
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the rest of
the stuff. Stir ‘til well blended.
Reserve 1/2 cup of
marinade (for stuffing)
Inject the bird about an hour before cooking. Let it rest in a foil pan for an hour. Then, into the cooker!
Southern Style Candied Yams (1 hour)
-
4 large sweet taters
-
1 stick unsalted butter
-
2 cups Stevia/Sugar Blend
-
¼ C Cream
-
3 tsp Cinnamon
-
½ tsp Nutmeg
-
2 dashes Ground Cloves
-
1-2 TBS Maple Syrup
-
½ TBS Vanilla Extract
Wash, peel, slice yams appx ½” thick rounds. Place in
12x9 baking dish. Melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar, stir til blended. Add cream, stirring constantly. Add spices and maple/vanilla. Taste-test.
Pour over yams, cover with foil, bake @ 350* for 40 mins.
Remove foil, stir, then bake add’l 20-25 mins. Plate and spoon syrup over yams.
(Hubs doesn't seem to care for yams, and I'm kinda "mediocre" about 'em - but dammit! - they're "traditional!" So I haven't given-up yet!)
Green Bean Casserole (30-35 mins)
-
2 Cans (15oz) French-cut Green Beans (drained? Reserve
– just in case)
-
1 Can (10.75oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup
-
Handful of Fresh White Mushrooms, sliced
-
¾ C Sour Cream
-
½ C Chopped Onion
-
¾ C Shredded Cheddar
-
¾ tsp Garlic Powder
-
1 tsp Soy Sauce
-
1 Can (2.8oz) Cheddar/French-Fried Onions
Dump everything except FF Onions into medium casserole
dish. Blend well. Bake at 350* for 25 mins. Stir, then add FF onions. Cook add’l 10 mins ‘til
brown.
Stuffing!!! (20-30 mins)
Mine-All-Mine!
-
½ C of Reserved Marinade
-
1-1/4 C Apple Cider
-
1-1/4 C Unsalted Chicken Broth
-
½ C Butter
-
2 Boxes Stove-Top Stuffing Mix
-
Chicken-Apple Sausage (4 links – chunked/chopped)
-
1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
-
2-3 Stalks Celery, chopped
-
½ C Craisins (appx)
-
½ C Chopped Pecans (appx)
-
Couple of Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped
(New addition – curious to know how it works out)
Heat up marinade, cider, broth and butter in a medium
saucepan. *Check the Salt Level* -
Adjust, if necessary
In separate small frying pan, brown the sausage and saute
onion and celery ‘til limp. Add sausage,
onions, celery to marinade stuff. Dump
in Stuffing mix and toss in the Craisins, Pecans and Apples. Mix well.
Dump into an 8x8 aluminum cake pan (or two!). Bake at 350* for 20-30 mins.
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Stove-top, maybe 15-20 mins?
Pretty self-explanatory.
Salted, boiled, peeled 'taters, water drained. Mash. Add cream and salt + white pepper.
Gravy: Boiled, chopped giblets (no liver!), canned gravy from store, add some de-greased turkey drippings, chicken broth and (optional) thickener (if needed)
Thickener: either flour+butter roux or corn-starch+ water (whatever you've got on-hand)
(Mashed 'taters are like the "plain cousin" to stuffing!)
Crescent Rolls
Yep, from a can!
(Yawn)
Cranberry Sauce or Relish
I'm going to use my Cranberry-Apple Jam for cranberry sauce, this year. Maybe toss-in some finely chopped pecans and some orange zest and mix it up.
* * * * *
Now, prepare to be frightened (I know *I* am!), but here is the Master Shopping List for this year's Thanksgiving Extravaganza (bearing in mind, that I already have most of this stuff!)
|
Qty
|
Item
|
✔
|
|
1 box
|
Brown Sugar
|
|
|
12oz can
|
Evaporated Milk
|
|
|
???
|
Flour or Corn Starch
|
|
|
1-2 bags
|
Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
|
|
|
1-2 bags
|
Stevia/Sugar Baking Blend
|
|
|
Small bottle
|
Maple Syrup
|
|
|
1
|
10.75 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
|
|
|
1
|
15 oz can pumpkin
|
|
|
2
|
15 oz cans french-cut green beans
|
|
|
1-2
|
2.8 oz cans of French-Fried Onions ("Cheddar")
|
|
|
2 cartons
|
32 oz low-sodium (or no salt) Chicken Broth
|
|
|
2 boxes
|
Stove Top Stuffing Mix - Turkey Flavored
|
|
|
1-2 cans
|
Turkey Gravy
|
|
|
1 quart
|
Heavy (Whipping) Cream
|
|
|
1 pint
|
Sour Cream
|
|
|
1 box
|
Sweet Butter (reg butter)
|
|
|
1 box
|
Unsalted Butter
|
|
|
Big Bag
|
Pecan Halves
|
|
|
1 bottle
|
Soy Sauce
|
|
|
1
|
9" Deep-Dish Frozen Pie Crust
|
|
|
1 gallon
|
Apple Cider
|
|
|
16 oz.
|
Chicken Apple Sausage
|
|
|
???
|
Giblets (if avail)
|
|
|
9-10#
|
Organic Turkey Breast (or 10-12# Whole)
|
|
|
1-2 pkgs
|
Craisins
|
|
|
1 head
|
Garlic
|
|
|
1-2
|
Granny Smith Apples
|
|
|
1
|
Head Celery
|
|
|
1-2
|
Lemons
|
|
|
2-3
|
Medium Onions
|
|
|
3-4
|
Oranges
|
|
|
few sprigs
|
Rosemary
|
|
|
few sprigs
|
Sage
|
|
|
4 large
|
Sweet Potatoes/Yams
|
|
|
8 oz
|
White Mushrooms
|
|
|
???
|
White or Red Potatoes (I "eyeball" it)
|
|
|
1-2 cans
|
Crescent Rolls
|
|
|
Jar
|
Bay Leaves
|
|
|
Jar
|
Cinnamon
|
|
|
Jar
|
Garlic Powder
|
|
|
Jar
|
Ground Cloves
|
|
|
Jar
|
Ground pepper (fresh ground is better)
|
|
|
Jar
|
Nutmeg
|
|
|
Jar
|
Onion Powder
|
|
|
Jar
|
Pumpkin Pie Spice
|
|
|
Jar
|
Rubbed Sage
|
|
|
Jar
|
Sea Salt
|
|
|
Small bottle
|
Vanilla Extract (the REAL stuff!)
|
|
|
Jar
|
White Pepper
|
|
|
Jar
|
Whole peppercorns
|
|
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