November 27, 2002

Thanksgiving Recipes

Since several readers have asked, I thought I'd post the recipes for our Thanksgiving Feast before I head off to do the ten thousand and three things I took the day off from work to do. If you try any of them, let me know how they turned out!

Appetizers

Stuffed Mushrooms

1.5 to 2 lbs fresh mushrooms (look for ones with large caps)
1 onion, chopped
1/4 lb butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 - 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 6 oz. can crabmeat
paprika
chopped parsley

Clean mushrooms. Remove stems and chop. Melt butter, add onions and chopped mushroom stems, saute until tender. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, Worcestershire, and crabmeat. Spoon mixture into mushrooms. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 cup cream
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 16oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, cooked in microwave and drained well
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, drained again, and chopped
1/4 cup slivered rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, cut into pieces

In a large bowl, whisk cream, flour, garlic powder, pepper, and 2 tbsp. parmesan until well blended. Heat in microwave 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very hot and slightly thickened. Stir in spinach, asiago cheese, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes until well mixed. Spread evenly into serving or casserole dish. Sprinkle top with remaining parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with crackers or toast rounds.

Veggie Tray with Dipping Dressings

Assorted Nuts for Cracking

Chips and Dip

Pickle/Olive/Pepper Tray

Main Course

Roast Turkey Marsala
(From "Great Good Food" by Julee Rosso)

1 fresh turkey
1 tbsp salt
2 cups seeded, cored, chunked pears
2 cups seeded, cored, chunked apples
2 cups peeled and quartered onions
8 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
12 sage leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup Marsala or white wine
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 450. Remove giblets from turkey and reserve for gravy. Wash turkey inside and out, pat dry.

Rub turkey cavities with salt. Place pears, apples, onions, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage leaves into the cavities. Truss bird. Rub turkey with oil, and place on baking rack in uncovered roasting pan.

Place turkey in oven and immediately reduce heat to 325. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes per pound, or follow the guidelines from the National Turkey Federation. Using a pastry brush, baste the turkey with wine and broth every 20 minutes after the first hour of roasting.

Remove turkey from oven and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes before carving. Remove and discard the fruit, onions, and herbs. Reserve drippings for gravy.

Giblet Gravy
(From "Great Good Food" by Julee Rosso)

All reserved drippings from roasted turkey, defatted; 2 tbsp. fat reserved
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 cups Giblet Puree (see below)
Chicken broth or water as needed
1/4 cup Marsala cooking wine
Salt and pepper

In large skillet or turkey roasting pan, heat reserved turkey fat over medium heat. Sprinkle flour over hot fat and stir well to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly add giblet puree until thickened. Stir in skimmed turkey juices. If gravy is thick, thin it with a little broth or water. Bring gravy to a gentle boil and cook for five minutes. Just before serving, stir in Marsala wine, and add salt and pepper.

Giblet Puree

Giblets (not the liver) from the turkey
2 cups coarsley chopped celery stalks and leaves
1 cup coarsley chopped onions
1 cup coarsley chopped carrots
5 sprigs fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and add water to cover. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Allow to cool, remove neck meat from bone and discard bone. Chop giblets. In a blender, process the giblets, vegetables and broth in batches until smooth.

Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 lb. butter
1/2 cup or more of cream or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, drain. Over low heat, combine garlic, butter, milk or cream, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Mash until it's as lump-free as you can get it, then use a mixer to make it smooth.

Cornbread Dressing
(makes 30 servings, so you may want to cut it in half)

1.5 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
2 tbsp minced fresh sage, or 1 tsp dried sage
2 cups milk
4 large eggs
9 tbsp butter
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
2 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh pepper
3 tart green apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pound smoked ham, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. minced fresh sage, or 2 tsp dried sage, crumbled
3 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

For cornbread: Heat oven to 425. Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans. Set aside. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1 tsp of salt in large bowl. Stir in 2 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried sage. Melt 4 tbsp butter, whisk together milk, 2 of the eggs, and melted butter. Pour into cornmeal mixture, stir until just combined. Spoon batter into pans, bake for 15 minutes. Spread 1 tbsp softened butter over each loaf, return to oven and bake 10 minutes more. Cool, then crumble into large pieces.

For dressing: Melt 3 tbsp. butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in apples and ham, cook one minute. Transfer mixture to large bowl, discard bay leaf. Whisk together broth, remaining 2 eggs, cream, 2 tbsp fresh or 2 tsp dried sage, and parsley. Add cornbread and vegetables, gently stir until combined.

Spoon into two greased 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crisped and hot.

Four Bean Salad

1 15oz can green beans, drained
1 15oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound wax beans
1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed

Mix together all ingredients. Allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Connoisseur's Vegetable Casserole

1 11oz can white corn, drained
1 15oz can green beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 2oz jar chopped pimentos
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup crushed butter crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, mix corn, beans, celery, onion, pimentos, sour cream, Colby cheese, cream of celery soup, salt and pepper. Transfer to medium baking dish.

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in almonds and crushed crackers. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake 45 minutes, until bubbly and lightly brown.

Green Veggie Salad with Dressing

Rolls

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Streusel

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch pie crust (I used Pillsbury's - I can't make pie crust to save my life)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 cup chopped walnuts

Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until fluffy. Place crust into an ungreased pie pan and flute the edges.

In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Gently fold in the egg whites. Pour filling into crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for fifteen minutes. Remove the pie from the oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees.

While the pie is baking, prepare the streusel topping. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and scant 1 teaspoon cinnamon. With two knives or with a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Mix in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the pie. Return the pie to the oven, and bake an additional 40 minutes or until set.

Deep Dish Apple Pie

6 cups cored, peeled, and thinly sliced apples
7/8 cup sugar (1 cup minus two tablespoons)
1 tsp cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons butter
lemon juice
pastry for one-crust 9-inch pie (again, I buy Pillsbury's)

Invert pie pan over crust, cut around edge of pan leaving a 1/2 inch margin. Drape trimmings over edge of pie pan, moisten the top slightly. Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle with a little lemon juice. Turn into 9 inch pie pan. Dot with butter. Place crust on top, and press edges firmly into moistened bottom dough to seal. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape. Bake in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350, and bake for 25 to 40 minutes longer, depending on the variety of apples used (less for soft apples, more for firm apples).

Chocolate Cream Pie

3/4 cup sugar
7 tbsp (1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp) flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz shaved unsweetened chocolate
graham cracker crust (I buy Keebler's)
whipped topping (like Cool Whip)

Scald milk. Mix together sugar, flour, salt, and eggs, and slowly add to scalded milk. Return mixture to low heat and stir constantly until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and shaved chocolate. Stir until mixture is well blended and chocolate is melted. Pour mixture into pie shell, and cool to room temperature. Chill, covered, in refrigerator. Serve topped with whipped topping.

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Original content belongs to ME. Exceptions are noted. Stealing really isn't recommended, or necessary.
©Laura Charon 2000 - 2002.