I love cooking big meals with multiple courses for a crowd. My mom cringes every year at Christmas because she knows the food bill will be double what she would have spent if I’m doing the cooking, and she always jokes that we could have all gone out to the fanciest restaurant in town for the price. What can I say — I like to cook what I like to cook! This year my mom’s getting a break on Thanksgiving, but I hope she is getting ready for Christmas!
I’m probably not cooking a big Thanksgiving meal this year, but here’s what I think would be a smashing success:
Perfect Roast Turkey by Ina Garten
Not only does this turkey come out very moist and flavorful, but it can be enhanced by lifting up the skin throughout the turkey, and rubbing salt and pepper into the meat.
1 (12 pound) fresh turkey
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
1 Spanish onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons unsalted (1/2 stick) melted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon, onion, quartered, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
Roast the turkey for 2 1/2 hours, basting from time to time with pan juices, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with foil; let it rest for 20 minutes. Slice the turkey and serve hot. Serves 8-10.
Potato-Fennel Gratin by Ina Garten
This is my all-time favorite gratin! The Gruyère cheese makes this a truly special dish.
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve. Serves 10.
Roasted Carrots by Ina Garten
My step-dad requests these carrots every holiday, and I have a feeling would get quite cranky if I didn’t make them. It would also be nice to add a pound or two of parsnips to the mix, especially if you need a larger quantity.
12 carrots, peeled
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley
If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1 1/2-inch-thick slices (the carrots will shrink while cooking so make the slices big). Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until browned and tender.
Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley, season to taste, and serve. Serves 6.
Cranberry Grape Compote
I’m not sure where I found this recipe, but the first time I had this type of cranberry sauce was when we went to Boston to celebrate Thanksgiving at Kurt’s sister home for Thanksgiving 2005. I loved the addition of the grapes, and have been making this every since!
1 (12 oz.) package of fresh cranberries
3 cups seedless red grapes
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cranberries, grapes, sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until most cranberries have popped open, and grapes are falling apart, 10-15 minutes.
Remove from heat, add salt and stir to combine.
Let cool to room temperature. *Can store in the refrigerator for two weeks! Makes 4 cups.
Smashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Chives – Cooking Light magazine
I love potatoes — perhaps it’s the Irish in me. If you’d rather do a traditional mashed potato instead of a gratin, give this one a try! Come on, potatoes + goat cheese? What’s not to like?
3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup (6 ounces) goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with cold water to 2 inches above. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Return the potatoes to pan over low heat; add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and butter to pan. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher to desired consistency (I like mine a little chunky, but whatever you like!).
Add cheese and pepper to potato mixture; stir until cheese melts. Stir in milk; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in chives. Makes 12 servings.
Angel Biscuits from Cooking Light magazine
I admit, I haven’t made this biscuits yet, but they just sound so good. Let me know how they turn out!
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons
1/2 cup warm water (100 – 110 degrees)
5 cups all-purpose flour (about 22 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl, and let stand for five minutes.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles course meal. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush the melted butter over the biscuit tops. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Makes 2 dozen.
Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp
I love crisps, crumbles and the like, and this one just sings as a holiday stand-out.
2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples, or other firm, crisp apple (6 apples)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmegFor the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish.
For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm. Also would be pretty in individual ramekins!
Finally, I would probably make a boxed stuffing from Williams Sonoma because it’s excellent, as well as their gravy (because let’s face it, gravy is a pain to make at the last minute).
I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are celebrating! Lots of love, xoxo
Mmmmmmm, the gratin and the smashed potatoes sound delicious and I don’t usually like potatoes! Thanks for the tasty ideas
A few of those recipes look familiar from Thanksgiving last year
Cooking with you was quite the learning experience (in a good way)!
Well that saved me a ton of time!! I’ve been cutting out recipes for a couple weeks thinking about how I need to plan our Thanksgiving menu and then poof, I check Jenn’s blog and there it is!! We’re hosting our 1st Thanksgiving dinner and Jenn…..YOU’RE INVITED!!!
MMM, I’m so glad you posted your menu! I remember hearing about the gratin last year, I can’t believe I forgot. Do you think I could do most of the prep the day before, and just pour on the cream and bake it on the day of (I am into make ahead for this holiday, for obvious reasons!) Maybe I will give it a try anyway, my mom has been asking for a potato recipe. My turkey is so similar to yours too, I just do rosemary instead of thyme but perhaps I will try thyme next week instead.