A Delicious Thanksgiving Day Menu

World's Easiest Turkey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pull the neck and giblets out of the cavity; ditch the liver and save the rest of the giblets for gravy. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with aromatics like chopped onions, carrots, apples and herbs, then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Tent with foil and roast for 2 hours (for a 10- to 12-pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, baste with more melted butter and crank the oven to 425 degrees F. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Let rest while you make the gravy.


Honey Glazed Carrots

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and then carrots and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the carrots and add back to pan with butter, honey and lemon juice. Cook until a glaze coats the carrots, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Maple Sweet and White Mashed Potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds white potatoes, peeled
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled
• 1 1/2 pounds butter
• 1/2 cup cream
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions

In a large saucepot, boil white and sweet potatoes together. Cook until soft. Drain off water. Try to get all liquid out of the pot. Add butter, cream, salt, and pepper, and whip until all ingredients are incorporated. Add maple syrup and serve.

Velvety Mashed Potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil, optional

Directions

Warm the cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts; set aside.

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to boil then add 1 teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain. Pass the potatoes through a food mill, a ricer, or blend using a mixer and place into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm cream and butter mixture until the cream is absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and finish them off by stirring in 1/4 cup olive oil (optional).

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup brandy or cognac
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• Fried Onions, recipe follows

Directions

Cook green beans in boiling salted water until tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain well.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add brandy or cognac, red wine and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Simmer to blend flavors and reduce sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add green beans to mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Place on a large serving dish, season again with salt and pepper, to taste.
Top with fried onions before serving.

Fried Onions:

2 quarts peanut oil, for frying
2 large red onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Kosher salt
Heat peanut oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 375 degrees F.
Put onion rings in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over onions and toss to coat. Shake off the excess liquid.
Dip onions into flour, bread crumb, kosher salt mixture making sure to coat thoroughly.
Fry the onions in small batches until crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Season with salt, to taste.

Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Butter

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash, cut in 1/2
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out of the squash cavities and discard. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt and pepper, to taste. Rub the squash cavities and cut sides of the squash with the butter mixture and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serve 1 half per person.

7-Up Biscuits

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup 7-up
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.
Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown. Approx. 9-12 minutes, all ovens vary.

Pumpkin Pie with Crunchy Cranberry Topping

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Pastry:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Filling:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Topping:

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 4 ounces frozen cranberries
• 1 (2.3-ounce) package amaretto cookies (about 12) (recommended: Amaretti di Saronno)

Directions

Make the pastry: combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a 10-inch circle. Carefully roll the dough up onto the pin and lay it inside a 9-inch pie pan. Press the dough firmly into the bottom and sides so it fits tightly. Trim the excess dough around the rim and pinch the edges to form a border. Place the crust on a sheet pan to catch any spills. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Filling: Puree the pumpkin in a food processor with the butter and a pinch of salt. Measure 1 1/2 cups puree into a bowl. In another bowl beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar has melted. Add the eggs to the pumpkin puree and whisk well. Add the cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, and place on the bottom rack of the oven. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg white. Bake until the pie is set but still jiggles slightly, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Meanwhile, put the pecans on a baking sheet and bake them with the pie for about 10 minutes to toast them. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Thaw the cranberries in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the liquid. Put the cookies, pecans, and cranberries into a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are coarsely chopped. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cooled pie and serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

Chocolate Pecan Pie 



 

 

 

  

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons bourbon liquor
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 1/2 cup mini milk chocolate morsels
• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
• Homemade whipped cream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a small saucepan. While butter is melting, add beaten eggs to a medium sized bowl. Stir in brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract, corn syrup and bourbon until combined. Add butter when just melted. Mix in the pecans and chocolate morsels. Mix all together. Pour mixture into pie shell. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. When ready to serve top with a dollop of whipped cream.