brit trying to do thanksgiving dinner
i have one of my best friends from university coming over for the week that thanksgiving is in. yes i know its ages away but i need to plan what would be the basic that you need. i can cook so it not a problem with commplicate things and if it to hard for me hubby it a great cook (but he works and i stay at home with our 3 year old son so it mostly left to me) my friend is from one of the clubs i was in at uni (guides and scouts) we ran the club together for a year and have been members to this day for the after uni part. so i know mostly what he eats he doe not like nuts of any kind. but i think thats it he will be my first guest to visit me in florida and i want to make a good impresion. hes spending quite a bit to come out for the week from the uk and i wantt o make his weeek fun ( disney etc) but i want to show him a traditional american thanks giving. so please help zoe and einy |
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| At our house Thanksgiving dinner is Turkey (stuffed with dressing and oven roasted), mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, baked squash, dinner rolls, and pies.
Usually it is big extended family affair (30-40 people), so there also is spiral cut ham, corn, fresh veggies and dip, salads, sweet potatos, and more pies - pumpkin, apple, pecan and others! It is one of my favorite menus, and nothing is hard to make.  |
| My mother is from England so she had to have rutabaga, brussel sprouts, bread pudding...she loved turkey and dressing but my family prefers beef so I have looked at English menus...I have done prime rib, yorkshire pudding, double baked potatoes, nice green salad, homemade bread, corn pudding. Dessert: chocolate bread pudding with raspberries, ice-cream.
I personally LOVE turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn pudding, green bean casserole, homemade rolls, apple pie, pecan pie and ice cream. Depending on who is coming for dinner I do either the turkey dinner or the prime rib. Smaller numbers I can afford prime rib. Large numbers I do 2 small 10-12 lb. turkeys. Smaller turkeys are more tender and moist. I also brine the turkeys with a salt mixture 24 hours before cooking them...makes them really moist. |
| Don't forget sweet potatoes. Yum! |
| I think the only real requirements for Thanksgiving are a Turkey, cranberry sauce (many will only eat the stuff out of a can; while others prefer the home made variety. You might want to ask your guest), and a pumpkin pie. I know lots of folks will also say they HAVE to have mashed potatoes. Many will also insist on gravy; but I always skip it; and make sure to keep the turkey VERY moist, so no one misses it.
Additionally; I like to always have sweet potatoes in some form (I do mine mashed and sweetened with brown sugar and topped with marshmallows), and then a vegetable or 6, depending on how many guests you are having, and how long you'd like to eat leftovers for. I usually do a fancy brussel sprout dish, something simple like steamed broccoli, string beans or asparagus. Or even roasted squash is nice. |
| Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday! Lots of family, lots of love, lots of hugging, lots of food and no gifts! I always host Thanksgiving. I just serve traditional stuff...appetizers of spinach dip, chopped liver (traditional only in my house) cut veggies. Dinner is turkey w/gravy, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potato bourbon casserole, brussel spouts, rolls, butter. Dessert apple and pumpkin pie, and fancy butter cookies (from a bakery). OH...lots of drinks!!! I love it. I sure hope my son will come home California this year!!! |
| I remember some British actress was too afraid to try a turkey so she did whole chickens......but she forgot to remove the bag inside holding the heart, liver, etc. Not something you want to find when carving at the table.
A Russian houseguest was less than impressed with the dressing. Fortunately I thought to stuff the turkey with apples, which is what his grandmother did. He liked it, except the Russian birds aren't as greasy....greasy cooked apples. Many people love the green bean casserole, not me. Instead maybe Brussels sprouts?? with a maple glaze?? Cranberries only because it is North American. Pumpking pie but also have an apple pie on hand, just in case. If you have pumpkie pie, do you want to do sweet potatoes as well? (I would but then it's how I was brought up.) The white mashed potatoes might be better especially as a vessel for the gravy you make from the "drippings." Salads seem to get lost, except for whatever you sink in Jell-o. I still prefer a green salad with pecans for Thanksgiving and forget some of the carbs. I suggest for your maiden voyage, don't try to do it all. Just make a nice balanced meal and include the american things like cranberries and a pie. Better yet, go out! |
SheepieBoss wrote: Many people love the green bean casserole, not me. Instead maybe Brussels sprouts?? with a maple glaze??
I found this amazing Brussels Sprouts recipe a few years ago; and it converts even the staunchest of Brussels sprouts haters to avid fans! |
| Yum! I don't think I've seen chestnuts in the market......I'll have to look at some of the better stores. There's always the internet. |
| Last year, I made roasted brussel sprouts, which were a hit! If you like, I can post the recipe (when I get home). |
Oh Yum!! I love turkey and dressing! Thanksgiving is my absolute most favorite day of the year. I just adore all the preparations and cooking for a week ahead of time....only to consume it all in 20 minutes  and eat leftovers for days on end.
There are dozens of things to choose from and variations on every theme, as everyone else has mentioned, but the basics are turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, gravy, veggies, and pies. Got to FoodTV.com and search on Thanksgiving and you'll get complete menus and recipes to choose from. I HIGHLY recommend brining the turkey as Linda mentioned. It is THE best way to keep your bird MOIST. And, as Susan said, choose smaller turkeys and cook more of them if you need to feed a lot of people. It's easier to keep a 12 lbs turkey moist and delicious than a 24 lb one.  You'll find directions for brining on that site too under Emeril's section. It works wonderfully. Everyone always raves about how moist my turkeys are -never fails. |
| MAN-- am I ever hungry. |
| We never had a problem with big birds being tender & juicy. I guess the trick is cooking it very slow (overnight), foil covered, with oven set on 200. Then, in the morning we'd stuff it, and crank up the heat a little if needed.
Smaller birds are better, so you don't get tired of eatting turkey after a few days. Remember - you only have one oven, and timing is essential. But, most of all, you don't want to spend all day cooking and cleaning, and then be too tired to enjoy your guest. A smaller meal on Thanksgiving, with turkey leftovers gives you an opportunity to add new side dishes the next day or two. Have a blast! mouthypf |
| my large birds also stay juicy, at the regular temperature in the oven. But I sit it in about 1 or 1.5 inches of something good ( like apple cider) and just make sure to baste it every 15 minutes. |
| If hubby had his way with the meal we'd have turkey thigh, dressing, cranberries and pumpkin pie....that's it.
I should send him to Furr's Cafeteria. |
| Oyster stuffing is also a great way to keep the turkey moist. The flavor is wonderful. A baked acorn squash with cinnamon & brown sugar sprinkled over it is an alternative to sweet potatoes ( not one of my favorites ).
Have to have mashed potatoes & gravy, pumpkin pie and a veggie d'jour I also have a cranberry salad that I really like, even though I don't like cranberry sauce.....pm me for the recipe......Kathy |
debcram wrote: Last year, I made roasted brussel sprouts, which were a hit! If you like, I can post the recipe (when I get home).
YUM! Roasting is my favorite way to make brussel sprouts. I just coat them in olive oil, sprinkle some kosher salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven for 45 minutes at 450. About half way through I stir 'em around so that you get nice crispy bits all over the sprouts. We always have turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce mashed potatoes and dinner rolls. The number of additional side dishes fluctuates with the size of the crowd. Then for dessert, my mom's famous Cheese Cake. |
| well thought it would be just myself, hubby, our three your old and my guest from the uk.
but it going to be the in laws too and they havepeople over so it might be like 12 poeple and i won't be cooking now ( unless hubby decide to stay home no plans as yet) they all sound great i love brussels but hubby loaths them but the recipe would be great as i know my father in law loves them too. my family don't like sweet potatoe or loads of cinnamon (i love loads of both) so i have to compromise. i made pumpkin pie last halloween from scratch but it was too cinnamony and sweet for them so a recipe thats not too sweet would be great. there are loads of pie pumpkins avaliable at the moment at the farmers market near me. thank you all foryour sugestions zoe and einy |
| zoe, what about a pumpkin cheese cake? im not into the super sweet either...and the cheese cake makes it pumpkiny without the suger ick.... |
| My mom absolutely HATES sweet things, and neither of these are sweet even with icing drizzled. Both are so good!
http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=2447 http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=15860 |
| Zoe, contratulations! Saved yourself a lot of work.
Oh Jo, where was this last week! They look great.....we need an index of all your yummies. Last Saturday I baked: made pumpkin bread, but forgot the pumpkin. Interesting result. Made again but doubled recipe, not enough pumpkin. Used can of candied yam (probably 5 years old) to supplement. Ah, not the same. Made the Turtle Sensations out right now in mix form from Eagle Brand. Yikes, those are good.....but rich and sweet. Made cranberry muffins.......recipe was in newspaper supplement last week........recipe starts with a box of Rasin Bran..........great muffins, but makes 44-48. Oh and made a buttermilk chocolate cake, sometimes called Texas Graveyard cake........melt the butter, etc cake. Dang those are good, especially if you brush Grand Marnier over the cake before icing. |
| I can't believe you make so much!!! I would love to if I didn't have the LO's. Between play times and just babysitting ...I barely can get dinner out! Then when Mr. J is home ...well, he's not much of a babysitter. He lets them do whatever. Either way, I couldn't produce as much as you do in a day!!!
Quote: Last Saturday I baked: made pumpkin bread, but forgot the pumpkin. Interesting result.
That's funny!!!!!!! What do you call a pumpkin bread w/o pumpkin? |
Joahaeyo wrote: I can't believe you make so much!!! I would love to if I didn't have the LO's. Between play times and just babysitting ...I barely can get dinner out! Then when Mr. J is home ...well, he's not much of a babysitter. He lets them do whatever.
Either way, I couldn't produce as much as you do in a day!!!Quote: Last Saturday I baked: made pumpkin bread, but forgot the pumpkin. Interesting result. That's funny!!!!!!! What do you call a pumpkin bread w/o pumpkin? Bread. |
Joahaeyo wrote: :lol: That's funny!!!!!!! What do you call a pumpkin bread w/o pumpkin? Bupkis |
| Nice both of you |
| Bupkis......
Well, it is interesting. Please note we still have it. I made a struesel topping but without the pumpkin for support, sunk right to the bottom and cooked to hard ball stage So removing from pan was interesting....hollowed out bread.....well, bread missing bottom. Taste, actually very spicey since I added a bit more cinnamon before baking as I thought it tasted strange.......duh, no pumpkin! Paul tasted it first.....good. I thought he was kidding, but right. There's a new recipe in there somewhere........ |
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