Thanksgiving Menu

This is over a week late, but at least you can use these for next year. Or make some of them now for dinner; they're all great.

Turkey Breast: I bought a small turkey breast (5 pounds) and tried the Alton Brown method of brining and starting it at a high temperature. I cut the brine recipe in half and soaked it in a large tupperware container in the fridge for a few hours in the morning. It also didn't get very brown due to the fact that after 20 minutes the pan broke. But it still turned out very tasty and juicy. I think the best thing that helped was using a meat thermometer. The turkey was at the right temperature much earlier than I had expected.

Stuffing: This year I used Trader Joe's stuffing mix. It was pretty good, but a little dry for my taste. It also made a lot, which was fun for leftovers.

Rolls: I used this recipe and they were very buttery and tasty. I made one batch as crescents and another as cloverleaf pullaparts in muffin tins. They baked faster than I expected and were a little overdone, but still good. The recipe was great for Thanksgiving because I mixed it up the night before, shaped them first thing in the morning, and then baked them fresh in the afternoon.

Cranberry-Apple Sauce: I combined a few recipes for this one and it turned out pretty well. Next time I think I'd use more apples and fewer cranberries. I mixed three chopped up apples, a bag of cranberries, a bunch of sugar, some water, orange peel and apple peel, and one cinnamon stick. After it simmered for about fifteen minutes it was thick and tasty.

Mashed Potatoes: No recipe for this either. Just potatoes, butter, and milk. I tried using heated milk this time and it made them nice and creamy. And I always put lots of salt in too.

Gravy: My turkey didn't produce much for drippings, so I used chicken broth from a can. Melt 1/4 cup butter, stir in 1/4 cup flour and cook for a minute. Gradually stir in a can or so of chicken broth and any juice from the turkey. Cook until thicker and bubbly. Nice and simple.

Sweet Potatoes: I used this recipe that I make all the time, only this time we added a layer of marshmallows after they were done and stuck it back in the oven to toast them. Divine.

2-3 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2-2 pounds)

1/4 cup softened butter

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1 /2 cups crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

6 tbls. melted butter

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sweet potatoes (I usually microwave them), let cool a bit, then peel. (I usually do this in advance). Cut sweet potatoes up into chunks and put them in a mixer bowl. Beat together with butter until fluffy. Add egg, sugar, and spices and beat until smooth and fluffy. Put in greased 8-inch square pan and bake for about 25 minutes until slightly browned. Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients. Spoon topping over potatoes and bake for about 10 more minutes until crispy.

These sweet potatoes also taste great with the broccoli cheese casserole from this post. Not a low-cal meal, but super tasty.

Baked Garlic Green Beans

2 tbls. olive oil

3 tbls. cider vinegar

1-2 minced garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups frozen green beens, thawed

2 tbls. dry bread crumbs

2 tbls. grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Toss green beans with oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place in a square baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over beans. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes until heated through and topping is brown.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

I'm posting this recipe because it looks nice and it has potential. However, I think it needs a little work. I thought the crust was a little wimpy compared to the filling. Plus it took forever to bake (maybe I'll try a higher temperature next time) and even then the middle was a little bit gooey instead of having a nice texture. The taste was great. Again, not a low-cal recipe, but great for special occasions.

25 gingersnaps, finely crushed

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix together and pat into bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Heat oven to 300 (that's what the recipe says, but I think I'd try 325 or even 350)

4 packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until to smooth. Set 1 1/2 cups of the batter aside.

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Add to batter in the mixing bowl. Spread half the pumpkin batter in the pan. Dot with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Add the rest of the pumpkin, then plop spoonfuls of the plain batter on top. Use a knife to swirl the batters together. Bake for 55 minutes or until mostly set (an inch or two in the middle should still be a big wiggly). Cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.