Okay, so Thanksgiving is over. But come November 2017, I'm going to want to remember some things -- some to do again, some NOT to do again -- and this will help me. Maybe it'll help you, too. :) For reference, I was feeding four adults, two teenage girls, and my own four boys.
Breakfast
Pumpkin-spiced bagels with maple-nut cream cheese. I'd never made bagels before. I didn't let them rise long enough, but other than that I was pleased with the results! (And for those of you that know me well: yes, I used a recipe called "pumpkin spice." But it DID contain pumpkin, so I let it slide.)
Appetizers
Cheeseball and crackers, apples and caramel dip, veggies and dill dip. (Both the cheeseball and the caramel dip could have easily been turned into cute turkeys, but I lacked motivation to do so this year.) My mother-in-law contributed some almonds, trail mix, and beef jerky.
Breakfast
Pumpkin-spiced bagels with maple-nut cream cheese. I'd never made bagels before. I didn't let them rise long enough, but other than that I was pleased with the results! (And for those of you that know me well: yes, I used a recipe called "pumpkin spice." But it DID contain pumpkin, so I let it slide.)
Appetizers
Cheeseball and crackers, apples and caramel dip, veggies and dill dip. (Both the cheeseball and the caramel dip could have easily been turned into cute turkeys, but I lacked motivation to do so this year.) My mother-in-law contributed some almonds, trail mix, and beef jerky.
The Big Meal
We had all the normal stuff, but the two winner recipes were crockpot mashed potatoes (give them an hour longer than the recipe says) and caramelized green beans (I made these as we were putting everything else on the table, and it worked out perfectly). Five stars on both.
Other things on the table: turkey, my Grandma Rose's stuffing, corn casserole, sweet potatoes with glaze from the old Betty Crocker cookbook, pumpkin dinner rolls (that weren't great so I'm not linking to a recipe), and canned whole cranberry sauce (which is pretty much all Toby ate).
Half the table. Grateful for having inherited my parents' big dining table and my grandmother's Currier & Ives dishes!
The Desserts
Frisch's pumpkin pie (all the way from Ohio!), cran-apple upside-down cake, and cinnamon pie (and lots and lots of whipped cream). The cake wasn't that spectacular overall, but I'd never made an "upside down" cake before and was quite tickled that it turned out well aesthetically. I was the only person who liked (or even tried) the cinnamon pie, but my curiosity needed to be assuaged and I'm not sorry I made it. It's a mild cheesecake base with -- get this -- a whopping three and a half tablespoons of cinnamon (!). Frankly, I think two and a half would be plenty; it was pretty sharp and just the slightest bit gritty. BUT, I forgot about the pie in the fridge and ended up finishing it ten days after Thanksgiving, and it had mellowed out beautifully. I can't really recommend making a pie ten days in advance, but cutting back on the cinnamon just a little and making it two days ahead would probably be just right. I liked it, anyway!
The Leftovers
Turkey Shepherd's Pie. This was simple, delicious comfort food.
Cranberry-Apple Cider Pork Chops. Decent. Convenient if you have a small bowl of cranberry sauce left in the fridge.
Sweet Potato Biscuits. Drizzle with honey and sneak an orange vegetable into breakfast!
Turkey Sliders. I made this one up, based on a few other recipes: slice a package of King's Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally. Spread bottom half with a mixture of pesto and mayo (both of which I keep in the fridge regularly). Spread chopped turkey over pesto-mayo. Layer sliced cheese (I used provolone) over the turkey. If you like it extra creamy, spread mayo on top half of buns as well (I didn't), then replace tops. Wrap the whole thing in foil and pop in the oven until cheese is melted. I've seen similar things done with cranberry sauce as the condiment, but I really love my pesto-mayo.
We ate the stuffing and corn casserole as-is, and I still have two cups of chopped turkey in the freezer for a future meal. I didn't remember to tell anyone I wanted to save the carcass before it got pitched, so no turkey broth for me this year. :(
And for a bonus: I made these rice krispy treat turkey legs to take to a function a few days after Thanksgiving. :)
Sorry for the small square pictures. For some reason those few never uploaded to the computer and I could only access them from Instagram. Tech fail.
Love the picture! FYI, Cousin Ron gave us most of the Currier and Ives plates. Still, "all in the family!"
ReplyDeleteI found your blog when I googled "Thanksgiving table blue Currier and Ives." I inherited my grandmother's set and don't really know what to do with the blue-ness of it all, although I loved it for the 4th of July. I need to think outside the color box with these dishes if I am going to use them, so thank you for the post. I love how you made note of what worked and what worked for 2016 so you won't do it again this year. Thanksgiving CAN work with blue dishes. :)
ReplyDeleteOh how funny! I guess I never thought about it because I grew up using these dishes for all holidays. You're right; they're not "autumnal" in any way. But they look pretty on a rich brown tablecloth, I think! :) If I had more time or money, I might look for a fall table runner that includes some blue to pull everything together.
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