Thanksgiving Suggestions for a newbie cook...

THE DEEN BROS. LIGHTER ORANGE-APRICOT TURKEY [link to www.pauladeen.com]

I suggest cooking the turkey the day before. Honestly, it makes the day go so much easier.

Bread stuffing... Very easy, and so yummy.

I hated stuffing my whole life because my mother made it from the box, when I got married my husband taught me how to cook. This is a very very yummy stuffing recipe.


Next week go to the deli dept. of your local grocer. Tell them your making stuffing and you need stale bread, cubed. They call it stale because it is a day old. Also it has to be stale to turn crispyish. 1 bag should be enough for about 8 people.

Ingredients:

Bread cubes
1 1/2 cups cut up celery
3/4 cups chopped onion
1c butter
salt
Pepper
Poultry seasoning

Fill 9 by 13 pan with bread cubes and spread out over pan.
In fry pan melt slowly butter, add onion and celery.
Mix it around until it's all coated nice and pour it over the bread cubes.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and mix. Do this three times.
Bake in over at 350 until bread becomes crunchy or to your desired texture. Just keep checking it and taking a nibble.

Sheesh.. dint get ur panties in a bunch.. good gravy.. u dont like my topic? Butt the fuck out.

Thats what i use,this year i will be whackin my own bird + 1 chicken for my dressing.

Wish me luck....

Local grocery store sells Turkey dinner in a big box,The Bird with 2 sides and gravy.
All cooked...
You can grab rolls,pies,whole or jell cranberries.

Maybe the op should go with this and practice some other time.

you come onto THIS site for cooking instructions for tg dinner and are offended by some answers?
obviously cookin isn't the only thing you're a noob at.
i see that the time you took to post and reply to shitty answers you could've found hundreds of examples with ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and great pics of what it's supposed to look like when finished. you could've found numerous COOKING FORUMS with people that would've replied with serious answers too.
BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

anyway...my halfhearted advice is that you go out to eat so you don't have anyone eatin anything undercooked or have your feelings hurt cause you just made it shitty. if you're really new to it all...it's not your fault that you don't know how. then again...what have you been doin all the years that others were cookin for you? that would've been the best way to learn and write down recipes for future reference and use. you need to practice a few months before or just during the whole year. cook a small turkey once in a while and try it with stuffing and without or just fix dressing on the side in a small cake pan. try bakin a REAL pumpkin pie a few times. if you have to buy one...DO NOT buy a cheap brand. they always seem to have too much of one thing or another that makes it suck. i'm still buyin premade crust cause i'm never happy with the crust i make on my own. don't buy a cheap brand crust cause it will just taste like cheap brand crust regardless of how good the filling is. remember that bakin calls for really precise measurements of ingredients. you can usually get away without such precise measuring when just cookin. basically...anything you would have at thanksgiving you should practice first throughout the year, you'll find that some things come with ease while others will still irritate after many tries. remember too that over the years when you're cooking, teach the young ones or anyone that's interested in how to do it too. it helps to create bonds and traditions with family or friends that last a lifetime and even when you're not around anymore. that way years later they won't be comin to glpee or other lunatic sites for smart ass answers. good luck and i can't stress enough...don't make anyone sick. they'll remember that longer than any good meals you cook for the rest of their lives.

Have fun with it OP, don't try to overdo it. It's my favorite holiday because other than the dinner, there is nothing else (like gift exchanging) to make it hectic. After dinner it's football in the yard with the kids, poker for the old guys. Just alot of visiting. We always toast(or just recognize) the elders present.

Plan your menu carefully with as many "sides" that can be made the day before. Look for recipes for things like fruit salads, broccoli salad etc. Easy way to have plenty of choices. Do everything you can the day before. Set the table, select the serving dishes, make desserts and appetizers. Borrow anything you need ahead of time.

Don't try to make too many casserole type dishes along with a turkey and dressing or you'll be overwelmed. Pick one or two. Other quickies like Le Sueur peas and rolls can fill in.

A pitcher of Mimosas for the ladies is a must at our house! Maybe that's why I always have such a good day. I'm already looking forward to it.

I can give you a rundown of what I'm planning on making for Thanksgiving if it may help? Now that does not mean I'm suggesting you try doing all of these because I have been cooking a long time and don't mind doing Thanksgiving dinner at all! All stuff listed is homemade, not from a can, and honestly a lot of it is not too difficult.

turkey - I get one fresh and local and brine it in salt water + beer + spices the night before

gravy

mashed potatoes - probably a must!

stuffing - I like adding raisins, apples, walnuts to mine!

yeast rolls

green bean casserole - This is why my 10 year old daughter is planning on making, it's really easy!

cranberry sauce - Made from whole cranberries, not too hard!

glazed sweet potatoes

squash pie - Variance of pumpkin pie, but made with squash that's been roasted in the oven, then pureed. Not sure the type of squash I'll use yet, as I have a few from the garden :)

I think that's it, possibly some corn but the kids don't always eat it. None of this stuff is difficult in my opinion, but making a bunch of it can be rather overwhelming.

Turkey bump...

Hey there, if you decide to place the turkey upside down, the el cheapo plastic thermometer might be in contact with metal or simply detecting temperature in a way that it's not intended. I don't know, but you might simply pull it out and reposition it on the opposite side since you are thinking of cooking it backwards.

I echo the sentiments of the person who said to purchase a thermometer. That's a fairly inexpensive cooking tool that you'll end up using a lot to properly determine the actually internal temperature of the food you're preparing. It's the ideal way of deteriming "rareness" of meat versus "medium" or well done in steak.

A lot of people may turkey in old-fashioned traditional ways. Of course, there are better ways to do it. The main thing is thoroughly cooking it, and a thermometer ensures this.

Some people make "beer can" chicken. It's a way to roast poultry by sitting it on something like a can but they also have specific metal devices made for this use.

Later once cooked, you can then place food in the cavity of the cooked bird to impart flavor, but in general this is a bad idea for a beginner as you might do it improperly and give people food poisoning.

Many people deep fry their turkey, or have someone do it for them. It is delicious. It isn't something a beginner could do as it requires special equipment. It produces a wonderfully tasting bird.

The main thing is to relax and have fun. Spend more time visiting if you can and less time working so hard. This means either making things ahead of time, purchasing some pre-made food, or being a smart chef and concentrating on a few items and letting people fix some items too. There's a sense of accomplishment in creating a total meal, but many cooks end up feeling overwhelmed by all of that plus cleanup. It's far better to share the duties and EVERYONE has an enjoyable time reminiscing about happy memories.

Here's a short page listing issues with Crohn's disease diet plans.
[link to www.webmd.com]

Many people are dysfunctional on Thanksgiving and bring up bad memories under the influence of alcohol. It's way easier to defuse that early versus deal with a mouthy drunk. Slow down on drinking and serving. You're in control somewhat as the host.

I noticed that you always make excellent suggestions Laura in many of your posts on GLP. Good for you.

I agree on green bean casserole. We like broccoli casserole too as broccoli is a very healthy veggis plus tastes delicious this way. It isn't difficult to make either. Both can be made the day before.

Thanks for the nice comment! Broccoli casserole also sounds good, I wonder if my kids would eat it? I love Thanksgiving as there's always so much to choose from!

Near Thanksgiving bump...

It's rare I get to say this but.



For brines.

Thanks for the nice comment! Broccoli casserole also sounds good, I wonder if my kids would eat it? I love Thanksgiving as there's always so much to choose from!


You're welcome. Broccoli casserole has always been popular to the children I've served it to. It has many delicious flavors that combine as well as textures.Letting them help prepare it as helpers (wash hands thoroughly and a teachable moment about why) encourages them to feel a sense of pride and also to taste it.

It's true that many people don't like plain broccoli, but I guess things are different based upon how children (and hence adults) are raised. I've taught children to say a short prayer of thanks as veggies were harvested somethings as simple as, "Thank you God for providing us with food, and thank you plant for growing for our bodies..." As they worked in the garden, they understood the beauty of the garden, and were braver about flavors.

I actually knew a family that taught that salad was dessert, and hence the kids knew no differently and loved it.

Have someone else make the turkey.

Thanksgiving day is not the day to try it out for the first time.

I think the rest of the food, you can handle.

My suggestion is to order the turkey already cooked from someplace and that way you can RELAX because the main thing is taken care of.
Then you can really go all out and take your time and make some fantastic sides and do some of them ahead of time. And also some of your desserts, too. You have plenty of time.
I would seriously order the bird from outside.
Enjoy!!!

On the lighter side - have any of you had cucumbers with sour cream and vinegar? It's super easy to make and very delicious. I'm probably going to make it this week too. :)

CUCUMBER AND SOUR CREAM SALAD

3 cucumbers
1 sm. onion
1 oz. vinegar
10 oz. light sour cream
fresh crushed pepper

Peel cucumbers but not completely. Leave some of the skin on. Cut into wheels. Slice onions into small strips. Add vinegar, sour cream, and pepper together. Mix well. Stir in cucumbers and onions. Let set for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

If this sounds good,you might give it a try. I don't know what the formal name of this dish happens to be,but I call it tomato-bacon salad.

All of the amounts are variable,and it's pretty difficult to screw up to the point of being inedible,so have at it. The only thing to be careful of is the onion-add that a little at a time until you like the taste.

Start by frying 4 to 6 slices of bacon until crisp.

While the bacon is frying,cut an onion ( I use yellow onions ) in half and peel and dice 1 of the onion halves.

Then cut up about a half a dozen medium sized tomatoes. Dice them into cubes about a half an inch on a side,but there's no reason to be obsessive about the exact size of the pieces. Let them drain partially in a colander,or if you ain't got a colander,spread them out on paper towels to soak up some of the excess moisture.

By this time the bacon will be done,and what you do with it is simple-crumble it up into bits and mix it with the tomato pieces in a bowl. Add a couple of tablespoon of Miracle Whip ( or generic equivalent) and start adding the diced onion a little bit at a time. Black pepper is good with this,and if you want it a little tangier than it already is,add a few cap fulls worth of cider vinegar.

This is better the day after you make it,if it sits covered in the fridge overnight. If you've never made it before,I suggest trying it with your sig-o as a guinea pig,then serve it NEXT year ( or next time there's a holiday ) when you have all the bugs worked out.

That sounds like how we are, we actually have (had now, lol) a garden and do grow broccoli, but we didn't have time to do fall crops this year :( Some of my kids will eat it raw and plain, others won't but either way I have to think that it would be something neat to try!

Last Edited by Laura Bow on 11/18/2012 08:02 PM

You're living in a fantasy. You'd be lucky if it's done on time and the rolls aren't burned. Everyone stands around and makes their plate where I'm from...and then we sit down and eat it like normal people do. This isn't a five-star VIP dinner...this is family.

This may not be a bad idea, or like someone else said someone even said purchase a precooked turkey.

I think they now sell some sort of "turkey in a bag" kit where you literally just take off the outer wrapper but keep it in some sort of oven bag, pop it in the oven and it self bastes. The only thing you have to worry about is pulling it out on time. I remember seeing commercials for it so Googled:

[link to www.jennieo.com]


Oven Ready™ turkey from Jennie-O Turkey Store is the only whole turkey that goes directly from your freezer to your oven with no thawing, easy clean up, and no worries. View the easy step-by-step cooking instructions.

Product Features:

Gluten Free
Preseasoned
Comes sealed in our Fool-Proof® cooking bag
With Gravy Packet (contains gluten)


Dunno if something like this would be good since I never tried it, but it's out there!

Thanksgiving is not the time to 'learn' to cook, but I applaud your love for family and friends to cook for them. If you have the money, or could ask help with the money by those who are coming, I would get a catered type meal from Costco or Krogers.

There are wonderful video's on how to cook turkeys.

[link to www.youtube.com]

[link to www.youtube.com]

[link to www.youtube.com]

are my favorites.

Your turkey should be thawing today (monday), to be unfrozen and ready to cook Thursday morning.
If you don't have room in the fridge, put it in a cooler in your garage or shed.

Stuffing is easy, just used boxed stuffing, use some slightly cooked onion and celery (giblets if you like)poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and don't use water use turkey broth (buy it). This can be made minutes before you serve your turkey.
Pull your turkey out 1/2 hour before serving. Give it time to cool before it is cut into.
You don't have to stuff the turkey with dressing, you can just make your dressing in a dish and microwave it or put it in oven after you pull out turkey.

Cranberries. We do both cooked (frozen berries with some sugar and orange juice) serve in a bowl, and canned, served on a dish sliced in thin slices. These can be prepared the night before and put in fridge.

Mashed potatoes. Cube them up into 2 inch cubes, lets say about 8 potatoes for 6 people. (large potatoes). You can use any type of russett or white potato, don't use red potatoes.
Boil them for about 15 minutes. Take a fork and try to smash one, if it smashes easily, they are ready.
Drain them. Set the pan in the sink, add 1/2 stick of butter. NO MARGARINE yuck! and 1/4 cup milk. Start mashing if they seem a little dry add milk by the teaspoon until they are the way you like them.

Gavy, a good gravy is complicated. I would practice gravy this week. I would not have a problem using 1/2 premade gravy mix or jarr'd gravy and add it to some turking bastings and a bit of watered down flour. But gravy is an art. Always have jar gravy on hand if you screw it up.

Pumpkin pie. Just go buy it, every grocery store practically gives them away. Get some whip cream or ice cream and you have a nice dessert. Lots of bakery stuff available wednesday, go get some for snacks.

Sweet potatoes, buy them canned, put them in the micro or oven with some brown sugar and let them heat up. Don't have to do much, put marshmellows on the top if you want more festive look.

Buy some cheese bricks, crackers, pretrimmed veggies (gordon foods) and some dips. Put these out in living room and turn on the games, let them graze on these while you struggle in the kitchen. This helps get the stress of you to have dinner exactly when everyone arrives (that never happens) and helps people shut up (eating snacks) and not starve, I'm hungry i'm hungry gets irratating.

My motherinlaw started a tradition with her grandchildren when they all became pre-teens.
She has 6 grandkids (boys and girls). Each Thanksgiving and Christmas 2 of the kids would come the day before or afternoon before the holiday. And spend it with her.

Playing the computer and watching tv?

oh no

They helped make the pies, the dressing, clean the veggies. Bring up her special dishes from the basement. They would set the two huge dining room tables with linens, candles, decorations, special silver and china. They made placecards, they did dishes and they made the snack platters.
My 22 year old son and his 23 year old cousin (males) are helping this year since 2 of the daughters are out of state, and the other two daughters will do Christmas.

These kids don't gripe about this. They now consider it an honor.

Start traditions like this with your family. Neices, nephews, someone who may not seem interested or involved may actually love to do this (after the balking and sighing of course).

[link to www.medindia.net]

those look tasty! I think I'll try them...thx!


to OP:


Years ago, a friend's mom gave me this recipe. This is ridiculously simple, inexpensive, & unbelievably tasty. I'm always asked to share the recipe and people are shocked that it only has 2 ingredients. Kielbasa & grape jelly.

**ratio is 1 pound sausage to 1/4 cup grape jelly**

use kielbasa or smoked sausage--if I can catch it on sale, I prefer the skinless, but I've used regular too. Sometimes even both. Just whatever I have in the freezer.

grape jelly--I usually just buy the store brand, nothing fancy--if I have other flavors of jelly/jam that's already opened, I'll use those instead. I've substituted strawberry & raspberry (jam & jelly) and it always comes out great. Never tried a non-berry (like peach/apricot)

cut the pinched ends off the sausage & discard. Slice the remaining sausage into sections.. 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick. I cut on a diagonal..they look nicer on the serving tray.

toss the kielbasa and the jelly into a covered saucepan. Watch it cuz the sugar in the jelly will burn easy. Start at a medium heat. Once it's all heated, turn heat down and let it simmer for about 30 mins. Or if you'd like, you can throw it all into a crockpot on low.

you can serve it from the pan/crock pot, or in a shallow serving dish. Sometimes I use appetizer sticks if I have them....just depends on my mood & how many ppl I'm serving.

I never measure the jelly. Just sorta eye it up. If I'm serving as an appetizer for longer time periods (new years/super bowl) I add more jelly in the beginning so the sausage doesn't dry out. I've even mixed the berry flavors.

Good Luck to you!

[link to youtu.be]

Your mention of mashed potatoes...I remember once we went to a house where they had quite a bit of money and a GORGEOUS kitchen! Very nice people, but I don't think the wife cooked much at all in that beautiful kitchen as the mashed potatoes were literally...mashed potatoes. No salt, no pepper, no cream, no butter, no nothing!