Thanksgiving-2007.com

Easy thanksgiving menu!?

This is my first thanksgiving with my new little family, our daughter is 6 months old so in between running after her i have to prepare a small feast! I can do the mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole, mac n cheese..i havent, however, made a turkey, ever!! I need help with an easy fool proof turkey recipe, and perhaps a nice dessert, also anyone know the best cocktail or wine pairing for this occasion, no egg nog tho please!

Public Comments

1. My mom makes the absolute best turkey. She uses a crock pot. At first I was a little apprehensive but once I tried it it was delicious! All she does is put the turkey in the crock pot and adds a stick or two of butter depending on how big the turkey is. If you don't have a big enough crock pot you can use a roaster. She usually cooks the turkey on slow for around 18 hours. She'll put it on around 7 in the evening and let it cook all night then all the next day but you can go with higher temps so that it cooks faster. I suggest giving it at least 8 hours. Put the turkey in the pot then you don't even have to worry about it at all until dinner. If you do cook it at a higher temp feel free to add a little water if you think the turkey is getting too dry. Then she uses the juices from the cooked turkey to make her stuffing. She buys the regular stove top style stuffing but uses the turkey juice instead of water and butter. She also uses just turkey breast, not an entire turkey. If you use a roaster you can use a whole turkey. Last year she got a roaster and put two turkey breasts in it. This is so simple to do and it keeps your turkey so moist. Your guests will be surprised by how delicious and moist it is. It may sound odd if you have never tried it but once you cook it this way you'll never cook it any other way. Good luck with your first Thanksgiving!
2. #1 - buy a turkey with a pop up timer in it #2 - use a disposable (deep) baking pan and double it up #3 - use the reynolds roasting bags Just follow the direction on the insert witht he bags. It will tell you how long for the size of your turkey, etc... I did my first turkey this way a few years ago and now my mom, my sis and I all use this everytime and we haven't had a raw or over cooked one yet! Best part is you just throw it all away after! As for a dessert, pumpkin pie is a breeze (especially now that you can buy good frozen pastry shells and canned pumpkin). Another fall dessert is an apple cake. I like the ones with sliced apples in it, not just apple sauce. I'd leave you me fav 2 recipies but they are not where I am..:-(. You can google and get tons on variations. Keep in mind those with alot of oil are denser and those with less will be more of a "cake" texture. Have a great first turkey day as a family!!
3. I suggest only making the turkey breast. You can buy these at your local market now. It's all delicious and moist white meat. look up a simple buttered herb recipe or something like that for the breasts and bake them in the oven. I also suggest stuffing...and by the way I am a pretty good cook and I still don't do homemade stuffing....I always buy boxed...too much time is wasted there. Also, hot yeast rolls (buy them frozen, Rhodes brand, pop them, frozen, in a greased muffin tin. Let them rise until doubled and bake) with butter, scalloped corn is good....a mixture of cream corn, egg, Ritz cracker crumbs and milk, green bean casserole is a family favorite here at my house, we don't do cranberry sauce...I don't understand it or like it....and we also do a cold veggie salad. It consists of broccoli, cauliflower, celery, raisins, lots of sunflower seeds and crisp bacon. Then a mayonnaise-type dressing over it. I can get that recipe for you if you'd like. Enjoy! (oh and we don't do sweet potatoes...just the good old fashioned buttermilk mashed potatoes...lots of butter and buttermilk and salt and pepper with some mashed yukon golds in my Kitchenaid mixer.....very easy and yummy!)