Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
Each year I host Thanksgiving dinner, and it is one of my favorite things to do. I'm here to tell you it does not have to be stressful & filled with non-stop cooking on Thanksgiving morning. In fact, you barely have to cook at all on Thanksgiving day. You can watch the parade & take it slow & stress free with my menu below.
Here is what I typically make each year when I feel like hosting a very traditional dinner. Some years I'll throw in new twists to things or try new recipes, but for the most part my menu consists of this:
Appetizers:
bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Boursin w/ a maple drizzle
Cheese & Charcuterie Board
Mains:
-Garlic butter rolls
-Roasted turkey
-Homemade cranberry sauce
-Sweet potato casserole w/ mini marshmellows
-Stuffing
-Potato Puree
-Pea casserole w/ crispy fried onions
-Fall salad
-Roasted carrots w/ maple & goat cheese
-Gravy
-Baked mac & cheese
Dessert:
-Pumpkin pie
-Cranberry orange tart
-Pumpkin Mousse
-Pecan Pie
** random fun dessert
You're probably wondering how I make all of this if I'm claiming I don't cook on Thanksgiving. I really dont! Everything above except the homemade rolls, I make the days leading up to Thanksgiving, & just reheat them the day of. I promise you, everything tastes fresh, amazing, & no one would ever tell the difference. In fact, alot of times things are even better because they've had time to let all of the flavors mingle together.
Below is a run down of what my Thanksgiving week looks like:
Friday before- finalize guest list & menu, grocery shopping & start thawing the turkey in the fridge
Mon- make pie crust & cranberry sauce (keep cranberry sauce in a sealed jar in fridge until ready to use). Freeze pie crusts until Wednesday.
Tues: source everything I need for the dinner such as tables, chairs, napkins, beverages, etc. If I can, I'll start setting my table now & just give my plates a wipe off with a damp cloth the day of in case of any dust or anything!
Brine the turkey - either dry or wet brine (all recipes will be below!)
Wednesday- The big cooking day!!
I literally make everything today, any desserts I'm making, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potato casserole (mini marshmellows get added on after heated through), mac & cheese, pea casserole (fried onions get added on after heated through), I'll prep the carrots and salad as well. I'll prep the bacon wrapped dates and make my cheeseboard (wrap your cheeseboard in saran wrap & wait to add crackers until ready to serve or they get soggy in the fridge)
If you are tight on fridge space & live in a cold climate during this time of year, feel free to leave some things in the garage or protected outdoor space if it's cold enough!
I usually start the cooking day with the desserts because I find those the most tedious, then move onto the easier, savory things.
I finish prepping my turkey by rinsing the brine, patting it completely dry, & adding my butter & seasoning rub as well as what I'm roasting with it in the pan to make the gravy afterwards.
At the end of the night I'll make sure the table & house is finished (or have my husband do this), so I'm in really good shape for the next morning.
Thursday/Thanksgiving Day-
Depending on what time I'm serving dinner will dictate a lot of this exact timing, but usually it is around 3 PM for appetizers, & 4 PM for dinner.
I'll start my day by getting evreything out of the fridge that will need to be heated/cooked. Turkey & all the sides. Depending on how big of a turkey I have, it will usually go in around noontime. Turkeys take about 13 min. per pound or 15 min. if they are stuffed with stuffing.
While the turkey is cooking, I tend to any other last minute Thanksgiving needs such as filling beverages, & right before the turkey is done, I pop in my bacon wrapped dates on the top rack so they can be ready for the guest's arrival. I also set out the cheeseboard one hour before guest's arrive to ensure it has plenty of time to come to room temperature. Cheese is best served at room temp when it is most flavorful! Not straight from the fridge.
I aim for my turkey to be done around 3 at the latest, so I can get my other sides in the oven to heat. They've been sitting coming to room temperature for a bit (yes this is fine) so they're not ice cold anymore. The sides should take anywhere between 30 min- an hour to heat fully depending on what is it. The turkey will be out of the oven resting during this time.
If you don't have enough oven space, you can reheat some things on the stove top such as the peas, potato puree, and sweet potato casserole.
Some sides will need their final "assembly" such as the stuffing, & the salad which will need its dressing.
* just a note, make sure when you are prepping your food you are putting it into oven-safe serve ware so the following day you can put it right into the oven, then onto the table to serve without having to switch the container.
While the last sides are heating, during the last hour, I make the rolls (they take about 30 min) & make the gravy from the drippings in the pan. After the turkey is rested I will also carve that & get it onto it's serving platter.
After everything is heated through, I add the final touches such as the fried onions and mini marshmellows. Then dinner is served. Check below for all of the recipes I use, & happiest holidays to you and your family
xo
Hannah
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
This is my recipe
https://www.astayathomesteadmom.com/cranberry-sauce
Homemade Pie Crust
My favorite recipe
https://www.marthastewart.com/1151756/perfect-pie-crust
Bacon Wrapped Dates w/ Boursin & Maple
Remove the pit & hard end piece of each date, but dont slice in half. Stuff with a dollop of boursin cheese. Wrap in a 6 inch piece of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Bake at 375 until bacon is browned & starting to crisp. Drizzle with maple syrup and flakey salt after out of the oven.
Garlic Butter Rolls
2 tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
1/3 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 large egg beaten
1 tsp salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* add in any herbs or flavorings you'd like
TOP WITH
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
Add yeast & warm water to a large bowl. Add oil & sugar; let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg. Slowly mix in the salt & flour. Continue to add flour until dough is soft, any any herbs or seasonings
Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide into 8 equal pieces & shape each into a ball. Do not let the dough rise!
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the dough balls on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, brush the buns with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 8-12 minutes. Brush on melted garlic butter after they are out of the oven. (finely dice fresh garlic & heat into your melted butter on the stove for 3-5 min)
Baked Mac & Cheese
I love this recipe, I nix the basil & I use organic "ritz" crackers instead
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cheese-makers-mac-cheese/
Sweet Potato Casserole
Boil & mash 3 lbs sweet potatoes with 1 stick of salted butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a few tablespoons of mapls syrup depending on how sweet you like it. Top with mini mashmellows after heated & put under the broiler just for a few moments to get them toasty.
Potato Puree
Boil & mash 3 lbs of peeled golden potatoes with 4 sticks of butter, 2 cups of milk & 1 cup of cream. Add in fresh thyme, garlic powder & lots of salt and pepper. Add in 1 cup of grated gruyere cheese while they are still hot. Mash your potatoes with a food mill! It is the best way to get a super silky smooth puree.
Pea Casserole
Saute 1 container of sliced cremini mushrooms in 1 stick of melted butter until soft & browned
Remove mushrooms & add in 2 more tablespoons of butter + 2 tablespoons of flour (GF flour if you wish)
Whisk flour & butter until a thick paste forms (a roux) then vigourously stir in 2 cups of whole milk to ensure no lumps form
add in 2 cups of heavy cream, + 1 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese
season with 2 pinches of fresh or groun thyme, lots of salt + pepper, & some garlic powder.
Add in 2 lbs of frozen peas + stir to combine fully in the cream sauce. If eating right away make sure peas are left out for a while until they thaw! But if using my method of making all of the dishes beforehand, you can leave the peas frozen when adding & put this directly into the fridge until you reheat the next day. Top with fried onions after it is heated through!
Roasted Turkey
There are so many ways to make a great roasted turkey that will depend on your flavor preferences, but my go to recipe is below:
Starting with the turkey brine 2 days beforehand:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/85839/out-of-this-world-turkey-brine/
After the turkey is brined, remove & pat completely dry with paper towels. Sit turkey in roasting pan on top of largely chopped onions, carrots, celery (2 of each) + a cup or so of chicken broth to prevent anything from burning in the bottom of the pan
Soften 2 sticks of butter & add your desired seasonings, I use salt and pepper & a smokey dry rub blend with cardomon, orange, and paprika. Mix the seasonings into your softened butter and rub all over every inch of your dry turkey, getting the butter under the skin of the breast as well. Being careful not to pierce through the skin.
Insert some sliced oranges and lemons into the cavity if you wish to add more flavor and moisture.
Tie the turkey's legs with butchers twine and tuck it's wing tips underneath itself so they don't get burnt
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then drop the temp down to 350 to finish the cooking. Do not rely on the pop up timer in the turkey as they are not accurate and you will overcook it this way!
Use a temperature probe inserted into the deepest part of the leg and cook until it reaches 160 degrees (it will finish cooking after out of the oven until it reaches 165)
Use your turkey drippings in the pan to make your gravy while the turkey is resting for about 45 minutes!
Great gravy recipe
https://whatsgabycooking.com/homemade-turkey-gravy/
Classic Stuffing Recipe
One of my most used stuffing recipes
https://www.loveandlemons.com/stuffing-recipe/
follow the make ahead directions
Roasted Carrots w/ Maple & Goat Cheese
roast petite carrots with melted butter mixes with a few tablespoons of maple syrup, salt and pepper
after fork tender, remove from the oven and add one more drizzle of maple, some crumbled goat cheese (or Boursin) & some crumbled candied pecans
Fall Salad
I typically don't use a recipe per se, but just use a bunch of things I love in a fall salad such as roasted butternut or delicata squash, sliced apple or pear, dried cranberries, crumbled blue cheese, candied pecans, etc. Pick any mixture of these and top with my balsamic vinaigrette & you'll have a delicious salad. I use tender leaf lettuce such as Little Leaf Farms lettuce or a spring mix (never iceburg)
My Vinaigrette Recipe
https://www.astayathomesteadmom.com/balsamic-vinaigrette
Pumpkin Pie
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/the-great-pumpkin-pie-recipe/
Keep this on the counter or in the garage overnight
Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pumpkin-mousse-parfaits-recipe-1946354
These will need to be kept in the fridge after making ahead, make sure you cover them tightly as whipped cream things take on flavors of the fridge very easily so you don't want them tasting like anything else!
Pecan Pie
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/bourbon-pecan-pie-recipe-2041499
Keep on the counter or in the garage overnight
Cranberry Orange Tart
I LOVE this recipe, except I typically use premade gingersnaps to make the crust!
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/277548/cranberry-orange-curd-tart/
You can keep this at room temperature or in the garage overnight after baking