Thanksgiving Menu

Breakfast: On your own; Nelli’s busy.

Dinner: Cornbread Salad
Turkeys – one smoked, one fresh
Mashed potatoes with gravy
Stuffing
Relish Tray
Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie

Place the fresh turkey in a roasting pan, slather with oil. Place 2 quartered lemons and 2 cloves garlic in the cavity of the bird. Make sure you remove the giblet package. Cover and roast at 325 for 20 minutes per pound. Remove cover last 30 – 45 minutes. Reserve pan juices for gravy. Discard lemons and garlic and carve. For gravy, bring pan juices to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. In a cup, mix ½ cup water with 3 Tblsp corn starch. Whisk into boiling juices until it thickens.

Place the smoked turkey in a roaster and cover the bottom of the roaster with with water. Roast at 325 for 20 minutes per pound. Reserve pan juices for another use. Carve.

Cornbread Salad: Make one 16 oz. package corn bread mix as directed on package. Cool and crumble into a bowl. Set aside. Fry 10 strips bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble. Set aside. Whisk together 1 package Ranch Dressing mix with 1 ½ cups each sour cream and mayonnaise. Spread half the crumbled corn bread into a 9 x 13 pan. Top with one 15 oz. can drained pinto beans. Sprinkle with 2 chopped tomatoes, ½ cup each chopped green pepper and green onions, 1 cup shredded cheese, half the crumbled bacon, 1 can drained corn and half the dressing mix. Repeat the layers, cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Wash and peel 6-8 potatoes. Drop into boiling salted water and cook until potatoes are soft. Drain. Add ½ cup milk, ½ stick butter, and ¼ cup sour cream. Cover and let stand until butter melts and milk and cream are slightly warmed. Whip.

Cranberry Sauce: Bring 1 cup each water and sugar to boil. Add one bag cranberries, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Transfer to glass bowl and chill.

Stuffing: sauté 1 cup chopped onion and ½ cup chopped celery in butter. Stir into 3 cups bread cubes. Bring 2 cups chicken or turkey stock to boil and add ½ tsp sage. Stir into bread cube-vegetable mixture. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan and cook in 325 oven 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie: Beat together 2 cups cooked pumpkin (or sweet potatoes or butternut squash), 2 eggs, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp cloves and 1 can evaporated milk (OR 1 2/3 cup half & half). Pour into 9-inch pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 55 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. Serve with sweetened whipped cream: beat 2 cups heavy cream with 3 Tblsp sugar until stiff. Keep chilled.

Relish Tray: On a serving platter, arrange sweet gherkins, dill pickles, black olives, green olives, pickled beets and red hot candy pickles.

Lunch: If you’re hungry at lunchtime, have another piece of pie.

Supper: Self assembled Turkey sandwiches.
Potato chips
Cold beer