Okay people - it's time to start planning - as Chris reminded me it's only 3 1/2 weeks away! Right now I'm looking at 22 adults and 12 kids.

Here's what I have so far:

Picky foods (during the first game):

Spiced Pecans
Vegies and Spinach Dip
Clam Dip
Bourbon Dogs
Assorted other dips that my aunt is bringing:

Main Event
Turkey 1 - on the grill brined ahead of time - looking for recipes
Turkey 2 - in the oven - herb rubbed (probably go w/ the old Bon Appetit stand by)

Side Dishes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusseld Topping (Cooking Light)
Party Mashed Potatoes
Corn Bread and Sausage Stuffing
Wild Mushroom Stuffing (old bon appetit)
String Bean Casserole ??? (classic)
Creamed Spinach ??? (real simple - cream of mushroom soup and frozen spinach)

Breads
Carrot Muffins (old family recipe)
Honey Wheat Rolls

Dessert
Pies (all bought at Emery's) - Apple, Pecan, Pumpkin and Mom's choice
Chocolate Chip Cookies (aunt bringing)
Brownies (aunt bringing)

Here's What I Need:

I'm looking for a green vegetable in lieu of the standard string bean casserole or creamed spinach but the catch? I have to be able to at least assemble it ahead of time. Any suggestions?

Also needed, a good (and easy) recipe for brining the bird, then seasoning for the grill - any suggestions there?

Oh one more question - I'm toying with the idea of getting those foil tins that I can put over sterno. Anyone ever use those? Does the sterno really keep things warm? About how much time can elapse from oven removal until I have to call everyone to dinner?

Shoot - lastly - any recommendations for good (but not too expensive) zinfandels?

Guess that's it - thanks folks! So, what's cooking in your house?

My Goodness your certainly cooking for a crowd!!
I just asked the same question about a green vegtable. Decobaby suggested broccoli calabrese. I guess you can serve it like regular old broccoli with Italian herbs and/or cheese sauce with breadcrumbs on top. Your menu sounds fabulous!!!

Ginger

Here's a vegetable side dish I often serve. It's a do-ahead, and people enjoy it. You should still be able to get good zucchini by Thanksgiving.

Shredded Zucchini

(Measurements are very loose--adjust to fit the number of people you're serving)
Scrub several medium zucchini. Cut into large chunks, and put through the shredder blade of a Cuisinart. As the Cuisinart bowl fills with shreds, remove and start over till you have a lot of shredded zucchini. Remember that there will be a lot of shrinkage, so shred more than you think you'll need. Place shreds in a colander or two, and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 15 minutes. Meanwhile, crush and dice 8-9 cloves of garlic. Heat some olive oil and butter in a large skillet, and very lightly saute garlic (don't let it burn!) Squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini by handfuls, putting squeezed zucchini in the skillet. Add fresh or dried thyme to taste. Saute gently, turning frequently. Cook just a few minutes. Drain off water if necessary. Place zucchini in a casserole dish, and mix in some shredded cheese. I use either parmesean or a mild swiss, depending on the menu. Add pepper to taste. Set aside in fridge. Before serving, let warm up in oven or microwave till cheese melts and mixture is hot.

And here's a great brussel sprouts recipe I do for Thanksgiving. The prep is done ahead of time, and the final saute takes just a few minutes, and doesn't take up oven space.

Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts

3/4 cup chestnuts (fresh roasted or canned)
1 pound brussels sprouts
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil.

If fresh chestnuts are used, shell with a paring knife and toast on a cookie sheet in the oven until the meat pulls from the shell and the shell and skin can be easily removed. If canned chestnuts are used, drain and dry them.

Trim the outside leaves from the Brussels sprouts and cut 1/4-inch deep cross in the bottoms of each. Drop them in the boiling salted water and cook until they are fork tender. Drain the sprouts and drop into ice water to shock and cool. Cut each Brussels sprout in half. This can all be done ahead of time.

Just before serving--Add the maple syrup to a 10-inch saute pan and warm. Add the Brussels sprouts and bring to a boil. Quickly add the chestnuts and stir in the whole butter. The syrup and butter will thicken and glaze the sprouts. Season with salt and lots of black pepper, and serve on a warmed platter. (Variation if you're serving bacon-eaters--cut back on the salt, and sprinkle dish with cooked, crumbled bacon)

Instead of making another hot veg how about some kind of salad? You can do any variety of lettuce that you like and maybe incorporate some fall/seasonal ingredients. I really like sliced pear,bluecheese,and candied pecans or walnuts and maybe some dried cranberries with a simple vinaigrette. Or something my family always made on Thanksgiving was a good creamy coleslaw.Sounds funny but it does go great with turkey and perfect for your grilled version.

Thanks Ginger - it's a lot of people but should be fun - many of my cousins are coming home from their far-flung faces so it's a mini-reunion of sorts.

LOL - Colleen - in all my years we've never had salad for Thanksgiving - but why the heck not! I love your idea, using nuts, pears and a nice blue or cheese of some type.

Amy, those recipes sound delish - I'm leaning towards the zucchini b/c I want to avoid cooking near the end but will test drive the brussel sprouts ahead of time - thanks!!

Could someone please explain to me why there is an ad for Israeli latkes at the bottom of this thread?

Wow! Now it's disappeared and the Sorrento ads are back. (more confused)

M

Now, if I was a "big-brother-is-watching" theorist, I would say that Google has taken note of Kim's previous posts about her wonderful meals for Passover and other Jewish holidays. They see that Kim is posting about holiday cooking again and notify the Israeli food distributors that we have a targeted audience on this thread. Hmmmmm.....

Yes, Deborah, if I were that sort of person that's what I would think. .... Wonder what would happen if Kim were to post about food on this thread again.

My dad always makes his broccoli. it is breaded and pan fried then covered with grated parm cheese and baked. if you are interested let me know and i can send you the real instructions.

quote:

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Originally posted by Livinwell:
I would say that Google has taken note of Kim's previous posts about her wonderful meals for Passover and other Jewish holidays.Hmmmmm.....

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Wow - then I'm really going to mess them up when, after Thanksgiving, I post looking for suggestions on how to do the Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve

Kelly, thanks - if you don't mind, out of curiosity I'd love to see the recipe. I'm deciding between Baby Greens, Pear Walnut and Blue Cheese salad and Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese and Candied Almonds - any thoughts?

Kelly,

I would also like the Broccoli recipe.

Ginger

Hi Kim,
I can't help with your questions, sorry!
But if you haven't made Shannon's Cheese Date Biscuits yet, this might be the year to start! They're v-e-r-y easy ... I'll bet your girls could even make them! You can make them in advance, too - which is a plus.

They were a big hit at Thanksgiving at my house last year, and I had a request last week to be sure that I would serve them again this year. Yum!

Kim, HERE is the recipe I have been using forever and love. I also add the zest of 3 or 4 lemons per batch. A large turkey like you will need will probably need at least 2 if not 3 batches of brine. Flollow the Best Way Non-Roasted version on that page and you should be all set.

Hmm, maybe I will do Thanksgiving here

Sold on the Cheese Date biscuits instead of the honey wheat rolls - about how many does that recipe make?

Cristina - actually - I'm thinking of doing two birds about 13 - 15 pounds each. You think that brine recipe will work for that size?

Kim, I have brined everything from chicken thighs up to a 28 lb bird so yours should be fine. As a matter of fact, I just checked the link I gave and it said that they based everything on 12 to 16 pound birds so you are set.

quote:

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Originally posted by Kim:
Sold on the Cheese Date biscuits instead of the honey wheat rolls - about how many does that recipe make?

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I used up most of a package of pitted dates - around four dozen or so? (Shannon could tell you more accurately.) The biscuits are pretty small, though - maybe the size of a small box of matches.

Have some turkey for me. I will be working on Thanksgiving (sigh). When I lived in the UK the first time and people would has me about Thanksgiving I would tell them that was when we celebrated not being English

Would love that Broccoli breaded and baked with cheese recipe.

Kim,
If you haven't yet decided on your salad, here's another option... I've done a really nice Belgian endive and apple salad for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in the past. I chop up some Belgian endive and apples along with some celery. Mound it on a platter with some whole leaves of Belgian Endive arranged all along the edges. Then sprinkle with some toasted nuts - walnuts, pecans or almonds - and another especially nice touch is a sprinkling of pomegranite seeds. And serve with a honey mustard dressing. If you squeeze a little lemon juice on the apples after you cut them, this salad can be made well in advance.

-Krista

Am I the only one who doesn't know what "Bourbon Dogs" are??

Sandra

Although bourbon is a Southern thang, I am equally curious - just what is a bourbon dog? A drunken cocktail weenie?

And, Colleen or Shannon, are the cheese date biscuits more of a savory appetizer than a bread?

I do roasted brussel sprouts. No last minute cooking! Here is the technique:

Well before the meal time (night before is OK) trim the base of the brussels sprouts and clean off any wilted leaves. Cut a cross into the base of the sprout just through the tougher part. If you do this the night before, store them in water in the fridge.

When you are ready to cook put in a large roasting pan and place in a 350 degree oven. After 15 minutes you can add lightly smashed and skinned garlic cloves. Toss the sprouts every 15 minutes till done. Roast for 45 minutes until nicely browned. The beauty here is that they are good if they stay in the oven longer, up to 1 1/4 hours.

Dean, I never thought of lowering the oven temperature so they could stay in there w/ other side dishes! Thanks!

Okay - Bourbon Dogs - Janice nailed it - they're drunken weiners, made with a combination of bbq sauce, ketchub, bourbon, brown sugar - stuff like that.

Kim,
Can you share your recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping? I'm always on the look out for a good sweet potato recipe that doesn't involve marshmallows!

-Krista