Here's the break down...
Roasted Turkey from Roasted Turkey with Italian Sausage Stuffing. I loosely based my turkey on this recipe this year, whereas the last few years I've done this to the letter with the sausage stuffing in the bird adding only the brining step. This year, I bought a pre-brined turkey from Trader Joes, which I'm split on, and did the Martha Stewart technique of draping it with a cheesecloth soaked in butter and reisling. I did not stuff the bird and switched up the stuffing recipe. My 20+ lb turkey cooked in 2 1/4 hours and was done 2 1/2 hours early. You should have seen me Googling "Turkey Done Too Soon !!!" while in a panic. Who knew that it would still be HOT almost 3 hours later! It turned out to be a blessing b/c now I didn't have to use my neighbors oven to finish the sides as I expected.
I used a new Bon Appetit recipe for Bacon, Onion, and Rye Bread Stuffing. I was so worried about the state of my oven temperature and the fact that I didn't soak the stuffing overnight (who knows why) that I added in too much chicken broth before baking and it was a little soggy. The next day and onward, though, it's been great! Rye bread and slab bacon was a nice variation.
Honey-Glazed Roasted Carrots and Parsnips were par-roasted before the turkey and finished while I carved. Despite being slightly underdone, the honey/butter/balsamic glaze was really nice. Instead of just carrots and parsnips, I also added turnips and sweet potatoes. Thank you, T Joes for pre-peeled and pre-cut veggies!
Green Beans with Balsamic-Shallot Butter were the only repeat from previous years. This dish is 99% do-ahead with a quick reheat while carving. Still good the next day and better cold!
Mashed Potatoes with Crispy Shallots. I never vary my mashed potatoes. Red skin with skin on. Hand mixer to mash. Tons of butter and sour cream with some salt to taste. Always creamy and buttery. I make them after the turkey goes in and keep them warm in the crock pot all day. This year, I used a Bon Appetit recipe trading out for Yukon Golds, 1/2 and 1/2 for the sour cream and using a ricer instead of the hand mixer out of fear for gummy potatoes. They came out really nicely...The crispy shallots as a topping were probably the most talked about item on the table. I will do those again!
The Jellied cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple, also from Bon Appetit, was nice although I liked the sauce I did last year with citrus better...could not find the recipe.
Beforehand, I decided to serve a Butternut Squash Soup from Mark Bittmans Bitten Blog on the New York Times online. It wasn't a "recipe", but was on his list of 101 things to add into Thanksgiving...no measurements, no timing. For a wing it type of dish, it came out great! A little thin, but tasted really nice.
Gravy is the bane of my existence. Why do I fear thee so???? As usual I called my mother in law in to take over here. In my defense, my original plan was to do what seemed to be the easy Thanksgiving Gravy from Gwyneth Paltrows GOOP site. I did make the giblet broth after roasting the neck and parts in the toaster oven first. I also was able to pour off the turkey drippings and separate the fat since the turkey was out and cooled to the touch so early. It's really the roux and the texture that freaks me out each year. Oh well. She saves me every year.
I don't do apps or dessert so that helps. I should probably dish out some sides to my siblings in law, but truth be told, I like my stuff the best and would rather cook the whole meal. 3 days of shopping, prep, cooking, and cleanup...Priceless. I love Thanksgiving food.
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