Claire
Master Chef
How about we all chime in for Chrystal with our favorite Thanksgiving recipes?
I always roast a turkey. I do it in the oven, and stuff it. I'm very experimental with other meals, but not with Thanksgiving. I make a sage-based stuffing. Over the years I tried making cranberry sauce from scratch. I loved it, but realized that most people really liked the stuff from the can, so gave it up (I love the tart flavor of cranberries that isn't in the canned versions). There is enough to making a big meal for a bunch of people (I think the largest group I did it for was about 20, now I try to limit it to 8). One thing that is a favorite among my current group is a cucumber/shrimp/mushroom salad that I put out to get people to the table while I'm making the gravy, which has to be done last minute. I boil the potatoes, husband mashes them, so they're usually made before.
When I was a child, both winter squash and sweet potatoes were a part of the menu. They both were heavy on sugar and I stopped the tradition in my house. Not that I won't allow them if people bring them (I'm big on potluck), just that when I made them I wound up with huge bowls of them that I had to throw away. I hate throwing away food.
Sometimes, depending on where we lived (I am a military brat, veteran, and Army wife, didn't live anywhere more than three years for the first 40 years of my life), fresh corn was on the menu.
Nowadays a green bean casserole is a must. I never had it growing up, but some consider it a real necessity. There are many recipes for it on-line.
But what I always assign my guests is pies. You have to have pumpkin at the very least, but fruit pies are welcome. As the host, I have whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream to top them.
I always roast a turkey. I do it in the oven, and stuff it. I'm very experimental with other meals, but not with Thanksgiving. I make a sage-based stuffing. Over the years I tried making cranberry sauce from scratch. I loved it, but realized that most people really liked the stuff from the can, so gave it up (I love the tart flavor of cranberries that isn't in the canned versions). There is enough to making a big meal for a bunch of people (I think the largest group I did it for was about 20, now I try to limit it to 8). One thing that is a favorite among my current group is a cucumber/shrimp/mushroom salad that I put out to get people to the table while I'm making the gravy, which has to be done last minute. I boil the potatoes, husband mashes them, so they're usually made before.
When I was a child, both winter squash and sweet potatoes were a part of the menu. They both were heavy on sugar and I stopped the tradition in my house. Not that I won't allow them if people bring them (I'm big on potluck), just that when I made them I wound up with huge bowls of them that I had to throw away. I hate throwing away food.
Sometimes, depending on where we lived (I am a military brat, veteran, and Army wife, didn't live anywhere more than three years for the first 40 years of my life), fresh corn was on the menu.
Nowadays a green bean casserole is a must. I never had it growing up, but some consider it a real necessity. There are many recipes for it on-line.
But what I always assign my guests is pies. You have to have pumpkin at the very least, but fruit pies are welcome. As the host, I have whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream to top them.