Thanksgiving Favorites and My Tips

Last year was the first time I hosted Thanksgiving. I'd been doing the cooking for years, but always in someone else's home. And what a pleasure it was to have both sides of my family under one roof. To have so many people I love at one table and to serve them a delicious meal was truly my greatest pleasure.

As you no doubt have seen on endless hours of food TV programming and magazine cover after cover... cooking for Thanksgiving is kind of a big deal. Don't let the hype scare you. Sure, a delicious meal is where it's at, but it's most important to make the most of the precious time with your friends and family. Here are my tips to get the best of both worlds.

Make Your Favorites, But Make Them Well
This day only comes once a year and special foods have a way of making their way into our hearts. Don't fight it for the sake of culinary trend. Enjoy making timeless family favorites, but be sure to take a moment to savor the memory and prepare them well.

My old school favorites? Try my Healthier Green Bean Casserole and a Morgan-family favorite steeped in tradition, Spiced Peaches.

Try One New Thing
You never know when you're going to find a new family favorite and that's why I try one new thing each year. Be it a side dish or dessert, there is always something new to discover. My "new" brussels sprouts from a few years back are now being requested by my sister-in-law and 1st grade nephew. Growing up I had the canned cranberry stuff, but then discovered the amazingness that is Cranberry Salsa when I spent the holiday with my in-laws.

All proof that just a touch of new is a good thing.

Let People Help You
Easier said, than done... I know. We get all this crazy Pinterest shit in our minds and think we need to do it all (and perfectly). The truth is, your guests want to help, so welcome it! My best tip is to be specific with your guests. Rather than say "bring a side" ask them to bring "those delicious sweet potatoes with the pecans you make." This helps you as a hostess better plan and prepare.

But helping doesn't just go for guests. Get your family involved. My husband rocks and fries our turkey every year. I only cede control because fried turkey is the best damn thing in the world. But in all honesty, it's a HUGE weight off of my cooking shoulders. Also in our family that means wearing ridiculous headlamps. #MorePeanutOil

Get Organized Now
Plan your list and get ahead now. My handy timeline is helpful, but take the time to think through your own. The day before is the best time to get your prep work out of the way and get those pies made. Best part? AMC marathons Gone with the Wind. Watch all seventeen hours and taste your masterpiece as you go. As God as my witness, you'll never go hungry or lose your Thanksgiving mind again.

Thanksgiving To Do List

Calling all type-A control freaks... I've got a Thanksgiving to do list! This is not the day to wing-it and start in the morning. Nope, this is a time for precision and strategy. This girl loves a timeline!

So here's what needs to happen to get my Thanksgiving dinner to the table. Print it off and strike through with another color as you accomplish tasks for extra points. Color-coding and to do lists? Organizational heaven. If only I could incorporate labels. A girl can dream!

This Week

Order turkey

Thank my mother profusely for ironing the table cloth and napkins

Draft grocery list

Dish check – Figure out what everything will be served in, borrow dishes from my parents, as needed

Pick-up fryer from my father

Specialty shopping – International foods store for spices, cooking gas

Two Days Before

Grocery shopping

Make pie dough – refrigerate overnight

Day Before

Buy ice

Prepare pies

Prepare spiced peaches

Prepare cranberry salsa

Prepare spiced pecans

Prepare whipped goat cheese

Thanksgiving Day

Morning

Prepare herb butter for turkey and inject under skin of bird, hand-off for The Husband to fry

Roast turkey legs

Prepare green bean casserole

Clean and prep Brussels sprouts

Bake herb bread

Prepare hot cider in slow cooker

Set the table

Two hours before dinner
Plate hard cheeses and bring to room temperature

An hour(ish) before dinner

Prepare and bake-off cornbread dressing

Bake green bean casserole

Bake sweet potatoes

Bake mashed potatoes

30 Minutes Before Dinner

Cook Brussels sprouts

Just before meal

Carve turkey

Prepare gravy using roasted turkey legs

Dessert Time

Prepare fresh whipped cream

Thanksgiving Menu 2013

I'm so pumped... my favorite holiday is almost here AND I'm hosting it for the first time ever. Mixed emotions of excitement and pure terror have taken over. A day solely dedicated to food and I'm in charge. Holy hell.

My awesome in-laws are coming to town and staying with us for Thanksgiving and my whole family is coming to dinner too. Couldn't be more excited to have so many people I love in one room. Very special indeed. Here's the real deal though, this is going to take some planning and strategy.

While I'd love to go all out, do everything myself and try a bunch of new things, it sounds like a suicide mission that would inevitably leave me clutching an empty bottle of wine, whilst rocking in fetal position on the floor. I can see the mascara streaks now. Not cute. So I'm sticking with tradition and accepting help. What a concept!

It will be a feast of long-time favorite indulgences and a few new treats. Read: I'm not reinventing the wheel. Maybe next year when I've got a year of hosting under my belt.

Appetizers

Hot and Sweet Spiced Pecans

Whipped Pumpkin Goat Cheese

Assorted Hard Cheeses

Served with local honey

Dinner

Herb-Infused Fried Turkey

Roasted Turkey Leg Gravy

"Vintage" Sweet Potatoes

(You know those things with the marshmallows? My mother would have my head if they weren't there)

"Gourmet Potatoes" 

(Or whatever my stepmom calls the yum mashed potatoes she's bringing)

Spiced Peaches

Cranberry Salsa

Traditional Cornbread-Sage Dressing

Healthier Green Bean Casserole

Orange Cranberry Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Rosemary Bread

Dessert

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Fresh Whipped Cream

While the whole concept of hosting Thanksgiving for the first-time is daunting, this plans seems do-able. Planning is key, so I'll be sharing some tips and planning tools along the way. We can do it (she whispers to herself in doubt)!

Thanksgiving Menu

So all this talk of Thanksgiving side dishes and what not, I thought you guys might be interested to know the full menu.

The husband, the tiny dog and I are headed to the great state of Kansas to celebrate with my my in-laws. Like me, my mother-in-law shares a desire to keep things on the lighter side. I'm all for indulgences, but I hate that "bad full" feeling that comes after so many big holiday meals.

And okay, this isn't THAT healthy. This is America after all.

Thanksgiving 2012

Cranberry Salsa

with pita chips

Spiced Peaches

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Green Bean Casserole

Orange Cranberry Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Cornbread Stuffing

Turkey

with giblet gravy

Pumpkin Pie

Salted Caramel Pie

And you know the best and least healthy part? We FRY that turkey! Oh yeah... the husband stands on the driveway with a can of beer and cooks up that puppy to a beautiful gold, crispy done. And juicy! Have you ever tried one?

Check out some pics from last year. Apparently I got hungry and forgot to take pictures of the finished product... I also didn't have a blog then. Also, disregard the husband's creepy mustache... he did Movember last year. It was gross.

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

No one wants ho hum potatoes on Thankgiving, but so many of the flavor-boosting solutions seem to come in the form of hefty cheese products and cream. In my quest to lighten up Thanksgiving, I borrowed an idea from a friend's mother and paired potatoes with parsnips.

This white root vegetable packs a complex flavor so you don't need near as much butter or cream, compared to traditional mashed potatoes. And the parsnips blend in with your potatoes both in texture and color, so you can fool even the biggest skeptic. Or you can just force them to try parsnips because you're the host and you said so.

You'll prepare the parsnips just as you would the potatoes... wash and peel. Just be sure to chop them in even sizes.

Then both go into a cold pot of water with a generous pinch of salt. Bring water to boil and allow potatoes and parsnips to cook until fork tender.

See you can hardly even tell the difference between the two.

Mash with a manual potato masher or you can use a hand mixer. Be sure to break down some of the woodier pieces of the parsnip. This is when you'll add a touch of butter and cream.

Finish with a touch of parsley

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and peeled
1 lb parsnips, washed and peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
S&P

Roughly chop potatoes and parsnips to equal sizes. Add potatoes and parsnips to pot and cover in cold water. Add salt and bring water to a boil. Cook until potatoes and parsnips are fork tender, about 30 minutes (depending on size). Drain potatoes and place back in hot pot.

Over low heat, begin mashing potatoes and parsnips until water from boiling has evaporated. Add butter and cream and continue mashing until melted and combined.

Stir in fresh parsley and S&P to taste. Serve potatoes hot.

Cranberry Salsa

It's a little awkward when someone to asks you to bring an appetizer to Thanksgiving. You don't want to bring anything remotely heavy, but a veggie plate somehow feels inappropriate. Not to mention it needs to complement the dinner.

Whether your hosting or a guest, this cranberry salsa is a perfect fit. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla or pita chips. And it is KILLER on leftover turkey, so be sure to save some for yourself.

Fresh, gorgeous cranberries are the star. Added bonus, you're actually hitting your fruit groups for the day (as opposed to the soft cheese and pie groups you'll hit up the rest of the day).

And let your food processor do all the work here. Seriously a five minute appetizer, does it get any easier?

Cranberry Salsa
10 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 red onion, cut into chunks
1 bunch cilantro, removed from stems and roughly chopped
8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 a green pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until mixed. Can be prepared a day in advance. Serve with tortilla and pita chips.

Healthier Green Bean Casserole

You know it's all about the fried onions. In the history of all Thanksgiving green bean casseroles, there has never been anyone to extol the virtues of cream of mushroom soup or wait all year for soggy green beans. So if we're really just looking for an excuse to eat fried onions, let's think about a better way to go about this, shall we?

Now this isn't weeknight healthy stuff, but it is a healthier alternative to the traditional version of the casserole. Fresh mushrooms, onions and balsamic vinegar give this great depth of flavor, without the usual heft. If anything, more room for pie and turkey, right?

And don't worry... there's still fried onions. It is Thanksgiving, after all.

Fresh green beans keep things crisp and flavorful.

After blanching in boiling water, straight to an ice bath to maintain the beans' bite and color.

After the onions have softened, in with the mushrooms until they've given up all of their liquid and that has evaporated.

A dusting of flour for a quick roux, laying the groundwork for a luscious sauce.

Mixed and ready for crisp onions and parmesan cheese. If you're working ahead of time, you can prepare the beans early in the day and then top with cheese and onions and bake just before serving.

Healthier Green Bean Casserole
1 lb green beans, ends removed
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons flour
S&P
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup fried onions
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Boil a large pot of water and add green beans; cooking for 5 minutes. Drain beans and immediately immerse in ice water. Allow beans to cool completely, remove from water and dry.

Heat olive oil over medium hight heat and add onions; cooking until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until they give up their liquid and that evaporates; about 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar  and S&P to pan and cook 1-2 minutes until mostly evaporated. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms, stirring constantly; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have released.

Toss beans with sauce and place the beans in a 9-inch square casserole dish. Top with fried onions and parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes; serve hot.

*Recipe inspiration from Cooking Light

Orange Cranberry Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Some days you just can't seem to get a win. Whatever the gaffes or self-perceived utter failures, I have to remind myself of what I AM good at. We're all good at something. I'm good at holiday meals and vegetables with bacon. I needed a double dose of self-assurance, so my two great talents have come together for the sake of my sanity and your Thanksgiving menu.

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. People, this is a day that is completely dedicated to cooking and eating. There is no religious occasion that takes priority or gifts to distract -- this is solely a food day. Oh yeah, and thankfulness and the spirit of friendship and compromise or whatever.

And stretchy pants.

Consider adding Brussels sprouts to your side dish rotation. They're seasonal and simple to prepare. The fresh orange zest, cranberry and bacon in these will make any of your party guests love Brussels sprouts.

Did you know this is how Brussels sprouts grow? Little nodules on a heavy stem. It's nifty to see them on the stalk, isn't it?

Crisping the bacon renders beautiful fat, which you'll use to brown your sprouts.

A little color to start and then in go the cranberry and orange juice. Those cranberries will plump up before you know it with bacon-y orange goodness.

Orange Cranberry Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

1-11/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved

1 teaspoon olive oil

4-6 slices bacons, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Juice of 2 oranges

Zest of 1 orange

Salt and pepper

Heat oil over medium-high heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crisp and remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Place on paper towel to drain. 

Add sprouts to pan with bacon fat. Cook until edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add orange juice to pan, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add cranberries and cover; reduce heat to medium and cook until sprouts are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Toss with orange zest before serving. 

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Just about the only thing more American than apple pie... is voting. We are blessed to live in a place where we all have the right to participate in government. Whomever you choose today, just be grateful you have that right and do your part by making an educated decision.

Like the ever-present conflict of red and blue, this pie is a delectable flavor fight to the Ohio-like last bite. Sweet tart granny smith, piqued with salty, sticky caramel. All checked and balanced by a flaky, buttery crust.

After seeing Smitten Kitchen's Apple Mosaic Tart, I was dying to make a pie variation for my Thanksgiving menu.

I started with Martha Stewart's pie crust recipe. Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor with COLD butter until a light meal forms.

Stream in ice cold water until this lovely dough comes together.

Refrigerate covered in in plastic wrap for at least an hour. This can be done a few days in advance.

Then we roll out on a floured surface. This dough will stick, so no cuts in the flour department.

Of all the damn kitchen supplies I've acquired over the years, I realized yesterday that I don't have a pie pan. A cake one will work just fine, but you'll feel like a failed food blogger for a lacking a kitschy vintage pie plate. Note to self to raid mom's cabinets at the holidays.

Prepare for caramel time. Admittedly I was a bit intimidated at the "candy" part of this... the only "soft ball" I know involves drinking beer in the outfield. But this was surprisingly easy.

Pour over thinly sliced apples, reserving a bit to glaze the top.

Baked until ooey gooey done.

Enjoy a piece after you've cast your ballot. You've earned a moment of true American celebration. Try not to stay up too late tonight trying to figure out how this thing is gonna go.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie
For the crust
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes2-3 tablespoons ice water

For the filling
4-6 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

For the sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons heavy cream

Combine crust ingredients and COLD butter in a food processor. Pulse until a coarse meal forms. With machine running, stream in cold water one tablespoon at a time, until a stick dough forms. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to several days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare an 9-inch pie plate by greasing with a butter wrapper. Roll out   dough on a floured surface until thin and wide enough to fit pie plate. Gently lay in to the pan and fill with apples, setting aside enough slices to cover the top.

Over medium high heat, melt sugar for caramel sauce; stirring frequently with metal whisk. Cook sugar until it acquires a copper color (about 3-5 minutes; monitoring closely). Off the heat, add butter and sugar; stirring until butter is fully incorporated. Add heavy cream and return to heat; stirring vigorously. Cook another 1-2 minutes and handle with care; this is VERY hot.

Pour 2/3 of caramel over apples in pan. Beautifully arrange remaining apples over the top of the pie and glaze with remaining caramel.

Bake pie until crust is golden; about 45 minutes. Serve at room temperature.