Happy Thanksgiving Eve Eve!!! I currently have 2 1/2 gallons of turkey brine cooling in my fridge, and I'm preparing for my second-favorite day of the year, Cooking Day!! Thanksgiving is obviously the best day of the year, but Cooking Day runs it a close second. That's when I put on my coziest yoga pants, tie on my apron, and spend the entire day in the kitchen preparing my Thanksgiving offerings in the glow of the Thankful tree. I figured I'd share some recipes with you and give you the chance to share your favorites or offer advice on the turkey-day prep.
So festive, and filled with gratitude!!
Let's start with the bird- after all, it's called Turkey Day for a reason!!! We have a totally awesome pellet smoker that we LOVE, so we're smoking the turkey this year. My husband and I have been researching smoker recipes for a week, and the one thing they all agree on is brine. Nobody wants a dry turkey, so our 16-pounder is spending the rest of the day in this beautifully fragrant brine.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/my-favorite-turkey-brine/ I've used it before, and it can't be beat.
We're still deciding on the best method for smoking.I definitely don't want to lose those delicious drippings, so I think we're going to keep it in a roasting pan. And my husband bought some butter injector thing, so we're apparently going to shoot up our turkey like a heroin junkie. I'm still deciding on whether or not I'm going to do an herb mixture under the skin, or let the butter do its business. And then there's the carving quandary. Carve before refrigerating? Refrigerate whole and reheat and carve the next day? I'd welcome your input.
Dressing is a no-brainer. I use my mother-in-law's recipe because it's perfection. You take two bags of Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing and basically follow the recipe on the bag, only double the butter and chicken stock. Maybe it seems like cheating to start with a bag? I don't know, all I know is that it's DELICIOUS. And sure, there are lots of great dressing recipes out there, but if you're looking for something that's foolproof, I'd highly recommend this one.
Thanks, Nana!!!
Another thing that came to me with marriage was a love of cranberry sauce. It's not like I'd never seen it before I got married, but I'd never been really inspired to try that gelatinous can-shaped log. But I was a fool!!! Luckily, my husband remedied that on our first Thanksgiving and I've been a cranberry convert ever since. While I've got no complaints about the canned variety, I like to go a little fancier for the big day. So I go back to the Pioneer Woman (that girl's got Thanksgiving down!) for sauce that's so good my children eat it with a spoon.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/cranberry-pomegranate-sauce/
Gravy is pretty basic- turkey drippings, flour, turkey stock, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I throw in white wine and thyme if I'm feeling fancy. The key is to make LOTS of it. I know a lot of folks use the neck and the giblets, but I just can't. Boiling the neck looks like boiling a big, old, wrinkled... nevermind, I just don't.
Once all that is done, it's time to start on my very favorite part- dessert!!! This year I'm making two sinfully delicious cheesecakes. The first is a chocolate chip cheesecake with an oreo crust and a sea-salt caramel topping. The other is a pecan pie/pumpkin cheesecake hybrid. Recipes are below, but I'm warning you- they're dangerously delicious.
Oh, and you might be wondering, "where are the sides??" No worries, there will be sides aplenty. We have a big crowd, so we do potluck. I'm taking care of the turkey, gravy, dressing, cranberry sauce and desserts, and leaving the rest to everyone else. But it couldn't be Thanksgiving without the sweet potato souffle' and broccoli casserole recipes handed down from my grandmother, or a newer favorite- my mom's cranberry apple casserole.
My Dad's favorite
Divine!!!
Mimi's recipes are the best
SherBear's specialty
I hope you enjoy some of these recipes, and that you have an absolutely amazing Thanksgiving! May your turkey be juicy and your family discussions friendly!
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Crust:
1 sleeve of Oreos crushed to fine crumbs
3 tablespoons melted butter
combine well and press firmly in the bottom of a springform pan.
Filling:
3 blocks of softened cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla (Trader Joe's bourbon vanilla if you've got it)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each, beat in vanilla, then fold in chocolate chips. Bake at 350* for about an hour or until the edges are set. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate.
Topping:
Spread it over the chilled cheesecake and watch your family devour it.
Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups gingersnaps crushed to fine crumbs
3 tablespoons melted butter
Combine well and press firmly into springform pan
Pecan pie layer:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/3cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute, Remove from heat and stir in nuts, bourbon, and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly. Whisk beaten eggs into filling until smooth. Pour over gingersnap crust.
Cheesecake layer:
3 blocks of softened cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can of pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!!)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in pumpkin, spices and vanilla. Pour over pecan layer. Bake at 350* for one hour or until edges are set. Cool to room temp and refrigerate. If it cracks, no big deal. Top it with some whipped cream before serving!
