Brined Roast Turkey
Dressing
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans-2 ways-sauteed with bacon and just plain ole canned with butter
Jellied Cranberry Sauce (from the can, not a recipe)
Fresh Cranberry Relish
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole
Rolls
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Moppy's Fudge Pie
White Wine for the adults and Orange Juice Spritzers for the kiddosabout 11 months ago ·
Brined Roast TurkeyFrom the kitchens of Williams-Sonoma
A long soak in a seasoned saltwater brine ensures the turkey will emerge juicy and exceptionally delicious. The salt penetrates deep into the meat, drawing in moisture while adding layers of flavor. Our turkey brine combines aromatic spices and sweet apples with tangy citrus zest and sea salt.
1 jar (1 lb. 2.2 oz.) turkey brine—apple and spices
1 gallon jug of apple juice or cider
1 fresh turkey, 16 to 18 lb, neck, heart and gizzard removed (reserved, if desired)
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tbs. finely minced fresh thyme
1 Tbs. finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Prepare the turkey brine and brine the turkey according to the package instructions, using apple juice or apple cider as the liquid. Remove the turkey from the brine; discard the brine. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water, several times, and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off and discard the excess fat. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the butter, thyme and parsley until well blended. Gently slide your fingers under the breast to loosen the skin and work your fingers down to the thigh, being careful not to tear the skin. Spread half of the butter mixture evenly under the skin, then spread the remaining butter evenly on the outside of the turkey. Sprinkle with the pepper. Truss the turkey as desired using kitchen twine.
Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. If the breast begins to cook too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil. After about 2 hours of total roasting time, begin testing for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, away from the bone. The breast should register 165°F and the thigh, 175°F. Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Transfer the turkey to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. If desired, reserve the pan drippings for making gravy.
Serves 12 to 14
Green Beans with Bacon and Pecans
1 (16 ounce) package frozen green beans
3 slices bacon, cut into pieces
1 c. toasted whole pecans, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Toast pecans in microwave, about 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes in 30 second intervals. Place green beans on a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a damp towel and cook for 5 minutes on high. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and add steamed green beans and sauté to desired doneness. Add bacon, toasted pecans and black pepper. Serve immediately.
These green beans reheat well.
Traditional Mashed Potatoes
6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain well. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper; mash with a potato masher until light and fluffy, or rice the potatoes before adding the milk, butter and seasoning.
Makes 6 servings
Nisee’s Sweet Potato Soufflé Casserole
2 cups mashed fresh sweet potatoes or 1 large Can sweet potatoes with juice
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs beaten
¾ stick meted butter
1 cup milk (1/2 c if canned potatoes are used)
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Mix all ingredients well. Pour into a greased casserole. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
Topping:
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup crushed cornflakes
¾ stick butter melted
Mix all ingredients and spread on baked casserole. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8
Broccoli and Wild Rice Casserole
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
1 (6 ounce) box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice
1 can cream of chicken soup (or you can use cream of celery or cream of mushroom)
1 (8 ounce) jar Cheez Whiz
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook broccoli according to package directions and cook rice, separately, according to package directions. Drain broccoli and set aside. Cool rice to almost room temperature. Combine all ingredients and spread into a greased 2/12-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until casserole is golden and bubbly.
Makes 8 servings
Note: sometimes I make a cracker crumb topping for this casserole with Ritz cracker crumbs and butter. 1 sleeve Ritz crackers and ¼ cup melted butter-Mix together and spread on top of casserole. Bake according to directions.
Moppy’s Fudge Pie
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell, store bought or homemade
1/3 cup margarine
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, melt together the margarine and baking chocolate. Add sugar and mix well. Set aside to cool slightly. Add eggs, vanilla and salt and mix until well incorporated. Fold in chopped nuts and pour into unbaked pie shell. Place pie on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. If the crust gets too brown, cover with aluminum foil. Cool to room temperature then cover. Serve with Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 6 to 8 servingsFresh Cranberry Relish
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries
1 Navel orange, quartered
¾ to 1 cup sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
Mix cranberries and orange quarters in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a glass bowl. Mix in sugar and set aside for 1 hour. Drain off excess liquid and stir in pecans.
Makes 2 to 3 cups
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes
1 (6.5-oz.) container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (I used sour cream instead)
1/2 cup milk
4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh chives
Prepare potatoes according to package directions. Stir in spreadable cheese and next 4 ingredients; stir until blended. Spread mixture on bottom of a lightly-greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with Cheddar cheese. 3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used frozen Ore-Ida Mashed Potatoes and Alouette Garlic & Herbs Spreadable Cheese.
Southern Living, DECEMBER 2007
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs (1 am using 1 cup graham crackers and ½ cup gingersnaps)
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar
Filling:
3- (8oz.pkgs) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Whipped Cream
Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes at 350. Set aside.
Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature and refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with whipped cream.
Made for Thanksgiving 2010
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