Hello!

Fall is officially here! Soon there will be cozy warm nights by the fire, apple and pumpkin everything in the stores. Can u believe it is already that time of year? I swear it was just June yesterday. I tell you I am ready for it. I love the Fall/Winter months.

Thanksgiving has been a favorite of mine for obvious reasons, (SO MUCH FOOD) but it is also the cooks time to shine. I do love the challenge! I know it can be intimidating and believe me I have made many mistakes along the way. It’s all about practice. I have been cooking this feast for large groups for a while starting first when I was just 18. I am 40 now and I have some helpful tips for a successful meal! If you are only entertaining with your immediate family or this year entertaining for more, I hope you can make it a beautiful event and I’d love to help along way!

THANKSGIVING TIPS

Here are some tips before the big day to help you feel prepared when it comes.

Make a menu
Make a shopping list
Prep, prep, and prep the ingredients that can be chopped/measured ahead of time. Store in Tupperware in the fridge or pantry. Some things can be made ahead of time such as pies or rolls. Even the stuffing/mashed potatoes can be cooked the day before and warmed the day of.
Accept help. Whether from guests or if you have older kids, now is the perfect time to rope them in, teach, and make wonderful memories.
Plan cooking times. I wrote out a full TO-DO list of what time to start cooking the bird, when to baste it, when to start the carrots, and other sides. This keeps me on task and helps achieve the dinner time I planned for.
Set the table ahead of time. I will do this even a few days ahead. It lets me be creative and I don’t stress about it being ready the day of.
Have the serving dishes and utensils cleaned and ready so when it is time to have it you know exactly what food is going where.
Pick a turkey carver. Some people like to do this at the table and some in the kitchen and present cut turkey. Either way be ready to tag them in or do it yourself. Whatever tickles your fancy.
When it’s already to serve, take a deep breath, and be proud of all the work you put in. This is a huge accomplishment and remember the most important part is to remember to be THANKFUL and ENJOY!

Whether you are a seasoned pro or new to serving this glorious feast it can be a bit intimidating to make a perfect meal. Now the reality is there will be some mess ups along the way but that’s what makes it all fun. Don’t stress and follow my guide to the perfect turkey day meal!

Everyone has their favorite TG appetizers and sides. I always ask guests to bring appetizers and a dessert to take the pressure off me so I can focus on the main spread. I do, however, prepare a charcuterie board, teriyaki meatballs, and deviled eggs for appetizers. Letting the guests fill in the blank counter space with the rest!

I was going to edit and re-write the menu and notes, but I decided to keep it real and just share how I manage it all and pep talk myself throughout the process!

Remember that the big picture here is that it’s all about being with loved ones. I hope you enjoy it, and I can be of some help!

MAKE AHEAD DISHES

Making these ahead of time will save you a lot of hassle and stress. I usually do 1-2 days ahead and warm as needed the day of.

Focaccia Bread
Cornbread Muffins or rolls
Chocolate Tart
Pies
Pumpkin/Chocolate Tart
Stuffing
Deviled Eggs

My tried and true TG recipes that everyone loves.

GOLDEN HERB TURKEY

Ingredients:

12-pound turkey, thawed if necessary
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 (32-ounce) bag celery and carrot party sticks
2 large onions, large dice
1 1/2 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon pepper
3 (3/4-ounce) packets fresh herbs poultry herb blend (sage, thyme and rosemary)
1 lemon, thickly sliced

Prep instructions –Mix the herb blend

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.
Cut the veggies for the roasting pan.

Tuck wing tips under the shoulders of the bird for more even cooking. This is referred to as “akimbo.”

If your roasting pan does not have a lid, you may place a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the turkey for the first 1 to 1 ½ hours. This allows for maximum heat circulation, keeps the turkey moist, and reduces oven splatter. To prevent over browning, foil may also be placed over the turkey after it reaches the desired color.

If using an oven-proof food thermometer, place it in the turkey at the start of the cooking cycle. It will allow you to check the internal temperature of the turkey while it is cooking. For turkey breasts, place thermometer in the thickest part. For whole turkeys, place in the thickest part of the inner thigh. Once the thigh has reached 165 °F, check the wing and the thickest part of the breast to ensure the turkey has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product.

Now lets get started

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Arrange celery, carrots, and half of the diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.

3. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird.

4. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces.

5. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey.

6. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper.

7. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.)

8. Insert the pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breastbone, in the thickest part of the breast.

9. Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan. BREAST SIDE UP

10. In the oven it goes and reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees, about 4 ½ hours.

Apple-Sausage Stuffing Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups orange juice, divided
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup butter or margarine, divided
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (I use mild)
1 (16 ounce) package crushed herb-seasoned stuffing (stove top works fine)
4 medium granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chicken broth (or turkey)
2 tsp. dried thyme
2/3 tsp pepper

RECIPE HERE- Apple-Sausage Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls

Brown sugar glazed carrots

Ingredients:

2 bags baby carrots
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup broth (any)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, chopped (optional)

RECIPE HERE- Brown sugar glazed carrots

Yukon gold Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

10-15 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup high quality butter, I use Kerry gold Irish butter (so good)
3-4 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp. rosemary, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

RECIPE HERE – The BEST Mashed Potatoes Ever!

Focaccia Bread

RECIPE HERE –Focaccia Bread

Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cranberries

RECIPE HERE – Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cranberries

Corn Bread Muffins

Instead of using a baking dish, pop in a muffin tin and cook for 17-20 minutes.

RECIPE HERE – The Best Honey Honey Cornbread

Chocolate Tart

Follow all the instructions except skip the marshmallow step and just add shaved or chunks of chocolate and graham crackers.

RECIPE HERE – S’mores Chocolate Tart!

Red Wine Turkey Gravy

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup red wine
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary

Directions:

Place roasting pan over med heat using 2 eyes if possible. As soon as it’s hot, pour in 3 cups of chick broth, 1 cup of red wine.

2. As it boils and reduces whisk the bottom pieces up, pour into the gravy separator. Now pour into another container… except the last bits of fat in the bottom.

3. Pour the fat in the roasting pan whisking 1/3 cup of flour whisk like crazy until it starts to smooth out and thicken a little bit. Now pour the reserved liquid in and continue whisking as it comes to a boil pour 1 tbsp. combo of thyme, rosemary, oregano.

4. Cook until it coats the back of a spoon, but still a little thin. It will thicken once cooled off.

5. Pour into gravy boat.

As promised, here is my personal guide with some notes on how I manage my time to create a great Thanksgiving meal.

Set the table the night before or even a few days ahead
11 am Start TURKEY PREP (Adjust cooking times to fit when you want to eat)

NOON Get the bird in the oven.

Now that the bird is in the oven, breathe for a minute and pour a big glass of wine. CHEERS!

This is a good time to make the cranberry sauce and any other prep work that can be done.
3:30 Start prep for the stuffing
4:00 in the oven (can be done the night before)

After the stuffing is in start getting the potatoes peeled and, in the pot to boil. (Also, can be done the day before)

Drink more wine and have a snack.