Thanksgiving Day

Ok, I won't pretend this is a quick meal plan, but it isn't difficult. If you're willing to start ahead of time, anyone can put on Thanksgiving Dinner just like a pro!! Let me take you through step by step, including a timetable to keep you on track and dinner on time. If you have a double oven, you can double up on some of the cooking. I don't, so the timetable is assuming you are using only one oven.

I saw Alton Brown prepare turkey this way on the Food Network several years ago. If you've never brined a turkey, you don't know what you're missing. It is the juiciest turkey I have ever had. The Turtle Pumpkin Pie is a recipe I found in an ad in a magazine....easy, but awesome!!

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Turkey

Dressing with Giblet Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Grannie's Sweet Potatoes

Double Quick Rolls (or store bought, heat and serve rolls)

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Grocery List

Order of Preparation

- 1. Several days before Thanksgiving, thaw turkey in refrigerator
  2. Prepare brine for the turkey the day before.
  3. Place turkey in brine the night before, cook cornbread for dressing.
  4. Thanksgiving Day - 9:00 a.m. - Turn turkey over in brine.
  5. Put whipped topping in refrigerator to thaw.
  6. 12:00 noon - Boil sweet potatoes, if not using canned. Boil eggs for gravy.
  7. 12:10 p.m. - Make Turtle Pumpkin Pie and refrigerate.
  8. 12:30 p.m. - Take turkey out of brine, rinse and prepare. Put in oven. (500 deg)
  9. 12:40 p.m. - Prepare vinaigrette for salad, slice strawberries.
  10. 12:50 p.m. - Prepare roll dough and let rise in bowl.

1. 1:15 p.m. - Take out turkey, cover breast and reduce temperature. (350 deg)
  1. 1:20 p.m. - Make "goop" for sweet potatoes, add to mashed potatoes and put in pan to bake.
  2. 1:30 p.m. - Make green bean casserole and get ready for oven.
  3. 1:40 p.m. -
2. Put rolls in tins and let rise.

- 1. 1:45 p.m. - Start giblet gravy.
  2. 2:15 p.m. - Finish giblet gravy.
  3. 2:30 p.m. - Prepare dressing and put in oven to heat. Put green beans in oven.
  4. 3:15 p.m. - Take turkey out of oven.
  5. 3:15 p.m. - Put rolls in oven. (400 deg) Put sweet potatoes in oven.
  6. 3:20 p.m. - Toss salad.
  7. 3:30 p.m. - Serve and enjoy!

Recipes

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Whisk together sugar, minced onion, vinegar and safflower oil. Add paprika and Worcestershire. Add sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Toss with spinach and strawberries.

Entree - Turkey

Combine all brine ingredients except ice water in stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

The night before cooking, combine the brine and ice water in a clean five gallon bucket or container. Place thawed turkey, breast side down and cover with brine. Make sure turkey is completely covered. Cover with a clean cloth or lid and leave in a cool place - basement or garage overnight or at least 6 hours. Turn turkey over in the morning or halfway through brining.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly inside and out. Place turkey on a roasting rack and pat dry with paper towels. In a small dish, place onion, cinnamon stick and water and cook in microwave for 3 minutes. Place inside turkey along with rosemary, sage and thyme. Tuck wings under bird and coat the outside of the turkey with oil.

Roast on lowest level of oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove and cover breast with a double layer of foil to avoid overcooking. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and put back in oven. Cook until thermometer

reads 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before

carving.

Side - Dressing and Giblet Gravy

Cornbread: In a skillet, cook onion in butter until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix. Place into a baking dish and cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until browned on top.

Giblet Gravy: Start with 4 cups chicken stock. Boil with turkey neck, celery, onion and giblets. Boil for 20-30 minutes. Remove neck. Add 3 Tbsp flour with milk to make a paste. Add milk gradually. Add eggs and salt and pepper to taste.

Side - Green Bean Casserole

Mix green beans including juice with mushroom soup. Spread onion rings on top. Bake at 350 degrees or until heated through.

Side - Grannie's Sweet Potatoes

Mash sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan, add cinnamon. Stir butter mixture into sweet potatoes. Spoon into a 13 x 9 x 2 pan and top with large marshmallows. Heat in a 350 degree oven until marshmallows are brown and sweet potatoes are warm.

Bread - Double Quick Rolls

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar, 1/2 flour and salt into yeast. Beat until smooth. Add egg and shortening. Beat in remaining flour until smooth. Scrape side of bowl and cover. Let rise double, approximately 30 minutes. Grease muffin tins and put dough in tins. Let rise 30-60 minutes. Put in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Makes 12 rolls.

Dessert - Turtle Pumpkin Pie

Pour 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Beat milk, pudding mix, pumpkin and spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Spread into crust. Top with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour. Top with pecans and drizzle remaining caramel with fork. Makes 10 servings. Adapted from Kraft Foods.