The holidays are coming up. Of course we all have our stand-by, must-have traditional dishes, but sometimes we're looking for something new or want to tweak something we already make...
I need a green vegetable... I've done roasted or sautéed green beans and roasted brussel sprouts, both have been "fine" but not OMG! holiday worthy, IYKWIM.
Anyone have any tried and true recipes or tips for making the greenie beanie or brusselly sprout? Or something else.
Feel free to add your holiday quandaries...
To brine the bird or not?...Rack or no rack in the oven? Do you baste said bird or not, if so, with what?
I usually put mine on a rack, rub him veg oil, season, and then baste with stock. I'm interested in what you do and how you do it.
Maple roasted brussel sprouts! Equal parts olive oil and soy sauce, double part maple syrup, toss veggies to coat, roast in oven until tender.
If I think of it, I let them sit in it for a few hours, with flaked or ground almonds.
I make the same thing every Thanksgiving. If I didn't everyone would have a fit.
If DH is home he brines and fry's two smallerish turkey's. About 12 pounds. If he is not home I bake a turkey about 24 pounds. I just rub it with oil and sprinkle it with seasoning and bake. No basting.
We have:
Dressing
Rolls
Salad
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake
I usually do an hors d'oeuvre tray
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I keep it simple. It will just be the 5 of us plus DS's girlfriend so 6 total. I don't brine. I plop my turkey in one of those bags. Then, I do make my mom's homemade stuffing (has to be made the night before to sit and develop flavor) which is simply just torn bread, salt, pepper, celery seed and onions drizzled with butter.
For sides, I do small corn on the cobs, mashed potatoes and gravy, the stuffing and green beans. For dessert I do ONE pumpkin pie and that is enough for all of us. Of course, dinner rolls and we always get Sparking Non alcoholic Juice. The kids love that.
I've brined the past couple of years but I don't think I will. I was thinking of doing what NJN does, rub with oil, S&P and throw 'im in the oven.
Dona: the maple roasted brussel sprouts sound awesome, and I have soy sauce, maple syrup and olive oil. What do you set the oven at?
Do you cut the brussel sprouts in half or blanch them or anything like that?
Turkey - no brine, cooked on the grill, basted with beer.
Mashed potatoes, Stuffing Muffins (everyone gets a crispy corner that way), gravy, vegetable, pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream
Everything else is up in the air. Depends on how many people we are having. Right now, it's for four people. That is subject to change. I always invite "orphans".
I make turkey, no brine, I rub melted butter all over the turkey, salt & pepper then stuff the turkey with a couple of stalks of celery and onion to help season the turkey. Homemade cornbread stuffing, mashed potatos, sil brings broccoli and rice casserole, green beans, deviled eggs, jello salad and homemade pumpkin bread with homemade whip cream. Also rolls.
Turkey, no brine. It goes in the slow cooker with some butter and simple seasoning.
Ham
Dressing, not stuffing.
Mac and cheese
Green beans, nothing fancy. Just cooked in some broth and seasoned with salt and pepper, a little butter to finish it.
Sweet carrots
Mashed potatoes
Squash casserole
Some kind of sweet potato
Dumplins
Rolls
Cranberry sauce
Deviled Eggs
What ever anyone else brings
Dessert is usually a Banana pudding
some kind of pie
Whatever anyone else brings.
We have about 20 people at our house on Thanksgiving.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I think it is just yellow squash, onions, some seasons, butter, some kind of butter cracker crumbs and I think that is it. I will ask him if I think about it.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.