TOTALLY GEEKED!

jlbear71 · Guru

What's Cooking - Thanksgiving edition

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I'm not.

Mom says she is doing it.

So it will be a carb overload.

Turkey
Dumpling
Dressing
Those orange hockey pucks
Shells and cheese
Can shaped cranberry sauce

Cousin is bringing green beans

Uncle is bringing a pie.

Tangerine · Guru

Sounds delish, jlbear.
Lily, what is an orange hockey puck?

We are having "siblingsgiving" this year, so only six guests for dinner. SIL and I are splitting up the cooking, we are having ham and turkey and a bunch of traditional sides. Nothing fancy this year though.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Lindley · Guru

Your thanksgiving menus sounds good. Lily, the yam patties must be a regional thing.

I'm making turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, Brussel sprouts, broccoli casserole, deviled eggs, rolls and pumpkin cheesecake.

Vette · Owl drink to that!

Wow jlbear that's fancy.

We are going about as simple as it gets, neither of us likes turkey so we make a honey ham. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce. Homemade tirmisu for dessert.

Vette · Owl drink to that!

Mmmm Brussel sprouts

jlbear71 · Guru

Fancy but realtively easy. Worst part will be cutting up all the vegetables and giving the shanks a quick sear. I will be using the Instant Pot pressure cooker for both the osso bucco and the polenta. I will put the lamb in, hit a button and wait for it to be done so I can then add the polenta while repeating the hit a button and wait process. Much less work than a traditional TG dinner.

Divine Geek · Guru

jlbear71 wrote:
Fancy but realtively easy. Worst part will be cutting up all the vegetables and giving the shanks a quick sear. I will be using the Instant Pot pressure cooker for both the osso bucco and the polenta. I will put the lamb in, hit a button and wait for it to be done so I can then add the polenta while repeating the hit a button and wait process. Much less work than a traditional TG dinner.

I think we just got called high maintenance evileye

-- Edited by Divine Geek on Sunday 20th of November 2016 05:35:05 PM

Momala · Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

Just DH and me for TG this year. He doesn't care for turkey or
yams, so we'll have baked ham, mashed potatoes & gravy,
spinach casserole, and a kitchen sink salad. Not sure what
I'll make for dessert - maybe Bourbon Pecan Tarts - he likes
those.

jlbear71 · Guru

Divine Geek wrote:
jlbear71 wrote:
Fancy but realtively easy. Worst part will be cutting up all the vegetables and giving the shanks a quick sear. I will be using the Instant Pot pressure cooker for both the osso bucco and the polenta. I will put the lamb in, hit a button and wait for it to be done so I can then add the polenta while repeating the hit a button and wait process. Much less work than a traditional TG dinner.
I think we just got called high maintenance

-- Edited by Divine Geek on Sunday 20th of November 2016 05:35:05 PM

Did you not notice that I am also cooking a traditional TG dinner, albeit simple, on either Wednesday or Friday? a 20 lb turkey will not fit in the IP. biggrin

But I will be cooking it on the grill. Just not for other people so nothing fancy. Trust me, when we have company, I go all out. Want to come to dinner to find out?

-- Edited by jlbear71 on Sunday 20th of November 2016 06:22:55 PM

Vette · Owl drink to that!

Momala-are you willing to give up your spinach casserole recipe? Sounds delish!

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Nothing. Nada. Not cooking. Kids aren't here - no company. We're going to Cracker Barrel.

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

Going to sis's house. I am not a Turkey fan, I go for the fun. I will load my plate with the veggies.

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

If our oven isn't fixed, we may be going to Cracker Barrel, too.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
Nothing. Nada. Not cooking. Kids aren't here - no company. We're going to Cracker Barrel.

Where are the kids going/?

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Nothing. Nada. Not cooking. Kids aren't here - no company. We're going to Cracker Barrel.
Where are the kids going/?

The kids are currently in Michigan with their grandparents and come Tuesday, they will travel to Chicago for a few days to have Thanksgiving at their aunt's house. They will not be home until Friday evening.

My house is very quiet. It's weird.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Nothing. Nada. Not cooking. Kids aren't here - no company. We're going to Cracker Barrel.
Where are the kids going/?
The kids are currently in Michigan with their grandparents and come Tuesday, they will travel to Chicago for a few days to have Thanksgiving at their aunt's house. They will not be home until Friday evening.

My house is very quiet. It's weird.

Yeah, one weekend all of my kids were sleeping over somewhere. And, it was too quiet!

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

I couldn't stand it.

Momala · Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

Vette ~
Just for you!

SPINACH HATER'S CASSEROLE
3 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach 1 pt sour cream 1 env. Onion soup mix 1C bread cubes 1 stick butter melted shredded cheddar cheese
Cook spinach slightly. Squeeze as dry as you can. Mix together in casserole w/ sour cream, soup mix, s/p & pinch nutmeg. Melt 1 stick butter & mix w/ bread cubes. Fold in gently with the spinach. Finish off w/ crumbled cheddar cheese. (I like a LOT of cheese here). Bake at 325 for 30 min.

I call it Spinach Hater's Casserole because I give everybody a portion. If they say "I don't care for spinach", I still give them a thumb-nail serving. Nine times out of ten, they'll come back for more!

Hugs

Vette · Owl drink to that!

THANK YOU! Looks like I'll be taking another trip to the store before Thursday!

Momala · Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

y

Vette ~
It serves 8-10 comfortably, and fits well in a 9x13 or similar casserole.
It travels well, cooked or uncooked.

-- Edited by Momala on Sunday 20th of November 2016 10:10:44 PM

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

jlbear71 wrote:
It will just be the two of us for TG. So we will make something extra special for the holiday, lamb shank osso bucco with a robust vegetable sauce served over a bed of cheesy polenta.
But I have a 20 lb turkey I want to cook on either Wednesday or Friday since I want the freezer space. As sides, I may attempt to make an Amish potato filling (mashed potatoes and stuffing mixed). I have a small amount of sausage to make the stuffing.
For health reasons, I am starting a program study that will eliminate all forms of suger and sweetener starting tomorrow so it means very little for desserts for the next 10 weeks. But I can improvise and have a few things that are made from whole fruit as long as I don't use any other kind of sweetener (natural or artificial). Challenging but hopefully will turn some health issues around.
So, what are you having/cooking?

That's a lot of turkey for 2. It will be the 5 of us and i got a 12lber. But, i don't freeze much. We usually gobble it all up in a few days.

Divine Geek · Guru

The Boy will be deep frying a turkey. A first for our family. All the traditional sides will be whipped up by my sister and I - stuffing, mashed potatoes, noodles, baked corn, cranberries, etc.

TrudyML · Guru

Lawyerlady wrote:
Nothing. Nada. Not cooking. Kids aren't here - no company. We're going to Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Barrel! Where even the coffee is fried!

LOL

Fort Worth Mom · Mod/Penguin lover/Princess!

We keep it pretty simple.

Breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls around 9.

Conor and Jessi will make some appetizers around 1.

Dinner at 4-4:30.

Turkey

Bread stuffing

Gravy

Mashed potatoes

Green bean casserole

Corn pudding

Cranberry sauce

Rolls and butter

Pumpkin pies, Chocolate pecan pie and whipped cream for dessert.

(I used to make more sides, but it's just too much food for six people and a dog. So, I've learned to just make what my peeps love the best.) wink

ETA the Green bean casserole. Gotta have a green veggie, with all that beige food! LOL!

-- Edited by Fort Worth Mom on Tuesday 22nd of November 2016 09:44:40 AM

Ohfour · Hooker

We are going to DDs house on Thanksgiving. It's her first time hosting. Now mind you, she's not doing the majority of the cooking, but she is hosting. LOL!!!!

Her husband asked me to bring Sweet Potato Casserole. He had never had sweet potatoes before they starting dating. His mother doesn't like them and convinced him that he didn't like them either. He LOVES them. So that will be my contribution.

I will host another dinner on Sunday for all of the kids and my mother.

Menu:
Turkey
Dressing
My Scratch Giblet Gravy
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli Casserole
G's Mac and Cheese
Corn
Green Bean Casserole
Deviled Eggs
Pickles/olives
Cranberry Sauce
Yeast Rolls
Autumn Salad for Desert

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

We will have traditional dinner. I'm not much of a fan so I will have some turkey, mashed potatoes w/gravy & whatever veggie is served. My favorite part is the next day when I will have leftover turkey on a Kaiser roll with tomato, pickles, Swiss & mayo.

Momala · Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

I look forward to the day the turkey is nothing but a carcass, so
I can break it up in my largest stock pot, add celery, onion, carrots
and simmer on low for several hours. This makes the best broth/
stock, and it freezes well - if I can manage to have any left over
after I make turkey noodle soup!

Momala · Great cook-happy wife-superb fisherman

Day-After Hints!

If you have leftover gravy, freeze it in an ice cube tray. Once
frozen, remove & store in a zip-lock baggie, with all of the air
removed - this prevents freezer burn.

I'll come back with more as I think of them.

Tangerine · Guru

Momala wrote:

I look forward to the day the turkey is nothing but a carcass, so
I can break it up in my largest stock pot, add celery, onion, carrots
and simmer on low for several hours. This makes the best broth/
stock, and it freezes well - if I can manage to have any left over
after I make turkey noodle soup!

My family has a recipe like this. You make the turkey broth and add leftover turkey, cubed potatoes, celery, and onion.

Turkey hash. It's so delicious.

jlbear71 · Guru

I don't wait for the carcass. I pick it clean the day I cook it. Makes for easier leftovers too.

Day(s)-Before hint - You can peel and dice the potatoes for mashed a few days ahead of time. Save space by keeping in a gallon zip lock bac with just enough water to keep it from turning brown.

Lady Gaga Snerd · Guru

The turkey is out of the freezer!

TrudyML · Guru

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:
The turkey is out of the freezer!

It's running around!

FNW · Guru

I'm bringing pies baked by the Pie Gourmet. Dad will make turkey, stuffing, gravy; Mom will make potatoes, green bean casserole, probably a salad. Dinner rolls will be warmed. The boys don't care for any of it (except the rolls & salad), so she'll probably have some mac n cheese on hand.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

TrudyML wrote:
Lawyerlady wrote:
Nothing. Nada. Not cooking. Kids aren't here - no company. We're going to Cracker Barrel.
Cracker Barrel! Where even the coffee is fried!

LOL

Not true! The chicken and dumplings isn't fried. And that's my usual.

FNW · Guru

CB is open on T-day?

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

FNW wrote:
CB is open on T-day?

Always. Cracker Barrel is a travel restaurant and a lot of people travel that day. They are always open on Thanksgiving.

Tinydancer · Guru

I'm making turkey, glazed ham and a small roast, We'll have stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots and turnips, green beans, corn, layered salad, fresh baked rolls and LL's cranberry sauce recipe (I'll let you know how it turns out). For dessert there will be apple and pumpkin and sweet potato pies, cinnamon as well as banana quick bread. I'm feeding 19 so I hope I have enough.

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

Man, I haven't eaten at CB in 10 years since I moved.

TrudyML · Guru

Tinydancer wrote:
I'm making turkey, glazed ham and a small roast, We'll have stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots and turnips, green beans, corn, layered salad, fresh baked rolls and LL's cranberry sauce recipe (I'll let you know how it turns out). For dessert there will be apple and pumpkin and sweet potato pies, cinnamon as well as banana quick bread. I'm feeding 19 so I hope I have enough.

+ Trudy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

TrudyML wrote:
Tinydancer wrote:
I'm making turkey, glazed ham and a small roast, We'll have stuffing, mashed potatoes, carrots and turnips, green beans, corn, layered salad, fresh baked rolls and LL's cranberry sauce recipe (I'll let you know how it turns out). For dessert there will be apple and pumpkin and sweet potato pies, cinnamon as well as banana quick bread. I'm feeding 19 so I hope I have enough.
+ Trudy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You may need to add another bird or roast TD. Trudy eats a lot!

FNW · Guru

One year I had plane tickets to fly out to Cali on Thanksgiving. My flight was cancelled, but since I used Priceline, I was never notified. So I drove 2 hours to the airport, only to find the America West gate closed and the airport pretty much empty. I called and rescheduled for the following day, but drove the 2 hours back to my house, looking for some place that was open to stop for food. Nothing. I ended up eating a box of mac 'n cheese and drinking a bottle of wine that night, I was so pist. Mom re-scheduled the meal for Friday and it worked out. Lesson: Always verify your reservations ahead of time.

TrudyML · Guru

Eats or drinks????????????

Tinydancer · Guru

Both!!!!

chef · Guru

When I host, I make ...

turkey
ham
sweet potatoes
mashed potatoes
green bean casserole
stuffing
giblet gravy
my cheesy biscuits
cranberry sauce
pumpkin pie

My grandma makes her peanut butter pie.

I cook from scratch. My family hadn't had real cranberry sauce before until the year I made it. I can't stand the canned stuff. But, I don't like stuff from a can anyway.

FIL said he got a canned ham this year. I plan on avoiding the gelatinous blob of gross. His turkey is usually dry but I'll eat that before I'll eat the pink salt lick he calls ham. I would've happily provided a real ham had he asked.

FNW · Guru

I grew up with canned ham, but mom would have the butcher take it out of the can and slice it really thin. It was good. I don't think I ever had a real ham until I was in my 30's. Canned hams were what we made in the 70's.

Lexxy · My dog name is Sasha, too!

Yeah I always thought I hated ham until I had my first Honey Baked. Remember the key that was used to open the canned ham?

lilyofcourse · My spirit animal is a pink flamingo.

Mom would take a canned ham to the deli and ask them to slice it paper thin.

We would use it for all kinds of things and it was cheaper than the ham in the deli.

I don't mind can ham. It has its place.

We always share in preparing the meal. Mom made the dressing, she does make really good dressing.

Dad does the turkey.

I did the green beans

Sweet potatoes

Deviled eggs

Dumplings

Fried okra

My uncle did the squash casserole.

And then everyone brought whatever else they wanted.

FNW · Guru

YES! OMG @ the key!!!!! Then if it broke you were screwed.