What to make for Thanksgiving

Is everyone counting on you to make a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, but you’re unsure of what to make? Don’t worry! Here are some delectable, yet simple recipe ideas for a holiday meal that are sure to please everyone.

Appetizers

Cranberry Chutney (Yields 12 Servings)

1 (12 ounce) bag of frozen or fresh cranberries

1 ¼ cup sugar

¾ cup water

1 large apple, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until apple is tender and mixture thickens. Cool completely.
• Serve over cream cheese with crackers.

Stuffed Mushrooms (Yields 28 Mushrooms)

½ cup Italian style bread crumbs

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

28 large white mushrooms, stemmed

Freshly ground pepper and salt

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• Stir in bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium bowl to blend.
• Drizzle a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities, and put on baking sheet, cavity side up.
• Bake until mushrooms are tender, filling is heated through, and tops are golden. (About 25 minutes)
• Serve immediately

Stuffing and Sides

Classic Stuffing (Yields 12 cups)

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 onions peeled and cut thin

16 celery stalks, cut thin

2 teaspoons crushed, dried sage

6 cups chicken broth

2 stale loaves white bread, cut in small cubes

3 cups fresh chopped parsley leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

• Melt butter in large skillet. Add onions and celery, cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add sage, and stir to mix. Add ½ cup chicken stock, and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
• Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, including remaining stock. Mix to combine.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (Yields 12 servings)

4 pounds white potatoes

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 ½ cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons fresh chives

2 tablespoons Alfredo sauce mix

Salt and pepper to taste

• In large pot cover potatoes with cold water by 1 inch. Add garlic, salt, and bring to boil over high heat. Lower temperature and simmer until tender.
• Pour buttermilk in a saucepan, and add butter. Bring to a simmer. Add chives, and alfredo sauce mix. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Drain potatoes and return to pot. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until smooth.
• Slowly add the buttermilk mixture and mix until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Main Dishes

Rosemary Roasted Turkey (Cook time, 4 hours)

¾ cup olive oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (12 pound) whole turkey

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
• Wash the turkey inside and out, pat dry. Remove any fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. (Slowly work fingers between the breast and skin)
• Using hand spread the rosemary mixture under the breast skin, down the thigh and leg. Rub the rest of the mixture over the outside of the breast.
• Place turkey on a roasting pan. Add ¼ inch of water to the bottom of pan. Roast in oven 3 to 4 hours, or until internal temperature of the turkey reaches 18- degrees F.

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze (Yields 12 servings)

6 to 8 pounds fully cooked bone-in ham

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic or cider vinegar

½ teaspoon ground mustard

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F
• Place ham, fat side up on rack in roasting pan. Cover loosely and bake 1 ¼ to 2 ¼ hours, or until internal thermometer reads 135 degrees F.
• Roughly 20 minutes before ham is done, remove from oven. Pour drippings from pan, and remove any skin from ham.
• Stir together brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard. Pat brush on ham. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer.
• Cover ham and let stand about 10 minutes. Internal temperature should read 140 degrees F.

Desserts

Pumpkin Bars (Yields 24 bars)

Bars

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can pumpkin (15 ounces)

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy.
• Stir the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
• Spread the batter into a greased baking pan (13x 10)
• Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing, combine cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with electric mixture until smooth. Add sugar and mix at slow speed until combined. Sit in vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Chocolate Pecan Pie (Yields 1 pie)

1 (9 inch) pie shell

2 cups pecan halves

3 large eggs, beaten

½ cup dark corn syrup

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons bourbon

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Cover bottom of pie crust with pecans
• In medium bowl, whisk the eggs and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, sugar, bourbon, and chopped chocolate. Stir until all ingredients combined.
• Pour mixture into pie shell over the pecans and place on a heavy duty cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.