Thanksgiving Planner – Natalie Dew’s Mom
(Timing is everything)
2 weeks ahead
Order Turkey or if frozen, get it at least 1 week ahead
Make rolls
Check recipes you are going to use
Make shopping list (perishables and nonperishables)
Get frozen raspberries (these sell out)
Get Knorr Vegetable soup/recipe Mix (this sells out)
Order pies and rolls if not making
Get dishes and tablecloths and tables organized (press cloths)
Final guest list (how many are coming)
1 week ahead
Make your own list of do ahead things and cooking times of each dish
Shop for all nonperishable items
4 days ahead
Get frozen turkey out of freezer and on a tray in frig. Thaw in frig for 4 days.
2 days ahead
Pick up fresh turkey, if you didn’t get a frozen one. Put in frig.
Shop for all fresh ingredients
Put bottles, drinks in frig.
The day before
Prepare all “make ahead” items that you can
Three Bean Salad
Raspberry Set Salad
Cook fresh yams if using fresh ones (place in frig after)
Fresh Cranberry Sauce (recipe on bag of cranberries)
Dice celery (stuffing)
Grate carrots (stuffing)
Cut yellow onions (stuffing)
Make pies, cookies, tarts
Organize serving bowls, platters, spoons etc.
Thanksgiving Morning
6 hours ahead ( I have to start this far ahead)
Make stuffing and stuff turkey ( put back in frig. until time to cook it). Time it so it comes out about 30 minutes before dinner time.
Make Holiday Yam dish and keep in frig. until cooking time.
Make Spinach Dip and cut veggies, put all in frig.
Peel Potatoes
Wash, dry and chill lettuce leafs.
Whip cream if needed
Make olive salsa if you are using it.
Set Tables (colored INdian Corn,m acorns and autumn leaves make a cheaper centerpiece
Salt and pepper shakers
4 hours ahead
Turkey goes in around now ( check instructions for stuffed turkey timing)
Thaw rolls
2 hours ahead
Put out veggies and dip or crackers if you are doing them.
Put cranberry sauce, pickles etc. in bowls/back in frig
1 hour ahead
Cook Potatoes
Put extra stuff (if any) into oven for 1 hr at 350 degrees
Drain (coat beans with marinade for last time) Three Bean
30 minutes ahead
Fill glasses with ice water
Put yams into oven
Start Corn
Start Peas
Take out Turkey (keep it covered so it will stay moist)
Cut, set salad and place on separate plates on lettuce.
Mash potatoes
Drain broth off Turkey and make gravy with it
Put rolls in basket
put out butter
Put out pickles, jams and etc.
15 minutes ahead
Take stuffing out of turkey and place in bowl
Slice turkey, put out light and dark meat (A platter with parsley and sliced orange around edges looks nice)
Drain peas and add white sauce-put in bowl
Drain corn-put in bowl
5 minutes ahead-everything else on table or buffet
Take out yams
Take out dry stuffing
Take out of frig. 3 Bean Salad
Put out Potatoes and Gravy
Put out all foods to be served-check Menu
Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey at least 1 to 1 1/2 lb per person
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Wild Rice
Creamed Peas
Corn
Yams
Rolls
Cranberry Sauce (canned whole berry- chilled or
Fresh Cranberry/Orange Sauce (on back of package of fresh cranberries)
Three Bean Salad
Layered Raspberry Salad (set)
Fruit Salad/ Yoplait Lemon Yogurt Dressing
Pies (Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple etc.)
Whipped cream topping/Vanilla ice cream
Sparkling Apple Cider or Sundance
Veggies and Crackers
Spinach Dip
Beef Stick (Hickory Farms) and Cheese Ball
Candy dish for kids to arrange and enjoy after (gummy bears, Chocolate kisses etc.
Recipes:
Famous “Joyce Nelson” Rolls
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 pkg. (1 Tbs.) Red Star yeast
1 3/4 c warm milk
1 2/3 tsp. salt
1/2 shortening
1/2 c. warm water
6 + c. flour
Beat 2 eggs in mixer. Add 1/3 c sugar. In another bowl dissolve in 1/2 c. warm water plus 1 tsp. sugar, the package of yeast. Set yeast mixture aside. Now add the 1 3/4 c. warm milk to the sugar and egg mixture and mix. Add 2 c. flour to this mixture, blend. Add the yeast mixture and 1 2/3 tsp. salt and mix. Add a heraping 1/2 c. shortening. Mix. Add 2 c. more flour. Mix. Then add the final 2 c. more flour. ( don’t make it too thick or too thin.)
Stir by hand for 10 minutes or by bread mixer for 3 or 4 minutes, until smooth. Cover dough with dish cloth an dlet raise double size (2 hours). Punch dough and spread out with handds to 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2-21/2 inch cutter. Spread round of dough a little and fold in half, place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Let raise double in size (several hours in a warm place.) Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-12 mintues. Watch for a light golden brown color on top. Remove from oven. Makes apprx. 60 rolls. Make ahead and freeze in freezer bags. Thaw and warm in oven or microwave.
Marinated Three-bean Salad
Drain one pound can of each:
Cut Green Beans
Cut wax (yellow) Beans
Red Kidney Beans
Combine Beans and add 1/2 c. chopped green pepper and 1/2 c. sweet red onion (cut in half rings, optional)
Combine 3/4 c. sugar and 2/3 c. vinegar and 1/3 c. salad oil. Mix and pour over vegetables. Add 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper; toss. Chill overnight. Before serving toss to coat beans with marinade. Drain off marinade and serve. Serves 6-8.
Cranberry Jello Salad
1 6-oz pkg. raspberry jello
1 20-oz frozen raspberries
1 T. lemon juice
1 pint sour cream
1 6 oz. pkg. cherry jello
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 16-oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
Dissolve raspberry jello in 1 1/2 c. boiling water.. Add frozen raspberries and lemon juice. Stir to thaw raspberries. Pour it into an oblong cake pan and refrigerate until firm. After it is firm, cover with 1 pint of sour cream. Return to refigerator again for 15-30 minutes. Dissolve cherry jello in 1 c. boiling water. Add drained crushed pineapple and cranberries into cherry jello. Put it in the refrigerator to slightly thicken. POur onto sour cream and chill 7 hours.
Note: Please make the night before.
Creamed Peas
Ingredients:
16 oz. package of frozen peas
Sauce:
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. milk
white pepper (optional)
Easy Gravy
Ingredients:
2 c. broth, from turkey or can
Corn starch of flour
Cold (very cold) water
Seasonings (like salt and pepper)
Pour turkey broth into large frying pan and cook over medium heat. Mix in separate bowl 2 T. corn starch or 4 T. flour and 1/4 c. very cold water until smooth. Stir into pan with broth. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat,. Add seasonings. Boil 1 minute to thicken. Makes 2 c. gravy, about 6-8 servings.