Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

[TinDC]

I know there is already a thread on what people cook for Thanksgiving, but I am specifically looking for your tried and true favorite Thanksgiving recipes. I ask because there is a good chance I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time ever this year, so I need lots of help!

I am pretty sure we are going to deep fry the turkey, but I will rely on my fellow Rockwellians for everything else.

[Heather]

Giblet stuffing (sorry this isn't more exact):

Make a little stock from the neck, heart, gizzard, celery, onion, carrot, peppercorns and some salt. Reserve heart, gizzard, and whatever neck meat you can pick off seperately.

Toast a loaf of fim white bread (Pepperidge Farm is ideal) and cut it into cubes. Do NOT use bread crumbs.

Dice enough onion and apple to make a good ratio with the bread and saute lightly in a lot of butter.

Dice reserved meat and giblets.

Mix everything and add salt, pepper, sage, and enough stock to make all of the bread damp.

Stuff turkey cavity and neck cavity and cook as directed. Or make the dressing a little wetter and cook in a dish until hot and a little crusty on top.

I have eaten this every Thanksgiving since I was old enough to chew.

[mame11]

I am looking for an oyster dressing recipe now that I discovered that Buster's Seafood at the Dupont Farmers Market sells fresh shucked oysters.

Thanks!

[Pat]

The cranberry bread recipe I posted here is a Thanksgiving staple.

[Biscuit Girl]

For a really pretty presentation of the turkey before you slice it......I lift the skin from the breast and plcae whole fresh herbs between the skin and the turkey. When it's done cooking, you can see the herbs through the skin. Adds a nice little touch.

You can do something along the same lines with biscuits or rolls. Use an light eggwash on top of the biscuits of rolls before you pop them into the oven then on top of that place a fresh leaf or two of your favorite herb and reapply another thin coat of egg wash.

And totally unfood related, for a pretty center piece, take a few small pumpkins or squash (like acorn squash) and with a zester or melon baller, cut decorative designs into the outer parts of the rind (but deep enough for candle light to be seen through). Cut the top off, scoop out the seeds and muck then place a votice candle inside.

[TinDC]

Okay, so this thread seems much more popular than the one I tried to start and I am very much still looking for Thanksgiving recipes. Specifically, sweet potato casseroles, any sort of potato casserole, and corn pudding. Anyone have any tried and trues? As you can see, I really need some help!

[Heather]

Corn Pudding recipe.

[Pete]

This was a crowd favorite last year.

Sweet Potato Casserole (from November/December 2005 Cook’s Illustrated)

Sweet Potatoes

7 pounds (6-8 medium) sweet potatoes

Streusel

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces and softened, plus additional for greasing

½ cup (2 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour

½ cup (3 ½ ounces) packed dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon table salt

1 cup (4 ounces) pecans

Filling

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons table salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

Granulated sugar

4 large egg yolks 1 ½ cups half-and-half

1. FOR THE SWEET POTATOES: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Poke sweet potatoes several times with paring knife and space evenly on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake potatoes, turning them once, until they are very tender and can be squeezed easily with tongs, 1 to 1 ½ hours (or 45 minutes for small sweet potatoes). Remove potatoes from oven and cut in half lengthwise to let steam escape; cool at least 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

2. FOR THE STRUESEL: While potatoes are baking, butter 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Pulse flour, brown sugar, and salt in food processor until blended, about four 1-second pulses. Sprinkle butter pieces over flour mixture and pulse until crumbly mass forms, six to eight 1-second pulses. Sprinkle nuts over mixture and pulse until combined but some large nut pieces remain, four to six 1-second pulses. Transfer streusel to medium bowl and return empty workbowl to processor.

3. One potatoes have cooled slightly, use spoon to scoop flesh into large bowl; you should have about 8 cups. Transfer half of potato flesh to food processor. Using rubber spatula, break remaining potato flesh in bowl into coarse 1-inch chunks.

4. FOR THE FILLING: Add melted butter, salt, nutmeg, pepper, vanilla, and lemon juice to potatoes in food processor and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Taste for sweetness, then add up to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, if necessary; add yolks. With processor running, pour half-and-half through feed tube and process until blended, about 20 seconds; transfer to bowl with potato pieces and stir gently until combined.

5. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE CASSEROLE: Pour filling into prepared baking dish and spread into even layer with spatula. Sprinkle with streusel, breaking up any large pieces with fingers. Bake until topping is well browned and filling is slightly puffy around edges, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.