Turkey Day Menu Discussion

[Deepster]

It's getting to be crunch time so let's talk Turkey Day.

Turkey - Wet or dry brined, no brine, roasted, fried, smoked, spatchcocked, other?
Stuffing - In the bird or on the side. What's your go to?
Sides - Must haves and hard passes.
Cranberry - Can shaped jelly, homemade or none of the above?
Desserts
Leftovers

(Please note, this is an August West free thread. His stupid take on turkey is outdated schlock and is not welcome here.)

 

[Peacefrog]

Turkey: wet brine. This is a must if you’re not deep-frying

Stuffing: on the side. Would be too salty if stuffed in a brined bird. Mine has leeks, sausage, apple, dried cherries/cranberries

Sides: have to have mashed. I keep it pretty basic for my kids. Lots of butter w/Yukon golds, Cranberry and tart cherry sauce. Apple cider gravy. And my kid’s fave, maple glazed carrots. Parker House rolls. Every once in a while I will do something with green beans to add color. F’it, not this year.

Dessert: have always had apple, cherry and pumpkin pie. Planning just cherry and pumpkin this year with some homemade blackberry buttermilk sherbet, another kids favorite.

 

[husky429]

I make our mashed potatoes and apple pie most year year--both a must in my opinion.

Mashed Potatoes: Made with cream and milk--steep thyme and rosemary in it before adding to the potatoes. Makes it super aromatic. Garlic butter and cream cheese. I usually bake it for 45 mins at 375 with paprika at the

Pie: I use a mix of apples and roast them before it goes into the pie with sugar/cinnamon. Makes the pie way less runny. Freeze the dry ingredients for the crust. Real vanilla beans take it from good to great.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Turkey: Roasted fresh turkey from Tivoli Farms up in Accord, NY (we are renting a house in Accord to be close to my daughter in Kingston)
Stuffing: Sausage and mushroom stuffing in the bird
Sides: Mashed taters, peas and onions, carrots and onions roasted with the bird, braised brussels, mashed turnip, roasted sweet potato mash, cranberry orange compote, pan gravy
Dessert: Apple crisp, pumpkin custard pie, chocolate chip and white chocolate chip chocolate cookies

Not sure where we are hiking this year but it is always a 5 or so miler.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Turkey: wet brine. This is a must if you’re not deep-frying

Stuffing: on the side. Would be too salty if stuffed in a brined bird. Mine has leeks, sausage, apple, dried cherries/cranberries

Sides: have to have mashed. I keep it pretty basic for my kids. Lots of butter w/UConn golds, Cranberry and tart cherry sauce. Apple cider gravy. And my kid’s fave, maple glazed carrots. Parker House rolls. Every once in a while I will do something with green beans to add color. F’it, not this year.

Dessert: have always had apple, cherry and pumpkin pie. Planning just cherry and pumpkin this year with some homemade blackberry buttermilk sherbet, another kids favorite.

I will take that stuffing recipe!!

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday with my least favorite overall food with my most favorite holiday food item.

What’s that favorite item? Pumpkin pie. All pumpkin pie is at least good, but amazing pumpkin pie is divine. My wife makes my favorite pumpkin pie and everyone else in the family likes store-bought crap, so more for me: not too sweet, good spice, darker flavor notes and the crust is kinda graham-ish w some ground up seeds in there too for earthiness.

Any homemade cranberry sauce is better than canned…I like mine more tart and in general I don’t like sweets.

Stuffing, not for me.

Turkey, lame food so I’ll eat whatever you put out and I’m not picky.

Mashed potatoes, love ‘em, but not too buttery. I like texture too, but I’ll accept a purée. Make ‘em spicy if you want me to sing your praises.

That’s about it. There are other things I’ll eat but nothing that excites me about the holiday food.

My sister-in-law and her husband moonlight as vegan home cooks (they published a cookbook and are signed on for another book) and each year I’m actually very impressed with what they make for Thanksgiving. If you hate how that sounds, try it first, it’s an amazing meal.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Spiral smoked ham, stuffed Turkey, and my world famous twice baked potatoes.
Me: Daughter are you coming over for Thanksgiving?
Daughter: Are you making twice baked potatoes?
Me: Yes.
Daughter: Yes!

 

[Chin Diesel]

Going to be at sister in laws house. I am cooking nothing and could care less about menu.

I assume we will have food and booze.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Just remember stuffing goes in the bird, dressing is cooked in bakewsre outside the bird.

 

[87Xfer]

Kosher bird, cooked via Alton Brown's method where you cook in a super hot oven (like 450 or 500) for ~30 minutes, then cover just the breast with doubled foil and turn the heat down for the remainder. Always turns out great.

Stuffing (dressing) outside of the bird, mashed, few other veg dishes. BOTH homemade and canned cranberry sauce (I'm weird and like the canned jelly). Pumpkin and either chocolate cream or apple pie.

 

[bigknight3]

Wet brined

Stuffing, cornbread stuffing on the side.

Mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes

Collard greens

Mac and cheese

No hard passes I'm getting a little of everything on my plate!

Canned jellied cranberry sauce

 

[Rocktheworld]

Brined turkey
My girl has an amazing stuffing recipe with sweet Italian sausage, bells seasoning, a bunch of other stuff; but she doesn’t like corn so no cornmeal sadly
Has a solid mac n cheese recipe

I make drinks

Those are the big ones, we have others fill in the gaps

 

[AzHusky]

We all bring something to my son's home. I bring Butternut squash casserole. You saute apple slices in butter and sugar. Boil the squash. Put the apple on the bottom of a casserole dish, then mash the squash with butter and brown sugar, put squash on top of apples. Top with brown sugar, butter and chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for around an hour.

 

[formerlurker]

We all bring something to my son's home. I bring Butternut squash casserole. You saute apple slices in butter and sugar. Boil the squash. Put the apple on the bottom of a casserole dish, then mash the squash with butter and brown sugar, put squash on top of apples. Top with brown sugar, butter and chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for around an hour.

Sounds delicious when I read it.

 

[Umami Zen]

Surprised none of you guys have talked about putting the bird on the grill. .Beer in the belly to keep it moist along with your favorite flavorings. yada-yada-yada

BTW..Pumpkin Martinis take the edge off of the in-laws being their doing their Karen/Kevin thing

 

[87Xfer]

We all bring something to my son's home. I bring Butternut squash casserole. You saute apple slices in butter and sugar. Boil the squash. Put the apple on the bottom of a casserole dish, then mash the squash with butter and brown sugar, put squash on top of apples. Top with brown sugar, butter and chopped pecans. Bake at 350 for around an hour.

Is that dessert, a side, or both?

 

[auror]

Turkey: Dry-brined, spatchcocked, skin stuffed with herb butter, roasted to 150 internal in breast.
Stuffing: On the side/dressing. Sausage and sage mandatory.
Sides: Modernist mac and cheese, fresh baked rolls, ginger glazed sous vide carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole.
Cranberry: Maybe if homemade and tart to balance out the quantity of roast/brown/umami on the plate.

 

[Rocktheworld]

What’s that favorite item? Pumpkin pie. All pumpkin pie is at least good, but amazing pumpkin pie is divine.

Lmao never heard of it put this way but I totally agree

My fellow pumpkin pie fiend

My wife makes my favorite pumpkin pie and everyone else in the family likes store-bought crap, so more for me: not too sweet, good spice, darker flavor notes and the crust is kinda graham-ish w some ground up seeds in there too for earthiness.

You/she wouldn’t happen to have that recipe handy would you?

 

[87Xfer]

Lmao never heard of it put this way but I totally agree

My fellow pumpkin pie fiend



You/she wouldn’t happen to have that recipe handy would you?

I tried getting fancy with pumpkin pies, but came to the realization that I just like the basic recipe on the Libby's pumpkin can (replacing the cloves with fresh grated nutmeg), and a really good flaky, savory crust + fresh whipped cream.

Had a REALLY good pumpkin cheesecake recipe, but I can't find it now.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I tried getting fancy with pumpkin pies, but came to the realization that I just like the basic recipe on the Libby's pumpkin can (replacing the cloves with fresh grated nutmeg), and a really good flaky, savory crust + fresh whipped cream.

Had a REALLY good pumpkin cheesecake recipe, but I can't find it now.

I grew up in semi-rural Jersey so I was spoiled

I hear you on that though

 

[Edward Sargent]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday with my least favorite overall food with my most favorite holiday food item.

What’s that favorite item? Pumpkin pie. All pumpkin pie is at least good, but amazing pumpkin pie is divine. My wife makes my favorite pumpkin pie and everyone else in the family likes store-bought crap, so more for me: not too sweet, good spice, darker flavor notes and the crust is kinda graham-ish w some ground up seeds in there too for earthiness.

Any homemade cranberry sauce is better than canned…I like mine more tart and in general I don’t like sweets.

Stuffing, not for me.

Turkey, lame food so I’ll eat whatever you put out and I’m not picky.

Mashed potatoes, love ‘em, but not too buttery. I like texture too, but I’ll accept a purée. Make ‘em spicy if you want me to sing your praises.

That’s about it. There are other things I’ll eat but nothing that excites me about the holiday food.

My sister-in-law and her husband moonlight as vegan home cooks (they published a cookbook and are signed on for another book) and each year I’m actually very impressed with what they make for Thanksgiving. If you hate how that sounds, try it first, it’s an amazing meal.

No apologies its your Tday!! Enjoy your pumpkin pie. Side note my Mom was a fantastic pie baker. Mince, Apple, Cherry, Strawberry rhubarb and pumpkin. After many years of homemade she went Mrs Smiths pumpkin custard and we never looked back!!

 

[uconnfan68]

Ketchup!! Lots of it!!

 

[CTMike]

Made two 12 lb birds last year… dry brined, spatchcocked, herb butter… one went in the oven, one went on the smoker. Smoked was the universal winner to the point that I’m not bothering with traditional ever again. Short blast under broiler to crisp up skin.

Fruit in stuffing is wrong. Savory/sausage/sage all day!

Mom makes a cranberry chutney recipe that’s a hit every year.

Then there’s mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, etc.

But guys… at Italian Thanksgiving, this is all the third course. You gotta start with some antipasti, prosciutto, tomato and mozzarella, garlic bread, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed cherry peppers etc. THEN it’s the meatballs and sausage and maybe a nice lasagna. THEN the traditional thanksgiving food. And then finally, after some rest… some deserts to pick at and check the box.

Marathon, not a sprint!!

 

[Deepster]

Made two 12 lb birds last year… dry brined, spatchcocked, herb butter… one went in the oven, one went on the smoker. Smoked was the universal winner to the point that I’m not bothering with traditional ever again. Short blast under broiler to crisp up skin.

Fruit in stuffing is wrong. Savory/sausage/sage all day!

Mom makes a cranberry chutney recipe that’s a hit every year.

Then there’s mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, etc.

But guys… at Italian Thanksgiving, this is all the third course. You gotta start with some antipasti, prosciutto, tomato and mozzarella, garlic bread, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed cherry peppers etc. THEN it’s the meatballs and sausage and maybe a nice lasagna. THEN the traditional thanksgiving food. And then finally, after some rest… some deserts to pick at and check the box.

Marathon, not a sprint!!

I dated an Italian girl in college and went to one Italian thanksgiving. Instead of lasagna, it was homemade ravioli and they were like heavenly pillows. Maybe the best meal I ever had.