I love to create new recipes for fabulous vegetables that are interesting and tasty. Sweet potatoes are delicious, and I love the traditional mashed and baked with marshmallow topping. Sometimes I like to have fun and use different seasonings with sweet potatoes. Excellent addition to your Thanksgiving feast!
This recipe adds a little more work with the slicing and arranging of the sweet potatoes and is worth the extra effort. And you can change up the spices and have a variety of unique flavorings for the dish.
Enjoy!
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 packed brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
3 1/4 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Slice sweet potatoes crosswise on a mandoline ⅛” thick.
Step 2
Add to bowl with mixture and toss to coat; season lightly with salt.
Step 3
Arrange sweet potatoes so they are standing upright in concentric circles in a 2-qt. baking dish, packing tightly. Cover with aluminum foil.
Step 4
Bake for 1 hour then remove foil and bake for additional half hour until sweet potatoes are golden.
A first-generation American, my mother, embraced Thanksgiving and cooking a turkey with a passion. Now that my mother is no longer with me, I wish I would have asked her how she learned to cook the perfect turkey. My grandparents, both exceptional cooks, immigrated from Italy and cooked the best Italian dishes. I recall them making chicken, never turkey.
My mother was particular about her turkey preparation. Local, farm-fresh turkey, the biggest they had was what she purchased. We anxiously waited for her return from the farm. I can still see her walking up the driveway, weighted down by a twenty-nine or thirty-pound turkey, and we rushed to the door to help her. Then she began cleaning the turkey before cooking. She soaked her turkey overnight in a salt bath in the kitchen sink. Now we are cautioned about leaving the turkey out for an extended time; this was not an issue during my mother’s day. I believe that the salt protected from bacterial growth, and she thoroughly rinsed dried the bird before she stuffed the turkey.
She buttered and seasoned the bird, and then she cut a paper bag to fit over the turkey and the top of the roaster. Twine tied around the edge of the roasting pan secured the covering. When I was young, I was amazed that the bag didn’t catch on fire in the oven. My mother’s turkey was always browned to perfection and never dry.
When I cook a turkey, I soak mine in a tub in the refrigerator or if you don’t have room, place the tub in a cooler packed with ice. I’ve tried various turkey brines, home-made or store-bought; my favorite is still my mother’s simple kosher salt turkey bath. The basic ratio I use is two cups of kosher salt to two gallons of water
And as I prepare for Thanksgiving, getting the turkey ready, I pay tribute to my mother, my guide and inspiration throughout my life!
1 (18 pounds) whole turkey 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 large bunch of fresh thyme 1 whole lemon, halved 1 shallot, quartered 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
Perfect Turkey
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Place 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Let the turkey sit for 30 minutes, and then rinse again. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan.
Fill the cavity with thyme, halved lemon, halved shallot, and garlic, and brush the turkey outside with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh’s meaty parts registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours. If Turkey browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil.
Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Make gravy.
Gravy
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups*
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
Heat the turkey drippings and chicken stock in a pan. Simmer on low. In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, melt butter. Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper—Cook mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened.
Thanksgiving for me is a time to reflect and celebrate gratitude by giving back and spending time with family and friends. I don’t remember when my women’s club started the tradition of assembling and donating Thanksgiving baskets to needy families in our town, just that each year as the need has grown we donate more baskets. We partner with our town’s Youth Services director, who identifies the families along with delivering the baskets. We never know who among our neighbors receives our baskets although sometimes with extreme gratitude a recipient reaches out to us to thank us for our generously. No thanks are ever needed or expected as we are the ones that are filled with joy knowing that we have helped families just like ours enjoy a holiday celebration.
Preparation of our Thanksgiving Baskets beginnings in October as our members start donating all the items needed for a Thanksgiving dinner. Along with the traditional fixings for dinner and dessert, we add holiday items including plates, napkins, tablecloths, and candles, all artfully arranged by one of our members who designs gift baskets. Right before the baskets are delivered, we add fresh produce along with a gift card to a local grocery store for the families to purchase turkeys.
I can’t think of a better start to my holiday season than with this tradition reminding me of the true meaning of Thanksgiving not only to give thanks for all that we have but to share with family, friends, and neighbors just like the first Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving morning finds me at a hot yoga class, two hours practicing with gratitude for all that I have been blessed with in my life. Then home to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Each year I alter side dishes but the main star of the dinner is a turkey. I learned at a young age how to handle and prepare poultry from my mother, an outstanding cook – her turkey is far superior to any that I have tasted. My mother taught me to soak turkey overnight in a bath of salt to tender and remove harmful bacteria. First, my mother would freeze a fresh turkey, she believes it seals in the flavor. Then time to soak the frozen turkey overnight. Next through rinsing, draining and patting dry of the bird. I love rituals so my mothers hold a special place in my turkey preparation. I’ve bought a fresh turkey from the farm, from high-end and frozen from a lower-end grocery store. My only hard fast rule is all-natural. How you dress and cook the turkey plays an import part in how good your turkey taste.
Below I’ve shared family favorites that we enjoy for a family dinner.
Massachusetts, abundant in cranberries bogs, produces glorious fresh cranberries that are harvested in the fall coming to market just in time for Thanksgiving. You can get frozen cranberries all year long a wonderful alternative when fresh are out of season. I just love fresh cranberries and I buy copious quantities for making naturally fresh cranberry sauce along with bread, cakes, stuffing and with roasted vegetables. You could say I go cranberry crazy this time of year. And you have to be quick since fresh cranberries are gone from the market right after the new year. As you might have guessed homemade cranberry sauce is a must, a favorite accompaniment to our Thanksgiving dinner. Each year I tweak the ingredients for a different sauce; sometimes I add pecans for a crunchy texture or lemons for a tangy sauce, this year I made cranberry sauce with chopped oranges. I like my cranberry sauce spirited adding a little liqueur; to this recipe, I added Grand Marnier; a french orange liqueur. If you are interested in reading more about cranberries and blogs their natural growing habitat click on this link. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/cranberry-bogs1.htm
CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ORANGES AND GRAND MARNIER
INGREDIENTS
1 medium navel orange, seeds removed, chopped
1 lb. fresh (or frozen) cranberries
1cup of sugar, if you like tart cranberry sauce use 1/2 cup
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 3″-long cinnamon stick
½ tsp. ground allspice
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoon Grand Marnier
RECIPE PREPARATION
Place the orange in a large saucepan and pour in cold water to come 1″ up the sides of the pan. Bring to a boil, then remove immediately from heat and drain orange in a mesh sieve or colander. Rinse under cold water; return to saucepan. Add cranberries, sugar, butter, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat cook stirring often until cranberries burst, juices are syrupy, for about 9-12 minutes. Stir in Grand Marnier simmer for another two minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. and discard.
DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
I love to add fall fruits to my holiday stuffing to capture the smells and flavor of the season. My Savory Fruit and Nut stuffing marry the fruits apples, pears, and cranberries with toasty pecans. A wonderful addition to my stuffing favorites. You can either stuff the turkey or bake to serve.
Savory Fruit and Nut Stuffing
1/4 cup butter
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup celery
2 apples
2 pears
1cup fresh cranberries
12 cups dried bread cubes
4 eggs
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh snipped thyme
2 teaspoon dried sage or 2 teaspoons fresh snipped sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery; cook about 5 minutes until tender but not browned. Add apples, pears, and cranberries; cook for 5 minutes more until apples are tender. Remove from heat.
In an extra-large bowl toss together onion mixture and bread cubes. Let stand 10 minutes.
In a small bowl stir together eggs, broth, salt, thyme sage, and pepper. Drizzle egg mixture over bread, tossing lightly to combine. Fold in pecans.
Use to stuff turkey or you can bake uncovered at 375 for 20 minutes.
To make ahead: Prepare as directed and can be refrigerated for 1 day. Let stand a room temperature then bake as directed.
I learned at a young age how to handle and prepare poultry from my mother, an outstanding cook – her turkey is far superior to any that I have tasted. My mother taught me to soak turkey overnight in a bath of salt to tender and remove harmful bacteria. First, my mother would freeze a fresh turkey, she believes it seals in the flavor. Then time to soak the frozen turkey overnight. Next through rinsing, draining and patting dry of the bird. I love rituals so my mothers hold a special place in my turkey preparation. I’ve bought a fresh turkey from the farm or from high end and frozen from a lower-end grocery store. My only hard fast rule is all-natural. How you dress and cook the turkey plays an import part in how good your turkey taste.
A Simply Perfect Roast Turkey
1 (18 pound) whole turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 quarts turkey stock
8 cups prepared the homemade stuffing
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Loosely fill the body cavity with stuffing. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey.
Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 4 hours.
Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
For the broth:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion or leek, or 2 shallots, sliced
Neck and giblets from your turkey (discard the liver)
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 sprigs thyme, parsley, rosemary and/or sage
1 bay leaf
For the gravy:
Turkey drippings from your roasting pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
When your turkey goes into the oven, start the broth: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until the giblets are browned, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, herb sprigs, and bay leaf; cover and simmer while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and keep warm; reserve the neck and giblets, if desired.
When your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board and pour all the pan drippings into a degreasing cup. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared broth to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. (If the bits are stuck, put the pan over a low burner to loosen them.) Add the bits and liquid to the degreasing cup.
Let the fat rise to the top of the degreasing cup, then spoon off 1/2 cup fat and transfer to a large saucepan over medium heat. Make a roux: Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
Gradually add the hot broth to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the dark roasting juices from the degreasing cup into the gravy, discarding any remaining fat. If desired, chop the giblets and shred the neck meat; add to the gravy. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Loaf breads or Tea bread whatever you call these delectable sweet breads are simply delicious and easy to make. Prefect for a beginning baker or to make when you are short of time. You can also make and freeze to eat later. Smaller loafs are perfect little treats to give as gift during the holidays wrapped up in cellophane tied with a festive ribbon. I love pumpkin bread anytime of the year but especially around Thanksgiving. For me baking isn’t only about the taste but about the heavenly cooking aromas filling my home with sweet scents.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 can (15 ounces) LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup GHIRARDELLI white chocolate chips
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries and white chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans.
BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Recipe makes two loaves.
FOR THREE 8 x 4-INCH LOAF PANS:
PREPARE as above. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
FOR FIVE OR SIX 5 x 3-INCH MINI-LOAF PANS:
PREPARE as above. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.
Living in New England cranberry bogs are all around us which means we have the fresh cranberries in the market just in time for Thanksgiving. Fresh cooked Cranberry Sauce is the best. I’ve embellished the cooked cranberries to bring out the sweetness of the berries. Nothing tastes better the next day on a Turkey sandwich than fresh cranberry sauce and stuffing.
Deliciously Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Pineapples and Pecans
1 teaspoon orange liquor (optional) I used Grand Marnier
Drain the pineapple thoroughly in a fine sieve set over a large measuring cup (push the pineapple against the sieve to drain out any extra juice). Add enough water to make 2 cups. Place the liquid in a saucepan adding in cranberries and sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil. Add cranberries and sugar. Continue to boil until most of the berries pop and the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Use either a splatter screen or lid over the berries to keep them from exploding on your cooktop. Remove from heat. Add drained pineapples, pecans, lemon juice, lemon rind, allspice, and liquor mixing well. Transfer to glass serving bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. It can be made two days ahead.
Savory Fruit and Nut Stuffing for Thanksgiving turkey
Good Dinner Mrs Mellen 
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