My Best Thanksgiving Recipes Suggestions

Hello-hello! I've miss writing here so much. A few days ago I was chatting with someone about Thanksgiving and they asked me for some help with ideas for Thanksgiving. When I started rattling off ideas for a boozy cranberry mold, striped mashed potatoes and make-ahead gravy she seemed almost afraid to ask if I had all this posted in my blog yet. "This is what we need, Anne. I mean, could you do a quick post for us?" Absolutely. And I'm sorry that I've been in a fog so long.

Here is a list of the recipes I am going to share. Below you will find a photo of my version, a short description and a link to the website where they originated. If it is my own recipe, I'll send you to that blog post.

• Slab Pecan Pie
• Turkey 101
• Make Ahead Gravy
• Cornbread Turkey
• Boozy Cranberry Mold
• Turkey Shaped Butter
• Striped Mashed Potatoes

I found that a terrific option for Thanksgiving is to make a pecan pie as slab pie. The pieces are thinner and more manageable and complement a piece of pumpkin pie perfectly. More people can be served and it just works out well. I may never make a traditional shaped pecan pie again. Here's a link to Trisha Yearwood's slab pecan pie (I would leave out the lemon.)

Turkey 101 - Martha Stewart has been my turkey guru since about 1995 when my In Laws were flying up from Texas and I was in charge of Thanksgiving dinner. I followed the instructions in my Martha Stewart Living magazine called Turkey 101 (key feature is to drape the bird with cheesecloth and baste with wine & butter) and the turkey was moist and flavorful. I have never waivered in my preparation and it works perfectly every time. Thanks, Martha.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy by Ina Garten - This recipe has helped to take some of the stress out of our most important food holiday. Will there be enough drippings for the gravy is no longer a thought that crosses my mind every hour. By Thanksgiving day, the gravy is already made and in the refrigerator, ready to reheat when I need it. It is wonderful and I saves me from going to a certain fancy kitchen store to buy a jar of gravy. Which is fun if it's in the budget, but I don't need another errand right now. Thank you, Ina.

Who wouldn't love a cornbread turkey? Click for details and join me in making a ridiculous item for your sideboard.

After finding the recipe last year in Midwest Living magazine, I think I will forever make this Boozy Cranberry Mold. It is wonderful with the other classic flavors of Thanksgiving and the port wine adds the perfect festive note. I decorated some whole fresh cranberries with sanding sugar to add some snow-like sparkle. The lilac serving spoon is one that I love; it's an item from Sabre.

I like to have a Turkey Butter on the buffet. It used to be easier to find one in the refrigerated section of a nice grocery store, but I've had trouble lately. I bought myself a beautiful mold for chocolate and have started making my own. I mean, right?

I know that you friends and family will love these Striped Mashed Potatoes. I make them all the time and it is the only time this giant dish gets scraped clean. Even if your Thanksgiving is very small this year, this potato dish will work double duty as leftovers. Guaranteed to be as satisfying the second day.

I hope this post has served as a welcome resource for you. Happy Thanksgiving from the bottom of my heart.

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#1 Turkey Tip

Best Turkey Tip Ever.  Buy a "Stuffing Sack" at the grocery store (actually buy 3 and know that you're set for the next few holidays) and use it to stuff your turkey.  

A Stuffing Sack is a cheesecloth bag that you insert into the clean and lightly salted cavity of your turkey.  You push it in and fluff it open, leaving the opening wide so that you can spoon in the stuffing. Don't pack the stuffing tightly.  When all the stuffing in inside the sack, fold the cheesecloth closed and tuck it inside. On many turkeys their will be a flap that you can then pull over the open (and now stuffed) cavity and secure closed with two of the lacers from turkey lacer. 

You will realize how wonderful this product is once your bird is cooked.  It is very important to remove all of the stuffing from a cooked turkey, which is difficult when it has been stuffed the old way, without a stuffing sack.  Place a bowl near the stuffed area of the bird and remove the pins holding the flap closed. Grab the folded end of the stuffing sack (and hang onto the bird) and gently pull out the stuffing sack.  Dump the contents of the cheesecloth sack into the bowl and fluff with a fork.  Voila! No digging for stuffing. Period.

Get yourself a box (they cost around $1.50) and it will make your holiday meal much more relaxed.  The year I found out about these, I bought several and gave them to my friends - they are that great.

Happy Thanksgiving!