Thanksgiving day is the official start of the holiday season. If you're hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends, you'll need an arsenal of recipes to draw from.
Start With the Turkey
Turkey is the star of Thanksgiving dinner although it's unclear if it was served at the first Thanksgiving to Plymouth pilgrims. According to CNN, turkey likely became the go-to Thanksgiving meat due to the journal of colonist Edward Winslow. In his journal, Winslow mentions hunting and gathering "wild fowl" for the feast. Although this may have referred to duck or geese, turkey was the more practical choice and soon was the Thanksgiving favorite.
Get at least one pound per person. Get a larger turkey if you plan on having leftovers.
Consider getting a hen because they have more breast meat than toms. Since most people prefer white meat that extra breast meat will come in handy.
Toms are larger but, because they have a larger bone structure, any tom weighing less than 21 pounds is a bit on the bony side. That means you are paying for more bone than meat.
Whenever possible, get a fresh bird rather than frozen.
Follow all food safety guidelines whenever handling poultry. That includes making sure the turkey and stuffing (if you are stuffing the bird) are cooked to at least 165 degrees.
Preparing the Turkey
A little extra preparation before cooking will take a traditional turkey from good to great.
For a delicious, perfectly glazed turkey, try a cranberry glazed turkey recipe which features a sweet cranberry-orange glaze.
Pack some flavor into your favorite bird with one of five roast turkey recipes that feature smoked paprika, black truffle butter, a blend of spices, plum glaze, or Morton Thompson's gourmet recipe.
Stuffing, also called dressing in some parts of the country, is an important side dish.
Reasons to Cook Stuffing Separately
Depending on your family tradition, you may cook stuffing in the turkey or bake it separately. However, there are several reasons to cook stuffing apart from the turkey:
According to Foodsafety.gov, the turkey and everything in the turkey has to be cooked to 165 degrees. If the turkey is done, but the stuffing is not, you have to keep on cooking. This will cause your turkey to be overcooked.
Since the turkey has to rest for 15 minutes before serving and the dressing usually only has to cook for 15 minutes, you can cook your dressing while the turkey rests and then serve both hot.
You have to stuff the turkey loosely for the stuffing to cook properly. That means you may have less stuffing than you need.
If you use a recipe for dressing that uses the giblets of the turkey, you get a great turkey flavor without cooking it in the bird.
No traditional Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without cranberry sauce. It's so simple to make, you might not eat the canned stuff again.
Ingredients
Cranberry sauce
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
12 ounces fresh cranberries
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, dissolve the sugars in the orange juice.
Add the cranberries and stir to mix.
Simmer the cranberries until they pop open.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes
All families have their own favorite holiday sides, but besides turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes a white potato dish, a sweet potato dish, other vegetables, gravy, and dessert.
Potatoes
For many people, potatoes are the best part of Thanksgiving dinner. Take basic mashed potatoes to the next level with these ideas.
Scalloped potatoes
Loaded mashed potatoes add flavor with add-ins such as bacon, cheese, and sour cream.
If you or your guests are watching carbs, serve mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.
Scalloped potatoes made with fresh garlic, cheeses, thinly sliced potatoes, and seasonings make an impressive Thanksgiving side dish. You can also try a delicious recipe variation.
Potato casseroles combine the delicious taste of mashed potatoes with the ease of a casserole. To save time Thanksgiving day, prepare the casserole the night before and store in the refrigerator until baking time.
Sweet Potatoes
No matter where your family falls in the marshmallow-topping debate, sweet potatoes always make an appearance at the Thanksgiving table.
Sweet potato pie
Make a basic sweet potato casserole recipe spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and topped with pecans.
Sweet potato souffle is basically mashed sweet potatoes. This version features a topping made of marshmallows, toasted cashews, and shredded coconut.
Sweet potatoes au gratin is made with cheese and bread crumbs and brings out the savory side of sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato pie can be served as a side or dessert. Either way, be sure to serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Add delicious taste and elegance to Thanksgiving dinner with your vegetable dish.
Roasted Brussels sprouts
String, or green, beans go well with most foods. The traditional green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving favorite. Or try a new string bean recipe, like one for garlic string beans, string beans with almonds, and Chinese string beans.
Corn pudding made from corn, eggs, cream, and herbs is a popular Thanksgiving side dish.
No turkey dinner is ready-to-eat until it's smothered in gravy. If you're crunched for time, you can serve jarred gravy, but homemade is much more flavorful.
Gravy on potatoes
Giblet gravy is made by slow-simmering the neck, heart and gizzard of a turkey (or other fowl).
Country gravy, also known as pan gravy, is made using the pan drippings of just-cooked meat.
Desserts
Thanksgiving desserts are indulgent and decadent. Top off Thanksgiving dinner off perfectly with a sweet dessert.
Pecan pie
No Thanksgiving gathering is complete until everyone has eaten a slice of pumpkin pie spiced with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, and topped with whipped cream.
Pecan pie gets its richness from corn syrup, vanilla, butter, and fresh pecans.
Few things are more American than apple pie. Try a pie recipe made with Gala apples or one made with raisins and walnuts.
Apple crisp includes a scrumptious topping made from sugars, oatmeal, almonds, and butter. It's a nice alternative to apple pie.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
Add a starter, breads, and beverages to your table.
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup is a nice way to start your holiday meal.
Serve a variety of breads and muffins in your Thanksgiving bread basket.
Don't forget to put thought into the beverages you'll serve. Iced tea and coffee are standards, but you may also want to serve other Thanksgiving drinks such as spiced cider, pumpkin spice cocktail, or apple pie shooter.
A Day of Traditions
Thanksgiving day centers around food but more importantly, it's an opportunity to celebrate family traditions. No matter what foods your traditional dinner includes, Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to share treasured memories around the table while creating new ones.
