Turkey Day Practice

So cookbook club decided to do a little Turkey Day practice - so if we ever had it at our house, we would be ready for the chaos.  It actually didn't go as bad as we thought - BUT it helped that we had a roaster to free up the oven for all the other loveliness.


For all you Greens out there - the dressing recipe is Grandpa's, so that brought back memories of playing bingo with buttons and racing around trying to find the "best lap" for the Sleigh Ride song....and you Ronhovdes - I'm not sure you can make the sweet potatoes without mom's "1974 handmade potatoe" serving dish - but it tasted ALMOST as good in a plain serving dish!  Thanks to all for the recipes!!


Gobble Gobble!!

Turkey

For a 14-18lb fresh and THAWED turkey

The roaster oven cooks a turkey in about half the time of a regular oven, but use a meat thermometer to make sure your turkey is cooked through.  The roaster does not brown a turkey  The constant dripping of condensation from the cover of the roaster prevents the turkey from browning but also produces a turkey that is moist and juicy.

Remove the rack.  Pour ½ cup water into the insert pan, cover and preheat to 325 degrees.  Remove giblets and neck from cavities of turkey.  Set aside and use for giblet gravy.  Rinse bird inside and out with cold water.  Pat dry.  Place dressing inside turkey.  Paint turkey with the browning mixture.  Place in roaster – cover and cook at 325 for 2-2.5 hours.  Check meat thermometer reading.  Continue cooking until it registers 180 degrees.

Browning Sauce:

¼ cup melted butter

1 ½ teaspoons browning sauce (like kitchen bouquet)

1 teaspoon paprika

Gravy:

Package fresh mushrooms

Chicken bouillon

Juices from the turkey

Flour to thicken

1 teaspoon browning sauce

Mix all together  (shake in Tupperware container to mix well) – then heat in saucepan. 

Turkey Dressing from Grandpa Green

5 lb turkey (1 cup dressing per pound)

Ingredients:

4 cups dry bread cubes

1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons chopped onion (use white onion)

Sage to taste

¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/3 cup melted butter

Hot water to moisten

1-2 stalks chopped celery

Use hands to mix – stuff turkey before cooking!

Sweet Potatoes from N-Ron

Makes 9 servings

Ingredients:

3 cans (1lb, 2-oz size) vacuum packed sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup bourbon

½ cup butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Turn sweet potatoes into large saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.


Preheat oven to 350


Mash sweet potatoes.  Add sugar, bourbon, butter, and vanilla; beat until well blended.  Turn into 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle marshmallows over top.


 Bake, uncovered 30 min – or until marshmallows are golden

Green Bean Casserole from the back of the French's can :)

Serves 6 or more

Ingredients:

¾ cup milk

½ teaspoon pepper

Can cream of mushroom soup

2 (9oz) packages frozen cut green beans (thawed)

1 1/3 cup French’s French fried onions

In 1 ½ quart casserole – mix all ingredients except 2/3 cups of the fried onions.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes – stir – top with remaining onions and bake 5 more minutes or until onions are golden.

Pumpkin Pie from Miss Stephanie Hickel

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1 2/3 cups evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 (10 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Combine the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk and eggs; blending until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue to bake for about another 40 minutes or until pie is firm.

Mashed Potatoes from Auntie Barb

This recipe says it’s for 12 servings.  You might get by with 1 ½ for Thanksgiving with all the other food.

Ingredients:

9 large potatoes (5lbs)

2-3 oz cream cheese

1 cup sour cream (with chives, if desired – I use the chives sour cream) Whole thing

2 teaspoon onion salt

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons butter

Cook potatoes and mash.  Boil and Cook in salt water for 30 min.  Add remaining ingredients and beat till light and fluffy.

Cover and place in refrig or put in oven and use right away.

To serve, place desired amount in greased casserole and dot with butter.  Bake 300-350 till heated (about 30 min) or crock-pot for 3 hours (on medium/high).

I make the day ahead, put in crock-pot in frig.  I’ve started them at home when I take to a holiday and finish at whoever’s house.