Thanksgiving Recipes

Over the years our Thanksgiving feast menu has not varied much from the traditional.  Should I even suggest I might deviate from the norm, the collective gasp is audible in Canada. What I do, though… is change it up just alittle here and there.  I’ve often used Laura Bush’s Cornbread Stuffing (I wasn’t a fan of their politics, but I did like her stuffing) … This year I’m going to give this recipe a try.

Mom’s Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients
•1 loaf of day old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10-12 cups) I’m using pepperidge farm bagged stuffing cubes. It’s just easier.
•1 cup walnuts – leaving those out.
•2 cups each, chopped onion and celery
•6 Tbsp butter
•1 green apple, peeled, cored, chopped
•3/4 cup of currants or raisins. raisins!
•Several (5 to 10) chopped green olives (martini olives, the ones with the pimento)
•Stock from the turkey giblets (1 cup to 2 cups) (can substitute chicken stock)
•1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
•1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or ground sage (to taste)
•Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

1 If you haven’t already made the stock, take the turkey giblets – heart and gizzard – and neck if you want, and put them in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a simmer; simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.

2 Toast the walnuts by heating them in a frying pan on medium high heat for a few minutes, stirring until they are slightly browned (not burned) OR put them in the microwave on high until you can smell the aroma of them toasting, about a minute or two. Let them cool while you are toasting the bread, then roughly chop them.

3 (if you’re not using packaged cubes) Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan, add the bread cubes, and stir to coat the bread pieces with the melted butter. Then let them toast; only turn them when they have become a little browned on a side. Note, if you aren’t working with somewhat dried-out day-old bread, lay the cubes of bread in a baking pan and put them in a hot oven for 10 minutes to dry them out first, before toasting them in butter on the stove top. The bread should be a little dry to begin with, or you’ll end up with mushy stuffing.

4 In a large Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions and celery on medium high heat with the remaining 3 Tbsp butter until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add the bread. Add cooked chopped walnuts. (or not)  Add chopped green apple,  raisins, olives, parsley. Add one cup of the stock from cooking the turkey giblets or chicken stock (enough to keep the stuffing moist while you are cooking it). Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt & pepper.

5 Cover. Turn heat to low. Cook for an hour or until the apples are cooked through. Check every ten minutes or so and add water or stock as needed while cooking to keep the stuffing moist and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serves 8-10.
Photos and recipe courtesy Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com/

For dessert I’ll make an Apple Cranberry Pie and instead of the traditional pumpkin, I’ll make a pumpkin cheesecake.   The Cheesecake Factory has my favorite recipes, easy to follow and  never disappoint.

Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

Originally posted to recipelink.com by Elly, Ohio:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:
3- 8oz.pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice

Whipped Cream

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8″ springform pan. Bake for 5 min. at 350. Set aside.
Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until smooth with an electric mixer. add pumpkin eggs, and spices, beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 min. or till the top turns a bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with whipped cream.

 Now let’s talk Cranberries.  I should get paid for these advertisements, no?  If you haven’t tried this cranberry relish sold by Harry & David, I recommend that you do… it is the bomb.   I actually buy six jars for the holiday season ( $5.50 each and I don’t think they sell it year round)  and when we have turkey or chicken for dinner, this comes out to the table.  It’s so delicious I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon. Truth be told, some times I do.  It’s a great teacher or hostess gift … also terrific on leftover Turkey sandwiches.