We have been invited to a friend's home for Thanksgiving Dinner this year so it looks like my kitchen will get a break from tomorrow's cooking marathon! I can hear it screaming a big "THANK YOU" right now! Lol I'm sure all of you who are cooking already have your menus selected and your ingredients ready. If you're a smart cookie, you're in the kitchen now cooking a few dishes ahead of time.
Still, I'm willing to bet there are a couple of you out there finding it hard to get motivated or just wait till the last minute to get things going (like I often do). I have a few tips and easy last minute additions to your menu to add that WOW factor!
All about the Gravy.
Many folks wait to make gravy till after the turkey's done. The problem with that is, you have to wait till the turkey's done! Why not get it done ahead using drippings from some cooked crumbled sausage? What to do with the sausage? Add it to your stuffing mix to give it an extra gourmet flair. If you need a fast stuffing recipe, try my Apple Walnut Stuffing I used in these pork chops. So yummy and flavorful.
Easy Gravy Recipe
Over medium heat, mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sausage drippings with enough flour to absorb the drippings (approximately ¼ cup). Let it simmer for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Then add about a cup of chicken or turkey stock (from a jar, can, cubes, carton, etc). Whisk or stir it all together really REALLY well. Let it simmer for a few minutes. If it's not thin enough, add a bit more stock-slowly. Hot gravy should be slightly thinner than what you prefer since it will thicken as it cools. Be careful. Thin gravy is very difficult to thicken. If in doubt, air on the side of caution, leave your gravy a little thick. Once it's cooled and you see it's too thick, whisk in a little more HOT stock.
Do the Mashed Potato!
Make your mashed potatoes today! Give it some zest! Mix in some herbs (fresh or dried) and/or some cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Place in a greased casserole dish, sprinkle with fine bread crumbs mixed with some more herbs and parmesan cheese, cover and pop in the fridge till tomorrow. Tomorrow, allow the dish to come to room temperature and rewarm it in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. The bread crumbs and parmesan cheese will form an ooey gooey crust and taste yummy! You can do the same with macaroni and cheese but I use cheddar cheese bread crumb mix for my topping. Mmmm!!!
Cranberries, anyone?
I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a big fan of cranberries. I have images of red gelatin stuff sitting in a bowl in the shape of a can. Ick! However, I made my own cranberry relish last year out of hubster's request for cranberries. (Didn't realize he was talking about the funky gelatin stuff!) It was fast easy and surprisingly tasty. Simply mix pureed cranberries with pureed pineapple (2 to 1 ratio). I dissolved about ¼ cup of sugar into some of the pineapple juice to kick up the sweetness but you may not need it depending on your taste. Refrigerate till ready to serve!
Here's a few other last minute recipes you can add to your menu: Mason Jar Cobbler
(great in ramekins if you don't have mason jars), Toffee
(mix in chopped almonds for extra umph) and Spiced Apple Pie Cocktail
(which I plan to take to our friend's house).
Need help with the bird? Butterball's got you covered. Get help here or 1-800-BUTTERBALL or find them on twitter, facebook or their mobile page. The only turkey tip I can offer you: Start thawing that sucker out NOW so he will be ready to cook tomorrow!
Happy Thanksgiving and hoping all your day's plans turn out as well as you hope.
2 Neighbors Said:
I did my potatoes the day before this year. I even mixed my bean casserole early. It helped allot. I just can't make gravy. I use some drippings with store bought!
I'm so glad your Thanksgiving turned out well! I'm cooking a big meal Christmas Eve for our friends so I'll do as much cooking ahead as I can! The smallest things sometimes can make a big difference during these crazy holidays.
Frugally Fun-Jenn
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