Thanksgiving Recipes

Here are all of my Thanksgiving recipes except for dessert (still up in the air about exactly what to make.)  I will be doing the step-by-step photo posts for each recipe as I make them for my family. 

Many of these recipes are by Mary Craft.  She is a local caterer who also used to have a PBS cooking show (at least she did here.)  All of her recipes and many more can also be found HERE.  

Side note.  I have included two different green salads.  I have traditionally made the Grapefruit & Avacado Salad but I think I will make the Apple Spinach Salad this year.  I also really do make both the rolls and the muffins, but I make the muffins mini.  Thanksgiving is about a Feast!  not just a regular dinner.  Also, most of these recipes claim  to serve 12 but with so many dishes in one meal the serving size is usually smaller so that you have room for some of everything.  I have fed 24 easily and had leftovers with these recipes.


Cranberry Fruit Relish

Recipe By : Mary Craft

Serves 12 if eaten like a salad 24 or more if used as a condiment

1 pound fresh cranberries -- finely chopped

2 tart green apples -- peeled and diced

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange marmalade

10 ounces frozen raspberries -- thawed and drained

1 teaspoon lemon juice



Mix all ingredients in a bowl. May be refrigerated covered for 1 month. Makes 6 cups


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Melissa's Dinner Rolls




1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon yeast

1/2 cup butter -- melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups all-purpose flour



1. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a little sugar.



2. Combine melted butter and sugar, add eggs and salt. Mix well.



3. Add 1 cup flour and the yeast/water.



4. Add remaining 3 cups flour. Mix until combined. Dough will be very sticky and soft (almost like a batter)



5. Pour into a greased bowl and let rise 2-4 hours (4 works better).



Shape and bake immediately in 350 degree oven 8-10 minutes.





**** Dough will be sticky!!!! To shape: generously flour a baking sheet pan or counter top, empty raised dough onto flour and generously flour the top. With your hands, push/pat the dough into a large rectangle the size of the baking sheet pan. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough in thirds the long way, then in fourths the short way, then cut each square in half diagonally. This will make 24 triangles. Pick up the triangles one at a time, stretch out a little bit and roll from the fat end to the point. Place on another baking sheet. They come out best if left to rest another 15 minutes before baking.



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Sugar and Spice Muffins

Recipe By : Mary Craft



1/4 pound butter

1 cup sugar

1 pound can yams -- drained

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

1/4 can sugar -- mixed with

1 tablespoon cinnamon


In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in yams. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in milk. Slowly add flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon. Blend together but do not over mis. Stir in nuts.



Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Turn out to cool. May be frozen up to 1 month in the freezer. Reheat in microwave before serving.

*** I like to make them in the mini muffin pan.  It comes out to be 3 minis for each regular sized muffin.

NOTES : **may add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts if desired**


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Praline Sweet Potatoes

Recipe By : Mary Craft

Serves 24 (original recipe says serves 12 but that would be a really large serving)



5 pounds canned yams or sweet potatoes -- drained

2/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest -- optional

2 teaspoons salt

pepper -- to taste

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup butter -- melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 eggs



TOPPING:



2/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 pound butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon



In an electric mixer, beat yams until smooth. Mix in remaining ingredients until light and fluffy. butter a 2 quart casserole dish and pour in yam mixture. Mix all the praline topping ingredients together and spread evenly over the yams.



May be refrigerated for two days.



Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.



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Wild Rice Stuffing with Pearl Onions and Dried Cranberries

Recipe By : Mary Craft                          Serves 12 or more
Ingredients:


4 tablespoons butter

12 ounces pearl onions

4 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 1/4 cups wild rice

1 pound herb-seasoned stuffing cubes -- (pepperidge farms)

2 cups dried cranberries

2 cups pecans -- chopped and toasted



Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until caramelized and brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.



Bring chiciken stock and thyme to a boil in a large saucepan. Add wild rice; bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in bread cubes.



Stir in cranberries. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Stuffing may be done ahead to this point and refrigerated up to 2 days) Bake in 9x13 glass dish covered with buttered foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil.. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter or pour over top of stuffing. Bake for 10 minutes more. Stir in toasted pecans before serving



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Green Beans and Nuts

Recipe By : Mary Craft                          Serves 12
Ingredients:

3 pounds green beans -- fresh

salt

1/4 pound butter

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup cashews

salt and pepper -- to taste



Snip end off beans. cook beans in salted, simmering water, uncovered, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain beans and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Dry on a paper towel and refrigerate for up to two days.



Before serving, bring to room temperature. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add beans, lemon juice and nuts. Heat over medium-high heat, tossing gently. Season to taste.



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Strawberry Jello Salad

Serves 12

Ingredients:


1 package strawberry gelatin powder -- (6 ounce package)

1 cup boiling water

10 ounces frozen strawberries

1 can crushed pineapple -- (20 ounce can)

3 banana -- mashed or sliced

2 cups sour cream



Combine Jello with boiling water. Add strawberries, pineapple (juice and all) and bananas. Pour half into a 12x8x2 inch pan. Chill until firm. Spread on the sour cream. Pour on the rest of the Jello mixture. Chill until set.



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Grapefruit & Avacado Salad

Serves 8-12


1 bag romaine lettuce

1 can grapefruit sections -- drained

1 fresh avocado -- sliced

1/4 cup sunflower seeds -- toasted

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped onion -- very finely chopped



Dressing Instructions:



Combine olive oil, sugar, vinegar (does not say what kind, I am going to try either citrus or apple cider), celery seed, dry mustard and finely chopped onion. Either use an imersion blender (aka stick blender) or put in the blender to combine well. Toss with salad ingredients just before serving. *** Original recipe calls for 1 cup of oil. Yikes!!!! I would never use that much for this amount of salad. Also it may not be necessary to use all of the dressing. Adjust to taste.



Salad:



Lettuce, grapefruit (can use fresh or canned), avacado & sunflower seeds (I purchase already toasted, but they can also be toasted in a hot skillet, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes.)



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NOTES : **** For all the years my mom has made this salad she has never made the dressing. She just uses Bersteins Creamy Fantastico salad dressing or any other Italian dressing. I really like the Bersteins. However, I find that I only use it for this salad and then the rest of the bottle ends up going to waste. I never knew until last night (November 15, 2009) that the recipe had it's own homemade dressing. I like homemade dressings because I usually have the ingredients on hand.


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Apple Spinach Salad


Recipe by : Stephanie who got it from Kristen       Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

10 ounces fresh spinach

1/2 pound bacon -- cooked and crumbled

1 green apples -- sliced thin

1 cup slivered almonds -- toasted



Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon red onion -- minced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar



For Dressing:



Combine all dressing ingredients in the blender.



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Whole Roast Turkey

Recipe By : Mary Craft

Ingredients:

16 pounds turkey

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 clove garlic -- minced

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 teaspoon pepper



Remove giblets,neck, and fat from insde the turkey ( they may be cooked alongside the turkey or used in stuffing or gravy). Completely dry the turkey with paper towels. Mix together the remaining ingredients and rub inside and out on the bird. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and begin to bring to room temperature one hour before roasting. Spoon stuffin into the dcavity and neck opening. Truss or sew with skewers. Tie legs together so as not to deform while roasting. Place on reack in roasting pan breast side down (this is for better flavor not for presentation).



Bake at 325 degrees. Baste occasionally with pan juices. Roast for 20 minutes per pound or until meat thermometer registers 175 when placed in the thickest part of the thigh. Avoid resting the thermometer on bone. If planning to present the whole turkey at the table for carving, turn turkey breast side up half way through cooking time. tent with aluminum foil, shiny side in, if turkey becomes too brown. There will be a cup or more of pan juices when turkey is done. Thigh will move freely in its socket and tukey juices will run clear when pierced. Never rely on the "pop-up" thermometers placed in birds by the supplier! Your turkey will usually be over done.