Thanksgiving Dinner

The new recipes that we tried for Thanksgiving were mashed potatoes, spinach madeleine, and pumpkin pie-- the rest were old favorites, mainly passed on by Yvette. Pres roasted the turkey, and I made the sides and dessert. The mashed potatoes were just okay, but the spinach madeleine and pumpkin pie were very good. I will definitely use those recipes again.


Recipe #93: Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
From Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa

3 pounds red new potatoes, unpeeled
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1 cup half and half
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a 4-quart saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered for 30 to 45 minutes, until completely tender. Drain.

In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix the potatoes for a few seconds to break them up. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half and butter. Add them slowly to the potatoes, mixing on the lowest speed. The last quarter of the cream should be folded in by hand. Fold in the sour cream, Parmesan, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper and serve immediately.


Recipe #94: Pumpkin Pie
From Food Network’s Paula Deen

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.



Here are recipes that Yvette gave me that I have used for Thanksgiving in the past:


Cranberry-Orange Sauce

2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.


Sweet Potato Casserole

2 cans of yams
1 stick of butter
Cinnamon
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Marshmallows

2 cans yams mashed. Reserve juice to use if mixture is too dry. Mix in 1 stick melted butter. Add cinnamon to taste and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Use a mixer till fluffy. Put in casserole and top with marshmallows. Cook in oven on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes till marshmallows are brown.

Cornbread Dressing

1 (16 ounce) package dry corn bread mix
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small onion 2 eggs, beaten
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons dried sage

Prepare the dry corn bread mix according to package directions. Cool and crumble. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the celery and onion until soft. In a large bowl, combine the celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Place into prepared dish and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.