Thanksgiving is just around the corner and while I’ll serve all the usual favorites my family looks forward to, I still haven’t decided on the main course. Oh yes, it’ll be turkey alright (plus a ham. Eck.) but how to serve it? My table will be set with mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn on the cob, turkey gravy, salad, homemade cranberry sauce, hot yeast rolls and deviled eggs. I’d love to herb and garlic roast a variety of new, fingerling, and sweet potatoes but Clay loves mashed potatoes with his turkey gravy. I’d love to saute asparagus or fresh green beans but our youngest daughter would be heartbroken without her greenbean casserole. The boys love buttery corn on the cob and deviled eggs are simply criminal to leave out. What I will not have though, is pumpkin pie! Nope, No Way, Nada!
I don’t hate it but I wouldn’t order it in a restaurant either. I love, love, love pecan pie! Here’s the pickle and a mystery…. Clay, nor any of our kids that are coming this year, like nuts. Every one of them, on the other hand, LOVES pumpkin pie. That being said, I make 2 Dixie pies ( A bourbon pecan pie with chocolate chips) and 2 pumpkin pies. Here’s where the mystery comes in… every year, nothing but crumbs remain of the Dixie pies and 1 1/2 pumpkin pies end up in the trash! How is this happening? So, this year, I’ll make 2 Dixie pies, 2 Buttermilk pies and some pumpkin cranberry bread with FREAKING NUTS IN IT!
So let’s talk Turkey… If you are wondering how I like turkey, roasted, smoked, deep fried, the answer is YES! I love it all, so how shall I serve it this year? Here’s are the options:
Herb Butter Roasted Turkey
1 tablespoon each, finely chopped fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme
2-3 cloves garlic smashed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Stick unsalted butter
1 Orange cut in half
1 medium Onion halved
Work herbs and garlic into barely softened butter. Loosen skin: Working from the neck end, slide fingers under skin until you reach the end of the breast, being careful not to tear the skin; rub herb butter under the skin leaving just enough to coat the cavity. Place orange and onion halves into cavity and roast according to weight / time on package.
This Turkey, I’ll serve with Clays absolute favorite part of the meal, cornbread dressing. There will be none of that soggy bread dressing mess. Oh no, not on my southern table but for those who aren’t fond of dressing at all (weirdo’s) I’ll make a rice variation as well.
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Cooking Spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup butter
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon pepper poultry seasoning, sage, salt, pepper to taste
PREPARE cornbread mixes according to package instructions using milk and 2 egg. Bake according to package instructions. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Country Rice dressing
5 c. Cooked Long grain rice
1 lb bulk breakfast sausage
3 c. Sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. Diced onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 c. Shredded carrot
1/2 c. Diced celery
1/2 c. Dried cranberries
1/2 c. Sliced green onion with chive
1/2 – 2/3 c Chicken broth
In a large skillet, brown the sausage. Add the carrots, diced onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms and cook until tender. Drain any excess liquid. To the skillet, add the rice with Chicken broth to keep moist, stirring to heat through. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Toss in cranberries and green onion. Serve
Uncle Wiltons Cajun Fried Turkey
1 c. Diced Celery
1 c. Diced Onion
1 c. Diced Bell Pepper
2 cloves Garlic minced
Salt, Pepper, Cayenne
Mix ingredients throughly in a bowl and set aside. Gently push back the skin from the turkey breast. Using a filet knife, cut deep pockets into the center of each breast. Stuff the the pockets as full as you can with the above mixture. Your bird should look like Dolly Parton! Gently pull the skin back over to cover your pockets. Deep fry your Turkey as usual. Once the Turkey is sliced, this area, Uncle Wilton calls ” the honey hole.” The rich flavor permeates every bite! I would serve this version in cajun thanksgiving style with Dirty Rice and black eyed peas.
Dirty Rice
1 1/2 cup long-grain rice
chicken broth
2 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup cooked chicken livers
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 green onions, chopped
Salt Pepper Cayenne to taste
Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but use chicken broth the cooking liquid.
Turn the rice out onto a sheet pan and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it. Mix to combine and let cool.
Mash the chicken livers
In a large pan, put 1 tablespoon of oil plus the bacon and cook over medium-low heat until the bacon is crispy.
Add the ground pork and increase the heat to high and cook until well browned. As soon as the pork starts to brown, add the final tablespoon of oil and add the celery, bell pepper and onions.
Brown them all over medium-high heat. You may notice the bottom of the pan getting crusty. Keep it from burning by lowering the heat if needed. Add the minced liver and cook for a few minutes more. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom.
Add the seasoning and turn the heat to high. Boil away most of the chicken stock and then add the cooked rice. Toss to combine.
Turn off the heat and add the green onions. Toss once more to combine and serve hot.
What will your feast look like this year and what are you most thankful for? Friends, I am so abundantly blessed, even in these crazy times. Among my many blessings, I am grateful for you.
Always with love – Laura💕
What time should I be there? I’ll bring a pumpkin cheesecake!
No feast here. I’m alone and rarely celebrate anything. I made 2 different efforts to order “splurge” foods (first order included a fancy mini cake; 2nd try was baguettes & brie as dinner) but Life said no to both.
I’m going to donate platelets that day then treat all the kitties (pets, strats, and ferals) to canned turkey cat food that night (they usually get a mix of wet and dry foods). A friend is going to bring me leftover turkey on Friday.
Happy Thansgiving!!
LikeLike
Oooh that sounds marvelous, pumpkin cheesecake! We’ll be just us this year with our daughter and 2 grandchildren but it’s a huge celebration for us as it’s the first time that we wontbe alone for the holidays since we moved to Missouri. Just having family to celebrate with has already made the holidays festive for us. A smaller feast will fill our table this year but our hearts will be full.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
LikeLike
Well, now you have made me really hungry! I love turkey no matter how it’s cooked but I think my favorite is smoked. We’ll have a turkey breast either smoked or roasted, southern cornbread dressing, and all the fixings, just in smaller quantities than usual. My favorite pie is pecan but this year it will be apple (my husband’s favorite). Happy Thanksgiving!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Although we’re having smaller celebrations this year, it’s looks like your table will perfectly dressed for the feast.💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
PS- I am so very grateful for you, my friend! Carry on cooking… XO Lisa
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yum!
LikeLike
You’re hired! Christmas. My place. The menu is perfect 🙂
LikeLike
Hahaha 🤣 Yay! A feast it is! Oh I can’t wait to post christmas cakes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dixie pie and pecan pie are my absolute favorites! I guess I’ll be making those in a couple of weeks. Your rice dressing looks yummy too.
I’ve passed the cooking baton to my daughter, Kelly, now so I don’t have to do much. Just like you, we have our traditional dishes, or it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving. Hope you and Clay have a blessed one. ❤
LikeLike
Oh Deb, you should share your Thanksgibing traditional recipes! I’d love to hear what family favorites graced your table.
LikeLike
Cooked with beer is my favorite! 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooh! I hadn’t thought of that one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh wow! The country rice dressing looks amazing! I am cooking for about 15. Your post inspires! Thank you! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww….thank you so much!
Egads! I had to cook for a crowd like that for a week this last summer! It was so much work but the lively laughter and camaraderie made for many lasting memories.
LikeLike
Okay, you are making me hungry. I love pecan pies too and every year my aunt makes them to pass out to family members. We will be headed up to the mountains for Thanksgiving and on our way we’ll be stopping off at my aunts for some of her yummy pecan pie. Love the holidays.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh It’s my favorite! 💕 Heading to the mountains….that sounds wonderful! I’ll be looking forward to reading about this adventure! I immediately thought of “over the river and through the woods” when you mentioned the mountains. Haha I envisioned wood smoke, cable knit sweaters and flannel.
Look at you insiring me even in a comment! Stopping for pie….reminded me of all the adults in my childhood, how they’d get together for coffee and pie. It was a thing back then and the woes of the world were solved over coffee and pie. That’ll be my next post!!!! Woot! Thank you! 😊💕
LikeLike
Not a fan of turkey but Im gonna try that country rice…looks so yummy!!! I didn’t see sausage on the ingredient list… what kind of sausage do I use…?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ground pork is standard so I put that on the list though I use a hot bulk breakfast sausage. Thank you for the heads up! I’ll go clarify it. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I want to try that too but I’m going to do that at Christmas when all the kids are here 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yay!!! I have to pull out all their favs for Thanksgiving this year as it’s looking like we’ll be alone on christmas again this year. It just gets harder and harder as they grow up, scatter, marry and have to divide holidays between families. I’m sad facing that. ☹
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes that’s tough. We have an empty thanksgiving but a full house for Christmas. I can’t wait to move to a bigger house. This one was a do-fer because we knew we were planning on moving within ten years. It will be next year come what may! You have a standing invitation to visit for either holiday or any unholiday! We’ll make it one regardless!
LikeLike
Awwww….thank you Britchy! And you and yours are always welcomed here as well! We have 3 guest rooms, each with a private bath. It’s additionally lovely in the warmer months where we can spend days out on the boat and afternoons at the vineyards and wineries. We’d definately make it our own holiday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hurray!!
LikeLike
Cracker!!!! I didn’t include it at all! Lol Classic! I fixed it!😁
LikeLike
That all sounds fabulous! I’m making a pumpkin cheesecake. I really want to try pecan pie because it sounds fabulous but I want to try someone else’s before making my own.
LikeLike
Fantastic! I considered doing a pumpkin cheesecake too! I haven’t made one before but I have made a pecan pie cheesecake though and that was del-isious! Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not that big on ham either, but I will take the leftovers and make ham salad. Oh, but the pecan pie and the Dixie pie will leave me taking a three hour nap 🙂 I prefer mashed potatoes with gravy too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank goods we only do Thanksgiving once a year! There wouldn’t be enough hiking and Pickleball in the world to trim me back down. Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂😂, but then there is Christmas 🙂
LikeLike
Indeed! Lol my diet is doomed til new years! Hahaha
LikeLike
Lol. The is the time of the year where I get to gain weight and then lose it when I go to sleep on new year’s. I actually wish I could gain weight.
LikeLike
My husband says fattening people up is my gift. Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, well I need to come hang out for a few days…lol
LikeLike
Lol right? 🤣
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I am really getting hungry now!! Love Pecan pie!! And my hubby loves green bean casserole, I am not a fan of it though. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Right now, I’m dieting. Can you believe it? I’m thinking I might be either mad or brilliant….don’t know. Here I’m are starving, right before what is always a feast. Wouldn’t it be better to diet after the holidays? Christmas is right on Thanksgivings heels! Now if by dieting, I only gain back to my starting point instead of exceeding it, would I then be a genius or what? Sadly though, I think I’m gaining just by reading over my planned recipes! Lol
LikeLike
LOL! I think you are a genius. A crazy genius but… a genius. 🙂
LikeLike
😂🤣😭
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks good. When it comes to turkey, I only eat the pope’s nose (bum). I’m such a ‘turkey’ 😛
LikeLike
🤣
LikeLike
So…… what you got against ham and pumpkin pie? 🤔 lol!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha I’m just no a fan of ham and pumpkin pie. No I would totally eat the “burnt ends” of ham but I’m a texture eater so the fat in ham and gristy bits etc. 🤮
I don’t hate pumpkin pie, its just not my favorite and in our family, those who do ” love it” really don’t. Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol! I understand. But had to give you a hard time… in my family ham is the turkey’s sidekick. I’m not big on pumpkin pie itself, but sweet potato pie is a definite yes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey!!!! That might be the answer! Maybe I’ll try that and see if the eat it! Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the same thing but sweeter! And Dixie pie? I could eat my body weight lol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omgosh, me too! I think that’s what really fries me. The ” I dont like nuts” bunch, cleans me out! No leftovers! Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person