Thanksgivng Feast

The Turkey aka Missy's Turkey.


We had this turkey last Christmas at Missy's house. It was so moist and delicious we had to give it a whirl this year ourselves, since Chef Missy has moved out of state. With a few calls to the Missy hot line, it turned out perfectly. We might forgo the Martha turkey of years past for the Missy turkey from now on. (See that Missy? You beat out Martha!) To try it yourself, follow this link to the recipe: Brown Bag Turkey


The Sweet Potatoes.

A lighter, brighter version of sweet potato casserole. Well, not really. They are nothing like the oooey, gooey goodness of marshmallow sweet potatoes, but we've been replacing the casserole with this recipe for a few years now, and love it. To try it yourself, follow this link to the recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange Essence by Ellie Krieger.

The Cranberries.

Cranberries were always my contribution growing up. I've experimented with many different recipes, but this is by far my favorite. I think it comes out of my Mom's "Spice Cookbook".

Cranberry Apple Relish
1 lb. fresh cranberries
1 medium applies (I use Granny Smith)
2 tsp. grated orange rind
2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Wash cranberries. Wash applies, and cut into quarters, and remove cores. Put through a food chopper (I use the meat grinder attachment for my mixer) along with cranberries, using medium blade. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill in covered dish overnight or several hours for flavors to blend.

The Dressing.

This is probably the only recipe I still make of my Mom's. It's just too good not to.

Green Apple and Sausage Dressing

1 loaf white bread, stale
1 egg
1 package Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 bag of green apples
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cups Chicken Broth (not necessary if making as stuffing aka inside the bird)
salt and pepper

Cut bread into 1 inch pieces. Cook sausage. Drain. Combine with bread. Cut apples into bite size pieces. Chop onion. Combine apple and onion with bread and sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a buttered baking dish and pour chicken broth over entire dish.

Bake until golden brown and slightly puffed. We did this in stages to accommodate the turkey and because we only have one oven. First, we baked for approximately one hour at 350 degrees. Then after the turkey came out of the oven, we finished it off at a higher temp, 400, for about 30 more minutes.


The Green Beans.

Another casserole replacement recipe. I'm just not a fan of traditional green bean casserole. So for the last several years we have been making Tangy Almond Garlic String Beans for Thanksgiving. I think it's a nice, lighter alternative.

Enjoy!!