Thanksgiving 2024

Thanksgiving 2024 - Cabin

To make or do ahead:

• 6 - 7 weeks before Thanksgiving 
• order Turkey from Borderland Specialty Meats, Foods & Smokehouse. NOTE: tell them you want the gizzards to use to make a stock for the gravy.  Note: the neck will be inside the turkey. They will also brine and season the turkey!!!!! Fabulous! Buy 3 pie pumpkins
• Begin looking for fresh chestnuts. Tis year I purchased them from Golden Harvest in Rhinelander.

• 1 week prior. 
• The bread for the stuffing is critical, buy good homemade bread or make your own.  
• Buy 3 different apple varieties from Pleasant View Orchard & Bakery. I use these for apple sauce for meals before Thanksgiving. There are also apples in the dressing and the sweet potato recipe. 
• Roast the pumpkin(s) Use extra pumpkin puree to make pumpkin soup, and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins as well as pumpkin hummus.
• Turkey or chicken stock. You will need this for the dressing and the gravy. I plan to try this recipe. Roasted Turkey Stock. This recipe is fantastic!!!
• The Cranberry Salsa and Cranberry Compote can also be made ahead. While you are at it, make this as well. Cranberry Barbeque Sauce. The link will take you to 2 fun things to do with left over turkey.
• NOTE: the dressing is VERY time consuming.
• 2 days prior, make the pie crusts. You will need 4
• One day before: make the pies. Don't wait. You will not have time on Thanksgiving morning.
• Wednesday evening. Chop the vegetables and preparing the bread for the dressing

The Menu

Aperitif - The Art of the Aperitif  Bienvenue! Bienvenue!

• Kir Royale. These were a big hit.

Appetizers Options. 
This year I only made the pumpkin hummus with vegetables. Pat brought an artichoke dip. I had cheese and beef sticks from Borderland. I also had warm ciabatta bread.

• Three Cheese Walnut Spread. Serve with apple or pear slices and assorted crackers.
• Pumpkin Hummus Serve with pita bread, bell pepper strips, carrots, and celery
• Cranberry Salsa over cream cheese

Dressing

Cranberry, Sausage and Apple Stuffing. This year I purchased chestnuts from Golden Harvest in Rhinelander. I followed this recipe for roasting the chestnuts and then ground them. This was by far THE best dressing I have EVER made!!!! My mom always added chestnuts to her dressing, now I know why!

Cranberries (Yes, 3 kinds of cranberries)

• Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce (for Mike)
• Mama Parsley's Cranberry Compote
• Cranberry Salsa I make this but in reality, no body tries it. I like it with leftovers.

Potatoes

• Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
• Mashed potatoes, use Yukon gold. Don't peel before boiling. The peels just about fall off after cooking.

Gravy - 

John usually makes the gravy but just in case. Here is a recipe. I don't plan to make this ahead. I like to use the drippings from the turkey. My Mom also made a stock using the giblets from the turkey.

Make-Ahead Gravy NOTE: John added sliced fresh mushrooms, sliced onion and the can of cream of mushroom soup to the bottom of the roasting pan 1 hour into cooking.  I also added about 2 cups of red wine. We used 4 cups of the turkey stock thickened with cornstarch which was then added to the pan drippings plus. John's gravy was to die for.

Rolls/Biscuits - I discovered that many people like rolls or biscuits with dinner. I thought I would try this recipe. Sweet Potato Biscuits. or this one Quick and Easy Yeast Rolls. John provided the rolls this year.

Vegetable - I struggle with this one. 

• This is delicious. I made it earlier this fall and for Thanksgiving. It was perfect!!!. Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad with Dijon Dressing
• I made this one. It was good and great as a left over. Tangy Green Bean Salad.
• I want to make this next year, Gulliver's Corn. Ann Hughson use to make this when we celebrated Thanksgiving with the Hughson and Moran families
• I am thinking about trying this.  BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD or PEAR POMEGRANATE SALAD. (NOTE: Claire made the pear pomegranate salad for the McGlynn's and it was a big hit).

Dessert

• Pumpkin pie with  whipped cream. I am going to try this recipe. The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie from New York Cooking. I actually used my regular recipe but adjusted the spices and added 1 Tablespoon rum.
• Apple pie
• John provided the ice cream and whipped toppings.

Leftover Ideas

• I make a turkey stock and use that for soup. Roasted Turkey Stock
• I tried this Chicken Wild Rice Soup recipe this year. Yum! You need a lot of heavy cream and milk which I happened to have on hand.
• Cranberry Barbeque Turkey Pizza. I make the pizza crust in my bread machine but you can use premade pizza crust.

Breakfast the next morning

• Cranberry Orange Muffins. These were fantastic. I made them on Wednesday and brought some to Tim and Judy. They were not able to join us for Thanksgiving.
• Spinach and Tomato Quiche I made this on Wednesday so was ready to go on Friday morning.