Our Thanksgiving menu otherwise is pretty traditional.
Ham
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Green Beans
Rolls
Pecan Pie
This year we will be of course grilling ham. I always use some kind of Tastefully Simple glaze - not sure which one this year but leaning towards our Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce or just a simple coat of Burger and Brat Mustard leftover from our Spring/Summer line that we both love on everything.
The mashed potatoes are the easiest part. I use my slow cooker to help cut down on so much in and out of the oven (ham on the grill helps this too!). I dice my potatoes into 1 inch pieces and throw them in with enough water to cover them and a little salt. When they are soft I just mash them with a potato masher, you could use a hand held beater if you are worried they will be too chunky. Then I add a ton of Garlic Garlic (ts), butter (earth balance vegan), and sour cream (green valley lactose free). When it is blended together they are ready to serve.
The stuffing I am going to try this year is from a recipe my aunt made last year for Thanksgiving. It was amazing so I asked her to pass it on so we could enjoy it again this year.
Bread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples
10 cups of bread cubes (½ inch) (combination whole wheat and other breads) **
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium celery ribs with leaves, chopped with leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. pork sausage
3 – 4 raw apples finely chopped, with peelings on (or 3 oz. chopped dried apples)
2 – 3 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
Thyme and sage (or 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning)
Salt
Pepper
To dry bread cubes, let them stand at room temperature over night. Or bake them in a 350 degree oven, stirring occasionally until dry, 20 – 30 minutes. Do not toast. The bread will crisp as it cools.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and parsley. Cook, stirring often until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes.
Scrape the vegetables and butter into a bowl with the bread cubes.
In the same skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until cooked through, about 10 minutes.. Use a spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add cooked sausage and apples to bread mixture. Toss so bread is coated evenly. At this point stuffing can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours.
Add thyme, sage (or poultry seasoning) to stuffing.
Place stuffing in a buttered baking dish and drizzle with additional broth if need more moisture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Or place in slow cooker on low temperature for about 5 hours.
Servings: 10 cups
** Note: One (15-ounce) bag cubed seasoned stuffing can be used as a substitute.
The green beans are a tradition at our house. They are Kevin's favorite veggie so I always stock up when they are in season and freeze several batches for the winter months. I mix them with a little bit of Meyer's Lemon Oil (TS), garlic and sliced almonds. Great alternative to the midwest green bean casserole I grew up on since we are doing our best to stay away from cream based soups in our cooking. These just need warming in the oven and are ready to serve.
In past years for the rolls I have made a loaf of Bountiful Beer Bread. This year I haven't decided on what I might do. I am thinking about a package of crescent rolls using Italian Garlic Bread Seasoning with butter (TS).
Now on to dessert - Kevin's favorite pie is Pecan. Last year I searched forever for a good recipe that I could make homemade. This is the best one I have found - Pecan Pie - and will go with it again this year. It makes two so I will be able to freeze one for when my family is in town for Christmas. Pecan Pie is my dad's favorite too!
Time to get shopping - then on to cooking - then on to the leftover menu! YUM
Happy Thanksgiving!
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