Thanksgiving Meal(Read Details)?

Question

Hi. This year some things have come up in my family and my Mother's in no condition to cook this thanksgiving year. I'm 16 and I want to cook this years meal. Can someone give me some good Thanksgiving Meal Ideas? Thank You.

Answer 1

SUPER LONG MESSAGE!
I want you to succeed, so here is how you do the first one. Trust me= okay. How many people are coming? Cook enough food for 4-6 people OVER the guest list. I am giving you recipes for 4, so double it. Very simple and yummy Most home cook meals start days before the actual event- So three days out, you start it and by the night before you should be 80% done. This is hard work- so be prepared that's the hardest job.

NO joke- Get Kroger's, Luby's or some great restaurant to make the turkey or the ham (8 people= $25) ... Get the other guests to bring desserts, pies and at least one or two cool whips. ORDER NOW> You can get an entire meal for about $40 dollars and if you want then just add your own veggies to make it your own.

This week start buying the supplies for the dinner. [all cans goods, bread crumbs, fried onions and extras] The whole meal will cost you over $75-100... so start now.

* make these the day before and cover in refrig.
** oven warm 20 minutes before the meal
#* microwave 2-5 minutes and check for warmth.

Green bean casserole- [* #* ]
2 large cans of green beans-drained
1 can of mushrooms or chop half a raw small pack (wash them well)
I package of lipton onion soup (dry) its the seasonings
2 cans of campbells cream of mushroom (garlic if u like)
Blend it all together (put in oven proof container/ cover and refrig) before putting it into the oven cover it with Canned fried onions Cripsy ones and watch them brown. 350-400 for 20 minutes.


Yams/Sweet potatoes [ * #*]
2 large cans drained- chopped up
1 large can of crushed of pineapple
1 cup of pecans
Blend it all together (put in oven proof container/ cover and refrig) before putting it into the oven cover it with Mini marshmellows and Watch it brown under the broiler. Don't leave it- Watch it.

Stove top dressing- great brand and its oven top. {cook it the day before- it will merge the flavors and taste great on the big day}[#*]
Really easy and taste great. Makes it better-personalize it with the following.
1/3 cup Green onions (just cut with sissors)
1 small red apple chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 handful of Walnuts
1 handful of dried cranraisens.
1 package of Lipton onion soup (dry)
1 teaspoon of garlic.(chopped or powder)
1 stick of butter
1/3 cup of mushrooms (if you like)

Use large sauce pan, follow the stoffer's package and mix the boiling water with the stick of butter and the lipton soup as the base to aborb into the crumbs. Chop the veggies, fruits the night before and put in the ziploch bag. Add them as the mixture as the crumbs soften- keep it warn and covered, the butter keeps it moist and the apples will add some so it won't be dry.


Get cranberries canned or crushed fresh, add a teaspoon of white sugar to them- they can be very tart. I often mix it with manderine oranges and walnuts. Put it in a pretty glass container. Cranberries stain anything it touches.

Canned Crossants- get 6 cans and make all and ziploch bag them about two hours before and just warm them in the oven just before serving. They are great for the meal and the sandwiches for the leftovers.


Fancy drinks- Get Walmart-Carbonated Flavored water, orange flavored ( I poured all those bottles into a pitcher) and put a manderine slice IN the glasses or freeze it in the ice blocks and add one to each glass.


You need to purchase the "hard disposible plates" and themed napkins-Now That will greatly help the clean up . Use the real folks and wash them on Monday of that week and all the serving tools and put them in a large ziploch.

More ideas~
Racheal Ray- cooking show is wonderful for new cooks. Martha Stewart is the Goddess of Holiday cooking- her meals are expensive and difficult yet great for ideas to create things.

Its all in the details- have the space [table settings and none eatable things] done the week before. Including the extra drinks and toilet paper you will need for the entertainment. I actually purchased a twin size flat sheet in pumpkin color or red and used it for the table cloth to cover the wood and card tables, so it can be washed and reused. Hit the Dollar store for the decoration ideas and napkins.

Best wishes. Make a memory, not just a meal.

[guest are always welcome, I explain the process to them]
We have a special candle on the table that we light at the beginning of the meal in memory of the loved ones "not" with us and we say a prayer of thanksgiving that everyone at the table will say what they are thankful for on this special day.

Get a disposible camera and take pictures before, during and after and it will be a great memory for you all.

I actually rented family movies for all of us to watch. The Santa Clause and Its a wonderful life are the classics we watch to get us into the Christmas mood and they are the family fun and comedy.


Since your Mom is sick- have an early lunch 11-1pm, so that she can sleep later and go to bed early. I put a bell on the door and a Welcom note on the front door, that told folks to just come IN.

Answer 2

All I can remember about Thanksgiving Dinner, that I must have every year (besides the normal turkey), is sweet potato casserole.

But let me tell you something more interesting. You are only 16, and you're actually trying to pull off an entire Thanskgiving dinner to help your mother out? I don't care what you cook for dinner, what you're doing is absolutely awesome!

It sounds like your mother is ill in some way. Regardless of that, you stepping up and offering to do Thanskgiving is just incredible. The more I think about this, the more I feel an incredible emotion from it.

And I can totally relate, too. My dad died when I was 18. His sister (my aunt) used to be the one to do Thanksgiving for us every year. But a giant rift was caused by his death, and our immediate family was left by ourselves. I offered to cook dinner that year - our first year without him. And it was tough - with more than just physical pain!

I truly commend you for your strength here. Whatever is going on there, I hope you all make it through. And good luck on cooking your first Thanksgiving meal!

Answer 3

Menu:

Roasted Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Sauce
Rolls & Butter
Pumpkin Pie
Whipped Cream
Coffee, Tea, & Milk

Turkey is easy to bake, just remember to open the neck and get the goodies out. Use packaged or jar gravy for convenience.

Green bean casserole is just a couple of cans of green beans, mushroom soup, milk, and french fried onion rings and baked.

If making your own stuffing, you need to prep it a couple of days in advance to get the moisture out of the bread.

Buy a frozen pie crust and ready made pumpkin pie mix. Just empty the pie mix into the pie crust and bake. This can be done the night before (along with the stuffing).

Figure around 1/2 - 3/4 lb of bird for each guest. Roast a larger bird if you want leftovers. The traditional Green Bean Casserole serves eight. A 5 lb. bag of potatoes will serve around 15.


All these recipes are easy to find on the internet.

Answer 4

Lots of stores now have Thanksgiving Dinners you can buy. For about $20 or so, you can get a turkey, a pie, veggies, potato, olives, stuffing, the whole 9 yards.

We normally have stuffed pork chops for Thanksgiving. I love Turkey but my daughter doesn't.

So just put some pork chops in the oven.
Cover with cream of mushroom soup (without water - straight from the can) and then mix your stuffing and add.

Spread over all the pork chops. Then cook up some veggies and your all set! You don't need potaoes and you already have the stuffing. Cook at 375 degrees until brown and bubbly. Pork Chops are fast and easy.

for green beans you can have sweet and sour green beans by adding 1 TABLESPOON vinegar for every 10 oz (1 can) of green beans and sugar to taste. (for diabetics add equal or similar) Add it to the juice and cook. Let green beans soak in the vinegar and sugar for at least 1/2 hr before serving.

They are quite good and very filling!
Just get a pie for desert.

Answer 5

Do you want a traditional thanksgiving meal - or something different? Roasting a turkey isn't all that difficult - just clean and season like you would a chicken, but it takes longer to cook. If you have a small family, you could even opt to bake a whole chicken. Remove the neck and organ meats, then wash the chicken/turkey inside and out. Place in roaster (use foil roaster if you want easy clean up) and pat dry with paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Cut an onion and an apple into quarters and put inside the cavity of the bird. Bake at 350 degrees until done. (a chicken will take about an hour and a half - turkey depends on the size but usually at least 3 and 1/2 hours - use a meat thermometer to check temperature and make sure the juices run clear when you poke the thigh with a fork)
You could always buy chicken cutlets (thin cut chicken breasts) and coat with seasoned bread crumbs and saute in a little olive oil.

Homemade dressing can be complicated - to simplify you could purchase prebaked cornbread and biscuits from the market. Crumble together the biscuits/cornbread (half and half), saute 1/2 cup chopped celery and 1/2 cup chopped onion in about 1/4 cup olive oil until soft (onions will look almost clear) and add to the bread crumbs. Pour 1-2 cans of chicken broth over (use one and add more if needed - you want it to look kind of like mush or polenta or grits) and mix well. Add one teaspoon of poultry seasoning and about 1/2 teaspoon of sage - mix again and pour into a buttered dish and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour (will be dry looking on top and brown around the edges.)

Mashed potatoes would be easier - peel about 5 large russet potatoes and cut into cubes, about 1 inch each. Cook in a pot of salted water to cover until fork tender - about 30 minutes. Drain off the water. Use a mixer to mash (or if you don't mind some lumps you can mash by hand using a wire whisk) - Add about 1/2 stick of butter and let melt, then stir it in good - add salt and pepper to taste.

Candied yams - peel and slice 3 sweet potatoes. put in a frying pan with water to just cover. Cook over medium heat until tender when poked with a fork (about 30 minutes or so) - cut up 1/2 stick butter over yams and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Let sugar dissolve and butter melt - stir gently.

Good luck! Hope your mom's health improves.

Answer 6

Before you go ahead with this idea, is your mother well enough to have people at your house? If she is then dinner is a snap.

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stove top stuffing (a fav at my house and easy for a beginner), cranberry sauce, squash, a green veggie...as easy as falling off a log. Buy some desserts and voila.

Be sure to buy a fresh turkey so you don't have to deal with the thawing of the bird...that is very stressful.

Answer 7

How about hot open faced turkey sandwiches with gravy and mashed potatoes, green bean casserole- french style green beans with cream of mushroom soup, topped with Durkee crispy onions/bake 350 20min. Cranberry sauce. Keep it simple and quaint.

You can buy a nice deli turkey presliced a little thicker. Toast some bread, put the turkey and gravy on top.

Answer 8

GET THE TURKEY, GIVE YOURSELF A GOOD DAY TO THAW IT OUT, TAKE THE BAG OUT OF BOTH ENDS OF THE TURKEY. RINSE, PUT IN A TURKEY BAG, YOU GET THEM AT THE STORE. THAT WAY THEY STAY MOIST AND COOK QUICKER. FIX SOME SALAD, PUMPKIN PIE, TELLS YOU HOW ON THE CAN WITH COOL WHIP AND FROZEN PIE CRUST. DO A VEGETABLE AND SOME DRESSING, WHICH YOU CAN GET AND ADD LIQUID TO OR HAVE POTATOES AND YOU CAN ALWAYS DO CANNED GRAVY. THIS IS MY FAVORITE MEAL, IT SEEMS SO SIMPLE BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE SO MUCH OF IT AHEAD. THE SALAD COULD BE A JELLO, CRANBERRY. WISHING YOU THE BEST. I KNOW YOU'LL DO FINE. HOPE YOUR MOM IS BETTER.

Answer 9

I suggest letting Maddy create the menus and nametags. Perhaps bring in the desserts only. Who cares if the dessert gets dropped, right? People are usually full from the excellent dinner we serve! Enjoy, and happy thanksgiving!

Answer 10

to make it easy for you i would go to a website threw a search engine and type in thanksgiving dinner ideas.. that would probly help you out a great deal. i hope i helped you out...