Thanksgiving dinner...yikes!!?

Question

This is my first year on my own. Im 19 and I moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia and Im way far away from family. I live with my boyfriend and this year I want to make my Thanksgiving dinnner. Really I have no choice. I know the essentials of what im suppose to make. BUT...How to make it and what all i need to make it is rediculous. I tried lookin up recipes and stuff but its no use. I want real family recipes for things like stuffing and yams and all the good stuff like that. Any recipes or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I kinda wanna wow my boyfriend with this. Also i will be cooking for 6-7 people. So I need lots of food! haha.

Answer 1

Cook your Turkey in an Oven Bag---Very Easy! It takes less time, comes out moist and juicy; and delicious! Try it, you won't be disappointed!
http://www.alcoa.com/reynoldskitchens/en/product.asp?cat_id=1337&prod_id=1790

Dipping sauce for Turkey:

SUE's CRANBERRY GLAZE SAUCE:
1 (16 oz.) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together. Cook in a saucepan on medium heat until smooth and heated thoroughly.

MICHIE's SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE:
3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into cubes
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar - divided
1/2 cup butter - melted - divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
up to 1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup chopped walnuts
large marshmallows
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring potatoes to boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes and drain. Beat potatoes until slightly smooth, beat in eggs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, salt and cinnamon. Starting with 1/4 cup orange juice, make mixture moist and fluffy. Spread in a 2-3 quart pan. Top with nuts. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar, then 1/4 cup melted butter. Place Marshmallows on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don't let marshmallows over cook.

OLGA's PUMPKIN PIE:
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk (I use 1 (12oz.) can)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 unbaked pastry shell (9-inch)
Combine sugar, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and eggs; mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Shield the crust edge with a pie shield ring or fashion one with aluminum foil and place over edge. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 40 minutes or until center is set.

Answer 2

Buy a Reynolds bake-in bag -- they are terrific, just follow the directions for the right size bird.

I start with Stove top stuffing and add my own sauteed mushrooms/onions/celery. Sautee in butter first, add the seasoning, water & bread crumbs.

Yams - take the canned yams, drain and dump in pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Dump bag of marshmallows on top and even out -- spread out evenly. Bake at 350 till hot and bubbly and golden brown on top.

Keep your first Thanksgiving simple unless you really know how to prepare complicated dishes. Too stressful. Practice during the year on different types of stuffing and yams.

Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Answer 3

Good luck with this! Remember that the point of Thanksgiving is to gather with family and friends and give thanks, so try not to stress yourself out by "wowing" everyone. Keep it simple, and enjoy. Most people are happy to be invited for a holiday meal that they don't have to make, and will appreciate all you do. The "roast in bag" turkey is a great idea. Have a beautiful big salad, lots of rolls and butter, and buy your dessert. Here is a wonderful, festive drink to serve: mix equal parts tonic water, sparkling water, and cranberry juice. Everyone will be stuffed, happy, and thankful!

Answer 4

instead of buying a whole turkey, get turkey parts. Use "Bell's all-natural seasoning" on the turkey. Use it with salted butter or
margerine. Rub each piece down, and bake until golden brown, at 400 degrees. The stuffing, get a few loaves of bread, and break them up into pieces. You can use very small pieces of turkey, some carrots,some onions, 1/2 cup of celery, a 12oz. can of chicken broth, 1/2 tablespoon of sage, mix together evenly.
So, if there is any thing you need to add, just tell me at ([e-mail])

Answer 5

For recipes and advice...

Butterball Turkey Talk Line: 800-BUTTERBALL
http://www.butterball.com

Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline: [phone]
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: [phone]
Q&A: http://www.landolakes.com

Answer 6

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The first link shows you everything.
All the links on the left in red are clickable
Bookmark this link, you'll love it and refer to it often, it's very comprehensive. There are recipes for food and drink here too.
At about.com it has centerpieces and decorating under the 'Style' section as well as a whole Enteretaining section.
In Home and Garden you'll find 15 minute room cleaning tips.
This is the most comprehensive site I've ever used.

Answer 7

usually, we've the two a turkey and a ham. continuously have stuffing. specially circumstances, we are going to stuff it in the turkey. homestead made potato salad and mac & cheese (those issues continuously runs out previously the rest). :) the two eco-friendly beans & eco-friendly peas. Mashed potatoes. Cranberry sauce. Yams. i'm particular i would be reminded of four or 5 different dishes the next day. a minimum of three categories of pie. Pecan, pumpkin, and candy potato are required. somebody regularly provides a fruit pie determination. adequate tea & bottled water to feed a busload of people. i could decide to show out that distinctive people collect for our Thanksgiving dinner and distinctive of the people in my family contributors are "enormous" those with very hearty appetites (and distinctive of those people have a minimum of two infants). Thanksgiving is only like a family contributors reunion for me. everybody is tremendously lots unfolded around the country and that i will in basic terms have adequate funds to pass to maximum of people in the process the 300 and sixty 5 days. Oh, and a chuffed Thanksgiving to you too.

Answer 8

I have made the same stuffing as my mother before me for over 25 years. It is sausage stuffing.
One small bag of chopped walnuts (optional)
1 whole bag of celery stalk
3 lbs of onions
5 packages of original brown and serve sausage (or any already cooked sausage that you just brown to use.
2 packages of unseasoned croutons, or two loafs of bread that you have cut into cubes and dried on the counter for a day or two.
1 can/jar of "poultry seasoning"
couple of tablespoons of butter to fry the celery in
couple of tablespoons of butter to fry the onion in
cut up (diced) the celery and onion. saute in butter. I like to brown the onions myself but it's good enough to just saute them til they are clear. I cook the celery separate from the onion because the onion flavor will overwhelm the celery.
One Large cans of chicken broth (and some of the drippings if you do not stuff your bird.) TWO cans broth if you don't
cook the sausage, cool and cut up into small slices. Yes SMALL like 1/8 inch slices.
sprinkle walnuts- optional we used to only have it with walnuts til my mother lost her teeth :)

place the cubed bread into large bowl, add celery, onions, and sausage. sprinkle with poultry seasoning then sprinkle in small amounts the chicken broth. stir frequently, the stuffing will start to get a moist. taste to see if you need more seasoning. When it is moist.... you can either stuff your bird with this and cook your bird with the stuffing inside... or place in large pan and cook at 350 for about 45 minutes until hot and moist...if you bake your stuffing make sure it stays moist, and can add more chicken broth as it cooks. check it at least twice, it shouldn't be dry or soggy.

Answer 9

Go to Foodnetwork.com. They have tons of Thanksgiving recipes and you can even get a shopping list.

Answer 10

Add milk, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, shredded cheddar, salt, pepper, seasoned salt and horseradish to your mashed potato's

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This is one of my traditions - its really easy to make
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Optional orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

1 Wash and pick over cranberries. In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.

2 At this point you can add optional ingredients.

3 Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

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Add Golden Raisins and chopped celery to your stuffing

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Cook the Turkey in a bag. Keep in mind, this reduced the cooking time a little. If the turkey is over cooked it will dry out.

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I also serve a few small appetizers like
Cheese and Crackers and a veggie tray with ranch

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You can make the cranberries days in advance

Cook the mashed potato's the day before and re-heat them in the microwave (You can make a couple of your dishes the night before and just re-heat them)

I also always serve Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and a tossed salad, they are easy additions