U.S. members please - How do I do Thanksgiving.?

Question

A colleague has just moved from Philadelphia to live here in the U.K. and she was telling me she is dreading not being home for thanksgiving. I thought it might be a nice thing to invite some friends round and have a celebration for her.

How do I do this properly? What do I cook? Any special traditions,customs to be observed etc,. Thanks for all advice.

Thanks for all advice so far, turkey, stuffing and cranberries fine as this is traditional xmas dinner in UK. But can anyone tell me how to make Pumpkin Pie.

Answer 1

Decorate your house in fall earthy colors like oranges, reds and browns. For dinner I reccomend making...

1. A Turkey with Gravy

1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions
1 head garlic
Several sprigs of fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage
2 bay leaves
2 to 4 medium carrots
2 to 4 celery stalks
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 cups chicken broth (about 4 small cans or 2 quart boxes)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Apple Cranberry Dressing, recipe follows

Special equipment: large roasting pan, pastry brush or bulb baster, instant-read thermometer


Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and remove the other racks. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Discard the liver, set the others aside. Dry the turkey inside and out with paper towels. Season the breast cavity with salt and pepper. Slice the onions and halve the garlic head crosswise. Stuff all the garlic and half the onions inside the turkey along with some of the herbs and 1 bay leaf. Halve the carrots and celery lengthwise; put them in the center of roasting pan and set the turkey, breast side up, on top of the vegetables.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, and brush about half of it all over the bird, season the skin with salt and pepper. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of the butter for basting the bird.

Cook the rest of the onion, neck and giblets in the remaining butter in the saucepan, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until browned, about 15 minutes. Add the broth, remaining herbs, and bay leaf; cover and simmer over medium-low heat while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Discard the giblets if desired, or reserve for giblets gravy.

After 2 hours, remove the foil from the turkey and use a pastry brush or bulb baster to baste turkey with the reserved butter and some of the pan drippings. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer stuck in the thigh registers between 170 and 180 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

For the Gravy: Pour all the turkey pan drippings into a liquid measuring cup and discard the vegetables. Ladle off 1/2 cup of the fat from the top of the drippings, and transfer to a saucepan. (Put measuring cup with remaining drippings and fat in the freezer for a few minutes to separate.) Heat fat over medium heat, scatter the flour evenly on top and cook, stirring constantly, with a wooden spoon until the flour browns slightly and smells toasty, about 4 minutes. Switch to a whisk; then gradually and carefully ladle the hot broth into the flour mixture while whisking constantly. Bring the gravy to a boil; adjust the heat so it simmers gently. Skim and discard any excess fat from the remaining drippings, and add the pan juices to the gravy. Continue to simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with the Worcestershire, salt, and pepper.

Remove and discard onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaf from the turkey cavity. Pour any juices that have accumulated into the gravy, Carve the turkey.


Apple-Cranberry Dressing:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 pound sliced country white sandwich bread
1 large cooking apple, such as Gravenstein, or Golden Delicious
1 medium onion
2 ribs celery with leaves
1/2 cup dried apricots
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch fennel seeds, optional
3 cups chicken broth (about 1 1/2 small cans)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons turkey or chicken pan drippings or melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart casserole.
Cut or tear bread into bite-size pieces. Lay bread pieces in a single layer on 1 or 2 baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.

Peel, core, and coarsely chop the apple. Coarsely chop the onion, celery, and apricots. Chop the parsley.

Melt the 6 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple, onion, celery, apricots, cranberries, thyme, salt, and fennel seeds; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the toasted bread and the onion and fruit mixture; toss until evenly moistened. Loosely pack the dressing into the prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, until the top is crusty, about 40 minutes. Drizzle the pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more.

Tips: Put the dressing in the oven during the last hour of cooking the turkey

Upgrades or Make it your Own:
Cook pork sausage until brown and crispy in the skillet. Remove to a plate and cook vegetables and fruit in the residual fat. Stir sausage into stuffing just before baking.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy


2. Green Bean Casserole

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup brandy or cognac
1/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
Fried Onions, recipe follows

Cook green beans in boiling salted water until tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain well.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add brandy or cognac, red wine and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Simmer to blend flavors and reduce sauce, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add green beans to mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Place on a large serving dish, season again with salt and pepper, to taste.

Top with fried onions before serving.


Fried Onions:
2 quarts peanut oil, for frying
2 large red onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups arborio rice coating, recipe follows
Kosher salt
Heat peanut oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 375 degrees F.
Put onion rings in a large bowl. Pour buttermilk over onions and toss to coat. Shake off the excess liquid.
Dip onions into Arborio rice coating, covering thoroughly
Fry the onions in small batches until crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Season with salt, to taste.


Arborio Rice Coating:
1 cup arborio rice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina
2 tablespoons fine salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grind the rice in a blender or spice grinder to a very fine powder. Put it in a bowl and add the flour, semolina, salt and pepper. Toss until well blended. Store in a sealed container in the freezer for maximum freshness.

3. Potato Gratin

1 head savoy cabbage, cored, cleaned, and shredded
1 (2-inch) piece slab bacon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped to 1/4 cup
2 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch), see Cook's note*
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Finely shred the cabbage. Cut the bacon into 1/2-inch chunks. Place a small skillet over medium-low heat and fry the bacon, until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to bacon fat in frying pan. When it has melted add 1/2 the garlic and give it a quick stir with a wooden spoon to soften. Add the cabbage and coat it with the butter. Slowly let it wilt. Add the bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and add most of the chives, reserving a little for the garnish.

Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch ovenproof casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 1/2 cups of cream, 1 cup of Parmesan, and the remaining garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, place a layer of potatoes in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and repeat with 2 more layers. Spoon the cabbage mixture on top and spread it out evenly over the potatoes. Top it off with 2 more layers of potato and Parmesan. Pour the remaining 1 cup cream over the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Leave for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives.

*Cook's Note: Slice the potatoes immediately before using so they don't turn brown.

4. Stuffing

2 loaves oven-dried white bread
2 cups cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 stick butter, melted
Mushroom Giblet Gravy, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Crumble oven-dried bread into a large bowl. Add rice and saltines.

Cook sausage in a large skillet until it starts to brown. Add celery and onion and saute until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour over bread and rice mixture. Add stock and mix well. Add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Add the beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix well. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the stuffing mixture for the Mushroom Giblet Gravy.

Pour stuffing into a greased pan and bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes.


Mushroom Giblet Gravy:
4 cups turkey or chicken stock
Giblets from 1 turkey
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons reserved stuffing mixture
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
2 pints button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring stock and giblets to a boil. Add bouillon and reserved stuffing mixture. Make a slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and water and add to the boiling stock; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms until browned in butter. Add mushrooms to gravy with egg and salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel

12 large sweet potatoes
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it's crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows; fold the streusel topping together to combine.

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the streusel topping and return to the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown.


6. Fresh Cranberry Relish

2 pounds fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Grand Marnier liqueur
1 orange, zested and juiced

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, pulse several times to breakdown the cranberries and incorporate the ingredients; it should still be a bit chunky. Allow the cranberry relish to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, so the flavors can marry.


7. Yeast Rolls

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
3/4 cup water water (98 to 105 degrees F)
2 1/2 cups plus 1/2 to 1 cup prepared biscuit mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Put the 2 1/2 cups of biscuit mix in a large bowl; stir in the sugar. Add the yeast mixture, stirring vigorously. Sprinkle the work surface generously with the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup biscuit mix.

Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead well, 15 to 20 times. Shape the dough as desired. (I shape heaping tablespoons of dough into balls). Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Just before putting into oven, brush rolls with melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the rolls again with melted butter while they're hot.

8. Pumpkin Pie

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.


Good Luck and have fun during your first Thanksgiving!!!

Answer 2

What a great friend you are to do this!
If you can't get the canned Pumpkin Pie filling, try to find some canned pumpkin. If that's not available, get a pumpkin and remove the rind, seeds, and membrane, chop it into equal sized pieces and boil until soft. Drain THOROUGHLY and mash. For the ingredients: www.fitnessandfreebies.com/food/pumpkin.html or
www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/pumpkinpie.php
for stuffing, chop day old bread into cubes and let dry. add just a bit of broth and seasonings to make into a stuffing (adding sauteed onions and celery is a nice touch)
Can you get canned cranberry sauce there? If not, you can make your own from frozen ones. Just simmer cranberries until skin bursts and they're slightly mushy then add as much sugar as there is cranberries and juice (or less if you prefer), a touch of orange juice and zest and it's good to go.
I hate this dish, but it is popular here: sweet potatoes cooked to a mush with miniature marshmallows carmelized on top (by broiling)
Green bean casserole: www.campbellkitchen.com/recipedetail.aspx?recipeID=24099
have fun! and enjoy each other - that's the most important part of Thanksgiving

Answer 3

Thanksgiving is usually celebrated by holding a big dinner with family. The following are traditional items served at the dinner...

a big turkey (traditional), goose or ham will work too
Lots of stuffing for the turkey
cranberry sauce
green beans in mushroom soup topped with crispy fried onions (called green bean casserole)
dinner rolls or bread with butter
other green vegetables
Sweet potatoes or sweet potato pie
mashed potatoes & turkey gravy, or scalloped potatoes
pecan pie, pumpkin pie, or apple pie for dessert

That's basically "it". Not all of that is cooked, but it is usually a big dinner. Typical "meat & 2 veg" is fine. it's really all about dining with family and close friends. Dinner is usually cooked all day and served early, about 5-6PM. After dinner most people retire to the living room and watch football (american) on TV.

Answer 4

Cook a large turkey, which is the tradition. Make stuffing (dont forget the cranberries), mashed potatoes, salad, and pumkin pie (tradition also). If you cant find a turkey, do a goose. Turkeys take awhile to cook, and if you stuff them, it takes a lot longer. They take long, but they are easy. Dont know what you have available in the UK though.

Answer 5

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, candied yams, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie....these are traditional Thanksgiving foods. Usually the women spend the day cooking while the men watch football. Prayers of thanks are done before the meal, and at our house, I like to go around the table and have each person name something they are thankful for in the past year.

Answer 6

you roast a whole turkey. when it's most of the way done, you fill it woth stuffing (a combination of cubed bread, spices, seasonings, and possibly other ingrediates like sausage or even small bits of fruits or nutes. There are lots of recpies on the internet). The stuffing that does not fit can be baked seperately.

you also need cranberry sauce. The modern "tradition" is simple pre-made canned (I don't know if that's available out you wway), but I like to make my own (there are Internet recipes of all sorts).

potatoes (baked or mashed), yams and/or sweet potatoes, and various other veggies are also common (depending on how many are coming, and how eleborate you want to get).
oh, and turkey gravy is a must!

one can also make dinner rolls/biscuits to go with the meal. Pumpkin pie is a traditional dessert.

damn, you're making me hungry!

Answer 7

invite your family and friends, along with your colleagues family and friends.

make a turkey with stuffing for dinner, mashed potatoes with gravy, and have cranberry sauce ( it comes in a can, usually our family tries to get the sauce out whole so it keeps the can shape). also there are almost always warm bread
usually there are foods that are considered comfort food.

for dessert make some sort of pie ( apple, pumpkin, peach)
if your colleague is christian, usually saying grace is important
everyone in our family usually eats in the same room,

oh and dont forget to watch football

Answer 8

That is so sweet of you.

If you have a big enough oven, stuff and roast a turkey. Other things people serve are cranberry sauce and all kinds of vegeatables (mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, sweet potatoes and even some non-starchy veggies). Apple pie for dessert. I am sure there are a lot of websites with ideas. Have fun, and make sure you leave plenty of time for the turkey to cook!

Answer 9

We aren't Americans so don't do Thanksgiving (we're in the UK) but we wanted to say that you are a good friend to do this for your colleague and it's nice to see there are people in this sometimes very selfish world who puts others before them. Well Done! We've often thought that us Brits should have a day similar to Thanksgiving although it wouldn't be for the same reason. We all have a lot of things to be thankful for and spending time with our loved ones and friends to let them know how much they are appreciated would be nice and/or to just be grateful for our lives and maybe do something for those less fortunate. But there are a lot of people who think Christmas is just for pigging out and getting drunk or there are many people, especially the elderly/people without famillies who are terribly lonely at Christmastime when shops are shut and the weather is awfully cold that they can't get out to socialise. For the people who just pig out having a Day of Thanks would be another excuse to do the same thing! We're certain you will put on a good day for your colleague and that she will be gratefully surprised. xxx

Answer 10

That is SO incredibly sweet of you! One of the customs is to go around and ask everyone what they are thankful for. I do not know if you usually pray before meals but this would be one to do so. (To thank God, you know!) Pumpkin pie recipe is on the back of the can (I've never been to the UK but here in US we have canned pumpkin, I assume its there too?) Hope this helps!

Answer 11

1 can pure pumpkin, 1 can condensed milk, 2 eggs slightly beaten, 3/4 cups sugar, 1tsp pumpkin spice ( cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) 1/2 tsp salt
Mix together and pour into 9" pie shell ( Americans usually use dough shells, but I buy the pre-made graham shells). makes 2 pies. bake in preheated oven 425 degrees for 15 minutes. reduce heat to 350 degrees for 45 minutes longer. use silver knife cut in center to make sure it's done. Knife should come out clean. Pie filling should be a darker orangy brown color when done. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream...
Traditions would be hard to observe with her friend being from Philadelphia. She would miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. usually the media starts broadcasting christmas movies on Thanksgiving. Indian corn hung on the door to remember the first Thanksgiving ( its colored corn with the husk pulled down, hung upside down for decoration. table wear varies from family to family use heirloom glassware, if you have it. Table wear colors would be in oranges, browns, yellows and green. Dress for the occassion would be casual-dressy, with emphasis on casual/ comfortable. No color preference whatever you like to wear is fine for Thanksgiving. men usually play football out in the yard, if you have one. Lots of cookies and appetizers. Green bean bake: 2 cans of green beans, 1 can mushroom soup, salt and pepper, mix together with 1 can of milk and 2/3 cups french fried onions. Bake 35 for 30 minutes. during last 5 minutes, add french fried onions around edges and serve warm. This is a favorite here. Sweet potatoes which can be baked and served with butter and possible brown sugar.
I hope this helps. Enjoy and most of all, have fun and be thankful!