Hey sweet readers . . . are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year?  Feeling overwhelmed, perhaps, just thinking of all you have to do to get ready?  This post from last year might help start your engine!

Go get-’em!  I get energized by battle metaphors – it’s not very Martha Stewart, but I gotta be me.

A few of you have asked for ways to deal with hosting, so below is my 12-step program for handling a holiday.  The goal of this is to minimize stress leading up to Thanksgiving, so please, tweak and tailor it to your needs.

1. Get yourself a folder with pockets.  You’re going to keep all your Thanksgiving-related stuff in here (recipes, guest lists, shopping lists, time-lines etc.).
2. Plan your guest list.  I do all my lists on the computer so that I can easily edit them.  Divide up your list into adults and kids – if the kids are small, they’ll eat less – a big factor in deciding what size turkey to buy.
3. Order a turkey, if you’re going to order one.  Here’s a good turkey-guide from Reader’s Digest – it gives you guidance as to how much to allow per person.
4. Plan your menu.  List all the dishes you’re going to serve, and gather up all your recipes – whether from your own collection or clipped from magazines – and put these in your folder.  Don’t forget cocktails, if you’re interested in those – you might need special ingredients. If your recipes come from cookbooks, note the cookbook name and page number next to the item on your menu.
5. Make assignments.  If your guests are local, most would love to bring something to contribute to the meal.  Don’t be a hero – let them!  Note who’s responsible for what next to each item on your menu list. 
6. Make a shopping list.  Go through all your recipes and figure out what you need to buy.  Note that there are probably a lot of items that you can get far ahead of time (even fresh cranberries keep very well in the freezer) . . . so buy them weeks early and save yourself hassle as Thanksgiving approaches.  This includes booze and wine.  They’ll keep, and the stores are just going to get nuttier and nuttier.  Trust me.
7. Make a “big picture” timeline.  Start working backwards from the holiday.  For instance, the day before Thanksgiving, I plan on picking up my turkey and any other super-perishables and last-minute items).  My advice here is to do all that you can as far in advance as you can.  For instance – do you have an hour while your kid is napping or in the evening after work?  Make some pie crusts and throw them in the freezer – you could do this today!  Make-ahead white mashed potatoes can be done as far as 3 days in advance, wrapped well, and stored in the fridge.  I do my sweet potatoes (keep any toppings in a separate zip-top bag and top immediately before baking) and stuffing the day before.
8. Make a “day of” timeline.  Mine from last year says “Dinner at 4, Guests Arrive at 2” at the top – then I work my way from 6:30 a.m. (frozen apple pie in the oven) all the way down to 3:55 (dress salad and eat!), taking into account cooking times and when the guests are going to arrive (for example, I started prepping appetizers and getting the bar ready at 1:00 p.m.).  Include lead-time to remove things you’ve been storing in the fridge (like your turkey, or potatoes and stuffing) in advance of heating them – room-temp stuff will cook more true-to-time.
9. Figure out seating.  Can everyone be at one table?  Fab!  If you’re dividing folks up, decide who’s going where.  You might want to edit your guest list with this information.
10. Deal with serveware issues.  Take out what you’ve got and use a sticky-note to label what you’re serving in each one.  Note if you’re missing any necessary pieces and borrow or buy them.  Are you using silver?  Shine it up one night while you watch television or something.  This can be done weeks in advance – it’ll still look great.  What about glassware and crystal?  It gets dusty in the cabinet after some time – assess your situation and start washing (and drying, ugh) soon.
11. Deal with seating and table-top issues.  If you’re having multiple tables, do you have what you need in terms of extra tables and chairs?  Linens?  What’re you going to do for a centerpiece?  Make a list and procure that wicker cornucopia before they’re sold out!  Do you have candles on hand?  Are you using fresh fruits and/or flowers?  Include buying those in your big-picture timeline.
12. Set your table the night before.  Don’t forget that you might have to iron linens . . . factor that into your big-picture timeline!

I hope I didn’t leave anything out, and I hope this helps you – I know it provides me with a good sense of security and control!  And remember, something will always go awry last-minute (turkey takes longer/shorter time, you forgot whipped cream for pies and have to go to the convenience store) – don’t freak!  Instead, breathe deeply, edit your “day of” timeline accordingly, pour yourself a drink, enjoy your company and consider all that you have to be thankful for.

© 2010 – 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, thanks to D.’s sister and our BIL’s hospitality.  Always a lovely time over there.  And my MIL made this luscious pumpkin chiffon pie thingy . . . maybe if we give her some love here, she’ll give up the recipe for next year?  I have to admit, although I love putting on the holiday at our place, it’s incredibly relaxing to have someone else host. 

The only downside to guesting and not hosting is no leftovers (or very few, we drove home packing a large drumstick and some sides!).  That might be an upside in terms of getting back on track with healthy eating . . . but then there’s no turkey sandwich w/stuffing and cranberry sauce, pie for breakfast (my niece is probably happily gobbling up the apple pie I made as you read this), etc. etc.

But maybe you want to mix it up with your leftovers?  Here’s a fantastic article from Food & Wine – David Chang (of Momofuku fame) takes leftover turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes, among others, and whips them into inspired recipes like mashed potato spring rolls, turkey breast with ginger-scallion sauce, and OMG!  Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze and Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust.  Be still, my heart.

Or, if that’s a little too fancy-pants for you, here’re some more down-to-earth ideas from Chowhound . . . .

and a whole list of inspired recipes from an old Chow article.

And last, here’s a slide show of 16 different recipes, from the ever-reliable Better Homes & Gardens.  The Tex-Mex things look best to me, but I always have good luck with BH&G recipes . . . even if I have to zing ‘em up a bit.

Let me know what you whip up – and if you’re making any of those Chang things, let me know what time I need to be over . . . .

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Happy Friday, everyone!  This is my last Thanksgiving-related post, unless I get requests for other dishes . . . what I’ve listed so far is my hit-parade of annual menu items.  The cooked veg changes from year-to-year (sometimes, my MIL makes a delicious creamy broccoli casserole thingy that’s worth the splurge).

Today I’m sharing a nice fall salad recipe that I make on Turkey day.  I have to admit, the salad doesn’t get as much play as the other side dishes.  But I happen to love a green salad amongst all the richness.  Don’t get me wrong, I love richness too, but a little somethin’ to cut the grease is always good.

Cranberry Pear Salad With Candied Walnuts

Make the dressing:  in a bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients and set aside. 

Candy the walnuts:  In a heavy skillet, melt the sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Add the walnuts and stir to coat.  Remove from the heat.

Assemble the salad:  In a large salad bowl, combine the green, pears and cranberries.  Drizzle with the dressing.  Add nuts and blue cheese and toss.

Serve immediately.  Yields 12 servings.

Note:  I usually try to pick up some different types of pears for this, some with more brown flesh, some with red . . . makes the salad more colorful!  Also, if you have the wherewithall to plan ahead, get your pears a few days in advance so they’ll have time to ripen.  Sweet, juicy pears are best here.

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Mmmmm, mashed potatoes and gravy!  Can you tell that for me, Thanksgiving is all about the side dishes?  Turkey’s OK, but what really gets me fired up are all of the once-a-year traditional foods we eat along with the bird.

These are not light.  Not great for you, but they’re a rich, creamy, easy and indulgent holiday side-dish that you can make several days ahead and store in your fridge.

Sarah’s Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Combine the mashed potatoes, butter, cream cheese, sour cream and milk.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Mix well and place in a large, oven-proof casserole.  Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.

If you do make these ahead and put them in the fridge, removed them from the fridge 30 minutes before you intend to bake them.

Yields 12 servings. 

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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or dressing, or whatever you want to call it, is one of my favorite components of Thanksgiving dinner.  Yes, it comes with some debate, as do most things around a holiday.  Put it in the bird?  Leave it out of the bird?  Add meat?  Dried fruit?  Nuts?  None of the above?  People get craaaazy about their stuffing preferences.

Here’s what I like.  I like either a very simple white bread stuffing with sage, celery, parsley and onions, or else I like a full-frontal assault of oozy, rich sausagey stuffing.  More recently, the latter.  Either way, I love it most cooked inside the bird, and whatever you do, leave the fruit and nuts out of the picture.

I have 2 stuffing recipes for you today.  The simple recipe was my Grandmother Olivier’s recipe, which she called dressing, and which is much loved by all who taste it.  It is, of course, not an exact recipe, so you’re going to have to trust your gut on quantities, and you can certainly tweak amounts to your liking.  I’ve included my editorial suggestions in brackets.  If you make this recipe, please do promise me you’ll set an elegant table.  Were Peggy here today, she’d insist on that. 

Peggy Olivier’s Turkey Dressing

Approximately 2 lbs. of dry white sandwich bread for a 20-lb. turkey, you’ll have some left to bake outside the bird.  [Procure your bread (I think she used Pepperidge Farm white sandwich bread), remove crusts and cut into cubes.  Spread the cubes on a couple of large cookie sheets.  Either leave it out overnight, or else toast it in a 250-degree oven 'til it's dried out and crispy.]

Fry bread, celery [approximately 1 c. finely diced], flat-leaf parsely [approximately 1/2 c. chopped], onions [2, finely diced] in 1 stick of margarine [OK, I never use margarine - I use about 2 sticks of salted butter] until the onions and celery are tender.  [I'd saute up the onions, parsley and celery first, and then add the bread crumbs.]  Sprinkle salt, pepper and dried sage over the bread crumbs to taste.

Add 2-3 bouillon cubes to 2 c. of water to the crumbs [again, I never use bouillon anymore . . . so I add 2 c. of chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth, but you could use turkey (or veg) stock too - point is, you need moisture]. 

Stuff your turkey, but be careful not to pack it too tightly.  Bake the remainder alongside the turkey in a buttered oven-proof casserole dish.

OK, that’s the simple side.  It’s rich enough with the butter.  But this next one, my current stuffing of favor, is super-duper rich.  You’ve gotta like sausage to like this one, ’cause it’s got a lot.  If you know me, you know I LOVE sausage.  Even from street vendors.  I know, a paradox.  I digress.

If you can, get freshly-made sausages, and buy bulk sausage (that means, sausage meat not stuffed into the casings) because it makes things go much more quickly.  I buy my sausage at DePasquale’s in Newton . . . the service might be gruff, but they make the best darn sausage around here.

Italian Sausage Stuffing

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread the bread cubes in a large roasting pan and toast them for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil.  Add sausage and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the meat, until browned with no trace of pink.  Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened.  Stir in the sage and butter.  Add to the roasting pan with the toasted bread and toss.  Stir in 2 c. stock, season with salt & pepper to taste.

This stuffs an 18-20 lb. bird.  Again, don’t over-stuff your turkey and cook any remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish.  I make this the day before Thanksgiving, and put it into a giant glass storage container in the fridge – pull it out in the a.m. when you’re bringing your turkey to room temp. before roasting, stuff it up, truss it up, and let it fly.  Well, not so much the flying, right?

© 2009 – 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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This morning, I’m reminded of the very good “Thanksgiving Countdown”on Epicurious.  We’re down to two weeks before the big day, but you can look back over the past weeks’ tips for ideas as well.  This weekend’s task is to make things you can freeze, and this recipe for Sweet Potato Rolls With Dried Tart Cherries and Cardamom sounds divine . . . .

And in my mind, there’s no better way to pass a cold, rainy November Saturday in Boston than cooking and eating!

Cheers!

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Today’s recipe combines sweet potatoes, another treat from my CSA share, with Thanksgiving:  my sure-fire crowd-pleasing Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.  I make this for every Thanksgiving and people LOVE it.  It’s sweet, nutty, and because it’s a riff off an old Cooking Light recipe, it doesn’t break the calorie bank.  This is so tasty, I’ve been known to eat this for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving (yes, leftover pie, too – no one ever said Thanksgiving weekend wasn’t a little bit of a nutritional nightmare).  If my SIL wants me to, I’ll make it this year, too, but I’ll use the local sweet potatoes I got in my share . . . sure to increase the deliciousness.

Streuseled Sweet Potato Casserole

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes, or until tender; drain.  Using a stand mixer, whisk the half-and-half with the next 4 ingredients (through eggs).  Change to the paddle attachment, add the potato to the egg mixture, and beat at medium speed until smooth.  Spoon the potato mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Combine the flour and sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine.  Add the chilled butter, pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 

Toast the pecans in a small, dry skillet.  Stir the pecans into the flour and sugar mixture and sprinkle this over the potato mixture.  Cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated. 

This will yield 18 1/2-cup servings.

If you want to make this ahead of time – make up your potato mixture and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  Make up the streusel mixture and store it in a separate airtight container.  When you’re ready to bake, put the potatoes in your baking dish, top with the streusel, and you’re good to go.

What if you don’t have a stand mixer?  Not to worry – you can use a hand mixer or some serious elbow grease and a potato masher.  No food processor?  Cut the butter into the flour and sugar mixture with two knives.

Have a great weekend, all!

© 2009, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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