I brine a Turkey each year share your brine recipes, also sides you do. This morning I seen a vegan stuffing with mushrooms, celery onion spices recipe. She said it was vegan yet she used 3 eggs, not sure what you could use as a binder? Clearly not vegan. Instead of bread, she used croissants. It looked pretty good to me.

So, what's in your oven, since I'm the Chief in my home I'm open to interesting idea's.

kv

 

I cook our turkey in a Weber charcoal grill. That frees up the oven for other stuff. My Wife says it makes preparing dinner less hectic.

Lately, I've seen advice from "experts" saying trying to baste your turkey is futile ("it'll just run off"). I baste my turkey with butter to get the skin nice and crispy brown. The turkey still cooks at 4-5 pounds per hour, so comments about basting also increasing cooking time is BS.

The turkey is so moist, that I've never considered brining. I leave that pop up timer in the turkey while cooking, so the juices don't run out, but I never let the darn thing pop. When that thing pops up, it means "turkey is dry". I always use a meat thermometer. The FDA lowered the safe cooking temperature years ago, but I still cook to around 170 because the meat isn't firm enough, for my taste, at the lowest safe temperature.

My Wife does the usual sides: mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, candied yams/sweet potatoes, rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, relish tray, couple different pies. She used to make a dessert we called "pink stuff", made with canned cherries, pineapple, Cool Whip, and shaved almonds, IIRC. One of her brothers really liked it, but he's on that keto diet and has sworn off carbs.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is juk (a rice porridge made from the carcass), sometimes spelled jook, for breakfast the next day. Even better than what my mom made because of the smokey flavor imparted from grilling with mesquite chips; and I take out all of the bones and other undesirable stuff.

 

I brine a Turkey each year share your brine recipes, also sides you do. This morning I seen a vegan stuffing with mushrooms, celery onion spices recipe. She said it was vegan yet she used 3 eggs, not sure what you could use as a binder? Clearly not vegan. Instead of bread, she used croissants. It looked pretty good to me.

So, what's in your oven, since I'm the Chief in my home I'm open to interesting idea's.

kv

I got my turkey into the brine bucket this afternoon for a Saturday feast. I'll make fresh cranberries and bake some squash. I make a simple stuffing I discovered a few years back. It's just Stove-Top - prepared per the instructions on the box - mixed with a fresh batch of rice, and then popped in the oven to keep warm until serving. It's the only 'store bought' item on the table but it's super easy and is always a big hit.

My preference for dessert is a real pumpkin pie with plenty of whipped cream, of course. I'm farming out dessert this year to guests, so I may not get my favorite.

Oh, and we'll have mashed potatoes to hold the gravy in place, and some fresh green vegetable for color. Brussels sprouts, perhaps.

And lots of cold white wine.

 

Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, a bread stuffing my wife makes, yams sauteed in butter and brown sugar, the bean casserole, mashed potatoes, whole cranberry sauce, pickled eggs and beets, gravy and rolls. Thanksgiving now consist of my wife and I so it is no longer the massive family feast. That comes next month for Christmas.

Over the years the turkey has gone through changes, matter of fact this year it is only turkey breast. Was about 20 years ago when we were married for 10 years I roasted a turkey with smoke on my Weber kettle grill. Kathy doubted my abilities so much so that she made another turkey in the oven. Tsk, tsk as when my bird ht the table it was reduced to a skeleton in no time. Kathy is a great cook but I am after all a NYC born Italian so I know my way around a kitchen. There were also years where the big fryer came out I love deep fried turkey and the brown paper bay method, the list goes on.

I also started using Birds Eye Bavarian Green Beans for the casserole, they had spaetzels in them and I really liked that touch. I guess I was alone as Birds Eye quit making them a few years back. So now I buy the spaetzel dough and make my own to mix in the green bean casserole.

Personally I can no longer see a point in making all this stuff as dinner for two but Kathy really gets into it so I let her have at it. I do inject the turkey breast with melted butter and also get it just under the skin so it gets that nice crackle effect, sort of like when you french fry one.

Christmas will be the big deal where all the family gathers at "the big house" which is my sister's house now and formerly my mothers. We start Christmas Eve with traditional Italian, the Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian: Festa dei sette pesci), also known as The Eve (La Vigilia, cognate to The Vigil), is an Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve with dishes of fish and other seafood. No meat is consumed. We slowly work through 7 courses of assorted seafood but that is another story for Christmas. I need to order my contribution of smoked salmon.

Ron

 

As I am not from the USA, I do not celebrate Thanksgiving but have always been really interested to hear about peoples traditions, including food. I may have to try some of these options for Christmas! Thanks every one for sharing

 

As I am not from the USA, I do not celebrate Thanksgiving but have always been really interested to hear about peoples traditions, including food. I may have to try some of these options for Christmas! Thanks every one for sharing

I believe around this forum you will find food places a close second place to electronics. The Off Topic section has had some really great food threads over the years.

Ron

 

I also started using Birds Eye Bavarian Green Beans for the casserole, they had spaetzels in them and I really liked that touch. I guess I was alone as Birds Eye quit making them a few years back

We still have them here in the sticks.

I see most talking about cranberry sauce. My family does cranberries a little different. We have cranberry salad, something my mom started making back in the 1960's. It uses raw crushed cranberries, crushed pineapple, celery, in a jello mold. Much better to my way of thinking.

 

We still have them here in the sticks.

I see most talking about cranberry sauce. My family does cranberries a little different. We have cranberry salad, something my mom started making back in the 1960's. It uses raw crushed cranberries, crushed pineapple, celery, in a jello mold. Much better to my way of thinking.

I’ve made a cranberry sauce that a friend’s grandma used to make. Basically it was cranberries, sour cream and a little jalapeño all in the blender. Sounds odd but it’s a beautiful red and very good with the turkey.

 

I love some of the takes and suggestions as to cranberry. I always have liked those little berries and drink plenty of cranberry juice.

Ron

 

Interesting responses, I wonder what @cmartinez would make, what ever it is we need the recipe not just pictures.

kv

 

Have you all heard about the lettuce?

 

Interesting responses, I wonder what @cmartinez would make, what ever it is we need the recipe not just pictures.

kv

That thought has crossed my mind since I saw the thread. I have often thought it would be well worth the trip from Cleveland, Ohio to Mexico just for dinner at his house.

Ron

 

Have you all heard about the lettuce?

?? The dishes on the table are traditionally things that are fresh and in season. Where I live, that doesn’t include lettuce. That’s what turkey sandwiches are for.

 

That thought has crossed my mind since I saw the thread. I have often thought it would be well worth the trip from Cleveland, Ohio to Mexico just for dinner at his house.

Ron

You overestimate my abilities, my friend... .I've done smoked turkey before, but it was for Christmas dinner since we don't celebrate Thanksgiving down here ... although it's an excellent tradition that we should give a thought about embracing some day ... and not just that silly Halloween festivity

Anyway, if it's any consolation, I'll be more than glad to share pictures, recipes and traditions when Christmas time is here.

 

Anyway, if it's any consolation, I'll be more than glad to share pictures, recipes and traditions when Christmas time is here.

and as always I shall look forward to that with the greatest of enthusiasm.

Ron

 

Have you all heard about the lettuce?

At our family gatherings the lettuce(salad) usually ends up being a 'center piece" on the table. Too many other good things to eat.

 

How about the rest of the year? Does any one else eat turkey then? We do .

 

You overestimate my abilities, my friend... .I've done smoked turkey before, but it was for Christmas dinner since we don't celebrate Thanksgiving down here ... but it's an excellent tradition that we should give a thought about embracing some day ... and not just that silly Halloween festivity

Anyway, if it's any consolation, I'll be more than glad to share pictures, recipes and traditions when Christmas time is here.

Why wait, mine is in 2 days, sheesh give a fella a break. I need idea's man, idea's for sides Not just beer either, so what would you serve with a smoked turkey.

kv

Edit: Oh, and do you brine before smoking the turkey.

 

How about the rest of the year? Does any one else eat turkey then?

We also have turkey for Christmas. If we had it too often, it wouldn't be as special. Besides, the grocery stores only have good prices on turkeys for Thanksgiving. We buy enough groceries to get two free turkeys and keep one for Christmas.

 

How about the rest of the year? Does any one else eat turkey then? We do .

Turkey, chicken and all sorts of foul. We normally OD on turkey at Thanksgiving so Christmas is other good stuff but within a few months turkey is back in the mainstream.

Ron