
The Aftermath
This Sunday I thought it would be fun to have a bunch of people come over and cook an entire Thanksgiving meal…from scratch. No I was not drugged or bribed to do it…it was all in the name of charity. The guests brought donations for The Heifer Project, link here, and in return they got full bellies. Not a bad deal.
So I took this as an opportunity to practice some new recipes for Thanksgiving, since I have to work at the tea shop the day after Thanksgiving (yey for retail!) Mom and Dad are coming down to Raleigh to celebrate. Scottie fried two turkeys and I made all of the sides including homemade rolls and desserts. I woke up at 8am, started cooking, took a few hours to pick up some flowers and wine, then back to cooking until the first guest arrived at 4:10pm…an hour early! Did I mention my dining room table collapsed while we were trying to open the leaf, yeah…and broke my awesome lasagna pan…and scratched my floor. But no meltdown for me! It was quite a milestone, Scottie was proud of me. Nonetheless, Scottie and I went into Dinner Impossible mode and got it done, dinner was served by 5:30pm. Only 30 minutes late but there was wine and football so the guests were happy.
The menu included:
Fried Turkeys
Sweet Potato Casserole
Creamy Herbed Potatoes from the Pioneer Woman
Giada’s Ciabatta and Pancetta Stuffing
Glazed Carrots from the Pioneer Woman
Sauteed Kale from Simple Recipes
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Homemade Rolls
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie (recipes in another post)
Everything was a hit, especially the stuffing which surprised me, but I guess anything with bacon is a good thing. The turkeys were also perfect despise an initial oil overflow, Scottie made it work and I am so appreciative of that!
Below are a few of the recipes I tried, all with great results so I am excited to try them again!
Sautéed Kale with Smoked Paprika
From Simply Recipes
1 lb fresh kale, carefully rinsed, stems and center ribs cut away and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (also sold as Pimenton), sweet or hot
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
Salt
1 Bring a large pot (4 qts) of water to a boil. Add a Tablespoon of salt to the water. Add the chopped kale. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper. Add the kale and sauté for several more minutes. Sprinkle on more salt and smoked paprika to taste.
Creamy Herbed Potatoes
From the Pioneer Woman
4 to 5 russet potatoes
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (half & half works, too)
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice potatoes very thinly.
Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat, When melted, add diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt.
Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine.
Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs.
Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top.
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubby and…bubby. Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.
Whiskey-Glazed Carrots
From the Pioneer Woman
2 - 3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
1 stick (1/2 cup…1/4 lb) butter
1/2 cup Jack Daniels or other whiskey
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots in two batches, cooking for 60 to 90 seconds each batch. Remove from skillet.
Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter.
When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top.
Stir together, then add carrots to skillet.
Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes.
Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.