Thanksgiving Dinner Menu – Gobble Gobble!

This past week has been a holiday food frenzy.  But not the holiday I was actually planning on planning.  Nope, not the Thanksgiving Dinner Menu.  It was a red and green sugar fest over here.  You see I had a big project for my grocery client to finalize.  Which had the unfortunate side effect of forcing me to put off my own Thanksgiving menu plan.  I’ve had relatives calling me for over a week now asking, “What can I bring?”, “What are we having?”, “What time should I be there?”, “Red or white?” and the ever popular, “Will there be pumpkin pie?”

I didn’t have answers to their questions.  Except for the last two: Both and Fo’ sho!  With Thanksgiving now five days away and 16 people relying on me to bust out a memorable feast, I figured it was best time I get on it.  So, without further ado, here is the official Harding Thanksgiving 2013 Menu Plan.  Drum roll please!

Appetizers:

 

Baked Brie and Sweet Potato Bites, recipe from Big Girls Small Kitchen… Gotta sneak some sweet potatoes in there somewhere.  But in my house they aren’t the star.  My dad hates ’em. Which is a shame, isn’t it?

Hot Onion Dip with French Fried Onions  (recipe from A Spicy Perspective) serve with pita chips and fresh veggies and you shan’t hear “Is it ready yet?” for a good long while!

The Main Meal:

For a small group, this Maple Spiced Turkey Breast is AWESOME!  https://forksandfolly.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-dinner-menu-201/.  In all actuality, however, my dad will be smoking a big ol’ turkey for our group.  Wish I had his recipe, but I’ve been told it’s a secret.

I will however be making this Bourbon Apple Cider gravy this year: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/maple-cider-brined-turkey-50400000116730/.  Because what’s a Thanksgiving dinner without Apple Cider.  Or Bourbon…?  Speaking of  all things drunken, you won’t want to miss:

You’ll love this recipe I crafted last year on the fly….

Drunken Cranberry Sauce Recipe:

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, combine 1 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 orange juice, 1/4 white wine, and 1/4 water.  Stir to combine and add the zest of one lemon, a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt.  Heat over medium heat, stirring often.  Cook until cranberries plump back up and sauce is thickened.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Pour mixture into food processor and puree until you get a “jellied” consistency.

We always have the following two recipes for Thanksgiving AND Christmas:

Family Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes: https://forksandfolly.com/2010/11/the-thanksgiving-meal-a-last-minute-menu-helper/

Family Recipe: Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole (Stuffing-ish): https://forksandfolly.com/2010/11/the-thanksgiving-meal-a-last-minute-menu-helper/

And then, because you should probably serve something green –

Roasted Greens Salad (with Brussels Sprouts and Kale), recipe from Eighty Twenty

Green Bean Casserole, from scratch! – recipe from Williams Sonoma

Now you might wanna save room for a wee bit of Dessert.  At my house we’ll have:

Pumpkin Chess Pie, recipe form Zestuous.com

White Chocolate Pistachio Tart, recipe from the Cooking Club

What family gathering would be complete without a festive cocktail? Not many, I can assure you.  Don’t miss out on some family fun by making some Apple Cider Sangria.  This delish recipe is from Foodista.

So, what’d I miss? What are you serving up this year?  Share your recipes!