Proper Prospective

Thanksgiving Day Traditional Foods and Their Recipes

Roast Turkey
Ingredients:

  • 1 whole turkey (12-14 pounds)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
  2. Remove giblets and pat the turkey dry.
  3. Rub butter all over the turkey and season generously with salt and pepper.
  4. Stuff the cavity with onion, lemon, and herbs. (Thyme, Sage, Etc)
  5. Place turkey breast side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
  6. Roast for about 3-4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
  7. Let rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Substitute bread stuffing for onion, lemon and herbs.

Turkey Bread Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 10 cups cubed day-old bread (white, whole wheat, or a mix)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups diced onions
  • 1 ½ cups diced celery
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Spread the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until dry and slightly golden. Remove and set aside.
  3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery, cooking until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper; cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes with the cooked vegetable and herb mixture.
  6. Pour in 2 cups of broth and the beaten eggs; gently toss to combine. Add more broth as needed to moisten the stuffing but not make it soggy.
  7. If stuffing the turkey, loosely fill the cavity just before roasting. If baking separately, transfer the stuffing to a greased baking dish.
  8. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden and crisp.
  9. Serve warm alongside your turkey and enjoy!

Tips:

  • For extra flavor, add cooked sausage, mushrooms, or nuts.
  • Make sure the stuffing is not too wet to ensure a nice texture.
  • You can prepare the stuffing a day ahead and refrigerate, then bake before serving.

Giblet Gravy Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Giblets from one turkey (neck, heart, liver, gizzard)
  • 4 cups turkey or chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the giblets (except the liver) and place them in a saucepan with the neck, chopped onion, celery, carrot, and garlic.
  2. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour until giblets are tender.
  3. Remove giblets and neck from the broth. Strain broth to remove vegetables.
  4. Chop the giblets finely; discard the neck or remove meat from neck bones and chop.
  5. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
  6. Whisk in flour to make a roux, cooking for about 2 minutes without browning.
  7. Gradually whisk in the strained broth, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens.
  8. Add chopped giblets, season with salt and pepper.
  9. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve hot with turkey.

Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. Drain and mash potatoes until smooth.
  3. Heat milk and butter together until butter melts.
  4. Stir milk mixture into mashed potatoes.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.

Cranberry Sauce

  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • Optional: orange zest or cinnamon stick

Instructions:

  1. In a saucepan, combine water and sugar; bring to a boil.
  2. Add cranberries and return to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberries burst and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and cool. Add optional flavorings if desired.

Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) green beans, drained
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/3 cups fried onions

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine green beans, soup, and milk.
  3. Pour mixture into a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle fried onions on top and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
  5. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
  7. Serve chilled or at room temperature with whipped cream if desired.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving feast!