Can I just put a big suggestion out there to anyone who could do it, that celebrating Thanksgiving on Friday is a wonderful thing? When Thanksgiving week rolls around, I immediately get into “the mode” and start thinking about all the things that need to be done before we celebrate. Except I have an extra day during the week, and it just makes the week so relaxed and easy! The only prep work I’ve done so far is to get the turkeys thawing. Later today I’ll pop them in brine, and I’m thinking I should make my cranberry sauce today. Tomorrow, actual Thanksgiving Day, I’ll be baking up a few rounds of pie, but the real cooking won’t take place until Friday when we’re expecting company. AND when all the stores will be fully open so if we suddenly find we need something (like, oh, another bottle or two of wine!) we can just run and get it without trying to figure out if there are any grocery stores in town that are open.
Anyway, just in case you’re out there surfing the blogosphere looking for some last minute inspiration, I thought I’d share a few suggestions for things that are going on my Thanksgiving table.
Do you need some pie suggestions? Our favorite pie last year was this amazing Coconut Cream Pie from Bon Appetit. You can make it even easier by using a pre-made crust. I’m using a shortbread crust, so it makes the pie very quick and easy to put together.
Another pie I’m going to throw together is this stunning-to-look at Cranberry-Meringue Pie that I made a few years ago. I’m going to do something a little different with it though this time around. The filling part of the pie was so similar to canned cranberry sauce, that I’m simply going to use that, only I want to add some gelatin to it to get it to firm up a bit. I’ll blind bake my crust, so all I need to do, really, is add the filling, beat the egg whites, and then brown those up a bit in the oven.
A Fresh Blueberry Pie is also absolutely necessary. Ever since we started getting blueberries every summer, this pie has made an appearance using the berries that we froze back in July. Oh, it’s a very, very good blueberry pie. I can taste it already.
I’ll also be making a Pecan Pie, only this year it will be without the bittersweet chocolate chips. I really thought about a Coffee-Toffee Pecan Pie from Fine Cooking, but decided to save that for another time.
But maybe you need some inspiration for side dishes?
How about this recipe for making ahead your gravy. You make the gravy base earlier in the day, and then when the turkey is done, you use the drippings from the turkey to finish off the gravy. That way you’re not trying to assemble gravy last minute. This made the best turkey gravy ever- and I used chicken broth for the base in the first place.
And then there’s Streuseled Sweet Potatoes. I’m usually a marshmallow-on-top kind of gal, but this recipe is absolutely delicious, and there’s never very much left at the end of the night.
These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic will be on the table, provided I can find fresh sprouts Friday morning.
Here’s a wicked easy recipe for Celery-Onion Stuffing. I made this one up for the paper a few years ago, and it was really, really close to Mom’s. It still isn’t Mom’s, and that’s why she’s bringing the stuffing, but it comes in a close second since you can’t have my Mom to make your stuffing.
And oh yes, here’s some of the best cranberry sauce ever. This Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce is a must make for us. It’s very easy to make with fresh cranberries (or frozen) and the pineapple just gives it that little something that makes it unique and lip-smacking delicious.
Anyway, there are just a few suggestions for easy food to make for your Thanksgiving feast. When Friday rolls around, I will have everything I am making either prepped, prepared, or in the oven by the time guests roll in so that I can spend my time visiting- and not spend it all in the kitchen.
Happy Thanksgiving!