Tina at Building a Family asks:
I’d love advice on how to cut down the traditional family thanksgiving dinner so it serves two without sacrificing the quality of the food. most one or two person thank giving recipes have turned out pretty pathetic taste wise. Reasonable amounts of left overs are acceptable but I don’t want to eat that dinner - no matter how fab for a month.
I am about to suggest something, Tina, that sort of makes me want to stab myself in the face. The reason I have this case of the stabbies is simple: I got this idea from Rachel Ray. Rachel Freaking Ray. You know how I feel about Ray Ray.
But here it is: just roast a turkey breast. Of course, if you are in to dark meat, you will miss out, but this seems like a perfect solution. It is smaller, yet still has skin to stuff herbs, some lemon zest, and butter under. There will still be some leftovers, but a manageable amount.
If you aren’t in to the turkey breast idea, how about cornish game hens? I know to many people that Thanksgiving means turkey, but truth be told, I feel like half the people I know don’t even like it. Buck tradition a little, roast everyone a hen, and be done with it.
As far as the other stuff goes, I say be brutal and make cuts as to what you are going to have for side dishes. For me, the mashed potatoes are always the first to find their way to the chopping block; I can eat those any time. But a Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce or cornbread stuffing? Unthinkable. Unclutter your table and make some tough choices.
Lastly, get out of the mindset that you need to make huge portions. Dice up and roast two sweet potatoes instead of making an elaborate casserole with 6. Make a quick stuffing with a few pieces of bread. Purchase a few rolls, loose, at the bakery instead of a whole package. Throw together a small, simple apple crisp with a crumble topping instead of a huge pie. It seems obvious, but us gluttonous Americans have a tendency to think more is more and we are not satisfied unless our bowls are overflowing. Simplify, simplify, simplify.
The next few weeks are going to be filled with Thanksgiving posts, so if you have questions pipe up.
Cornbread stuffing?? I am unfamiliar.
DINNER PARTY!!!
Oh, it is perfection. I cannot live without it. I have a recipe going up next week.
We should have a blogger pot-luck thanksgiving party. We each bring our best dishes and share in some blogger thanksgiving love. I’m bringing the canned cranberry sauce
Total secret shame: I kinda love cranberry from a can…jelly of course.
I have a Turkey Day question: My sister-in-law hosts and cooks Thanksgiving every year for 30 people and this year I actually want to bring something (I’m thinking side dish?) that will wow everyone. What do you suggest that I make that people die a little bit over?
30 people! Good lord. This uses a muffin mix, which may be essential and easier for such a large crowd-corn casserole. These bourbon sweet potatoes I made last year were crazy good as well.
I have a question: how is it going to cost more for my goddamn train ticket (fewer than 200 miles, within the northeast corridor) home for Thanksgiving than it is for my plane ticket to A’s (into and out of JFK)?? F-ing Amtrak.
Yeah, issue 249 regarding rail. Sorry kiddo.
Two thoughts:
1. You can also roast a chicken. It’s enough food for two and you get the pleasure of carving a carcass. It can be stuffed much like a turkey.
2. Julie- You should ask your sister in law before you go nuts and cook something amazing. Some people actually take offense when guests show up with food and will shove your dish in a corner where it will be neglected. A nice bottle of bubbly ALWAYS goes over well.
I’m having an orphanss t-giving this year. Everyone who isn’t traveling home is coming to my house for food and booze.
Good call, bh. Or make sure what you are bringing isn’t a duplication. You wouldn’t want two green bean casseroles or whatever.
That corn casserole is dangerously Midwestern in its design (dump ingredients, including a pre-mix, into dish; bake), and it’s ballsy of you to suggest it, Lemmonex, but damn if it isn’t f-ing delicious! My ex’s family used to make it regularly, and my plate at those meals would be 75% corn casserole, 10% salad, 15% protein. (Yes, exactly those proportions.)
I knew it was a risk, but seriously, it is so freaking good. Everyone goes nuts for corn casserole.
You should always clear bringing a dish with the hostess - you especially don’t want to make something she’s making, or has made before, and then upstage her. That never goes over well.
It most certainly does not.
Thanksgiving with my family is insane!!! Usually there is 30-45 people, depending on if people bring a charity case (we all have those friends). So roasting a 35 lb. bird is a usual deal, but I get uber obsessed about making sure it is perfect-basting every half hour-bag just doesn’t compare. Plus, since I have a huge barrel smoker I usually make 25 lbs. of smoked bourbon ribs and other various cuts of meat that people bring over. My house becomes the official male hang hang out and beer drinking head quarters for all things beer and carcasses on turkey day. Plus, the HD wide screen with loads of football doesn’t hurt.
Bourbon ribs! Now that is my kind of Thanksgiving.
I usually get drunk, play Grand Theft Auto and watch DVDs. So, Thanksgiving is a typical Thursday at my house.
And I am sure you are drunk before noon…just like every other Thursday.
I should’ve prefaced my question by stating that I told her that I’d really love to bring something to the table this year and she was genuinely really excited. She’s been in the family for over 10 years so she’s more like my sister than my sister-in-law, I just thought I’d help out the table and display some of my skills.
I’m loving the corn casserole idea! Thanks girl - I knew you’d have the perfect answer.
It is simple and down home, but people will love it. Glad I could help.
I don’t understand why anyone would want to cut down the amount of food they prepare.
One of the best parts about Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers that last nearly a week!
I don’t ask the questions, I just answer ‘em. I agree, though-I could eat leftover sandwiches for weeks.
Aw, c’mon, don’t let RR get you down. Have a healthful sammie with some EVOO - it’s yummo!
You are dead to me.
We’re definitely doing a turkey breast this year. My two cents on roasting a breast instead of the whole bird is definitely brine. Without the extra dark meat fatty goodness, it definitely needs it.
This T-day is going to be on the small, so I’m definitely looking forward to perusing suggestions!
Yes, brining is a good call. Either that or, um, slather it in butter.
i just printed the corn casserole recipe…im soooo making that..
xoxo
Oh, good…lemme know what you think.
I think you’d like the recipe for Roasted Yam and Apple Salad on this page : http://www.veggienut.com/recipes.html
It has sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries and toasted almonds in a slightly sweet curry dressing. It is so good! I’m going to make it for Thanksgiving as my yearly “non-traditional” side.
Curry and apples are amazing together…this looks fantastic.
know to many people that Thanksgiving means turkey, but truth be told, I feel like half the people I know don’t even like it.
My reasoned suspicion is that it’s somewhere north of 75%. Note how rare it is for people to eat a forkful of turkey without covering it with gravy and/or cranberry sauce. That’s pretty good evidence that the taste of turkey by itself doesn’t appeal to most people.
Peter
I would agree. The turkey serves as vehicle for the gravy. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
I know right? We eat lamb. The turkey gets made the night before and it’s basically for sandwiches and a carcass to make gravy from.
Oh, lamb. Lamb, how I love you.
I got oodles of praise for this dish:
http://www.recipezaar.com/Paula-Deens-Broccoli-Casserole-267645
Really easy, really good. And you can cut the recipe down to just one bag of broccoli.
Cheese, mayo and butter! I love sucking every ounce of health out of vegetables.
This question can easily be answered with four words:
Kenny. &. Bon’s. Roasters.
They make the perfect bird, and it doesn’t have to be turkey or chicken. They’ll roast bald eagle, black crow, barn owl, anything….
Bald eagle is a delicacy in 27 states.
Oh, you know they love themselves some bald eagle in the Alaska governor’s mansion. Especially if dressed in Neiman.
That makes absolutely no sense, whatsoever.
I’m either going to fry a turkey or grill some leg of lamb for thanksgiving this year. If I fry a turkey, I’ll break out the smoker and make ribs for me. YUM!!!
I have only had fried turkey once…I must try it again soon.
Last weekend I went to a deep friend turkey party. I realize this is the opposite of helpful, as this has nothing to do with small portions and everything to do with a surfeit of turkey. Really most, delicious mounds of turkey. MMMMMM.
You are ALWAYS helpful. I adore surfeits of turkey.
Mostly I just want to get one of those big A** fryers from home depot and just start frying everything.
You can say ass here, bh. No need to censor.
Bald Eagle? Peter’s gonna be pissed.
I roasted duck a few times when I wanted a smaller meal. Worked out well.
Duck is also a fab idea.
My children are coming home for Thanksgiving, meaning it will be dinner for 4, so I am in the same boat as Tina. I just had a long conversation with my beautiful daughter (24) in SF about the menu. She wants something with fennel. Any good ideas? My only fennel recipe is fennel with figs, which may or may not work for Thanksgiving. We are getting a free-range turkey from Polyface Farm (driving 150 miles each way to pick it up, so it had better be delicious!) We have decided to brine the turkey, which is good since I just bought a brining mix at Penzey’s Spice House in Chicago. I am starting to think about the rest of the meal and will look forward to anything you might suggest!
Know anyone who might want to go out with my somewhat shy lawyer son (27) who will be visiting from Hamburg, Germany, where he teaches English right now? (He would die if he knew I threw this out to the world, but I am his Mom!)
AW, that’s so nice. How long will your son be in town? Just the weekend?
150 miles! That is some dedication for a good bird.
Dan will be home all week through the weekend after Thanksgiving. I hope the turkey is worth the miles!
thanks Lem - the advice on cutting down the variety and size of the sides is dead on - its that stuff that I always end up with too much of - but scaling back a recipe meant for 12 just proportionally for 2 does not always yield the best results!!
The turkey left overs are not a problem - I love me some cold turkey sandwiches as much as the next red blooded american!