Thanksgiving - Family Gatherings Around a Table

Thanksgiving – Family Gatherings

Around a Table

Thursday, November 24th 2011 is the day that we will gather with family and friends around a table, giving thanks for the food, for our families, our friends and most of all making memories to cherish in our hearts.  A lot of preparation will go in to planning, shopping and cooking and baking the perfect feast.

Here is a simple, yet elegant menu plan for making this Thanksgiving a wonderful food memory.  Much of the preparation can be done ahead so that the stress of getting it all on the table in synchronization will be eliminated.

 Here is the basic menu:

Appetizer:
Shrimp Cocktail
Salad:
Mixed Greens w/craisins
dressed with a Raspberry Vinaigrette
Main Course:
Roasted Turkey Breast du Provence
w/homemade gravy
Vegetables and Side Dishes:

Sage Stuffing

Creamy White Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Sweet Potato Mash

Green Beans w/Butter Sauce

Baby Peas and Caramelized Pearl Onions

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Dinner Rolls
Desserts:
Homemade Pies
Apple, Pumpkin, Chocolate Cream

For the Turkey du Provence you will need Herbs du Provence spice blend mixed in with softened butter. Place some of the butter mixture under the skin of the Turkey and rub the outside of the bird with the remainder of the mix.

The sweet potato mash is simply baked sweet potatoes, skins removed and the potato mashed with butter, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

For the baby peas and caramelized pearl onions I buy both items frozen to pull off that dish.

Recipes for some of the above menu items are already posted on this site.  Look through the "Holiday Recipes", "Recipes" or "How To" pages.  I have a great recipe for making perfect pie crust and a pumpkin pie filling that is outrageously good!  Details on how to roast a turkey and using the left overs can be found in the "Left Over Make Overs" page.

This menu can be scaled down or changed to fit within Cooking on a Budget. For instance, the appetizer could be changed from Shrimp Cocktail to a homemade spread served on toasted bread (a baguette or any other crusty bread would work). You could eliminate the salad all together, scale down the vegetables and purchase an already made cranberry sauce.