Share Thanksgiving Tips and Recipes
Everyone handles Holidays differently and what is stressful to one hostess may not be to another. So what are your favorite tips for the Holidays?
Here are are few to get us started:
- set the table the day before
- always accept someone's offer to bring a dish
- tell the guest what time to arrive, not what time you plan on eating
- use bread bowls or other edible or disposable serving bowls
- don't bring a dish that needs to be prepared or cooked in the hostess's kitchen
One year I divided up the menu and assigned a dish to each guest. The person that was suppose to bring the mashed potatoes for 35 people came 5 minutes before dinner was to be served and dropped a 20 pound sack of potatoes on the counter (we didn't have mashed potatoes that year). I never did that again - too stressful to me not knowing if everything will show up on time or prepared.
Do you have Thanksgiving mistakes to share?
What are some of your tips for making the Holiday go smoother?
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We use to get together at my mom's for Christmas with my brother and sisters but we always knew that my younger brother would be late. Solution to the problem...we always assigned him dessert. The ones you knew would arrive on time or early, the veggie tray, snacks, salads, breads, drinks, etc. What I have found is less stressful....prepare everything ourselves and then we know there will be plenty of food and when we say what time we are going to eat.... eat. Those that arrive late, oh well, they can eat when they get here. There are always people who arrive early and those who make a habit of always being late. Just enjoy your holidays and the more the merrier.
Other than your great tips, some I prepare 1 - 2 days ahead: Table set is probably the greatest thing to do ahead.
Cranberries
Bread for dressing, chop vegetables
Cook giblets and have broth ready for gravy
Prepare items for relish tray
I have found it easier if I do the turkey, dressing, potatoes & gravy. My suggestions for guests to bring: Rolls, vegetable dishes, desserts and am usually specific. Still will get a surprise,but that's part of the fun. Like the bowl of red jello with stuff floating in it! (~_~) Or the can of jellied cranberries, instead of fresh cranberries that you were thinking about.
One year I was getting so tired of the same-o dinner, so I added deep-pit BBQ, ribs, BBQ beans along with the usual, just cut down on the size of the turkey and it was a HIT! Had to increase the size of the plates though.
To make the Holiday go smoother, do like we're going to do, go to someone elses home and take a dish!!! or two.
Here is a delicious soup to make using left over turkey:
--Antipasto Turkey Soup--
1 turkey carcass
1 medium onion, peeled and cut up
A few celery tops
1 teaspoon salt
6 peppercorns (if available)
4 cups water
2 Italian hot sausages
1 can (20 oz.) chick peas (do not drain)
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes
1 can (4 oz.) pimientos, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
¼ cup sliced ripe olives
Break up turkey carcass and place in a big kettle with onion, celery tops, salt, peppercorns, and water. Heat to boiling; cover. Simmer 2 hours. Remove bones from broth and cool until easy to handle, then strip off meat and set aside. Strain broth into a large bowl.
Peal casings from sausages; break up meat. Saute in its own fat in a kettle for 10 minutes. Stir in turkey and a little salad oil, if needed; brown turkey.
Stir in 3 cups of the turkey broth, chick peas and liquid, tomatoes, pimientos, and Italian seasoning. Heat to boiling; simmer, stirring once or twice, 10 minutes to blend flavors.
Ladle into soup bowls; float olive slices on top. Serve with toasted sliced Italian bread.
Makes ~8 servings.
Sounds yummy, we will have to try this recipe this year.
Anyone else have recipes they MUST make for Thanksgiving?
I have never cooked the turkey carcass before, but Joyce you just gave me a push. It's soup weather and I know that carcass will just be thrown in the trash. Before moving here and several years ago there was a gentleman that always had me save the carcass for him, said he made a big pot of soup with it. Guess I was too young to wonder why he didn't have one left over after their big family dinner. Must have been too wrapped up in mine......won't happen again though!
Turkey and Rice Soup is always a favorite in our family. In fact, after Thanksgiving dinner when we take the remaining meat off the bird, the carcass is placed in the big pot which you put the tops of the celery you cut when you did dressing and half of onion, salt & pepper. If we eat early enough we start the soup that evening or else stick the pot in the fridge where you have a big enough spot because the turkey was there in the morning. Next day when you get up, fill that pot with water and let her boil, simmer for a couple of hours and drain. Then you take chopped up onion, celery and precooked rice and add to your broth. Needs a little salt and pepper to taste and you have the option of adding some turkey meat. Little kids love it when it just has the rice and small small pieces of onions and celery. It goes great with those turkey sandwiches you end up eating for the next three or four days.
oooh, I am starting to get in the Holiday spririt. Vickie, you are too modest to post this great tip, but I think it is the best tip of the year!
Vickie goes very early to the Dollar Store (before Thanksgiving) to get the BIG Christmas Bags that are used to wrap large presents. She buys one for each person for Christmas morning. Then when they are ready to leave, they pack all their unwrapped gifts in the one bag and they each have their own.
Boy, I wish I had thought of that when we had large Christmas mornings and had to help locate all the new presents for a child and carry them out to the car. I love it!
White bean-turkey chili with corn bread (BH&G)
1 lb. cooked turkey (leftovers)
1 - 16oz. jar chunky salsa
1 - 15 oz. can cannelini beans, rinsed & drained
1 t. chili powder
1 - 8.5 oz. pkg. corn bread mix(Jiffy)
1 egg
Chop turkey and combine with salsa, beans, chili powder and 2/3 c. water. Bring to boil.
Meanwhile, for dumplings, mix corn bread mix, egg and 1/4 c. water. Drop by large spoonfuls on boiling turkey chili. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 min. or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean. Top with shredded cheddar cheese & green onions. ( Maybe adjust chili powder and add a touch of cumin to taste.) 30 minute recipe