Thanksgiving 101 (32 page)

S
picy flavors season this menu with regional favorites from the Cajun country and the Southwest. I usually serve smoke-grilled turkey with salsa, but you may prefer to offer gravy. If so, make the Head Start Gravy, because the drippings from the turkey may not be usable. Chilled hard cider or a semidry Gewürztraminer would be perfect with these dishes.

Hot Crab Salsa Dip

Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

Smoked, Cider-Basted Turkey

Head Start Gravy, optional

“Tamale” Stuffing with Pork, Chiles, and Raisins

Maque-Choux

Maple-Glazed Baby Carrots with Pecans

Cranberry-Pineapple Salsa

Rosemary and Cracked Pepper Corn Sticks

Florida Sweet Potato Pie

Hot Coffee and Tea

Timetable

Up to 1 month ahead:

Make turkey stock for gravy and soup; freeze

Up to 2 days ahead:

Make sweet potato soup; refrigerate

Toast pecans for carrots; refrigerate

Make piecrust; refrigerate

The night before:

Make polenta cubes for stuffing; refrigerate

Cube bread for stuffing, let stand at room temperature

Make maque-choux; refrigerate

Make sweet potato pie; refrigerate

Make gravy, if using

Up to 8 hours before serving turkey:

Make stuffing; refrigerate

Make crab dip; refrigerate

Bake corn sticks; cool and wrap in foil

5½ hours before serving turkey:

Make basting mixture for turkey; cool

Stuff turkey with seasoning mixture; let stand

4½ hours before serving turkey:

Light charcoal in charcoal grill or preheat gas grill

4 hours before serving turkey:

Grill turkey

Whip cream for pie; refrigerate

30 minutes before guests arrive:

Bake crab dip; keep warm

2 hours before serving turkey:

Make glazed carrots (without pecans)

Make cranberry-pineapple salsa

When turkey is done (about 45 minutes before serving):

Transfer turkey to serving platter; let stand

If making gravy, discard drippings in aluminum pan, leaving browned bits in pan

Place corn sticks in oven; reheat for 10 to 15 minutes to serve with soup

Bake stuffing

Reheat soup; serve

Just before serving turkey:

Reheat carrots; add pecans

Reheat maque-choux

Reheat gravy; stir into turkey pan, scraping up browned bits in pan

After serving turkey:

Make coffee and tea

Serve pie with whipped cream

W
hen cooking for a crowd, think
big
. Regular-sized pots and pans are not very much help with this many mouths to feed—have at least one 12-to 14-inch skillet (two is better), and a ten-quart stockpot.

This buffet is geared for twenty-four guests without a plated first course. You will need two ovens to reheat the side dishes. A twenty-four-pound turkey will make enough servings for dinner, but if you want leftovers, roast extra turkey parts, too. For instructions, The turkey is roasted unstuffed—if you want to stuff the bird, add about an hour to the roasting time. If you have to bake and serve the side dishes from large disposable aluminum foil pans, allow at least one hour at 375°F for reheating to compensate for the added bulk.

Because it doesn’t need refrigeration and keeps for a couple of days, Pumpkin-Currant Cake is a good dessert choice. Order pies and rolls from a bakery. Use a large-quantity coffeemaker, allowing about one hour for the coffee to brew.

The Famous Disappearing Spinach Dip, with crudités

Spicy Cheddar and Pecan Balls

Perfect Roast Turkey with Best-Ever Gravy

Pan Gravy 101 (3 batches)

Roasted Turkey Breast (see above), optional Mason-Dixon Corn Bread Dressing 101 (2½ batches)

Not-Your-Grandmother’s Succotash (3 batches)

Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole (3 batches)

Rum-Baked Yams and Apples (2 batches)

Homemade Cranberry Sauce (2 batches)

Pumpkin–Currant Cake (2 cakes)

Hot Coffee and Tea

Timetable

Up to 1 month ahead:

Make turkey stock for gravy; freeze

Up to 1 week ahead:

Make cranberry sauce; refrigerate

Up to 3 days ahead:

Make Cheddar cheese balls; refrigerate

Up to 2 days ahead:

Bake pumpkin cakes; store at room temperature

Make spinach dip; refrigerate

The night before:

Bake corn bread for stuffing; let stand at room temperature to stale

Prepare crudités; refrigerate

Chop ingredients for stuffing; refrigerate

Make succotash (without the tomatoes); refrigerate

7 hours before serving turkey:

Make stuffing; refrigerate

Make mashed potatoes; refrigerate

About 6½ hours before serving turkey:

Roast turkey

Prepare yams; let stand at cool room temperature

When guests arrive:

Serve spinach dip, shrimp dip, and Cheddar cheese balls

When turkey is done (about 1 hour before serving):

Transfer turkey to serving dish

Pour drippings into glass bowl; let stand until ready to make gravy

Bake stuffing

Bake mashed potatoes

Bake sweet potatoes

Make gravy; keep warm

1 hour before serving dessert:

Brew coffee

15 minutes before serving turkey:

Reheat succotash in skillet

After serving turkey:

Boil water for tea

Serve pumpkin cakes

Serve coffee

Almond(s)

    Broccoli and Cauliflower with

Wild Rice, and Dried Cherries Stuffing

Appetizers
Buttered Cajun Pecans

crudités, notes about

The Famous Disappearing Spinach Dip

Glittering Spiced Walnuts

Hot Crab Salsa Dip

Mini-Meatballs in Wild Mushroom Sauce

Pork and Veal Pâté with Dried Cranberries

Potato Tortilla with Smoked Salmon

Savory Cheddar and Jalapeño Jelly Cookies

Shrimp Cocktail Dip

Spicy Cheddar and Pecan Balls

Apple(s)
Cranberry Waldorf Salad

New-fashioned Mincemeat Pie

Pie

and Sausage Stuffing

Turkey, and Cheddar Sandwich Hot

and Yams, Rum-Baked

Bacon and Portobello Mushrooms, Green Beans with

Bacon Corn Bread, Old-fashioned

Banana Chocolate Cream Pie

Bean(s).

See also
Green Bean(s)

Black, and Turkey Burritos

Black, and Turkey Tamale Pie

Not-Your-Grandmother’s Succotash

Tuscan Turkey Ribollita

Beef.
See also
Veal Holiday Meatball Lasagna

Mini-Meatballs in Wild Mushroom Sauce

Beet, Roasted, Endive, and Blue Cheese Salad with Walnuts

Berries.

See
Cranberry(ies)

Beverages Autumn Glow Punch

A Blender of Ramos Fizzes

nonalcoholic, serving

A Pitcher of Bloody Marys

Bread(s).

See also
Stuffings and dressings (bread-based)

Anadama Rolls

Buttermilk Biscuits

Cloverleaf Rolls

Corn, Old-fashioned Bacon

Corn, Southern

Corn, Southwestern Chile and Cheese

Corn, Yankee

crumbs, preparing

Dinner Rolls

Fluffy Angel Biscuits

ingredients for

Knot Rolls

Old-fashioned Corn Sticks

Pudding, Savory Sausage and Mushroom

Rosemary and Cracked Pepper Corn Sticks

Rosemary and Cracked Pepper Muffins

Bread(s) (
continued
) Spiced Yam and Pecan Muffins

Broccoli and Cauliflower with

Almonds

with Roasted Garlic Butter

and Turkey Stir-Fry, Mongolian

Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts, Italian Style

in Sherry Cream Sauce

Burritos, Turkey and Black Bean

Butter, notes about

Butter, Roasted Garlic

Buttermilk Biscuits

Cakes

Cranberry Cheesecake

Drambuie Gingerbread

Pumpkin-Currant

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

Pumpkin-Walnut Roulade with

Spiked Cream

Caramel Cashew Tart

Carrots

Baby, Maple-Glazed, with

Pecans

Port-Glazed

with Sesame Seeds

with Tarragon

Two-Tone Root Vegetable

Soups

Cashew Tart, Caramel

Cauliflower and Broccoli with

Almonds

Celery Root and Oyster Chowder

Two-Tone Root Vegetable

Soups

Cheddar and Jalapeño Jelly Cookies

Savory

and Pecan Balls, Spicy

Scalloped Baby Onions

Smoked, Crust, Vegetable

Casserole with

Tomatillo Enchilada Casserole

Turkey, and Apple Sandwich

Hot

Cheese.
See also
Cheddar; Cream

Cheese

Blue, Roasted Beet, and Endive

Salad with Walnuts

Butternut Squash and Rice

Tian

and Chile Corn Bread

Southwestern

Garlic-Mascarpone Mashed

Potatoes with Leeks

Holiday Meatball Lasagna

Italian Stuffing with Sausage and Parmesan

Parmesan-Mashed Yellow

Turnips

Turkey Tetrazzini Gratin

Cheesecake

Cranberry

preparing, tips for

Pumpkin Marble

Cherries, Dried, Wild Rice, and

Almond Stuffing

Chestnut(s) and Brussels Sprouts, Italian

Style

Ham, Fresh Fennel, and Sage

Corn Bread Stuffing with

Stuffing

Chicken

Broth, Pumpkin Tortellini in

Louisiana “Dirty” Giblet and

Rice Dressing

Stock, Homemade

Chile and Cheese Corn Bread

Southwestern

Chiles, Pork, and Raisins

“Tamale” Stuffing with

Chocolate

Banana Cream Pie

Dark, Cream Pie

Drizzle, Cranberry-Ginger Tart with

Chowder, Celery Root and

Oyster

Chutney

Cranberry, Ginger, and Lemon

Cranberry-Orange

Cranberry-Tomato

Clam and Mushroom Soup

Cookies, Savory, Cheddar and

Jalapeño Jelly

Corn

Maque-Choux

Not-Your-Grandmother’s

Succotash

Pudding, Southwestern

Pudding, Tender

Southwestern Chorizo

Dressing

Vegetable Casserole with

Smoked Cheddar Crust

Corn Bread

Bacon, Old-fashioned

Chile and Cheese

Southwestern

Dressing, Dried Cranberry and

Walnut

Dressing, Mason-Dixon

Sausage Gumbo Dressing

Southern

Southwestern Chorizo

Dressing

Stuffing with Ham, Fresh

Fennel, Chestnuts, and Sage

Yankee

Cornmeal

Old-fashioned Bacon Corn

Bread

Old-fashioned Corn Sticks

Rosemary and Cracked Pepper

Corn Sticks

Rosemary and Cracked Pepper

Muffins

Southern Corn Bread

Southwestern Chile and Cheese

Corn Bread

stone-ground, about

“Tamale” Stuffing with Pork

Chiles, and Raisins

Turkey and Black Bean Tamale

Pie

Yankee Corn Bread

Crab Salsa Dip, Hot

Cranberry(ies)

Cheesecake

–Double Orange Relish, Rick’s

Dried, and Walnut Corn Bread

Dressing

Dried, Pork and Veal Pâté with

and Fig Sauce

Ginger, and Lemon Chutney

-Ginger Tart with Chocolate

Drizzle

Granita

Jell-O–Cream Cheese Mold

-Kumquat Relish, Rick’s

New-fashioned Mincemeat Pie

notes about

-Orange Chutney

-Orange Mold, Spiced

–Orange Relish, Fresh

-Pineapple Salsa

–Red Wine Sauce, Turkey

Roulades with Prosciutto and

Sage in

sauce, canned, tradition and

Sauce, Fresh

Sauce, Homemade Jellied

Sauce, Mulled Wine

Sauce, Spiked Orange-

-Tomato Chutney

Waldorf Salad

Cream Cheese

Cranberry Cheesecake

–Jell-O Mold

origins of

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

Crème Brûlée, Pumpkin

Currant-Pumpkin Cake

Curried Turkey Salad

Desserts.
See also
Cakes; Pies baking tips and ingredients

Caramel Cashew Tart

Cranberry-Ginger Tart with

Chocolate Drizzle

Cranberry Granita

Grandma’s Steamed

Persimmon Pudding

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Sweetened Whipped Cream

Dips

Crab Salsa, Hot

Shrimp Cocktail

Spinach, The Famous

Disappearing

Egg(s)

Drop Soup, Italian

Potato Tortilla with Smoked

Salmon

Enchilada Casserole, Tomatillo

Endive, Roasted Beet, and Blue

Cheese Salad with Walnuts

Fajitas, Turkey and Pepper

Fennel

Fresh, Ham, Chestnuts, and

Sage, Corn Bread Stuffing with

Pear, and Hazelnut Salad in

Radicchio Cups

Fig and Cranberry Sauce

Fish.

See
Salmon; Shellfish Flour, notes about

Garlic

-Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes with Leeks

Roast, Gravy

Roasted, Butter

Gelatin molds, about

Giblet and Rice Dressing

Louisiana “Dirty,”

Giblet Gravy

Giblet Stuffing

Ginger

Cranberry, and Lemon

Chutney

-Cranberry Tart with Chocolate

Drizzle

Drambuie Gingerbread

Vinaigrette

Granita, Cranberry

Gravy, Head Start

Gravy, Pan

variations

Green Bean(s)

Bake

and Cremini Mushroom

Gratin

with Hazelnuts

with Portobello Mushrooms and Bacon

Turkey Salad Niçoise

Greens

Baby Spinach and Fuyu

Persimmon Salad with

Ginger Vinaigrette

The Famous Disappearing

Spinach Dip

Fennel, Pear, and Hazelnut

Salad in Radicchio Cups

Roasted Beet, Endive, and Blue

Cheese Salad with Walnuts

Shrimp Salad on Mesclun with

Saffron Vinaigrette

Ham.
See also
Prosciutto

Fresh Fennel, Chestnuts, and Sage, Corn Bread Stuffing with

Mason-Dixon Corn Bread

Dressing

Smoked, with Zinfandel-

Orange Glaze

Hazelnut(s)

Fennel, and Pear Salad in

Radicchio Cups

Green Beans with

-Pumpkin Pie

toasting and skinning

Herb-Brined Roast Turkey

Herbed Gravy

Jalapeño Jelly and Cheddar

Cookies, Savory

Jell-O, history of

Kumquat-Cranberry Relish

Rick’s

Lasagna, Holiday Meatball

Leeks, cleaning

Leeks, Garlic-Mascarpone Mashed

Potatoes with

Maple-Glazed Baby Carrots with

Pecans

Maple-Glazed Roasted Yams

Maple syrup, grades of

Marshmallow(s)

and Candied Yam Casserole

Mashed Yams with

Meatball Lasagna, Holiday

Meatballs, Mini, in Wild

Mushroom Sauce

Mincemeat Pie, New-fashioned

Muffins, Rosemary and Cracked

Pepper

Muffins, Spiced Yam and Pecan

Mushroom(s) and Clam Soup

Cremini, and Green Bean

Gratin

Portobello, and Bacon, Green

Beans with

and Sausage Bread Pudding

Savory

Stuffing

Turkey Tetrazzini Gratin

Wild, Sauce, Mini-Meatballs in

Wild, Stuffing and Marsala

Sauce, Turkey Breast with

Nuts.
See also
Chestnut(s); Hazelnut(s); Pecan(s); Walnut(s)

Nuts

Broccoli and Cauliflower with

Almonds

Caramel Cashew Tart

toasting

Wild Rice, Dried Cherries, and