Thanksgiving 2012: Recipes, Part 2

When last we left our Thanksgiving table, we had appetizers, a soup for leftovers, and cookies. Hrm, I think we need to add a bit more to our feast!

First up was, of course, an Herb Roasted Turkey. I went with a bone-in turkey breast, which is super-easy and stays moist.



I used fresh herbs - sage and rosemary -- to mix with the dried thyme, dried toasted onion, dried garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil to make an herb paste.



I tucked that all underneath the skin, as well as on top. Carrot, onion and celery acted as my aromatics, and some chicken broth on the bottom of the pan kept it all from drying out.



8 pound turkey, 20 minutes a pound = 2.5 hours to cook at 325 degrees. We took it out and tented it for 30 minutes while the veggies went into the oven to roast.



Hubby carved it up nicely -- that is only one breast! He did the other one after the turkey had cooled and we were cleaning everything up.



I had made my friend Sharyn's Mashed Potato Casserole the day before.



It's pretty easy. First you peel and boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes. I only did a partial peel because I like that in my casserole.



While they boil, dice an onion and garlic and saute it in a small pan.

When the potatoes are done, drain them and return to the pan. Add in the onions, butter, 2 heaping tablespoons of horseradish, cup of sour cream, salt and pepper and mash it up. (I use a hand masher, but I like them still a little chunky.)




Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese until fully mixed. Pour the whole thing into a casserole dish, and add paprika or Northwoods seasoning (optional). You can either bake it at 350 for 20-30 minutes now, or refrigerate and bake off the next day.

I won't lie, the mashed potato casserole is a calorie monster. That's why I only make it once a year. (1 serving = 1 cup.)




The other big starch was of course, my favorite Cornbread Stuffing with Turkey Sausage. I got the recipe from Eating Well several years ago, but it is definitely a keeper! I had to bring a container of it to Shopping Friend on Friday! ;-D

Forgot to take a picture of the ingredients together, whoops! But the recipe is:



Ingredients
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, (about 4 links), casings removed
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
2 pounds (approx 12 cups) prepared cornbread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (You can make it yourself, like I tried and burned, or you can buy it, as I ended up doing)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes.
Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes.




Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Add cornbread, parsley and sage.
Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet.
Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil.
Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm. (This also can be baked off the next day; I had room in the oven so both the stuffing and potatoes went into the oven during the last half-hour of the turkey's time.)







I think a serving size is a half-cup, but that doesn't seem right. Anyway, it's a high-calorie item so I try to eat it reasonably.

But that wasn't all! There was fresh cranberry-pomegranate sauce...





...roasted Brussels sprouts seasoned with balsamic and thyme...



...and roasted green beans seasoned with Mural of Flavor.



Mmmmmm, delicious.




But wait!!!

There's one more!!!

I ALSO made slow-cooker sweet potatoes, an idea I got from Kalyn's Kitchen.



Peel and cube sweet potatoes, toss in olive oil with salt, pepper, and any seasonings you want (I used Northwoods and a dash of chipotle). Dump into slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high.



Unfortunately I did not read the recipe correctly and put them on low for 3 hours, and they were not quite done. I kept cooking them through dinner anyway, and by late afternoon they were done.



Too late to be added into the feast, but I have a couple of ideas for them anyway. I think I am going to try these sweet potato raviolis, and this Thanksgiving Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels sprouts.  Lastly, now that my other soup is packed away in the freezer, if there are any sweet potatoes left after the ravioli and salad, they will become their own soup.

Speaking of leftover recipes, I would make this Shepherd's Turkey Pie but I am pretty sure Hubby will have polished off the potatoes and possibly the turkey before I have a chance. Maybe I can steal some turkey away from him to make one batch of turkey salad with cranberries! 

Anyway, it was a great meal(s), and we have been eating very well ever since.

What are you guys doing with your leftovers? Anything fun or different?