Post some favorite Thanksgiving day recipes.

[Swede]

It's that time of year up here in Canada on Monday.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. My favorite Thanksgiving Day dish, Cornbread:

Directions:

Drive to store. Purchase several boxes of Jiffy Cornbread mix. Follow directions on box and bake. Take out of the oven, serve and enjoy.

Yeah, I know, I'm pretty lazy. Still, it's pretty good stuff.

[Swede]

2. I've never had cornbread.

I'll have to give it a try.

[MajorChode]

7. There's no need to buy a mix

Making cornbread is like falling off a log.

Dry ingredients:
2 cups cornmeal
1 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs shortening (for the pan)

Put cast iron skillet in oven.
Preheat oven to 425.
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Add dry to wet and mix until just combined.
Put shortening in hot skillet.
When shortening melts, pour mix into pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until nicely brown.

Some people like to add a small can of creamed corn to the wet ingredients. 3-4 chopped jalapeno or serrano peppers are quite nice too. I like to roast them and remove the skins first.

[ipfilter]

Homemade cornbread is as easy as mixing a boxed cake.

The iron skillet heated up in the oven, as mentioned buy MajorChode, is key. I spray my skillet down with Pam (because I never seem to have shortening) after I take it out of the preheated oven and get a nice brown crust on the outside of the bread. The batter will sizzle when is drops in the hot skillet and that is a good thing. The stuff never lasts long in my house.

Here's my recipe:

Sweet Cornbread

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
3 tsp baking powder (play with this to get the desired fluffiness)
1 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and fold in the milk, oil, and eggs. Preheat 8" iron skillet in oven at 400. Coat iron skillet with Pam and pour mixture in bowl. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick come out clean. When done immediately turn over skillet and drop cornbread onto a plate.

Serve with honey butter. It won't last long.

[MajorChode]

24. Some people like it lighter, and you can use a/p flour for that

I'm just more of a traditionalist when it comes to corn bread. Buttermilk does make it lighter, but you have to use baking soda in conjunction with baking powder when you go that route.

There's a couple of tricks when it comes to baking powder that you may or may not be aware. The stuff does go bad after a while and doesn't work as well. Many people don't realize this and they buy it in bulk and keep it for years. Check the expiration date on the can. Another trick is to not make the batter up ahead of time. Once the baking powder gets wet, it looses some of it's effectiveness if not put in the oven right away.

[ipfilter]

26. I've had a problem with it getting too light

and crumbling. Originally that recipe called for 3.5 tsp of baking powder and I started to use just 3. You think if I used nothing but corn meal I wouldn't have that problem?

[MajorChode]

30. Using all corn meal will help

The reason why it crumbles is because the ingredients aren't sufficiently bound together. Corn meal binds better with other ingredients and to itself. Using 2 eggs instead of 1 egg will also help. Using a can of cream style corn will help although some people don't like it that way.

[newcriminal]

16. How can you not have had cornbread?

[MajorChode]

25. Canadian?

I suspect cornbread is not as common in Canada, especially in the areas that have been francised.

[auntAgonist]

28. francised? I suspect that Swede may have had JohnnyCake?

Friends of ours in Quebec make theirs in a cast iron skillet.

Corn muffins are fairly popular.

I'm from Ontario and I made cornbread, johnnycake and muffins a lot.


:shrug:

I'm not sure what you meant by francised (?) french?

[MajorChode]

29. Think Americanized

[Swede]

31. Cornbread just wasn't in mom or grama's repertoire,I guess.

My friends in school where Ukrainian,Hungarian or Native American,non of them ever had it when I'd visit. As an adult,I don't remember eating it,of course I've heard of it.

[Arugula Latte]

4. If you have access to a Trader Joe's, they have a good cornbread mix as well.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. You can make a great casserole with that stuff by adding creamed corn, milk, and cheddar cheese.

[Demoiselle]

3. BRINE your turkey!

I won't take up your time here with a recipe, but you can easily find one on line. (Alice Waters has a good one. Yes, Arlo's Alice.)
But please believe that if you soak your turkey in a salt water bath, cold, with herbs, in the fridge for 24 (+) hours before your roast it, you will have the best turkey of your life.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. Exactly!

Great recipes at Epicurious too but if you do nothing else BRINE!

[MissMillie]

18. and cook it breast-side down for the first hour

juicy white meat

[OffWithTheirHeads]

35. Ohhh good idea. It makes sense. Will do, next Turkey!

[MrMickeysMom]

32. I brine mine and smoke it!

... It's kind of hard keeping it lit though...

[Arugula Latte]

5. Campbell's Soup Green Bean Casserole ... Instructions: Don't make it

Instead, have nice fresh green beans with carmelized shallots and butter. :9

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_J17OlUgCsE4/R6frgX06YzI/AAAAAAAAAgU/_nlqTxoNJl4/s400/Green+Bean+Shallots+8.JPG

on edit, here's one recipe:

* 2 pounds haricots verts or slender green beans, trimmed
* 1 pound medium shallots
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Preparation

Cook haricots verts in boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes (or 6 minutes if using green beans). Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in several layers of paper towels. Seal in plastic bag and chill.

Cut off and discard ends from shallots. Cut shallots lengthwise in half, then remove peel with paring knife. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.

Add haricots verts to shallots in skillet and stir over medium-high heat until heated through, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

[ipfilter]

13. My in-laws make that horrible Green Bean Casserole every year.

I never eat it because it's nasty. That dish is not food, but rather something that resembles food.

[MajorChode]

14. Green Bean Casserole is awesome, but is more like shit on a shingle when my relatives make it

Alton's recipe is similar to mine, but I like adding red and yellow bell peppers and I just use the canned fried onions which work fine and are a lot less trouble.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/not-your-mamas-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

[ipfilter]

15. Now that recipe doesn't look so bad. I might even make that

since I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year. It's the standard casserole with a can of "Cream of Mushroom" that I can't stand.

[MajorChode]

23. Using fresh ingredients makes all the difference

Using canned soup and canned green beans is where people fuck up.

[MrMickeysMom]

33. Ooh, yes.. much better than my daughter-in-law's version...

It was cheese, cheese, string beans and then some more cheese.

I love her, just the same

[Petrushka]

6. Orange-glazed yams

Add approximately 1/4-teaspoon ground cloves to this recipe, omit
the lemon juice & use thawed, undiluted orange juice for more flavor:

http://www.chefs.com/RecipeDetails.aspx?recipeID=14283

[Glorfindel]

8. This is surprisingly good, and so easy even I can make it

Susan Stamberg gives out the recipe every Thanksgiving on NPR

Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish

2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed

1 small onion

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar ("red is a bit milder than white")

Grind the raw berries and onion together. ("I use an old-fashioned meat grinder," says Stamberg. "I'm sure there's a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind — not a puree.")

Add everything else and mix.

Put in a plastic container and freeze.

Early Thanksgiving morning, move it from freezer to refrigerator compartment to thaw. ("It should still have some little icy slivers left.")

The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. ("OK, Pepto Bismol pink. It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. It's also good on next-day turkey sandwiches, and with roast beef.")

Makes 1 1/2 pints.

[crispini]

34. I love that!

I make it every year.

[Dr. Strange]

10. Eating pumpkin pie.

Yeah, it's not a recipe; so sue me. I love eating pumpkin pie.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Fancy up boxed stuffing by mixing in walnuts, granny smith apple bits, and fresh cranberries. Some

also add sausage.

[newcriminal]

19. Homemade stuffing is easy and so much better.

My kids toast 2 whole loaves of white or potato bread. Crumble it up and put in 9x13 cake pan. Melt stick of butter on stove top, add one large onion chopped, and about 3 or 4 celery stalks chopped. Simmer until onions and celery are soft. Add to toast. Add enough (I use vegetable) broth to be very moist. Then add a generous amount of poultry seasoning. Mix together in pan and bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. It's always the first thing to go at the table and the kids get to say I helped.

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. I often add onions, sage, and extra toasted bread, but I usually start with Bell's or

Pepperidge Farm as the base.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. Butter

A fun Thanksgiving Day project if you have young kids is to let them make the butter. Basically cream in a well-sealed container that they shake for 10-15 minutes. Younger kids have the energy, and they're fascinated to see the transformation.

[newcriminal]

20. add the wooden part of a couple of clothespins.

At least that's how we always made it.

[ipfilter]

22. To make a flaky pie crust one must keep all the

ingredients ice cold. Here's my secret. I put two sticks of butter (not margarine, but real USDA butter) in the freezer for at least half an hour. While I'm chilling my butter I put a cup of ice water in the fridge. Instead of cutting the butter into the flour I use a cheese grader and shred the ice cold butter into small flakes. Then I lightly clump the butter and flour and add the salt and water into a pile, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill the mixture for at least another half hour. After the dough has chilled I cut it in half and lightly roll each half out over a floured counter top.

The less you work the butter and flour mixture the flakier the crust will turn out. You want the fat incorporated into the flour, but just enough to hold everything together. After the dough is rolled out you should be able to see small flecks of butter.

[tigereye]

27. french bread stuffing with chestnuts and apples

this recipe is pretty close to the one I use, except I bake the chestnuts instead of boiling them. It's so good.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/breadrecipes/r/blbread66.htm