Mummy to DS1-6/11 and DS2-1/14
I have used Fly Lady’s recipes for turkey, pan gravy (I always get raves for my gravy!), stuffing and cranberry sauce. My dad makes the most delicious, calorie dense mashed potatoes, so he makes those. I did make Fly Lady’s pumpkin cheesecake one year and it was wonderful, but then my high school’s culinary program started selling pies as a fund raiser, so now I buy pies from them.
http://www.flylady.net/d/flyladys-ki...mailer-part-1/
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Last edited by elizabethkott; 11-03-2018 at 06:09 PM. Reason: Included recipe link
Liz
Proud mama to DS1: 2007
and DS2:2010
Life is too short to wear boring socks.
We host all the holiday dinners for our entire extended famiy (25-35, if my brother brings his in-laws too) and have for the past 18 years, but DH does all the cooking. SnuggleBuggles' tip is excellent. Planning is key. DH juggles multiple courses by using his Instant pot, oven, and 5 burners. He also plans a mix of hot and cold items so some can be made ahead of time and then refrigerated. Plus, he takes some short-cuts, too.
The menu is often something like this:
- roast turkey (he actually does turkey parts, as our relatives like dark meat so he does 4-6 turkey legs and only 2 turkey breasts--there's no fancy picture/moment of bringing a whole turkey to the table, but he then can carve in the kitchen and present a giant platter of sliced turkey ready to serve) - oven
- gravy (he supplements the homemade gravy with Trader Joe's pre-made so he has enough gravy for everyone) - stovetop
- TJ also has a nice pre-made cranberry sauce in the refrigerated section (though he does still serve the canned sauce for some relatives)
- cold macaroni salad (nice contrast to some of the mostly hot foods) - served cold
- Deviled eggs - served cold from fridge
- homemade stuffing (we tear up the sourdough bread a couple days early to dry out and then he cooks it in bacon grease) - oven
- homemade baked beans - Instant pot
- sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping - oven
- homemade mashed potatoes (he always makes this fresh right before guests come so it doesn't have to be re-heated) - stovetop
- Hawaiian rolls for bread instead of cornbread (we all love those King's Hawaiian rolls) - served room temp
DH's aunts both bring homemade desserts. My mom makes Chinese noodles and Chinese-style garlic green beans (instead of the more classic green bean casserole). MIL/SIL make Chinese sticky rice as a "side" stuffing, too. DH's grandmother makes homemade inari sushi (rice balls) as an appetizer, too.
Hope this helps!
We rarely host, even though I would love to, but when we are with my family for Thanksgiving, I always make this cranberry sauce. It is delicious.
Cranberry Pear Relish
When choosing pears, either Anjou or Bosc will do. Anjou pears are juicier.
4 cups (about 1 pound) fresh cranberries, picked over
2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 slightly underripe pears, cored, peeled and cut into 1/3- inch dice
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and stir well. Place pan over medium heat and boil until berries pop open, about 10 minutes. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and let the relish cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 months. Makes 10 servings.
Jen, mom to my silly monkey, 10/06
I do a similar cranberry pear relish - it's amazing and I don't even care about cranberry sauce! Everyone demands I bring it and then asks for the recipe.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/foo...y-pear-relish/
"Every mother needs a wife." - Amy Poehler, Yes Please
I forgot to post. Here’s a screen capture of the recipe. I use regular cream cheese, I don’t use garlic salt and I don’t use paprika.I put it in the crockpot to warm up if i don’t have room in the oven. I usually start it a few hours before we eat and then put on low until we eat.
I agree with planning ahead. I usually make cranberry relish a few days ahead, pies the day before. I prep as much as I can ahead of time .. eg I make pioneer woman’s cornbread stuffing, so I’ll prep that by cutting celery, onions etc, then make stuffing day before and it gets cooked day of. I use Mark Bittmans make ahead gravy so I just add drippings from the roasted turkey.
If people are coming, ask them to bring salad or some appetizers etc as it helps you to prep one less thing. We usually take turns hosting with a friend and we divide up the menu between us. Whoever hosts does the turkey.
IMG_4385.JPG
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Last edited by niccig; 11-12-2018 at 11:05 PM.
I don’t want to hijack the thread, but I’m curious. Does this taste like twice baked potatoes or is it really like mashed? And how long, at what temp, do you reheat? These sound like they would taste really, really good!
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No it tastes just like mashed potatoes. I guess the sour cream is used instead of milk/half and half. She also roasts 2 BULBS of garlic, not cloves, and adds that. I can try and get more info from her. She said she makes them the day before and reheats them for about 45 minutes she thinks. She uses a recipe from a cooking school she used to volunteer at. She said the chef said to make the day before. I can get the recipe from her tonight.
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