THANKSGIVING MEAL ROUND UP
/So let me be really real here. I made this for myself, cause I want something easy to reference every year for Thanksgiving! And now I have it! It’s simple and perfect for the traditional Thanksgiving must haves. But I am all about sharing things that work for me with you! So that’s why I’d be remiss not to share this easy to follow guide for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
All you have to do is print this printable off, mark off all of the recipes / corresponding ingredients that you don’t need, add any additional recipes or substitutions, mark off all of the items you already have in your fridge or pantry and then get to shopping! I like doing all the dry items for grocery pickup and then I go get the frozen/fridge items and fresh items myself! If you’re really fancy, you can even print this off and laminate it for use year after year! Just leave it in a recipe book or in that kitchen “everything drawer” that everybody has and easy peasy lemon squeezy!
So here ya go; here’s my ultimate Thanksgiving shopping list guide!
***NOTE THAT THESE RECIPES ARE GENERALLY FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR TO SIX. YOU WILL NEED TO DOUBLE FOR LARGER FAMILIES OR FOR GATHERINGS.
MASHED POTATOES
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
In a small saucepan heat butter and milk over low heat until butter is melted. Using a potato masher or electric beater, slowly blend milk mixture into potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
TURKEY
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 fresh turkey
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme
1 whole lemon, halved
1 onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
DIRECTIONS:
THAW TURKEY DAY PRIOR
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the butter mixture. Set aside.
Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
Roast the turkey about 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.
Slice the turkey and serve.
HAM
INGREDIENTS:
1 bone-in ham
1/2 cup whole cloves
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple rings in heavy syrup
1 (4 ounce) jar chopped maraschino cherries
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
Place ham in a roasting pan. Score the rind of the ham with a diamond pattern. Press a clove into the center of each diamond. Drain the juice from the pineapple rings into a medium bowl, and stir in the brown sugar. Coat the ham with this mixture. Arrange the pineapple rings over the outside of the ham. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring, and secure with a toothpick.
Bake uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, basting frequently with the juices, until the internal temperature of the ham is 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). Be sure the meat thermometer is not touching the bone. Remove toothpicks before serving.
HOMEMADE STUFFING
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
9 cups soft bread cubes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion in hot butter until onion is soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
Put bread cubes in a large bowl. Season bread with salt, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Add onion mixture to bread cubes; stir. Pour bread mixture into a large casserole dish and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and hot, about 1 hour.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (OUR FAVORITE MEAL SO WE DOUBLE THIS RECIPE BELOW)
INGREDIENTS:
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed (equals 2 cans or 1 frozen bag)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound button mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
1 can fried onions
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, season with 2 tablespoons salt, and blanch the green beans for 5 minutes. Shock the green beans in a bowl filled with ice water, then remove and set aside to dry.
Melt the butter in a large cast-iron pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper, and cook until just softened. Add the flour and stir to coat the mushrooms. Add the chicken stock, whisking vigorously to smooth out any lumps. Whisk in the half-and-half. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. Add the green beans, then pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fried onions to lend some extra crunch. Serve.
CORNBREAD + ROLLS
Going easy here. I love the Target Krusteaz Gluten Free Honey Cornbread. Not doing homemade this year. And we typically do Pillsbury Grands Rolls or fresh bakery rolls.
CRANBERRY
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries, and cook until they start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (THIS IS WHAT WE CONSIDER OUR DESSERT SO WE DON’T GO TOO HEAVY ON SUGARY MEALS)
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups sweet potato, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.
CROCKPOT CREAM CHEESE CORN (NOTE THAT THIS IS A LONGER RECIPE SO WILL NEED TO BE STARTED WITH THE TURKEY OR EVEN PRIOR)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 (16 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a slow cooker, combine corn, cream cheese, butter, milk, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook on High for 2 to 4 hours, or on Low for 4 to 6 hours.
MAC + CHEESE BAKE
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni shells
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk not skim
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 cups of shredded cheese I like sharp cheddar and Swiss
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous sprinkling of salt the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a skillet or pot large enough to hold the pasta when it's done.
Add the flour and stir over medium heat until the mixture is lightly browned; 1-2 minutes.
Add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps and add the salt and pepper.
Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble. About 6 minutes.
Stir in the cheese and whisk until smooth and melted. Turn off the heat.
When the pasta is almost done but still firm, drain it and add to the sauce.
Stir the pasta into the sauce and bake in a greased 2 quart dish (or an 8x8 pan works pretty well) 20-25 minutes until browned and bubbly. You can also skip baking it if you want it super creamy and just put it under the broiler to brown the top (keep an eye on it) and then serve.
GRAVY (AGAIN NOT DOING ANYTHING HOMEMADE HERE, USING THE MCCORMICK TURKEY GRAVY PACKETS)
I hope this helps you for your Thanksgiving shopping this season, and for many seasons to come! If this was helpful, be sure you pin one of these images to your pinterest board for future reference! And make sure you let me know in the comments if there’s another recipe you love that I didn’t include on the printable! I always love trying new recipes!
Hugs and happy baking! oh and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU!!!
XOXO, Amy and The Ever Co Family