I shared some Instagram stories about my thanksgiving menu the other day and had a lot of interest in the recipes. Every family’s “traditional” thanksgiving is different — we don’t eat casseroles, for example, and many of you can’t even imagine a thanksgiving dinner without them.
So, these are the dishes that *we* love and that I have found have been the most popular over the years. If something doesn’t get eaten one year, it’s nixed off the menu the next year, traditional or not (byeeee pumpkin pie after last year). We always have mashed potatoes AND mac and cheese because we have people who like one and don’t like the other one and refuse to imagine thanksgiving without their favorite.
All of the recipes I’m sharing here are tried and true — I don’t mess with new recipes or possible failures on thanksgiving. I am also of the “psycho type-a” personality classification, so I make lists and schedule everything out a few days beforehand so that I am not flustered day-of. If you’d like me to post those lists and schedules please email me, dm me on Instagram or comment here. Happy to make them into a shareable format.
Now, without further ado here is this year’s menu:
Charcuterie Board:
There’s no real recipe for this, so instead I’ll just share a photo and some tips. These are great because people can graze on this and will stay the heck out of the kitchen and not harass you about dinner.
- I have found that Trader Joe’s has the best overall selection and prices for charcuterie board supplies. I always buy my cheeses, meats, fillers and crackers there.
- I always include a selection of cured meats, especially salamis and prosciutto. They are always the most popular.
- The cheeses that you choose totally depend on your audience: for my family I generally buy a super sharp cheddar, some kind of soft cheese, and a few more flavorful, “out-there” pieces.
- Fig or sour cherry jam are always on my boards. They pair extremely well with cheese and meats.
- A selection of different types of crackers to go with the different cheeses is always a good idea.
And now for the linked recipes! These come from other bloggers and sites and are all fantastic.
- Baked Brie en Croute with Fig Jam
- Caramelized Onion Dip (I serve with black pepper kettle chips & assorted veggies for dipping)
- Sous Vide Turkey Breast with Crispy Skin & Gravy (don’t skip the skin or the gravy! I cook at 145° for 2-3 hours).
- Sous Vide Confit Turkey Legs (I cook at 149° for 24 hours).
- Cranberry Sauce (I swap the orange zest for Meyer lemon zest).
- “Simple is Best” Dressing
- Garlic Butter Hawaiian Rolls (I am going to swap the plain Maldon flakes for smoked flakes).
- Best Ever Mac & Cheese
- Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
- Brown Butter Pecan Pie Bars (I am serving with fresh vanilla bean whipped cream and Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream).
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Mashed Potatoes:
So, I don’t really have a recipe for these but I can share my method.
- Boil unpeeled (ain’t nobody got time for peeling potatoes on thanksgiving) Yukon gold potatoes until a fork pierces them easily.
- Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a mixer, add a stick of salted butter, Boursin shallot and chive cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, roasted garlic cloves, chopped up fresh chives, grated Sartori rosemary and olive oil Asiago cheese, and grated sharp cheddar cheese.
- Add the potatoes back in and mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until fully mashed with no lumps.
- Reheat if necessary to serve (can be held in the oven covered with foil until ready to serve).
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