Here are 10 things you can do to make this Thanksgiving stress free! My family has been having Thanksgiving at our house for many years and let me tell you, it has taken almost all of those years to have it run smoothly.
10. Review your Recipes- You may think you know your grandmother's stuffing recipe by heart, but I am sure under the time constraints and stress of preparing so many dishes you are going to make a mistake. Have all of your recipes organized a few days before hand and review all of the ingredients you need. Maybe even consider cutting back a few recipes that really weren't that popular the year before. (My family tried this but we somehow created more recipes)
9. Make out your grocery list- List all of the ingredients you will need for your recipes and go around your kitchen checking off the ones you have. Also make sure that if you need 2 cups of flour for your pumpkin pie crust that you don't have 1 1/2 cups. The last thing you want is running out to the store 5 minutes before the guests are about to arrive to buy a forgotten ingredient (My dad is usually the one that fixes the mistakes I make in this department).
8. Clean your oven- Since I am the sloppiest cook ever (nicknamed the wild chef) the amount of cheese I let spill over in the oven all year long is ridiculous. Clean your oven a few days before so there are no smells of cleaning supplies and you won't have burnt food stuck on the oven smoking while your delicious turkey is in there.
7. Learn the Bird- Make sure the morning of Thanksgiving you aren't handling a frozen bird. Turkeys take a while to defrost. If you immerse it in cold water it will take 30 minutes per pound, if you leave it in the refrigerator about 1 day per 5 lbs. Don't forget to take out the packet in the cavity with the gizzards and such. You don't want this stuff to cook inside your bird. And although it may look fancy to stuff your turkey, it honestly isn't very sanitary. Save your stuffing for side dishes, not IN side dishes. And never forget to let your turkey rest for at least a half hour after its cooked. After all of the labor and time you put into this turkey, don't ruin it by cutting open a hot turkey so all of the juice runs out.
6. Prep the fridge- You may think there is plenty of room in your fridge for all of the food, but when you have a bunch of sides, guests bringing desserts and enormous containers, and appetizers you are looking at a full fridge. Plan ahead of time to avoid cleaning out the fridge 5 minutes before dinner will be served.
5. Set the table early- My family usually sets the table the night before. When we all help it gets done fast and then the next day all we need to focus on is the food. No worrying if we have matching forks, plates, and cups the day of Thanksgiving. (Usually we give my dad all of the mismatched stuff)
4. Clear your countertops- You would be surprised how much counter top space you need for Thanksgiving dinner. Take away the toasters and coffee pots just for a few hours while prepping is going on. And plus the last thing you want is turkey juice getting all over your appliances. Also clean the countertops as you go. My parents taught me this trick a while ago, and I recently figured out that cleaning as you go is so much better than at midnight when you have been preparing the meal since 6 am that morning.
3. Review your pot and utensil inventory- Obviously everything will probably need its own pot or dish, so make sure you have enough. My family even makes post it notes of everything we will make and puts it on the assigned dish. This way when the mashed potatoes are out of the pot, they have some place to go!
2. Develop a strategy- Look at the things that can get done in advance and be frozen. Plan things in order or cook times and importance. Some Thanksgiving we left making the cornbread last cause honestly there are so many more delicious things, and if we forgot it it wasn't a big deal. Also things cook at different cooking temperatures so cook everything that has the same cooking temperature at the same time. Also try to prep as much in advance. Do all of the chopping first and put things to the side so you can assemble it later.
1. HAVE FUN- I never understood why the holidays are notorious for being stressful. They are about fun, food, and family, not stress. The worst thing that can happen is you go to Boston Market and get an already prepared meal for your guests. But honestly do you think things will get that bad that you will need to do that? If the turkey burns call it cajun turkey, if its under cooked throw it back in the oven. Thanksgiving happens every year. If you make a mistake this year, then fix it next year. My family plays Christmas music while we cook and all of us are in the kitchen together pretty much the the entire day before Thanksgiving. It is a lot of fun when everybody helps out. Give everybody a job to do. My brother is the taste tester and my dog cleans up any food that we drop. I used to be stressed about making the graham cracker crust perfect or having the creamiest mashed potatoes, but honestly it will all work out in the end. And if something goes really wrong then you just laugh about it and you can tell that story for years to come!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Saturday, November 19, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Hashbrown Casserole
Have you ever tasted the Hashbrown Casserole at Cracker Barrel? Well here is the recipe that tastes almost identical to it. Best part is that it only has 5 ingredients and takes almost no effort to make.
Ingredients:
1-32 ounce bag frozen hashbrowns (let them defrost for an hour on the counter or put them in the microwave for a minute or two)
2- 10 3/4 ounce cans cream of potato soup
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups sharp cheddar
1 cup parmesan cheese
(do not add salt to this recipe, the soup contains enough salt)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl mix the soup and sour cream together. Then add the hashbrowns and stir until combined. Then add the two cheeses and stir until everything is incorporated. Put into a greased baking dish and bake in the oven for one hour or until top is golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!
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Ingredients:
1-32 ounce bag frozen hashbrowns (let them defrost for an hour on the counter or put them in the microwave for a minute or two)
2- 10 3/4 ounce cans cream of potato soup
8 ounces sour cream
2 cups sharp cheddar
1 cup parmesan cheese
(do not add salt to this recipe, the soup contains enough salt)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl mix the soup and sour cream together. Then add the hashbrowns and stir until combined. Then add the two cheeses and stir until everything is incorporated. Put into a greased baking dish and bake in the oven for one hour or until top is golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Spooky Halloween Punch
This is so fast, it looks so cool, and it tastes delicious.
Ingredients:
2 liters ginger ale
1 gallon any flavored sherbet (I used rainbow which had raspberry, lemon, and orange)
Directions:
Fill a large bowl with the two liters of ginger ale. Don't worry about not creating bubbles, the more bubbles the spookier. Then using an ice cream scoop, scoop spoonfuls of sherbet onto the punch. Do it gently so you do not pop any bubbles. Keep doing this until you use up all of the sherbet. Do not stir. Serve with a ladle and punch glasses.
For an extra spooky treat, we took a surgical glove, filled it with water and froze it until it was solid. Put this in the bowl before adding the ginger ale. Not only is it spooky but it also keeps the punch cold all night long!
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Ingredients:
2 liters ginger ale
1 gallon any flavored sherbet (I used rainbow which had raspberry, lemon, and orange)
Directions:
Fill a large bowl with the two liters of ginger ale. Don't worry about not creating bubbles, the more bubbles the spookier. Then using an ice cream scoop, scoop spoonfuls of sherbet onto the punch. Do it gently so you do not pop any bubbles. Keep doing this until you use up all of the sherbet. Do not stir. Serve with a ladle and punch glasses.
For an extra spooky treat, we took a surgical glove, filled it with water and froze it until it was solid. Put this in the bowl before adding the ginger ale. Not only is it spooky but it also keeps the punch cold all night long!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Mummy Dogs
Since today is Halloween I thought it would be a great idea to make something with that theme. These are really easy and a lot of fun to make and eat. There is a quick demo too!
Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls
12 hot dogs, cut in half
mustard for eyes and dipping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut each hot dog in half and set aside. Then using a pizza cutter, cut thin strips of the crescent rolls out. Now take each half hot dog, rounded edge facing up and begin to roll a piece of crescent dough starting from the bottom to make it look like a mummy. Leave a small spot for a face (we can add mustard eyes later with a toothpick)
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until dough is golden brown. When they are out of the oven you can serve them with mustard, or using a toothpick put two mustard eyes. Enjoy!
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Ingredients:
1 can crescent rolls
12 hot dogs, cut in half
mustard for eyes and dipping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut each hot dog in half and set aside. Then using a pizza cutter, cut thin strips of the crescent rolls out. Now take each half hot dog, rounded edge facing up and begin to roll a piece of crescent dough starting from the bottom to make it look like a mummy. Leave a small spot for a face (we can add mustard eyes later with a toothpick)
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until dough is golden brown. When they are out of the oven you can serve them with mustard, or using a toothpick put two mustard eyes. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz white chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl beat the butter and the two sugars together until creamy. Then add in the vanilla and one egg at a time, beating in between additions. Then add the cocoa powder and beat until combined. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time mixing in between. Then add the baking soda and salt and mix again. Finally add the white chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. After they are baked allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the the cookie sheet and serve. Enjoy!
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2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz white chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl beat the butter and the two sugars together until creamy. Then add in the vanilla and one egg at a time, beating in between additions. Then add the cocoa powder and beat until combined. Add the flour, 1 cup at a time mixing in between. Then add the baking soda and salt and mix again. Finally add the white chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. After they are baked allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the the cookie sheet and serve. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or foil. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
Melt dark chocolate chips in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to lined baking sheets. Chill until set.
Serve and enjoy!
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2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add soymilk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1" balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or foil. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Steak with Herb Sauce
Ingredients:
4 large steaks (any kind you would like, I used New York Strip steaks)
salt
pepper
Herb Sauce:
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon
Directions:
Season steaks with lots of salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the meet and allow to sit for 5 minutes. While the steaks are resting, begin heating a large grill pan or outdoor grill on high.
Rub the meat with olive oil right before it goes in the pan. Then place the steaks on the grill at a slight angle. Cook for about 7 minutes, and rotate about 6 degrees to create grill marks. Grill for another 7 minutes or until the first side is very brown. Then flip over and repeat on the other side.
While steaks are cooking you can make the sauce. Finely chop the fresh basil, parsley, and mint and put in a large bowl. Crush two garlic cloves and mince very finely and put in the bowl with the herbs. Sprinkle in a few crushed red pepper flakes. Zest the lemon into the bowl and then juice the lemon. Mix the ingredients together. Now add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and stir again. Finally stir in the pecorino romano. There is no need for salt because the cheese is very salty. Allow to sit for at least 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often.
Once the steaks are done, take off the grill and put on a plate. Cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 12 minutes. Once meat has rested, slice on a angle and serve with the herb sauce. Enjoy!
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4 large steaks (any kind you would like, I used New York Strip steaks)
salt
pepper
Herb Sauce:
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup mint
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon
Directions:
Season steaks with lots of salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the meet and allow to sit for 5 minutes. While the steaks are resting, begin heating a large grill pan or outdoor grill on high.
Rub the meat with olive oil right before it goes in the pan. Then place the steaks on the grill at a slight angle. Cook for about 7 minutes, and rotate about 6 degrees to create grill marks. Grill for another 7 minutes or until the first side is very brown. Then flip over and repeat on the other side.
While steaks are cooking you can make the sauce. Finely chop the fresh basil, parsley, and mint and put in a large bowl. Crush two garlic cloves and mince very finely and put in the bowl with the herbs. Sprinkle in a few crushed red pepper flakes. Zest the lemon into the bowl and then juice the lemon. Mix the ingredients together. Now add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and stir again. Finally stir in the pecorino romano. There is no need for salt because the cheese is very salty. Allow to sit for at least 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often.
Once the steaks are done, take off the grill and put on a plate. Cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 12 minutes. Once meat has rested, slice on a angle and serve with the herb sauce. Enjoy!
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