Thanksgiving is here! Here is the Menu:
One, We will be making this turkey again. It is the best and we just can’t change it. I have started roasting it in an oven bag, too. It doesn’t get the skin as crispy, but no one here eats the skin that much anyway. Make this turkey! Need help with the gravy? Here’s a great recipe that will ease your mind. You can even make it and store it in the fridge the night before! Just use the gravy portion of the recipe on the stovetop and do not use as much broth.
Two, we will have mashed potatoes. A bag of russets, milk, butter, salt and pepper… there really is no recipe.
Three, my favorite side dish of all time: Sweet Potato Casserole with Apple Cinnamon Topping.
Four, Honey Wheat Rolls. You can substitute all purpose flour for bread flour. Yes, you can bake them, cool them and freeze them for Thanksgiving. Just set them out the night before to thaw on the counter. Easier than going to the store! (And tastier… and fewer ingredients…)
Five: To go on the rolls — Whole Apple Butter. This is a new one I have not posted. It is my Slow Cooker Apple Butter. Instead of chopping the apples and discarding the core, I kept most of the core in the slow cooker for the apple butter. Then, everything was pureed in the vitamix blender and turned into apple butter. (I took some seeds out first because we don’t want to give anyone cyanide poisoning, do we?)
Six: Pie!! Spicy Pumpkin, Dutch Apple and Cherry Blueberry Pie are our favorites. Because you have to have pie. Or pi. Don’t want pie? Make Caramel Apple Pie Bars instead!
Seven: Cranberry Orange Bread – a quick yummy sweet bread that can also be frozen.
Eight: BEST APPETIZER EVER: Bacon Wrapper Crackers. We make these every holiday. They take little prep time. Taste amazing. And you can keep them hot in the oven for quite a while as the guests arrive. Just pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes or so. Turn down the heat to 250 degrees to keep warm. We kept them warm for about 20-30 minutes or so.
I know apps are served first, however I always make these last and always if I am the host. I don’t want to use up someone else’s oven. They can’t be prepped much ahead of time. That’s okay. They are sooo worth it.
Also, I have noticed a lot of Aldi’s crackers are not anything like the name brand. The club crackers that I purchased don’t look, taste or snap like the Keebler brand. I would recommend spending the extra 50 cents on the Keebler ones for this recipe because they won’t crumble in your hands when you wrap the bacon around them. I never had this problem until I used the Aldi brand. The same thing happened with the Aldi “Triscuits” too.
Nine, Apple Raisin Dressing. Everyday ingredients. And I use up whatever bread ends from loaves or loaves of bread that are accidentally squished in the deep freeze. My favorite I have found so far that didn’t the chemicals from the box.
Recipe: But until that Thanksgiving Thursday comes, I still have to feed my family! So here is a super simple and easy recipe that required little to prep and clean up. The soup is ready in 10 minutes if made in the Vitamex blender. It will take about 20-30 minutes in the pot on the stovetop.
Have too little time? Have everything prepped in the fridge ready to go! Or make and freeze for later.
I liked this soup because it was easy and delicious. Everything is wholesome and fresh.
- ¼ onion, peeled
- ½ Tb. olive oil
- 1 sweet potato, baked
- ½ apple, seeds or no seeds
- 1 carrot, cut into four pieces (or 5 baby carrots)
- 1 and ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- For a Blender: In the microwave, cook the onion and oil together for about five minutes. Stir once or twice.
- Put the rest of the ingredients into the blender.
- Turn the machine on 1. Work the blender up to maximum 10 and blend for 5-6 minutes. The soup will steam when finished. Salt and pepper to taste
- For No Blender: in a medium pot or Dutch oven, cook the onion and oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add a diced apple and carrots. Saute another 8-10 minutes.
- Add the baked sweet potato (or add one raw with the apple and carrots finely diced). Add the broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Blend in a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
