The menu

Thanksgiving is my favorite meal to cook each year. I enjoy the whole process, a full day of prepping and cooking and setting the table and making everything look perfect.... for me the preparation of the meal is better than the food.

I begin the day early, usually with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade playing in the background. I start by stuffing the turkey, basting and putting it in the oven. Followed by preparations for my dressing and desserts.

The last items of the day are the side dishes.

I like to begin serving appetizers around 2PM followed by dinner at 5 sharp.

This year's menu is a very traditional meal filled with family favorites.....

Turkey,

stuffed with apples, celery, onion, orange and potatoes

Cornbread Dressing

(recipe below)

Gravy

Broccoli Casserole

Sweet Potato Souffle

Deviled Eggs

Green Beans

Black Eye Peas

Seven Layer Salad

Mandarin Orange Congealed Salad

Cranberry Mold

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

accented with fresh fruit salad topping

Mini Pumpkin and Pecan Pie Tarts

Pomegranate Spritzer

Ice Tea

When I moved to Florida, my friends had no idea what I meant when I mentioned dressing for a Thanksgiving gathering. I found that dressing is typically a southern dish (and for those of you who don't live here, Florida really isn't southern....who knew!), in the rest of the country people just stuff the bird and serve stuffing. In the south we make dressing.

Growing up my mother and grandmother would spend hours discussing the dressing, you could never make it too perfect and in our family the challenge was intensified..... some of us (the smart ones) like the dressing super thin, the family members who have no culinary taste like the dressing thick. My mother and grandmother would work diligently to make sure everyone got what they wanted, so they would always cook 3 pans of dressing.... one thick, one thin and one medium. The medium pan was for nibbling as we prepared for the main feast.

I have carried on the tradition of 3 pans as well, whether I am surrounded by family or friends, it just makes Thanksgiving a bit more special when I prepare those three pans of dressing in a salute to my mama and ma-ma.

If you haven't tried dressing give it a try sometime, it isn't difficult; however, it is time consuming, but worth the time and effort when you see the satisfaction on your guests face.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Buttermilk Cornbread (I make it from scratch)
1 Package of Seasoned Stove Top Stuffing Mix
Loaf Bread (Preferably white)

The breads for your stuffing may be cooked on the day of service or 2 - 3 days ahead of time. Crumble all the bread items together and set aside.

1 Large Onion Chopped
Celery Chopped

Smother the chopped onion and celery and combine with the breads

6 hard boiled eggs, crumbled and mixed with the other ingredients

8 cups of Chicken Stock mixed into the dry ingredients

4 sticks of butter melted and mixed with the other ingredients

Fresh herbs

salt and pepper to taste

Poultry Seasoning to taste


Combine all the wet and dry ingredients. Press into a large pan or cast iron frying pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes.

Serve with turkey as a side dish with gravy or dry.

Cornbread dressing makes a GREAT accent to a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving, so enjoy this southern tradition, it is Home Made Easy.

Turkey Meatloaf

I love comfort foods and meatloaf is one of my favorites. I recently found a recipe in Every Day with Rachael Ray that put a new twist on the typical meatloaf.

One of my favorite things to do is take recipes and rework them and that is exactly what I did with this dish.

In the Every Day with Rachael Ray version the featured meat is beef. The dish also included salsa and whole cheese. I have been trying to eat healthy whenever possible, so I decided to make the dish with turkey. I also substituted some other ingredients to make this meatloaf something that I will enjoy eating over and over again!

(I think it would be good with lamb, venison or a combination of meats as well.)

The dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare and bakes for 45 minutes. In just over an hour you will have a delicious comfort food dinner, that is just as good on day two as day one.

All that for under $15.00!

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

(1) 14.5 Oz. can Diced Tomatoes (you may used flavored if you like, I buy the seasoned with Basil, Garlic and Oregano)

(2) 12 oz. jars of Flame Roasted Peppers

2% Milk Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican Blend

Bread Crumbs

(1) Medium Onion Chopped

(2) Eggs

Salt

Pepper


Pre-heat oven to 375

In a skillet, brown the ground turkey over medium heat. When turkey is browned drain fat through colander.

While turkey is browning, chop onion

Cover bottom of baking dish with roasted red pepper strips and a small handful of grated cheese

In large bowl combine turkey, onion, bread crumbs, diced tomatoes, eggs, salt and pepper

Mix ingredients with your hands and add to the baking dish

Bake for 10 minutes and then cover with cheese

Cook another 35 minutes until done

And that is Turkey Meatloaf, Home Made Easy