Granny_Weatherwax Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Did you have any stand out dishes? Good and bad? Rave - We ordered a smoked turkey breast from a local butcher and it was wonderful. This was the first year I haven't cooked a whole bird and I was a tad nervous about it. Oh my, it was the best. Rant - I overcooked the gluten free pumpkin pie and it was inedible. I had to throw it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 I made dairy free creamed corn for my allergic kiddos. It was surprisingly good!!! My gluten and dairy free chocolate pie was also yummy!! Overall it was a success! We also ordered a smoked turkey which was delicious and so easy. One less thing to worry about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Roasted the turkey breast side down and then flipped it. It was awesome.Yorkshire pudding fell completely. I threw it out and skipped it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Spatchcocked the turkey and it was done in one hour. Most moist turkey I've ever made, and it was easy to carve. Thanks to whoever posted about that because it was definitely a hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonesinIndiana Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Brined the turkey over night, used an electric roaster to cook it and had room in the tiny wall oven for the side dishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Pastured turkey cooked beautifully and was delicious! I undercooked the pumpkin pie a tad so it wasn't as firm as I like, but it still tastes great. Kale salad was so-so, though the dressing was good, with fresh oj in it. Half of our guests couldn't come at the last minute so we have loads of leftovers. I am sorry they are sick and sorry they could not come, but not sad to have more turkey and dressing for us! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 We tried a lot of new dishes. A favorite was the savory cranberry sauce with shallots, ginger, figs and red wine. We did the turkey the same way we always do -- brined, seasoned with lots of herbs inside and under the skin, cooked at high heat breast side down, then right side up at lowere heat. Only 2 1/2 hours for a 17 lb bird, and it was perfect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Spatchcocked the turkey and it was done in one hour. Most moist turkey I've ever made, and it was easy to carve. Thanks to whoever posted about that because it was definitely a hit. A lot of people were picking these up from our butcher. I was wondering if I'd miss the look of the classic turkey. But maybe I'll try next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 We are going out to dinner later, so i expect all the food will be a win. DD13's first year with pies - Amazing results! Smashingly delicious pumpkin - creamy and rich with a little bite from the pepper. but her crowning glory was the Mile High Lemon pie (Martha Stewart's recipe). Tart and sweet and the meringue ended up about 3 inches thick. DH and DS18 ate 3/4ths of the pie last night by themselves. Gingerbread cookies came out good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 We smoked a turkey breast here. 2nd year to do so and the only way I'll ever do turkey. It was tender and not at all dry. All my growing up years I suffered through DRY turkey meat. Overcooked, anyone? Ds did fantastic garlic mashed potatoes. He fried the chopped garlic in butter until it was brown and crispy, then dumped both the garlic and butter into the potatoes with a bit of cream. Oh my. My pumpkin pie is tasty. Still haven't dug into the apple, but it's mighty pretty. We have two large pots of chili simmering on the stove for a large family gathering tomorrow night. We are blessed to have so many lovely things to eat and so many nice relatives to eat it with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 dd13's pies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 I tried a new dessert recipe this year since my springform pan for my usual cranberry bliss cheesecake is still packed. These pecan pie/cheesecake/shortbread squares are really delicious! http://www.positivelysplendid.com/2013/09/pecan-cheesecake-squares.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Rave - my sweet potato casserole was great Rant - I can steam six different vegetables without any seasoning and open some per packaged rolls any day, mil. I'd love something a little more for Thanksgiving. The gravy was watery. The dressing was meh and seemed way too sage influenced or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitofthewomb Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Rave-my SIL made bacon jam & my other SIL made some kind of polish noodle/cabbage/bacon dish. Both were awesome! Rant-none of the desserts my MIL made were good. She makes the worst, weirdest desserts. I knew I should have brought one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Roasted the turkey breast side down and then flipped it. It was awesome. Yorkshire pudding fell completely. I threw it out and skipped it. How do you flip a hot turkey? I wanted to do it, looked at dh asking how to flip it, we couldn't figure how without jabbing a fork in and whatnot, so we just put it in breast side up. I do cover most of the cooking time with some water in the bottom to steam it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I tried the herb brine from last weekend's Wall Street Journal and even though I only brined the meat for 24 hours rather than the 48 the recipe called for, the meat wound up WAAAAAAAY too salty. It's just as well that I chose not to make gravy because the LAST thing the turkey needed would be more salt. So this year is not going to go down in family history as "the time mom didn't make gravy" but rather "the time mom made the turkey too salty". At least I don't have that much in the way of leftovers since I bought legs rather than a whole bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I made Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars and they were so yummy and easy too (even the caramel!) Okay...I keep trying the paste the link but for some reason my iPad won't let me. The recipe is from www.sallysbakingaddiction.com. Really, a must-try dessert! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 A favorite was the savory cranberry sauce with shallots, ginger, figs and red wine. That sounds fabulous. Do you have a recipe to share??? :) (Thanks!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rave - tried a new recipe for glazed carrots - cooked them with ginger and maple syrup. I loved the ginger addition. Rant - my cranberry jello didn't set!! Still hasn't as a matter of fact. I added pomegranate and oranges so maybe the fruit kept it from jelling? I had only heard that pineapple would do that. I have no idea what to do with a big bowl of half set jello?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Taste the half set jello. If it tastes good, blend it with Ice to make slushie. Or with vanilla ice cream for yummy shakes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rave: brined the turkey for the first time, and for the first time ever, the white meat was moist, yes, moist! Rant: poor dd tried to do our apple pie with the butter crust. She forgot to peel the Macintosh apples and couldn't remember whether she had used 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 c flour for the crust. She added some water, then decided to add some more flour. We didn't have apple pie.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 My first gluten free mostly dairy free thanksgiving. Other than the turkey being a little overdone and discovering you can't freeze heavy cream and make whipped cream, all is wonderful. I successfully converted recipes, and thickened gravy with....... cauliflower, then a stick blender. I can really tell the difference avoiding gluten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 That sounds fabulous. Do you have a recipe to share??? :) (Thanks!)I got it from the Food Network. It's called Cranberry Sauce with Pinot and Figs, Bobby Flay recipe. The recipe is on the Food Network app and on their website. I will attempt to link. ETA I went to the website, but the IRL just says fooodnetwork.com. But it will come up if you search there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I got it from the Food Network. It's called Cranberry Sauce with Pinot and Figs, BobbyFlay recipe. The recipe is on the Food Network app and on their website. I will attempt to link. Thanks! Looks like this one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/cranberry-sauce-with-pinot-and-figs-recipe.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Thanks! Looks like this one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/cranberry-sauce-with-pinot-and-figs-recipe.html That's it. The link did not show on my iPad. Maybe I should have copied anyway. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/cranberry-sauce-with-pinot-and-figs-recipe.html Oh, I am dumb. When I pressed my finger on the url bar, the whole address popped up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rave: had all our favorites...yum! I only cook steak once a year and I nailed the temps! No rants...I even remembered the oft forgotten rolls! Macy's parade, cooking together, eating together and Elf with mugs of tea...yay! Happy thanksgiving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Raves: I made my grandmother's cranberry relish - my favorite flavor of the year. And I tried Smitten Kitchen's Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings, which were delicious, easy, and satisfied my pumpkin pie craving without having to make a crust. Rants: none, really. My stuffing could have used more seasoning, but it wasn't in dire shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Smitten Kitchen's Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings, which were delicious, easy, and satisfied my pumpkin pie craving without having to make a crust. Just looked up the recipe. One I will definitely make & try. Thanks for mentioning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Raves: I made my grandmother's cranberry relish - my favorite flavor of the year. And I tried Smitten Kitchen's Baked Pumpkin and Sour Cream Puddings, which were delicious, easy, and satisfied my pumpkin pie craving without having to make a crust. Rants: none, really. My stuffing could have used more seasoning, but it wasn't in dire shape. Why have I never heard of the Smitten Kitchen? (Rhetorical question, obviously.) the pudding recipe looks luscious. Thx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 We spatchcocked our 25.5 lb turkey and it turned out great. Skin was not crispy because we decided to put thin slices of onion, garlic, and lemon under the skin. Cooked for 2 hours on a "pan" we made from several layers of heavy duty foil and an oven rack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 How do you flip a hot turkey? I wanted to do it, looked at dh asking how to flip it, we couldn't figure how without jabbing a fork in and whatnot, so we just put it in breast side up. I do cover most of the cooking time with some water in the bottom to steam it. I just wrapped my hands in cloths (not getting my oven mitts dirty for this) and grabbed it by the drumsticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 My first gluten free mostly dairy free thanksgiving. Other than the turkey being a little overdone and discovering you can't freeze heavy cream and make whipped cream, all is wonderful. I successfully converted recipes, and thickened gravy with....... cauliflower, then a stick blender. I can really tell the difference avoiding gluten. I would love to hear more about how you made the cauliflower-thickened gravy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Spatchcocked the turkey and it was done in one hour. Most moist turkey I've ever made, and it was easy to carve. Thanks to whoever posted about that because it was definitely a hit. We were going to try this but opted for the smoked breast instead. I may try spatchcocking at a later date. If nothing else, I want to be able to say I spatchcocked something. My first gluten free mostly dairy free thanksgiving. Other than the turkey being a little overdone and discovering you can't freeze heavy cream and make whipped cream, all is wonderful. I successfully converted recipes, and thickened gravy with....... cauliflower, then a stick blender. I can really tell the difference avoiding gluten. It gets easier. My first GF thanksgiving was full of tears and tantrums. I'm much better now and have tried foods and recipes I never thought possible. It's actually quite fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Thanks! Looks like this one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/cranberry-sauce-with-pinot-and-figs-recipe.html Quoting you again, so that you will see this. Recipe called for 1 lb of berries. I buy them in 12 oz bags, so I used one bag and left off most of the white sugar (used about 1 TB only). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Raves - sweet potato casserole and cranberry sausage stuffing. The same recipes I've been using for years. The stuffing is great even with GF bread. Rant - GF pie crust, it just irritates me. I've tried making it from scratch, using a mix, and now the pillsbury prepared dough. It sticks to everything, falls apart, and it's just...blah. I think I'm going to make crust less pie for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I would love to hear more about how you made the cauliflower-thickened gravy! Here you go! I used a stick blender so I didn't have to move the hot liquid. http://cookeatpaleo.com/easy-paleo-gravy/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 We were going to try this but opted for the smoked breast instead. I may try spatchcocking at a later date. If nothing else, I want to be able to say I spatchcocked something. It gets easier. My first GF thanksgiving was full of tears and tantrums. I'm much better now and have tried foods and recipes I never thought possible. It's actually quite fun. I am going to have to spatchcock as well :D Actually the tears were if we had to find different things to make. We make the same things every year and really look forward to eating them, a few of the recipes were very dairy/wheat heavy. When I finally figured substitutes to use, it came together very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Here you go! I used a stick blender so I didn't have to move the hot liquid. http://cookeatpaleo.com/easy-paleo-gravy/ Thanks, I am going to try this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rant - GF pie crust, it just irritates me. I've tried making it from scratch, using a mix, and now the pillsbury prepared dough. It sticks to everything, falls apart, and it's just...blah. I think I'm going to make crust less pie for Christmas. Just eat the pie filling with a spoon :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Spatchcocked the turkey and it was done in one hour. Most moist turkey I've ever made, and it was easy to carve. Thanks to whoever posted about that because it was definitely a hit. I think that's what we have done the last two years and we LOVE it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shleitrieg Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 My gluten and dairy free chocolate pie was also yummy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Spatchcocked the turkey and it was done in one hour. Most moist turkey I've ever made, and it was easy to carve. Thanks to whoever posted about that because it was definitely a hit. Adding my thanks for the spatchcock thread as well! I wound up splitting my turkey in two because of size--the half I salted first and did on top of a bed of celery, onions, rosemary and parsely was fantastic! Rants--the salad dressing we made following recipe directions was not good. The combination of dijon mustard and apple cider vinager didn't just bite--it burned! Raves--My old standby hot spiced fruit recipe. I rarely make it outside of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it just works and is so eary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 My dh made his first crown roast, it was stunning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rave: 30 min rolls Rant: Turkey came out undercooked even using 2 different thermometers. :cursing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rave: Alton Brown's aromatic turkey recipe, the two pecan pies I made, a fresh cranberry/orange sauce Rant: jello jugglers---someone brought them and then left them and I forgot to throw them away after they left. my food dye sensitive kids are going to be a wreck after their late night snack... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Got to stay at home for a change and make my own food. Best idea ever! No turkey. Awesome. We had pan seared steaks with shallot sauce, steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, simple homemade cranberry sauce and a choice of custards and/or wine poached pears. Turned out that the pears and the custards paired perfectly, so most of us ended up eating both. It was all good. No rants at all. Best ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartosunshine Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rave: I spatchcocked the turkey for the first time this year. Yummy! My difficulties with this technique resulted from dull knives/shears as well as not properly breaking the breastbone so it didn't lay as flat as it should have. It took an extra 10 minutes to cook but it came out better than any other method I've tried (traditional, brown bag, wet brine, etc). I spatchcocked first, getting distracted by turkey anatomy (I was a Biology major, after all), then applied a dry brine between the skin & meat. It sat overnight in the fridge uncovered which resulted in the crispiest skin ever and moist, flavorful meat. Much thanks to the original poster on this technique because I'd never heard of it before reading it here. Rant: "Healthy" pumpkin pie brought by a guest. Can we go just one day out of the year without being so health conscious that the food tastes like cardboard?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 The power went out everywhere other than my house, so with 1 hour notice before the 1st guests/cooks arrived I became the Thanksgiving hostess to a group of 24. Thankfully my husband is a super-hero and he whipped the house into shape while I made room in the fridge and dug out all of the tablecloths, dishes, extra chairs, and whatnot from the basement. Rave - Somehow we got everything ready on time and the turkey came out perfect. Rant - Jello is not a salad. It just isn't. And it tastes nasty with all that gunk you put in it. So there :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rant: "Healthy" pumpkin pie brought by a guest. Can we go just one day out of the year without being so health conscious that the food tastes like cardboard?! One of my mother's worst insults for food is: "It tastes like it ought to be good for you." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Rant - Jello is not a salad. It just isn't. And it tastes nasty with all that gunk you put in it. So there :tongue_smilie: Rant: "Healthy" pumpkin pie brought by a guest. Can we go just one day out of the year without being so health conscious that the food tastes like cardboard?! I talked to my mom last night on the phone, she made three jello salads I know with "gunk", a casserole dish with cream of mushroom soup, and white sauce/lots of mayo hollandaise... no wonder I had a stomach ache my entire childhood (dairy intolerant, food additive intolerant and soy products are not digestable)... I don't know what I'd do if I lived locally... And the poor pumpkin pie, we should have a moment of silence... It takes a lot to ruin a pumpkin pie! Do you want my curdled whipped cream to put on it? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.