Image Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year.  I love eating with reckless abandon and turkey day is the day to do just this – as far as I am concerned anyways….  Over the years I have come up with my traditional thanksgiving favorite recipes and I wanted to share them with you.

My normal menu consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, pumpkin crisp, gravy and cranberry sauce.  In looking at this menu, the first thing I always notice is that there is nothing green – no vegetable or salad and I must say that is just fine with me.  So without further ado…

The turkey recipe I use is Martha Stewart’s Turkey 101 which is amazing and turns out perfect every time.  I am sure that it has something to do with the bottle of wine and pound of butter used to baste the turkey that makes it so succulent and amazing!

photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

As for stuffing…I used to make Martha Stewart’s standard stuffing recipe that can be found here, however about five years ago I was introduced to a stuffing recipe that won a Good Morning America stuffing recipe contest.  OMG – this stuff is SOOOOOOOOOO freaking good!  It is ridiculously fattening so I only make it once a year, however it is so worth it!  The recipe dates back to 2007, however you can still find it online here.  I have included the recipe below just so I always have it in the event that page ever gets taken down.

Corn casserole might sound a bit unusual for Thanksgiving but again, I make it once a year and just seems to mesh well with everything on the plate.  Think cornbread but more delicate and buttery.  The recipe is from AllRecipes and can be found here.

Now Gravy is so easy and I do cheat by using a bottled product, but it is so delicious nobody will ever, ever know and you don’t have to worry about lumps!  Williams Sonoma Turkey Gravy Base is a gem!  You can thank me later.

I am not a pumpkin pie fan.  I think it is part texture and part overall pumpkin taste but I always had a pumpkin pie and an apple pie at Thanksgiving until I stumbled upon Pumpkin Crisp.   This dessert is made with boxed yellow cake mix so if you have any nostalgia for a basic yellow cake then this could be one of your new favorites as well.  I blogged about this a while ago and you can see the full recipe here.

The cranberry sauce I make is the standard Ocean Spray version that can be found on the back of the fresh cranberry package.  Sometimes I will add some fresh orange zest to add an additional flavor element to the sauce but that is optional.

So….that is my run down for what I make for my family on turkey day.  I hope you try some of these delicious recipes.  They are tried and true for multiple years so I can vouch that they are all super yummy!

Down Home Italian Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 extra-large yellow onion, chopped
• 7 large celery ribs, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 ounces pancetta, diced&
• 6 cups day-old, finely diced French bread
• 3 cups crumbled unsweetened cornbread
• ½ cup butter, cubed, cold
• 1 tablespoon ground sage
• 1½ tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 4-5 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• large Parmesan shavings

Directions

• Heat oil in large skillet on medium. Sauté pancetta for 2 minutes.
• Add onion and celery and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook another 3 minutes.
• Mix together breads and ¾ cup toasted pine nuts in a large mixing bowl. Add cheeses and cooked sausage to the breads. Mix together with the dried seasonings.
• Add sautéed veggies with any pan drippings.
• Slowly add broth and stir until mixed thoroughly. The consistency should not be soupy, but very moist. If not, add more broth.
• Test for saltiness and add a dash more if needed.
• Place in an extra deep 9-inch-by-13-inch greased pan.
• Dot the top with the cubed butter and cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until slightly crusted on the edges.
• Top with remaining toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh sage. Add shaved cheese just before serving.