Thanksgiving is my holiday. In my family we have always split up the big holidays between us, each of us having a huge dinner and gathering at our houses and mine was Thanksgiving. I have since moved away to live the expat life in a foreign country but I brought the tradition with me. Now every year I throw a huge Thanksgiving celebration with our friends even though Thanksgiving is not a local tradition and everyone loves it! So, with years of experience under my belt and many different kinds of pallets to please, I can confidently say that I have mastered a Thanksgiving menu that is sure to please and bring everyone you love around the table. In fact, we now struggle to fit everyone into our place that wants to come over for Thanksgiving dinner.
This year, I am going to share with you the menu that I use along with all of my go-to recipes (even my super secret personal recipes I have developed ?) so that you too can create a Thanksgiving meal that is sure to impress.
Full Thanksgiving Menu:
Appetizers: Taco Dip Sundried Tomato-Bacon Dip Veggies & Dip Main Course: Turkey Pulled Pork Mashed Potatoes Perogies Glazed Carrots Caesar Salad Corn Gravy Buns Dessert: Pumpkin Pie Mini Apple Pies Cheese & Bread Drinks: Sparkling Wine Red & White Wine Beer Water (Still & Sparkling) You can download a free copy of the full menu for you to use for your Thanksgiving meal to make it that extra bit special. Get it HERE.
So let's get started, we have a lot to prepare!
Appetizer Recipes: I serve the appetizers with cut up pieces of fresh baguette from the local bakery and tortilla chips on the side for dipping. Taco Dip: Ingredients:
Directions:
Sundried Tomato-Bacon Dip: Ingredients:
Directions:
Veggies & Dip: Easy to put together and a must for your health conscious friends and family. Ingredients:
Directions:
Sparkling Wine:
I always have all the appetizers set out and ready with napkins, paper or small serving plates for when the guests arrive so that they can already beginning snacking as they chat with the other guests. Main Course: Timing here is the key with so much food going out especially since you will be eating the meal family style. A Couple of Tips to Start*
Now onto the main course. Turkey: I have tried so many different Turkey recipes and the best hands down that I use every year comes from Gordon Ramsey. The long resting time he suggests may throw you off but trust me, it's a game changer ensuring a moist & delicious turkey every time!!!!! See recipe below: My Secret Pulled Pork Recipe: There has not been a person that hasn't asked me for this recipe after trying it. I developed this after many different trials and variations myself. Now my closest friends are using this recipe themselves. I don't usually share this with a lot of people but I am going to make an exception this year as it is just too good not to share. Ingredients:
Directions:
Mashed Potatoes: Ingredients:
Directions:
Perogies: This recipe has sentimental value to me as it was passed down to me from my Baba. Again this one takes quite a bit of time to prepare. I usually do it up to even a few weeks ahead of Thanksgiving and then freeze the perogies and cook them from frozen the day of. Ingredients:
Directions:
Glazed Carrots: This recipe is also a big hit with the guests and the good news is that this one is fast and easy to make! Ingredients:
Directions:
Caesar Salad: This one is also easy as I cheat and buy store bought dressing. I also prep the lettuce, bacon and cheese in advance so all I need to do at dinner time is mix with the dressing and serve: Ingredients:
Directions:
Corn: I just use frozen corn and follow the package directions to cook. I add a bit of butter and salt at the end to add flavor before serving. Gravy: I use the gravy from the turkey as per the instructions from Mr Ramsay. I put the gravy in a gravy boat to serve on the side so it can be added to the turkey or the potatoes as desired. Buns: I just buy the freshest looking buns I can find from the bakery the morning of the dinner. I heat on low in the oven until they are just warm ahead of serving. I put them in a bowl with a tea towel underneath and covering to keep them warm as long as possible. Drinks:
Desserts: Both of the following pie recipes I make a day ahead to save time. Pumpkin Pie: On this recipe I also cheat. I usually just buy the pie filling and follow the recipe that is on the back of the can. But it always turns out delicious and the guests love it. To go with the pie I also buy some whipping cream which I prepare earlier in the day by beating until thick with electric beaters along with some icing sugar and vanilla to taste just enough to convince it that its sweet. Mini Apple Pies: This recipe is a new addition from last year's dinner but they turned out so good that I will definitely add them again. This recipe I got from Pinterest and they just look so cute! And they are delicious. Get the Recipe HERE. Cheese Assortment: For the cheese we just buy a mixture of our favorites and cut them into small sized pieces. We then arrange them on a platter with some grapes, olives, nuts and crackers to serve. We also cut another baguette to serve on the side. There you have it, my full Thanksgiving Menu. I promise you that your guests will love this menu and so will you. It is sure to bring back all your loved ones around the table every year and that is really the point, to have a wonderful long evening of food and fun with the ones you love! If you want to get the full printable menu and recipe cards for free so that you can use them again and again like I do click HERE and share this with a friend who may also love this, trust me they will thank you! It is a lot of work to put together but with some planning and prepping ahead it will start to come out like clock work. And for the one time that it happens per year, I really find that I enjoy putting in all the effort to please and delight those that are closest to me and show them just how much I care about them! Please let me know in the comments how you and your guests liked the recipes and how your Thanksgiving Dinner went. I really want to connect so please don't hesitate to comment below or email me with any questions that you might have, I would love to hear from you. Happy Thanksgiving! And…. Design Your Life. Be Authentic. Be You. Be Sharp.
Sources:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2020
Categories
All
|