Tag Archives | Thanksgiving Menu planning

Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole: Day 11 Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving

By on November 22, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Thanksgiving Recipes

It’s Day 11 of Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving and it’s time to make our Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole.  It’s also time to set our Mushroom White-Wine Shallot Sauce in the refrigerator to thaw.

Toni’s Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole

This simple recipe can be made today and stored in the refrigerator in a casserole dish to bake and serve on Thanksgiving Day.

Ingredients:

  1. Sweet potatoes- 2 1lb cans
  2. Butter- ½ cup (1 stick) plus a few tbspns more to pour on top
  3. Marshmallows- 1 bag
  4. Brown sugar- ¼ cup
  5. Dried sage and thyme- 1 tspn each

 Directions:

  1. Melt butter in microwave
  2. Combine sweet potatoes, melted butter, ½ of marshmallows, sugar and herbs
  3. Beat until smooth
  4. Transfer to casserole dish and pour remaining marshmallows and drizzle melted butter on top

This recipe can be made in advance and stored before bringing out on Thanksgiving Day to bake.  I make mine about two days in advance.

  1. Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes

sweetpotatoe2 650x433 Not So Sweet Potato Casserole

 

Toni’s 12-day guide breaks up the overwhelming job of preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner into small daily tasks, allowing busy moms to spend the holiday enjoying family and friends instead of slaving away at the stove.  With daily tips, recipes and videos, Toni will help make this holiday less stressful.  Sign up now for Toni’s weekly newsletters to receive “Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving”.  Sign up here.

Toni12Days250 Tonis 12 Days of Thanksgiving

Black Friday

Don’t forget about our Black Friday special for The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System.  The biggest discount-ever- for this monthly subscription that brings you the most recent meal plans straight to your inbox each week is 70% off for one day only!

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Turkey Pan Gravy

By on November 20, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

There’s nothing better than homemade mashed potatoes.  What’s even better is the fact you can make them ahead and warm on Thanksgiving Day.  I have a slow cooker duo where I can heat and keep warm mashed potatoes and gravy.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

  1. Potatoes- 5-6 pounds (that’s 1/2 pound of raw potatoes per person, so 5-6 pounds will feed 10-12 people)
  2. Buttermilk- 2 cups
  3. Salt- 3 tablespoons

Directions:

  1. Peel potatoes and slice into large chunks
  2. Boil potatoes until tender
  3. Drain water
  4. Add buttermilk and salt; mash with a potato masher or whip with electric mixer (if too dry, add more buttermilk)

 

Homemade Turkey Pan Gravy

You can make the gravy base ahead of time so that homemade turkey pan gravy is a cinch on Thanksgiving Day.

Toni’s “Make-Ahead” Gravy Base is Day 9 of Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving

  1. butter- 1/2 cup (1 stick)
  2. flour- (or no-clump flour like Wondra)- 7 tablespoons
  3. chicken stock- 2 cups

Watch the video for Toni’s cooking demonstration:

 

 

 

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Homemade Cranberry Sauce- Day 6: Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving

By on November 17, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce is probably the easiest recipe to make on your Thanksgiving menu, so don’t be tempted to purchase the canned version!  It’s Day 6 of Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving and the perfect time to make Toni’s Perfect Cranberry Sauce- watch the video below for a cooking demonstration of this simple recipe.

Homemade cranberry sauce can be made and stored well in advance without having to freeze because you’re essentially making a sugared jelly out of the fresh cranberries.  This recipe for cranberry sauce has never let me down which is why I call it “perfect”.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Toni's Perfect Cranberry Sauce

Toni’s Perfect Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

This sauce recipe will serve between 6-8 people, so double or triple the recipe if you’re cooking for more people.

  1.  3 cups cranberries (1 12oz. bag)
  2.  1 cup orange juice
  3.  1 cup agave nectar or 1 cup sugar
  4.  Cinnamon sticks- 2

 Directions:

  1.  Combine all ingredients in saucepan; cook over medium heat stirring constantly
  2.  Be amazed at how beautiful the cranberries look when they soften and begin to pop
  3.  Once cranberries are completely softened and have popped (about 10-12 minutes), remove from heat, cool
  4. Remove cinnamon sticks before serving or stick them up in the sauce for decoration


 

cranberrysauce 650x433 Tonis Perfect Cranberry Sauce

If you haven’t signed up for Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving yet, to get daily videos, tips and recipes, sign up below:

Black Friday

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Make-Ahead Mushroom Shallot Sauce: Day 5 Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving

By on November 16, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Making Delicious Memories This Thanksgiving

It’s Day 5 of Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving and the perfect time to make a mushroom sauce to pour over steamed green beans on Thanksgiving Day.  This Thanksgiving green bean recipe can be made well in advance and stored in the freezer.

Thanksgiving green bean recipe

Mushroom White-Wine Shallot Sauce Recipe (wine is optional)

 Ingredients for Mushroom White Wine Sauce: (double this recipe for a large group)

  • Butter-1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 tbspns)
  • Sliced mushrooms- 1 bag
  • Shallots- 2, peeled and minced
  • Flour- 3 tbspns
  • White wine, like cooking wine or a Chardonnay like Mirassou Chardonnay
  • Chicken broth- 1 cup
  • Heavy cream- 1 cup

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat
  2. Add shallots and mushrooms; saute until tender, approximately 3 minutes
  3. Add flour and saute for 1 more minute
  4. Add wine and stir until flour is dissolved (or skip if not using wine)
  5. Add broth and cream; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes

Store in airtight container until Thanksgiving Day to pour over steamed fresh green beans.

Thanksgiving Day

For fresh steamed green beans, they’re making it really easy for us these days.  I use fresh ready-to-steam green beans that are found in the produce section that are washed and ready to steam in the bag in the microwave.  Also, Bird’s Eye Steamfresh frozen green beans are easy to pull out of the freezer and cook in the microwave.

Or you can buy fresh green beans in bulk from the produce section to wash and trim yourself.

Warm the Mushroom White-Wine Shallot Sauce in the microwave or a slow-cooker to keep warm for serving.

Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole: Classic or Contemporary?

Many people prefer the classic Green Bean Casserole.  Here is a post I wrote last year about classic versus contemporary green bean recipes for Thanksgiving.

greenbean1 650x433 Steamed Green Beans with Mushroom White Wine Shallot Sauce (wine optional)Classic Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving
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