Will someone critique my 1st Thanksgiving Dinner?

[kwormann]

Although I have cooked for YEARS!, this is my first time to cook Thanksgiving. My mom is coming from IN, along with several friends. Here is my menu..let me know if you have any suggestion!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

Appitizers:
apples w/ caramel dip
chex mix (a holiday tradition in our family)
Hot Crab Dip CL Apr 1995 w/ crackers

Meal:
Smoked BBQ'd turkey
Macaroni and Cheese CL Oct 2000 (another childhood memory, my grandma would have a fit if she knew I was making this light!)
Green Bean Casserole Nov/Dec 1995
Rolls (something has to be store bought)

Dessert:
Pumpkin Pie (or Ill be in divorce court!!)
Pecan Tassies w/ cream cheese pastry CL Nov 2000

Any thoughts? I need to feed 7 adults and a child. Is this enough?

Thanx http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif



[This message has been edited by kwormann (edited 11-15-2000).]

[claire]

Wow, sounds really yummy! My only comment is, are you planning to make mashed potatoes and stuffing? Those are my "must haves" on Thanksgiving.

[kwormann]

Claire

Well, I HATE stuffing and I was afraid mashed potatoes, mac n chz and roll might be too much carbos...what do you think?

kim

[Carrie W]

Might want to consider some sort of fruit side dish to have with dinner. I see you have the caramel dipped apples as an appetizer -- yummy! -- but I'd also suggest having a cranberry sauce or some sort of chutney.

[kwormann]

Great idea Carrie..I knew something was missing!

Kim

[chefandi]

Have you made the Pecan Tassties before? I thought they were a lot of work and I really didn't get a very good response from the family when I served them. Let me know how yours turned out.

[HARRYET]

Kim,

How about a pickle tray, or stuffed celery, maybe some quick breads (ie: cranberry, zucchini, pumpkin) you could eat those with the meal or later in the day (or the next morning) with coffee.

It does sound like you will be having a feast! Enjoy your company (Mom) Happy Turkey Day!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Ann

[gio]

I would still consider mashed potatoes instead of the mac & cheese, also you might want to add a fresh salad of some kind?

[sushibones]

Our family has always had rice instead of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. I like it because it is easy to fix and tastes great with turkey gravy. I was born in Houston, and both my parents were born in Houston, so rice there is probably not the sacrilege it would be in other parts of the country. And rice is a little lighter than macaroni & cheese even with the all the gravy poured over it (the rice, not the macaroni & cheese).

[This message has been edited by sushibones (edited 11-16-2000).]

[kwormann]

chefandi

So, do you recommend pecan pie instead of the tassies?

Kim

[Joyce]

Some kind of Jello salad might be nice, colorful, and fill in more fruit and veggie??

[emilycat]

Sushibones,
We've always had rice, too, for Thanksgiving, and I grew up in Georgia...my dad would freak out without it! His family always grew up serving rice on that day; I don't think it's sacrilege at all. In fact, I think it's much more likely that colonials would have eaten rice rather than mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese!
Emily

[Marianne Liedtke]

your menu sounds good, but rather ambitious. Will you have lots of help?

[BethR]

Your menu sounds great to me, although I'm the maverick in my family who will give new things a try on Thanksgiving. In my family, Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing would just be sacrilige! I like to experiment with new recipes and my extended family enjoys it -- EXCEPT on Thanksgiving! In both my husband's family and my own, they don't like to stray from their respective traditions. Fortunately, my husband and are both from Pittsburgh and our families' Thanksgiving foods are pretty similar.
Beth

[Nicole]

I like the idea of mac and cheese...its a great alternative to stuffing and mashed potatoes. For me personally, I think that your menu would be too creamy. The mac and cheese is creamy, the green bean caserole is creamy and then the turkey has gravy. Maybe you want to consider a second vegetable that is steamed, maybe carrots. They would also give a nice punch of color to the plate. Just my two cents....

[sneezles]

kwormann
Maybe everyone didn't read your menu very carefully but I don't ever remember having gravy with smoked turkey! I think your menu sounds great as is but maybe you could order cornbread muffins from the bakery instead of rolls or make them yourself early and freeze them?

[SHERRY]

I think your menu sounds great. I was thinking maybe you could add a cold side with fruit. My suggestion is Strawberry pretzel salad. One of our tradition! It is so refreshing and yummy. It can be made the day before, and it is better that way. Here it is:

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Crust Layer
1c. crushed pretzels
1 stick butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
Middle Layer
1 8oz block cream cheese
1 sm. carton cool whip
1 c. sugar
Topping
1 lg box strawberry jello
2 c. hot water
1/2 c. cold water
1 bag 16oz frozen strawberry halves

Mix pretzels, melted butter, and sugar. Press into bottom of 9x13 pan and bake at 350* for 10 min. Combine softned cream cheese, cool whip, and sugar. Spread on pretzel crust. Refrigerate until cold. Mix jello with hot water until dissolved add cold water and frozen strawberries. Stir until it begins to set. Pour mixture on middle layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I think you could reduce the amount of butter in the crust. I use light cream cheese, but not light cool whip, I don't like the taste of it. Anyway, it is so good and refreshing.

[BethR]

Originally posted by SHERRY:
I think your menu sounds great. I was thinking maybe you could add a cold side with fruit. My suggestion is Strawberry pretzel salad. One of our tradition!


SHERRY, where are you from? This exact recipe is a tradition for the holidays in my husband's family, as well as for many of his family's friends! We figured it was a "Pittsburgh thing." http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
BTW -- I love strawberry pretzel salad!


[This message has been edited by BethR (edited 11-16-2000).]

[venus]

I'm going to vote for mac and cheese AND mashed potatoes. The more food the better. I'll also say that some sort of cranberry sauce is a must have. One of the recipes that I've seen with pinot noir and crystallized ginger would go great with the smoked turkey, which sounds delicious. I like the idea of pumpkin pie and pecan pie--both great choices. How about some vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt to serve with them?

[kwormann]

Nicole, I also woncered if the menu was too creamy...asked hubby, he said no....no, to the gravy question, I dont make gravy. It is a smoked turkey w/ BBQ!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

I think a jello salad is a FABULOUS idea! I think it is just what we are missing!

Yea! Thanks!

Kim

[SusanD]

My hubby is a huge traditionalist...if it doesn't consist of turkey, rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, succotash, pecan AND pumpkin pie, it's not Thanksgiving dinner. Fortunately I love all of those things except for the pecan pie - so we're in good shape. Neither of us are big cranberry fans so we skip those. Last year my parents came for Thanksgiving and my mom made the most delicious gravy that she got from Martha Stewart. You might be able to find it on her website, all I remember was that it was made with Madeira wine.

Oh...by the way, K, I didn't mean that YOU should make the gravy, because smoked turkey doesn't like gravy. I just meant that if anyone wanted to try a different and very yummy gravy, here's a one.

[This message has been edited by SusanD (edited 11-16-2000).]

[Vanessa]

Hi. Your turkey plan sounds good. Because you are making a smoked turkey (therefore no need for gravy) I would definitelly pair it off with a fruit chutney (could be apple or a combination of fruits) but it would balance the smoke turkey flavor. I would following the BBQ kind of theme go for some roasted vegetables. You could have several and roast in the oven lets say. I like salads so I would definitelly have a salad to make it different you could add kiwis to it. The appetizers sound good, you don't want your guest to munch too much before dinner (then they will not eat).
If macaroni and cheese is a must then go ahead. I agree that having 2 creamed dishes might be leaning to the "creamy" side. About rolls there are very good commercial ones (Pillsbury) they have corn ones you can score the top and place some dried herbs or melt some butter add dried herbs and brush the top of these rolls. You can have an assortment of rolls. Some love bread.
About dessert pumpkin pie seems to be the # 1 choice, although you could make a sweet potato pie but pumpkin sounds good. I have not made the pecan tassies (will soon) but they look so cute. If you are serving coffee
after dinner you could "spike" it for adults
or make cappucinos. You mentioned children? If so I would by some cookies and put them on a pretty plate as part of dessert since some kids are not into pies.
Good luck! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[SHERRY]

BethR--
I am from Kansas. A get-together is not the same if you don't have Strawberry Pretzel Salad!
It must be the salty pretzel with the sweet cream cheese and strawberries. A yin yang(sp) thing.

[BethR]

Oh Sherry, now you're making me hungry! And Strawberry Pretzel Salad is still a week away! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[sushibones]

emilycat--
Thanks for your post. It's nice to know a fellow rice-eater. I've always assumed that rice is a Southern tradition, but I think you're the first person I've met that actually has rice at Thanksgiving instead of mashed potatoes. I make southern pan cornbread dressing later on in the weekend for my husband to eat.

However, last week I received a heartfelt plea from my son-in-law for mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, so I guess I'll be doing both this year.

Susan

[kwormann]

Well, we decided to make a cranberry chutney to pair w/ the smoked turkey...thanx for the suggestion. At my moms repuest, I am going to make garlic rolls and although a lot of you said potatoes instead of mac and chz, it is a tradition I LOVE! Hubby and I also decided on green bean casserole because it is also tradition...fortuneately, they are both CL recipes so they will be light. Thanx for the help...its nice to have so much "family!"

ps...does anyone have an opinion of serving the chutney warm instead of cold? The recipe doesnt say to chill it, but I picture it that way!

Kim http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif