Thanksgiving Recap

Now that Thanksgiving is over and Gabe and I are happily munching on leftovers, I thought I’d share the recipes I used for Turkey Day.  (You can find a more complete menu here.)  My plan for Thanksgiving was to incorporate traditional foods but serve them in a slightly different way.

First, stuffing.  I fell in love with this recipe.

Sandra Lee’s sage and mushroom stuffing

I’d never cooked a turkey before and was really worried about how it would turn out, but Alton Brown’s recipe worked perfectly.  The meat was juicy!  With crispy brown skin!  I am now a convert to the brining method.  Spread the gospel.

Alton Brown’s good eats roast turkey with Netta’s cranberry sauce

Instead of mashed potatoes (gasp!) I served potatoes and onions roasted with dijon mustard.  Don’t worry gravy lovers, I still made a kick-ass gravy (thanks, Mom!) to go with the turkey and stuffing.

Ina Garten’s mustard roasted potatoes

And I know it’s heresy to not serve sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, but I substituted another orange vegetable smothered in brown sugar and butter.  I heard no complaints.

Carrot souffle: an Ulman family tradition

Instead of green bean casserole, I made green beans amandine.  Buttery and delicious.

Green beans amandine

All in all, the menu went over really well.  I can’t show a picture of the rolls because our little  mouse friend got into the leftovers.  And the pumpkin pie is less than picturesque because a curious baker stuck her finger in the middle.  Oops.

Last but not least, I love this photo of the sugared cranberries Netta made.  Doesn’t it fill you with the holiday spirit?