Leftover Stuffing and Egg Bake Recipe

leftover stuffing and egg bake | pamela salzman

Friends, I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and that it was everything you hoped it would be.  I feel very grateful that we had a house full of family and friends, many of which spent the whole day with us watching the parade, football, and popping in and out of the kitchen to chat with me.  That’s what it’s all about in my opinion.  It’s also nice to have the meal go smoothly and taste good, for sure.

Maybe you have some leftovers today!  I was on KTLA Channel 5 in LA this morning at 9:45 am PST offering up some creative and easy ideas for what do with them.  If you’re not in LA or you missed it, you can check out the segment below.  I shared two ideas for five classic Thanksgiving foods:  turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  Here’s what I talked about:

 

Turkey:  turkey quesadillas with cranberry salsa (recipe here) and curried turkey salad in lettuce cups (sub turkey for chicken in this recipe)

Mashed potatoes: mashed potato croquettes (take some grated cheddar cheese and mix it into mashed potatoes, form the mixture into small patties, dip in egg, then panko breadcrumbs and sauté  in olive oil) and shepherd’s pie (to an 8 x 8 casserole dish add 2 cups of cubed turkey, 2 cups leftover roasted veggies or frozen veggies, 1 cup gravy mixed with 1 cup of stock, top with mashed potatoes and grated cheese or a little melted butter, bake at 350 until bubbly)

Stuffing:  stuffing stuffed mushrooms (brush olive oil on mushrooms with the stem removed, put a spoonful of stuffing in cavity and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes) and stuffing egg bake which I am giving the recipe for today.

Cranberry sauce: cranberry-yogurt-granola parfait (recipe here) and oatmeal with cranberry sauce

Pumpkin pie:  pumpkin pie French toast casserole (just sub half the bread with an equal measurement of cubed pumpkin pie — this is to die for!) and leftover pumpkin pie smoothie (just scrape the pumpkin pie filling into a blender — freeze it if you have time — add almond milk to get the desired consistency, a drop of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon to taste)

leftover stuffing + beaten eggs = stuffing egg bake

There are really infinite uses for Thanksgiving leftovers, but something I mentioned in the segment was that if you are totally over Thanksgiving food, all of the above can be frozen for a rainy day.

leftover stuffing egg bake | pamela salzman

This strata was a huge hit after the show when the crew descended upon the table.  And I couldn’t blame them.  This egg bake is essentially like a strata or a frittata with bread and veggies.  Although it’s easier than both of those since you just stir a cup of stuffing into 3 beaten eggs and bake!  I think most stuffings would work for this recipe.  I tried it with my mushroom and leek stuffing as well as a cornbread, fennel, chicken sausage and apple stuffing and they were both delicious!  Have friends over for brunch tomorrow or make for dinner with a green salad tonight and give yourself a break.  On that note, after 29 people for dinner last night and an early wake-up call this morning, I am calling quits for the rest of the weekend.  See you all next week!

leftover stuffing and egg bake | pamela salzman

leftover stuffing egg bake | pamela salzman

Leftover Stuffing and Egg Bake
Author: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • Unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, for greasing the ramekins
  • 2 cups leftover Thanksgiving stuffing
  • 6 large eggs
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease 2 4-inch ramekins* with olive oil.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the stuffing and mix to combine.
  3. Pour the egg and stuffing mixture into the ramekins and bake until set and lightly golden brown, about 50-60 minutes. Or divide the mixture into 4 ramekins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Pictures on the blog were done in 2 ramekins (thicker.) Egg bakes on the morning news segment were done in 4 (thinner.)
Notes
*You could also use a medium skillet or a loaf pan.

 

Planning a happy thanksgiving 2014: 1 week to go!

This post has been edited from the original which was published on November 17, 2011.

Wow, the last three weeks have gone by so quickly!  I am so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We have a super fun crew joining us this year and I am also looking forward to some one-on-one time with the kids, especially my older daughter who will be home from college for the first time since August!    I used to get all of them in the kitchen Thanksgiving morning to help me with pies or trimming green beans or whatnot, but my two daughters have taken to sleeping until noon on days off.  However I had a stroke of genius three years ago, which was to tack my Thanksgiving to-do list on the refrigerator and have everyone sign up for three tasks.  Even my husband gets in on the fun!

My last class is Friday, so I’ll start getting busy this weekend.  I always plan Thanksgiving day down to the last detail because I don’t like forgetting things and a schedule makes me feel more relaxed, which equals more fun for me!   But just because Thanksgiving is the star of the show this week doesn’t mean that I can forget about normal life on very other day.  So I think about regular meals and activities, too.  Here’s what my schedule will look like from Sunday until we eat on Thursday at 4:00 pm (-ish).  This shouldn’t make you feel exhausted, but merely show you what you can do ahead for your own Thanksgiving!

Sunday

Go grocery shopping for most perishable items, bread for stuffing and food for remaining dinners this week.

Make cranberry sauce (I used to make applesauce on Sunday too, but my friend Caitlin is bringing it this year.)

Arrange tables and chairs

Write out placecards for table (a good job for one of the kids)

Dinner:  orange and rosemary-glazed chicken, cauliflower-potato mash, and broccoli

make bread cubes for stuffing

Monday

Make salad vinaigrettes

Make bread cubes for stuffing

Make ice cream

5:30 Bring Mr. Picky to soccer practice

Dinner:  roasted vegetable enchiladas, salad

Tuesday

11:00 – 1:00 cooking with blogger friends Zelana Montminy and Gina Ragnone

Shop for last perishable items from farmer’s market

Pick up turkeys.  Brine in the morning.

Buy flowers for entry table, family room and living room and put together table arrangements

Set table (I’ll set one place setting for the kids to copy and they can do the rest.)

Wash and dry greens (salad)

Toast pumpkin seeds (salad)

Seed pomegranates (salad)

Shred gruyere (tart)

Shred manchego (salad)

Defrost chicken/turkey stocks

Dinner:  pumpkin and black bean chili, spinach quesadillas

Wednesday

Make butternut squash soup

Chop onions for soup, stuffing and roasted vegetables

Slice zucchini (tart)

Steam, bread cauliflower

Blind bake crust (tart)

Herb oil (tart)

Make stuffing

Prep vegetables for Maple-Mustard Roasted Veggies

Thinly slice Brussels sprouts

Cut butternut squash into cubes for salad

Make sweet potato casserole

Bake pecan pies

Remove turkeys from wet brine and rinse (do not rinse dry-brined turkeys)

Set up for coffee and tea service

Check powder room

Dinner: spice-rubbed salmon, brown rice, sautéed Swiss chard

Before bed:  make sure garage refrigerator door is closed! (Four years ago, I left the door open to my extra fridge in the garage all night long.  OMG. Disaster!  Needed to buy two new turkeys on Thanksgiving morning!)

Thursday

6:00 am wake and shower

Make cornbread (small oven)

Bake pumpkin pies (large oven)

Bake coffee cake (small oven)

Make gingerbread (large oven)

9:15 Take turkeys out of refrigerator

All desserts must be out of large oven by 10:30 am

Bake apple pie (small oven)

10:45 turkeys go in large oven breast side down at 425 degrees

11:25 turn oven down to 325 degrees and flip turkey breast side up

12:00 reheat soup and serve with cornbread

tidy up kitchen

get dressed and dry hair (a girl’s gotta look good!)

Put mixing bowl and beaters in freezer for whipped cream

Roast butternut squash for salad (small oven)

1:30 Peel potatoes and make mashed potatoes; keep in bowl, covered, over pot of simmering water

2:15 zucchini tart in small oven

2:30 fry cauliflower and heat tomato sauce; serve hot

3:00 serve hors d’oeuvres; start testing turkey temperature

3:00 – 3:30 take turkey out of oven

Put vegetables in large oven at 400 degrees

Make gravy

Reheat stuffing in small oven

Bake sweet potato casserole in large oven

Chop apples for Brussels sprout salad, assemble both salads

Light candles, pour water in glasses, set out cranberry sauce and applesauce

Place turkey platter in oven to warm up

3:50-4:00 Carve turkeys

4:00 Dinner is served

After dinner:  whip cream (do not overbeat!), coffee and tea, sparkling water

Make notes on what to remember for next year.  Next year??!!

Planning a happy thanksgiving 2014: 2 weeks and counting!

This post was originally published on November 10, 2011.

Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away!  Is the exclamation point there to emphasize panic or joy?  I’m excited!  I’ve been teaching quite a few Thanksgiving-themed classes as of late and I’m feeling spirited.  Don’t let these Thursday posts stress you out.  The whole point is to show you what you can do in advance, not what you must do in advance.  All these tips and strategies are most relevant to the hosts and hostesses who are preparing most or all of the meal themselves and who have a busy schedule leading up to the holiday.  If I didn’t get a lot of these tasks completed early, I don’t see how I could pull off this meal without tons of stress.

Here’s what you can get done this week:

  • Get your knives sharpened Especially your carving knife.  A razor-sharp knife is the most important tool in your kitchen.  In my area, you can get your knives sharpened at Sur La Table, the farmer’s market and at the local cutlery store at the mall.  I think Sur La Table charges $1/inch.
  • Make your grocery lists  I make three lists:
  1. Non-perishables (e.g., flour, spices, wine, nuts, dried fruit)  I buy these now.
  2. Perishables to buy one-week ahead (e.g., winter squashes, butter, hard cheeses, potatoes)
  3. Perishables to buy two days before (e.g., turkey, dairy, bread for stuffing, all other fruits and vegetables)
  • Buy to-go containers  I always make too much food and I like sending care packages home with my guests to enjoy the day after, especially our single friends.  This year I am definitely packing up all the extra desserts so that they aren’t tempting me the next afternoon when I’m shopping for holiday gifts online.  I love the idea of having people bring their own reusable containers, but for me it’s easier to get these disposables from my local Smart & Final.  I also saw some brown paper to-go boxes on amazon.

  • Clean out the refrigerator  I’ll get to this over the weekend.  Now is a great time to get rid of food past its prime or to get creative with the last spoonful of nut butter or those four olives just to make more space in the fridge.  I have a second, inexpensive refrigerator in the garage which really comes in handy for big dinners.  If you don’t have the extra space, see if one of your neighbors is going away for the holiday and can store your chutney and jam collections for a few days.

  • Check your instant read thermometer   This tool the only way you’ll be able to tell if your turkey is cooked properly, so it’s important that it’s accurate.  If you’re unsure, stick the tip of the thermometer into boiling water.  If the temperature reads 212 degrees Farenheit, you’re good to go.

Planning a happy thanksgiving 2014: 4 weeks and counting!

This post has been edited from the original, which was published on October 27, 2011.  

I adore Thanksgiving.  I love the traditions, the food, the Macy’s parade on television while I am making my pies, the football games.   I love moving the family room furniture after the last football game is over to extend the dining room table.   I love hearing everyone share why he or she is grateful.  I have cooked every Thanksgiving for the last 19 years, as well as dozens of Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes.   I have made lots of mistakes and in the process learned a thing or two about how to execute and enjoy  a very happy Thanksgiving.  The key is being organized.  Every Thursday from today until the big day, I will share my best tips, strategies and a few good recipes to set you up for a successful holiday.  Let’s get started!

4 Weeks Before Thanksgiving

  • Guest list  Now is a good time to invite family and friends for the holiday, even if they are regulars.  I send an email out to all our guests with the schedule for the day, especially when we will sit down for dinner.  We live on the West Coast, which means the second football game is over at 4:00.  Anyone that wants to come for the earlier game is welcome to do so.  There’s coffeecake, fruit and coffee in the morning.  A mugful of soup and cornbread around noon; hors d’oeuvres at 3:00 pm and dinner is at 4:00 or whenever the game is over.  You know that I pray for no overtime!
  • Plan your menu Planning the Thanksgiving menu requires a bit of strategy and balance.   Make sure you have a balance of cooked and raw food (one thing I have learned is no matter how big your kitchen or how many ovens you have, it’s never enough on Thanksgiving!); protein, starches and vegetables (I find most Thanksgiving menus to be too starchy;) and ingredients (make sure not every recipe has dried fruit and nuts in it.)  Know what dishes need an oven and when because if you’re making turkey and you have one oven, you won’t be baking too much in the hours before dinner.

Also, know your audience.  I love trying new recipes, but my family looks forward to the same traditional standbys every year.  There was almost a revolution when I took Breaded Cauliflower off the menu in 2007 ( I now serve it as an hors d’oeuvre.)  So I compromise by making the classics (traditional roast turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie), but I also try out a new salad or vegetable side dish every year.

Also, just because you’re cooking overtime for Thanksgiving dinner, doesn’t mean your household won’t be needing dinner the night before and breakfast the morning of.  Instead of ordering takeout pizza on Wednesday night, make and freeze a casserole in the weeks ahead or plan for your easiest 20-minute meal.  The same goes for Thanksgiving day, especially if you have young children in the house.  You can save your appetite and get by on a piece of fruit for the day, but your four-year-old cannot.  I always make a pot of butternut squash soup the day before and a pan of cornbread to be served around noon to tide anyone over until the big meal.

Photocopy your recipes from books and magazines I remember my first Thanksgiving with a stack of cookbooks and magazines taking up valuable counter space and my wasting so much time looking up each recipe multiple times.  Ugh!  Put your photocopied recipes in sheet protectors and create a dedicated Thanksgiving or holiday binder organized by category.  This just might be the most useful tip I give you.
Here’s what I am probably making this year:
Breakfast:
Coffeecake, fruit, coffee and tea
Lunch:
Butternut Squash Soup or Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup and Cornbread
Hors D’oeuvres:
Breaded Cauliflower with Tomato Dipping Sauce
Endive Leaves with Grapes, Roquefort and Hazelnuts (recipe coming)
Dinner:
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
Non-dairy Green Bean Casserole with Shiitake Bacon (teaching this in my classes this month)
Dessert:
Chocolate Coconut Tart from Coco Bakes LA (I preordered this already)
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Freshly Whipped Cream
Click here for loads of Thanksgiving recipe ideas!

Planning a happy thanksgiving — 4 weeks and counting!

This post has been edited from the original, which was published on October 27, 2011.  I adore Thanksgiving.  I love the traditions, the food, the Macy’s parade on television while I am making my pies, the football games.   I love moving the family room furniture after the last football game is over to extend the dining room table.   I love hearing everyone share why they’re grateful.  I have cooked every Thanksgiving for the last 18 years, as well as dozens of Thanksgiving-themed cooking classes.   I have made lots of mistakes and in the process learned a thing or two about how to execute and enjoy  a very happy Thanksgiving.  Every Thursday from today until the big day, I will share my best tips, strategies and a few good recipes to set you up for a successful holiday.  Let’s get started!

4 Weeks Before Thanksgiving

  • Guest list  Now is a good time to invite family and friends for the holiday, even if they are regulars.  I send an email out to all our guests with the schedule for the day, especially when we will sit down for dinner.  We live on the West Coast, which means the second football game is over at 4:00.  Anyone that wants to come for the earlier game is welcome to do so.  There’s coffeecake, fruit and coffee in the morning.  A mugful of soup and cornbread around noon; hors d’oeuvres at 3:00 pm and dinner is at 4:00 or whenever the game is over.  You know that I pray for no overtime!
  • Plan your menu Planning the Thanksgiving menu requires a bit of strategy and balance.   Make sure you have a balance of cooked and raw food (one thing I have learned is no matter how big your kitchen or how many ovens you have, it’s never enough on Thanksgiving!); protein, starches and vegetables (I find most Thanksgiving menus to be too starchy;) and ingredients (make sure not every recipe has dried fruit and nuts in it.)  Know what dishes need an oven and when because if you’re making turkey and you have one oven, you won’t be baking too much in the hours before dinner.

Also, know your audience.  I love trying new recipes, but my family looks forward to the same traditional standbys every year.  There was almost a revolution when I took Breaded Cauliflower off the menu in 2007 ( I now serve it as an hors d’oeuvre.)  So I compromise by making the classics (traditional roast turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie), but I also try out a new salad or vegetable side dish every year.

Also, just because you’re cooking overtime for Thanksgiving dinner, doesn’t mean your household won’t be needing dinner the night before and breakfast the morning of.  Instead of ordering takeout pizza on Wednesday night, make and freeze a casserole in the weeks ahead or plan for your easiest 20-minute meal.  The same goes for Thanksgiving day, especially if you have young children in the house.  You can save your appetite and get by on a piece of fruit for the day, but your four-year-old cannot.  I always make a pot of butternut squash soup the day before and a pan of cornbread to be served around noon to tide anyone over until the big meal.

  • Outsource    Do as I say here.  Don’t do as I do.  You don’t have to make everything yourself.  In fact, most people would be delighted to contribute something to the holiday which will alleviate the pressure on you.  But you must be specific otherwise you’ll end up with 4 pumpkin pies and no green vegetables and we all know what I think about that.  “Thank you, Caitlin for your offer to bring something.  I think I’ll take you up on it.  We have neither stuffing nor apple pie yet.  Would you like to tackle one of those?”
  • Write out a schedule Take the time to plan everything that you need to do over the next four weeks and put it on the computer so you have it for future holidays.  By taking a little time now, you will save yourself stress, anxiety and HOURS later.  Trust me on this.  You can see my detailed schedule as an example.
  • Photocopy your recipes from books and magazines I remember my first Thanksgiving with a stack of cookbooks and magazines taking up valuable counter space and my wasting so much time looking up each recipe multiple times.  Ugh!  Put your photocopied recipes in sheet protectors and create a dedicated Thanksgiving or holiday binder organized by category.  This just might be the most useful tip I give you.
Here’s what I am probably making this year:
Breakfast:
Coffeecake, fruit, coffee and tea
Lunch:
Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup and Cornbread
Hors D’oeuvres:
Breaded Cauliflower with Tomato Dipping Sauce
Dinner:
Applesauce
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
Maple-Mustard Roasted Vegetables
Balsamic Roasted Onions
Dessert:
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
Freshly Whipped Cream
Click here for loads of Thanksgiving recipe ideas!

Roasted Whole Bone-In Turkey Breast Recipe

This is it, friends!  We’re in the home stretch and I’ve got one last recipe to share before the big day.  By now you know I get most excited about the side dishes, but in my classes I spend more time answering questions about turkey.  What size should I order?  What kind of turkey should I buy?  Why does my turkey always turn out dry?  How do I know when it’s done?  What do you think about deep frying a turkey?  (I don’t.)  And so on.  Even though I’ve been around this block quite a few times, and I’ll admit that I can get a little unnerved when it’s time to make the turkey.  With so many factors at play here, e.g. size, temperature of the bird, variance in oven temperatures, and so many methods, e.g. dry brine, wet brine, kosher, breast side down, basting every 20 minutes, etc., it can be a little tricky knowing how to achieve the best result.  I think most of my turkeys have turned out great.  But I’ve had my mishaps and I have learned there’s always a solution, even when I forgot to close the door to my garage refrigerator and my turkeys were about 80 degrees the next morning.  Total rookie move, and that was three years ago. (I didn’t cook them, by the way.  I went to Whole Foods at 7:00 am and bought 2 brined turkeys.  Problem solved!)

I’ve really only cooked two different versions of turkey, a whole roasted bird and a whole roasted breast.  Like I said, I get more excited and have more fun with the side dishes!  But traditionally since the turkey is the star of the show, I like to put my best foot forward and prepare a delicious bird.  Normally I roast two whole turkeys on Thanksgiving, but a whole roasted breast can come in handy for a smaller crowd or to supplement a whole turkey if most of your guests prefer white meat.  I’ve tested many methods for cooking a breast and this is hands-down my favorite.  It is also a little different from how I cook a whole turkey.  Whereas I prefer dry brining a whole turkey, I’ll go for the wet brine with a turkey breast which is much more easy to maneuver in a ziptop bag full of brining liquid. (Unlike the time in 2001 when my bag o’brine surrounding my 20-pound turkey exploded all over my kitchen floor.  Cleaning that mess was definitely NOT on the schedule.)  Either way, it is key to get that meat pre-seasoned with salt so it’s tasty and stays moist.  It makes a huge difference!

I’ve made a dozen of these whole breasts over the last couple weeks and each one has turned out moist and flavorful.  The best part is that with this straightforward method, there’s no constant basting and no worrying about wether or not the thigh meat will cook at the same rate as the breast.  Funny, the question I received the most after classes this month was “why do we only make turkey on Thanksgiving?”

Roasted Whole Bone-In Turkey Breast
Author: 
Serves: 10-12
 
Ingredients
  • For the brine: (do not brine a kosher turkey)
  • 1⅓ cups Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons whole peppercorns
  • 1 quart water
  • 4 quarts ice water
  • 1 brining bag or heavy duty gigantic Ziploc bag
  • For the turkey:
  • 1 , 6-7 pound whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter or unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup chicken or turkey stock or water (stock will allow you to make gravy)
  • Gravy
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur's Multi-purpose)
  • 3- 3 ½ cups chicken or turkey stock, preferably homemade
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Make the brine: In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Stir the ice water into the brine and make sure this mixture is cool before proceeding, otherwise add more ice.
  2. Place the brining bag in a large bowl or pot and transfer the turkey to the bag. Pour in the brine into the bag with additional ice, if needed. Seal the bag securely! Refrigerate the turkey for 12 to 18 hours.
  3. About an hour before cooking, remove the turkey from the brine, rinse thoroughly with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
  4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the thyme, black pepper and butter in a small bowl. Loosen the skin from the breast and open it to make a pocket. Spread the butter mixture directly on the meat. Rub a little all over the skin. Place the turkey breast-side down in a v-shaped rack in a roasting pan. Add the stock. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes.
  5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Turn turkey breast-side up (I wear rubber gloves to flip) and tent with foil. Continue to roast until an instant read thermometer registers 160-165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast, about an additional 1 ½ to 2 hours, depending on the size of the turkey. The temperature of the meat is more important than how long the turkey is in the oven!
  6. Remove from oven and keep covered with foil and allow to rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes. Carve and serve with pan juices or prepare gravy. Don't forget to save the carcass for making stock!
  7. To make gravy: remove the turkey from the roasting pan, pour the pan drippings into a fat separator.
  8. Pour the wine and the pan juices (that have been separated from the fat) back into the roasting pan, and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits. Strain into a bowl and set aside.
  9. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the reserved fat until it is bubbly. If you don't get 3-4 Tablespoons of fat from the drippings, add some olive oil. Add the flour and whisk rapidly to cook the flour.
  10. Strain the mixture from the roasting pan into the saucepan and 2 cups of stock. Cook, while rapidly stirring, until smooth and thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining stock as needed to achieve desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Check out my video on how to make gravy and carve the breast at the bottom of this post!

 

Planning a Happy Thanksgiving — 1 Week and Counting

This post was originally published on November 17, 2011.

Wow, the last three weeks have gone by so quickly!  Not only am I very excited to celebrate Thanksgiving — we have a super fun crew joining us this year — but I am looking forward to some one-on-one time with the kids.  They are all going to help me this year.  They just don’t know it yet.  I used to get all of them in the kitchen Thanksgiving morning to help me with pies or trimming green beans or whatnot, but two of my beauties have taken to sleeping until noon on days off.  However I had a stroke of genius, which is to tack my Thanksgiving to-do list on the refrigerator and have everyone sign up for three tasks.  I’m asking my husband to help too, to set a good example, of course.

I have a crazy work schedule until Sunday, so I’ll start getting busy then.  Here’s what my schedule will look like from Sunday until we eat on Thursday at 4:00 pm (-ish):

Sunday

Go grocery shopping for most perishable items, bread for stuffing and food for remaining dinners this week.

Make cranberry sauce (I used to make applesauce on Sunday, too, but my friend Caitlin is bringing it this year.)

Arrange tables and chairs

Write out placecards for table (a good job for one of the kids)

Dinner:  orange and rosemary-glazed chicken, brown rice and broccoli

Monday

Make salad vinaigrette

Pick up turkeys and dry brine

Make bread cubes for stuffing

Make ice cream

Dinner:  tacos, black beans and salad

Tuesday

Shop for last perishable items from farmer’s market

Buy flowers and put together table arrangements

Set table (I’ll set one place setting and have one of the kids do the rest.)

Wash and dry greens (salad)

Chop walnuts (salad)

Seed pomegranates (salad)

Shred gruyere (tart)

Defrost chicken/turkey stocks

Dinner:  Spice-rubbed salmon, sauteed spinach, baked sweet potato “fries”

Wednesday

Chop onions for soup, stuffing and roasted vegetables

Prep beets (salad)

Blanche green beans (salad)

Slice zucchini (tart)

Make soup

Steam, bread cauliflower

Blind bake crust (tart)

Herb oil (tart)

Make stuffing

Prep vegetables for Maple-Mustard Roasted Veggies

Trim and halve Brussels sprouts

Make sweet potato gratin

Set up for coffee and tea service

Check powder room

Dinner:  pantry pasta with chickpeas

Before bed:  make sure garage refrigerator door is closed!

Thursday

6:00 am wake and shower

Make cornbread (small oven)

Make pumpkin pies (large oven)

Bake coffee cake (small oven)

Make gingerbread (large oven)

9:15 Take turkeys out of refrigerator

All desserts must be out of large oven by 10:30 am

Make apple pie (small oven)

10:45 turkeys go in large oven breast side down at 425 degrees

11:25 turn oven down to 325 degrees and flip turkey breast side up

12:00 reheat soup and serve with cornbread

tidy up kitchen

get dressed and dry hair (a girl’s gotta look good!)

Put mixing bowl and beaters in freezer for whipped cream

Chop fennel (salad)

1:30 Peel potatoes and make mashed potatoes; keep in bowl, covered, over pot of simmering water

2:15 zucchini tart in small oven

2:30 fry cauliflower and heat tomato sauce; serve hot

3:00 serve hors d’oeuvres; start testing turkey temperature

3:00 – 3:30 take turkey out of oven

Put vegetables in large oven at 400 degrees

Make gravy

Reheat stuffing in small oven

Bake sweet potatoes in large oven

Make Brussels sprouts with turkey bacon and dates

Chop apples for salad, dress salad

Light candles, pour water in glasses

3:50-4:00 Carve turkeys

4:00 Dinner is served

After dinner:  whip cream (do not overbeat!), coffee and tea, sparkling water

Make notes on what to remember for next year.  Next year??!!