This is it! Thanksgiving is only three days away! My favorite holiday on the face of this Earth is almost here, and Thanksgiving dinner “crunch time” begins tomorrow! Contrary to all practical and popular advice, I have finalized my menu full of recipes I’ve never prepared before (my culinary sick thrill is to try out new recipes for big occasions). I kept adding new dishes over the weekend (I just can’t help myself!), but I am almost positive this is the final version of my Thanksgiving feast:
Appetizers (I like to have just a few cocktail munchies before we dig in to the main event):
- Mini Cheese Balls
- Bon Apetit Party Mix
- Chicken Liver Mousse with Riesling-Thyme Gelee
- Edamame Hummus
- Smoked Salmon Dip
House cocktail: Sunny Anderson’s Bourbon Cider Twist
Dinner:
- Sunny Anderson’s Daddy’s Game Changing Turkey
- Dry-Brined Asian Ginger Turkey (from the November 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine)
- Baked Mashed Potatoes with Pancetta, Parmesan Cheese and Bread Crumbs
- Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas with Honey
- Pineapple Upside-Down Biscuits
- Alex Guarnaschelli’s Cranberry Sauce
- Cherry-Lemon Relish
- Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Sausage (I will use homemade cornbread for this recipe rather than the prepackaged cornbread stuffing)
- Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta
- Homemade Green Bean Casserole (I have to admit…I’ll use French fried onions instead of fried shallots…I can’t resist!)
- Cheesy Mushroom and Broccoli Casserole
Dessert:
- Honey-Pistachio Pie (from the November 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine)
- Ginger Pear Trifle
- Pumpkin Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sabayon
- Auntie Random’s famous apple strudel
- My sister-in-law’s ridiculously fabulous peach cream cheese pie
I’ll keep checking in with you on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ during the week with updates and photos from my Thanksgiving prep, beginning with my final grocery shopping tomorrow afternoon. By the time the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off on Thursday morning, I hope to be well under control, and enjoying the aromas and excitement of my holiday kitchen. In the meantime, let me know – are you trying out any recipes for the very first time this Thanksgiving, or am I the only crazy one?
