My Thanksgiving menu
My Mom is the best person I know, as I’ve said before, and she’s an incredible cook, as I’ve also said before. Which is why her letting my drive the Thanksgiving menu this year is a VERY big deal. I’m excited, honored and of course, already stressed by the amount of pressure I’m putting on myself.
In case you’re in a similar boat or trying to decide what to contribute to your Thanksgiving meal this year, below is my plan — note that my Mom is also making a fair amount of dishes as well. I’m going to make as much ahead of time as I can and will also need to be strategic about the dishes being used, cook time and keeping things warm. The adventure awaits!
Apps
We’re going heavy on the appetizers because we plan to eat the main meal as a true dinner.
Veggies & Dip - We’re planning to just have a collection of raw veggies with a delicious dip to nibble on throughout the day. Alexa Weibel’s Charred Scallion Dip with Lemon and Herbs via NYT Cooking caught my eye.
Baked Brie + Cranberry Jam - While we’re already leaning in to the gluttony, we may as well add some brie. The most decadent, buttery cheese wrapped in pastry dough and accented with tangy cranberry — I’ll be using Lidey Heuck’s Based Brie with Quick Cranberry Jam via NYT Cooking.
Classic Cheese Ball + Spiced Pecans - I’ve never made one of these before, but excited to try Food & Wine’s Classic Cheese Ball and serve with some Townhouse crackers.
Stuffed Mushrooms + Panko, Pecorino - Another thing I’ve never made, and quite frankly I’m surprised it even sounds good because I used to be a mushroom-hater! Colu Henry’s Stuffed Mushrooms via NYT Cooking felt like a nice item to snack on throughout the day.
Pre-meal Extras
Fennel-Apple Salad + Walnuts - This is a new thing to the menu, but it sounds like a nice contrast to all of the heavy, cooked foods and good way to prepare palettes. I’m using Melissa Clark’s recipe via NYT Cooking, which appears to come together fast and I will be making the dressing in advance.
Dinner Rolls - Full disclosure, I’ve never made rolls before and I’m a bit intimidated. Fortunately, there are lots of beautiful bakeries who can help out if this falls apart. Since this is a new venture, it felt right to go with Martha Stewart’s recipe, and these can be made/frozen well in advance (score!).
Mains & Sides
Pork Tenderloin - This is a hot take, but I really don’t enjoy turkey. When John and I did Thanksgiving solo last year, we opted to make a pork tenderloin instead (photo below!) — this protein works well because it’s a white meat and you can brine and season it similar to a turkey, and it pairs well with the rest of the meal. The tenderloin will soak in a brine 24 hours before, then be vacuum-sealed and cooked using the sous vide for a few hours on Thursday, finishing with a skillet pan sear.
Mashed Potatoes - I’m going to keep this classic and simple since everything else may kill me and just do a bigger batch of my Casual Mashed Potatoes. I’ll likely use Yukon Gold, but maybe Baby Red Potatoes depending on what’s available.
Green Bean Casserole - One year, I made a from-scratch version and it was so exciting. This year, I’m going to do Millie Peartree’s rendition via NYT Cooking. Can’t wait to report back!
Desserts
Apple Pie - I made the incredible BA’s Best Apple Pie by Claire Saffitz last year (photo below!) and even though it was a ton of work, it has to be made in advance which helps. Oh, and it’s incredibly delicious and worth it.
No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream - I’m going to make BA’s no churn ice cream, but leave it as plain vanilla. This can be made one week ahead so I’ll plan to check this off the list earlier in the week.
Mom’s List
Turkey Breast
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Cornbread Dressing
Pumpkin Pie (My Dad will only eat the Hartville Kitchen’s variation, so this makes one piece easy)
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
