Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post Reply
Sue
Posts: 5486
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:45 am

Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Sue » Fri Nov 15, 2013 1:40 pm

Or you you already had Thanksgiving in October, what was on your menu?

Mine is still in the works.

Kchurchill5
Posts: 16044
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Kchurchill5 » Fri Nov 15, 2013 2:46 pm

All done. And, I'm cooking 4 of them - Well 3 1/2

Well, first I cook dinner for ladies #1 and #2. They eat together early in the week w/family that is in town, they eat earlier; then they usually go to Disney, then back on Friday.

Lady #4, has company, but, I make hers on Wed I believe, still deciding. Her guest has 2 relatives in town, so she will make the rounds; but her main dinner is with my lady.

Me, I do cook my own menu just for me.

Then, with my poker buddies on the weekend. But, we all just make 1 dish; and cook together.
---------------------------------------------------------
Ladies #1 and #2:
So, the ladies, being from MI, OH, and IN my stomping ground; they eat very much the same as me.
- turkey, ham, stuffing, spuds, they do like bourbon roasted sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli and cauliflower gratin, peas and pearl onions, cranberry, ambrosia, waldorf, rolls, butter, gravy; relish tray, pumpkin and pecan pies.

Now, each one has a few differences; one likes waldorf; one likes ambrosia. They like 2 different cranberry sauces; one chunky, one smooth. One likes pecan and pumpkin. One apple. So eating together is easy. I just make a little of this and that. But, honestly, it isn't hard. They have about 25 people for dinner.

Lady #4, only has 5-6 people
- Same turkey, ham, stuffing, spuds, that HORRIBLE sweet potato casserole with marshmellows. She doesn't like it, but her guests do, lol. They have broccoli and cauliflower casserole. And for the most part, everything else listed above - just a few differences.

Me
- turkey, ham, stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy, rolls, mashed spuds, NO desserts, NO salads (dental work and nuts), and just a small thing of cranberry.

Poker Gang (everyone is cooking a dish, not just me)
Frying a turkey/gravy and ham with a spicy chili mustard glaze; and we will be having a few different dishes.
- Horseradish spuds; roasted spicy chipotle sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts gratin, homemade bread and butter, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, cranberry, apple, pear, compote; corn bread stuffing, and a green salad with apples walnuts, blue cheese, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I know my recipes by heart. The guys, I will forward the recipes to them next week. All turkeys and hams have been purchased.

So, 4 dinners. But honestly; it isn't too hard if you plan ahead. And they know I can't make them on Tday, so they opt to do it on different days which really helps.
Also, I ask a friend to help; and she does the set up and breakdown for me this time of year, so I don't have to worry about it. She is a high school student who loves cooking. She really is a great help; and actually offers to help cooking too.
She is the daughter of a good friend, and fellow chef.

Sue
Posts: 5486
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:45 am

Re: Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Sue » Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:03 pm

Planning does help.
When I worked in the business, cook (me) plus one assistant would do three entrees, one starch, two vegetables, plus any soups, gravies, etc., for 400-450.
Which was about the same effort I put into cooking Thanksgiving for the padre at the little house for 25 or so, full meal, all the trimmings, by myself.
I find the most effort is in "mise en place", pulling food out, gathering things together, washing up. Once you have everything in place for a big order, like say 250 servings of turkey and dressing, it really flies. So most of the time spent on making a lot of food is the same time spent on making a small amount. That's why mise en place is so important because if things aren't set up to go, you get behind, and dinnertime arrives regardless.

I think it's great you do private catering. I imagine that to be much more enjoyable than making the exec chef's recipes to specifications.
On your own, you can be more creative. 8-)
I know it's a lot more fun to cook for the people I love.

Kchurchill5
Posts: 16044
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Kchurchill5 » Fri Nov 15, 2013 3:13 pm

Sue, I agree; these ladies are so giving, sweet and nice; it is a pleasure, and it is fun.

This girl (my friends daughter) is a great help; and pitches in with big groups or parties like this. This does all the hard stuff. And as you said; prep is the hard work, cooking is the same for 8 as it is for 20. Just more dishes is all.

A little help goes a long ways. And, I prep in aluminum tins, travel and transfer and warm up. It really is not as hard as it seems.

Chef shapeweaver
Posts: 9354
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 2:32 pm

Re: Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Chef shapeweaver » Fri Nov 15, 2013 4:08 pm

I've got a couple of things done.
I have cornbread already made,crumbled and in the freezer.
Also there is cooked and shredded turkey in the freezer for
" I Did It My Way " Cornbread Dressing
(which will be a double batch of the dressing made)
On Thanksgiving we go over to my SO's sister's and I bring the dressing &
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

This is for mine and my SO's T-day Dinner the Sunday after
we go over to his sister's.
Menu:
Oven Baked Ham
Southern Style Mashed Potatoes
Down Home Southern Style Green Beans
or Broccoli Casserole
Basic Chicken Gravy and of course the Dressing
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Dessert(s)
Deep-Dish Buttermilk Chess Pie
Peanut Butter Pie

Kchurchill5
Posts: 16044
Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 11:55 am

Re: Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Kchurchill5 » Fri Nov 15, 2013 4:14 pm

Nice shapes. I don't have any particular recipes yet. Sounds yummy!

Sue
Posts: 5486
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:45 am

Re: Has anyone put together their Thanksgiving menu yet?

Post by Sue » Fri Nov 15, 2013 5:22 pm

Chef shapeweaver wrote:I've got a couple of things done.
I have cornbread already made,crumbled and in the freezer.
Also there is cooked and shredded turkey in the freezer for
" I Did It My Way " Cornbread Dressing
(which will be a double batch of the dressing made)
On Thanksgiving we go over to my SO's sister's and I bring the dressing &
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

This is for mine and my SO's T-day Dinner the Sunday after
we go over to his sister's.
Menu:
Oven Baked Ham
Southern Style Mashed Potatoes
Down Home Southern Style Green Beans
or Broccoli Casserole
Basic Chicken Gravy and of course the Dressing
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Dessert(s)
Deep-Dish Buttermilk Chess Pie
Peanut Butter Pie
I do that thing with leftover cornbread except I dry it in the oven at 250, then it is shelf stable.

Post Reply