ALT-1 Thanksgiving Dinner
How to Make a Thanksgiving Day Menu
Planning a Thanksgiving menu is almost as enjoyable as serving the feast on the special day. It is fun to do the planning several weeks in advance of the holiday that began with the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock hundreds of years ago. I remember how my family enjoyed that holiday when I grew up on a farm in western South Dakota. My family raised turkeys to send to market just before Thanksgiving. But we saved a choice tom for our own Thanksgiving. In my opinion, it would absolutely be illegal to serve anything else for the main course on Thanksgiving Day. The turkey is definitely has its place at the top of my menu. The subject is not even debatable.
The tom turkey is chosen as the main course. Now we must choose some garnishes and side dishes to compliment it royally. The most important dish to accompany a turkey is the dressing which is baked inside the breast of the turkey to blend with the pungent flavors of the bird itself. You can enhance the aroma by adding chopped onions, celery and sage for sure .Then you can add other ingredients to your family's liking. For instance, I like to peel an apple and chop it up to add moisture. Some people add oysters and if you like, the giblets can be cooked ahead of time, chopped and added to the dressing. Be sure to use bread that has been thoroughly dried in the oven.
Don't even think of serving a turkey without a big bowl of cranberry sauce to accompany it. Add a decorative relish tray of celery and carrot sticks, olives and pickles to make a nice variety. Of course you can't serve turkey and dressing unless you have mashed potatoes with lots of good rich gravy to pour over the potatoes and the dressing. Are you ready to eat yet?
Don't forget your family's favorite vegetables. We must have a light salad to put beside everyone's plate. A pretty red Jell-O salad with diced radishes, green onions and celery, topped with a small dollop of mayonnaise will do just fine.
Finally we reach the favorite part of the menu for some people, dessert. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without a piece of luscious homemade pumpkin pie topped with vanilla ice cream or whipping cream. Who could possibly ask for anything more?
Some of the preparations for your Thanksgiving dinner can be done the day before. For instance, you could dry your bread for the dressing and boil the giblets if you plan to use them in your gravy or dressing. Also, you could mix your pie crust and also the filling and put them in the refrigerator to put together on Thanksgiving morning. In the morning the aroma of pumpkin pie spices blended in with the turkey and its delectable dressing will fill your house with the most wonderful smells in the world.
The End
