Thanksgiving Menu 2022
In 2020 I took on the task of planning and cooking the entire menu for Thanksgiving. It was a more intimate gathering given the circumstances, but I was prepared to impress. We’re talking turkey, several different sides, salads, rolls, desserts, you name it. Thankfully, I had my mom as a sous chef or the kitchen would have been a catastrophe. I am not exactly a clean as you go girl if I am being honest. The meal turned out well, but I did learn a lot about portion sizes, planning menus, and kitchen scheduling. Last year we had a larger gathering that was similar to years prior. I ended up being in charge of the desserts for the lunch meal, and two sides for the dinner meal. Yes, we are a two Thanksgiving meal family. I have learned to pace myself. I wouldn’t say I am a pro when it comes to preparing the Thanksgiving meal, but I have learned lessons to share.
In the spirit of changing traditions, we are hosting a smaller Thanksgiving this year in Florida. My husband’s dad, stepmom, and little brother will be visiting us for the holiday for the first time making the grand total for the dinner five people. My husband has not had Thanksgiving with them in several years, and we are delighted to have them over for dinner. Obviously, we are having a smaller menu this year. I learned from 2020 that you can’t plan a traditional-sized menu and have everything eaten with so few people. Lots and lots of leftovers were given away that year.
Before the holiday arrives, I wanted to share my menu and a few family recipes close to my heart. This menu comes with some traditional recipes paired with newer, less traditional recipes . I have grown to realize that while sweet spaghetti is a Thanksgiving staple for my family, it can raise eyebrows when I explain it to others. You will also see a few classics with a twist in here such as green beans and mashed potatoes. I hope these recipes spark joy and inspiration for you this next week!
Appetizers:
Vegetable Tray with Various Dips
Vegetable trays are a traditional appetizer, but what is non-traditional about this tray is that it is shaped like a turkey! I love following Cheese by Numbers tutorials for ideas on making beautiful boards. To accompany the vegetables, I am making homemade ranch dip and whipped feta topped with hot honey. I tried whipped feta for the first time at a restaurant in Charleston, SC called Butcher and Bee. It was absolutely wonderful paired with fresh pita so I want our family to try this new-to-me dip as well.
Whipped Feta with Hot Honey:
8 oz. feta cheese
½-¾ cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove (1 teaspoon) minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
Toppings:
Chives, sliced
Cracked black pepper
Crumble the feta cheese into the food processor if not already crumbled. Add ½ cup sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
Set the food processor to puree and blend until mixture is smooth (similar to the texture of hummus). Add more olive oil or sour cream to taste.
Serve topped with hot honey, chives, and cracked pepper. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Mains:
Cornish Hens
Though turkey is the conventional star of Thanksgiving, since we are only having five for dinner, turkey as a main dish is entirely too large for our gathering. Instead, we will be having Cornish hens! They’re smaller, cook much faster, and don’t require carving like a full size turkey. Plus, I can’t wait to see the twelve year old’s face when he finds out he gets his very own chicken for Thanksgiving. I tested a recipe that included roasting this miniature poultry on top of potatoes, onions, and carrots. After tasting it was decided- the chicken stays!
Easy Cornish Hen with Fresh Herbs:
1 cornish hen, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 sprigs rosemary
2-3 sprigs thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 clove (1 teaspoon) garlic, minced
1 small lemon, halved
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the hen in a casserole dish. Rub the hen with olive oil, including underneath the skin.
Take thyme and rosemary off the sprig with the exception of one sprig that will go in the cavity of the hen.
Season the top of the hen with rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Put lemon sliced in half in the cavity of hen along with 1 sprig of rosemary and 1 sprig of thyme. You can squeeze part of the lemon on top of the hen before stuffing if you desire.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the hen reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is where a meat thermometer comes in handy. It makes me feel so much better about serving safe food!)
Let the hen(s) rest for 10 minutes before they fly the coop for serving.
Note: You can also opt to place the Cornish hen on a bed of chopped veggies such as potatoes, carrots and onions. While I did that for testing out the recipe, I will not for Thanksgiving since we have many sides.
Dressing, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, and Gravy
In the south, it is not stuffing but dressing. I say this very passionately because to me it is only logical to call it dressing. This side is dressing the table not stuffed in the turkey! At least that is how we serve it. I have heard from many people that if you put the dressing/stuffing in the turkey, it either becomes a soggy mess or too dry. Why not put it in a lovely cast iron skillet to come out perfect!? While some people shy away from stuffing the turkey with ingredients besides herbs and citrus, dressing can be made from many bread bases from cornbread to croissants. I grew up with cornbread based dressing and will be working on developing that recipe this holiday season.
I also grew up with homemade cranberry sauce which, in my opinion, is far superior than the canned variety. Something about the sound of it plopping out of the can freaked me out as a child. Pairing the homemade cranberry sauce with a make-ahead white wine gravy gives you a fancy meal before even getting to the vegetables and casseroles.
Cranberry sauce with a hint of orange:
¾ cup maple syrup
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 package fresh cranberries
Zest of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
Combine the maple syrup, orange juice, and salt in a small saucepan. Lightly stir together and bring to a boil.
Once the mixture reaches a boil, toss in fresh cranberries. Boil gently for approximately 10 minutes or until all the cranberries burst.
Add in the orange zest and cinnamon stick. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.
Store sauce in the fridge until time to serve. Sauce can last for 10-14 days in the fridge in an air-tight container.
Sides:
Mashed Potato Casserole
This was one of my favorite dishes as a child, and I would ask for it way outside of the confines of holiday meals. I have requested this amazing casserole for my birthday, Sunday lunch, and it was quite the comfort food after having my tonsils taken out. While sweet potatoes are often an iconic side dish for the occasion, for the amount of people we are having, having both dishes would make for too much food. We are opting for regular potatoes over sweet potatoes simply due to our group’s preference. I will be serving this dish as individual miniature casseroles inside of pumpkin shaped dishes. It is going to be so cute! If you can’t tell, I have a little bit of a personal dish theme going on this season..
4-5 medium russet potatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 stick of butter
1 small onion, diced
1 pack of bacon, cooked and finely chopped
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 ½ - 2 cups shredded cheddar
Peel and slice the potatoes.
Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water and boil for approximately 25 minutes, or until you are able to pierce the potatoes with a fork and they are soft. Drain potatoes, remove the skins, and return them to the pot. Meanwhile, cook and chop the bacon into smaller bits. You can dice the onions as well while you are waiting on the potatoes to finish.
Melt the butter in a pan and saute the diced onions.
Mash the potatoes in the pot. Add butter, onions, sour cream, seasoning, and bacon. Stir together well.
Put the potato mixture into a 9X9 greased casserole dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Pro tip: I like to save the wrappers from my sticks of butter and use them to grease the bottom of casserole dishes, muffin tins, or cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly toasty. Serve warm.
Granny John’s Spaghetti
While many have their Thanksgiving classics, this is my personal “classic” that is non-traditional compared to other dishes. This recipe is important to my family because it comes from my great grandmother. Granny John was on my dad’s side of the family and grew up in the Great Depression. She had a knack for saving absolutely everything, including washing and folding her tin foil. I have heard it said no one can make this spaghetti as good as Granny John because she stewed her own tomatoes from her garden. While I am stewing my own tomatoes this year, I will hold off sharing that recipe until it is perfected. This side dish is also nice because it is vegetarian. I highly recommend some sort of noodle or rice side that is vegetarian for larger gatherings.
Sweet Spaghetti with Stewed Tomatoes:
1 medium white onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 package of spaghetti noodles
1 quart stewed tomatoes
½ cup sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté a chopped medium onion in butter until clear and slightly brown. Do not drain.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti until soft but still slightly firm. The spaghetti will be absorbing a lot of tomato juice and you don’t want it to be too mushy.
Drain the spaghetti and return it to the pot.
Add a quart of stewed tomatoes, sautéed onion, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Heat spaghetti on medium and stir often. Taste it and see if you need to add more sugar. The spaghetti should be slightly sweet, but not candy like.
Note: If spaghetti is a bit dry you can add some saved pasta water or a bit of tomato juice.
Homemade Rolls
While I know Sister Schubert can come in handy, I do prefer to have homemade rolls. My grandmother totally spoiled us as children spending hours making and waiting for her rolls to rise. Some of my cousins love my grandmother’s rolls so much that the leftovers don’t even make it home! We have even had to resort to marking names on bags so cousins don’t fight over who ate whose rolls. In addition, my aunt made fantastic homemade rolls last year on my mom’s side of the family, but I forgot to snag the recipe. These rolls also make a fantastic dessert option topped with a little butter and jam for the guests who don’t have as much of a sweet tooth.
Newbill Family Rolls
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ packages of rapid rise yeast
2 cups hot water
4-5 cups plain flour
½ cup butter flavored Crisco
Dissolve yeast into ½ cup of hot water.
Combine the salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add crisco, yeast, and 1 ½ cups hot water. Stir with your (clean) hand to mix.
Add flour and mix thoroughly. Dough should still be sticky once it is mixed together.
Pour the dough on a floured surface and knead approximately for one minute.
Return the dough to a bowl and allow to rise until doubled in size (approximately 2 hours)
Once the dough has doubled, knead the dough again on a floured surface. I prefer to set down a large, thin chopping board and put flour over it. This personally makes it easier for me to clean up.
Roll the dough with a rolling pin until it is about ½ inch thick.
Cut dough into round shape and place in muffin/roll tin or together in a metal baking dish. I sometimes use the top of a mason jar. Allow the dough to be like Jesus and rise again.
Once rolls have risen for the second time, bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. I prefer a lighter brown, but I know some family members prefer them brown brown (burnt in my opinion). Whatever your preference is, take them out then!
While rolls are hot, take a stick of butter and coat the top of the browned rolls. Serve warm.
Makes about three dozen rolls
Crockpot Green Beans
Green beans can be cooked a variety of ways, but I prefer to put this side dish in the crock pot for Thanksgiving to save room in the oven and stovetop. Crockpot mashed potatoes or mac n cheese are also a good option when it comes to freeing up the treasured oven space when cooking so many items. Throw in a little bacon/ham, onions, salt, and pepper, and you have deliciously flavored green beans that can stay on low the majority of the day.
Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Please do yourself a favor and plan out at least one side that does not require cooking or baking. You will be so pleased that you can prep it ahead of time, and it requires minimal work. A salad is also great to add more color to the table and please the health conscious family members. I like to add apple, candied nuts, feta/blue cheese, and crispy prosciutto. Pair with a vinaigrette, and you have a delightful, light opening course. Also, storing the sliced apple in pineapple juice keeps them from turning brown!
Dessert:
While I could share many family dessert recipes with you, I won’t lie that this is the area of Thanksgiving that I am most likely to stray from tradition. Pumpkin pie is great, but why not try pumpkin pecan cheesecake with maple whipped cream when given the option? I have had many successes in the dessert category the past few years ranging from pumpkin chai cupcakes to brownie pie. I have linked the recipes I am super pumped to try this year. Even though we will only have five people, I do like to have at least two desserts to choose from because preference for sweets can range so much. I also like having a handheld option that can be great for grabbing to go or throughout the evening.
Half Baked Harvest Salted Caramel Snickerdoodle Pie
Half Baked Harvest Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Brown Butter Frosting
Cocktails:
Surprisingly, we have never served alcohol on Thanksgiving before. In the spirit of new traditions, I will be trying out this recipe! This one appealed to me because it had the option of cocktail and “mocktail” with minimally altered ingredients. Hopefully in the future I can work on a festive cocktail recipe.
