The perfect Thanksgiving meal is colorful and balanced with something for everyone

Thanksgiving Dinner is comprised of 4 main food groups: turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin, and cheese! Let me elaborate using some of my favorite family recipes from past blog posts…Here is a delicious rundown of the perfect Thanksgiving menu:

Appetizers
Grandma’s Shrimp (for a lighter start to your meal!)

Pimento Cheese Spread

Cheese & Sausage Balls

Aimee’s Amazing Spinach Dip

Cheese Platter (duh!)  

Dinner
The BEST Turkey and Gravy Recipe

Side Dishes
Southern Cornbread Stuffing

“Night Before” Mashed Potatoes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce (at the bottom of the page)

Green Bean Casserole (with a new twist!)

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Gratin

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits (Click through for some other fabulous gluten-free Thanksgiving treats!)

Dessert
Harvest Pie

Ginger Pumpkin Mousse

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

And don’t forget the leftovers! What’s on your Thanksgiving menu?

By Gillian

My GaGa, expert Turkey and Dressing Maker, wearing his favorite hat with his favorite walking stick.

My grandfather, affectionately dubbed “GaGa” by his first grandchild, was a veterinarian and had a profound appreciation for the animals that supply us food and nourishment. He was also a Texan, so he made a mean Thanksgiving dinner! In his memory, here is his famous recipe for Turkey and Dressing that I now make using Tillamook Butter.

INGREDIENTS (for a 10# turkey):

1 package herb seasoned bread crumbs (not cubes!)
1 package cornbread crumbs
2 chopped onions
4 cups diced celery
¾ cup Tillamook Butter
4-8 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 cup white raisins
1 can sliced water chestnuts
½ tablespoon salt
4 cups water
Approx. 1 cup flour

PREPARATION:

Stuffing:

Simmer celery, onion, and butter in 4 cups water until tender (about 20 minutes). Mix seasonings, crumbs, raisins, and water chestnuts. Add onions, celery and broth (as needed). Add at least 3 tablespoons fat from cooking giblets. Should be moist but not goopy. Taste for seasoning.

Turkey:

Take out giblets and neck to simmer in about 5 cups water in a separate pot. Wash and dry turkey thoroughly. Rub inside and out with softened butter. Sift flour over all of it – top and bottom. Stuff with bread crumb mixture, cover with a tent made of foil, and bake according to directions.

Gravy:

Melt 8 tablespoons fat from turkey pan in a pan. Add 8 tablespoons flour gradually. Whisk together while it browns. Slowly add 4 cups broth (made from cooking giblets and neck together). Season. Might need to supplement with chicken broth. Whisk, whisk, whisk until there are no lumps.

My mother says: “GaGa made the best turkey and dressing. He spent lots of time “coddling” the turkey – poking at it while it thawed out, rubbing it with butter, trussing it up. (Oh! And he only got the turkeys that had the least pre-done to it – no self-basting, no injected with this or that.)  Then he watched it carefully while cooking.  It was always very moist, and the dressing was delicious. Happy Thanksgiving!”

Turkey image: Flickr/Gerry (Creative Commons)

By Gillian

I’m so excited about today’s blog, and I’m not even on a gluten-free diet! Not only am I thrilled to be able to bring a bounty of gluten-free recipes to you today, I had so much fun working with Bob’s Red Mill, one of our consumer partners based right here in the Pacific Northwest, to gather them up. If you’re not familiar with Bob’s Red Mill, browse their website, check out their products and read about the company. You’ll be glad you did.

Making one dinner, for a large group of people with different dietary restrictions and preferences, can be tough. And Thanksgiving definitely features a lof gluten-FULL dishes. If you’ve been hoping, or needing, to incorporate some gluten-free dishes into your holiday dinner but can’t seem to track any down (or are just looking for a change from the usuals), I’ve got a few to share that should put smiles on everyone’s faces!

GLUTEN-FREE BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Contributed by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. and Bob’s Red Mill

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Sorghum Flour
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Potato Starch
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Tapioca Flour
1 tsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Tillamook Butter
1/2 cup Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray, set aside. Sift dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles small peas. Stir in enough buttermilk to form soft dough that holds its shape when pressed together. (You may not need all the buttermilk).

Place the mixture on prepared baking sheet. Lay sheet of waxed paper over biscuit mixture and press to 1” thickness and about 6” x 6” square or circle. Remove sheet of waxed paper and cut into 8 or 9 round biscuit shapes using a 2” biscuit cutter or open end of glass. Remove uncut portions of biscuit dough and gently shape into 2” circles, or simply cut dough into 9 square pieces and spread pieces across baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 9 biscuits.

GLUTEN-FREE EASY AS PIE CRUST
Contributed by Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods

1-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill® Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup (one stick) Tillamook Butter
4 – 6 Tbsp cold Milk

Combine flour and salt, then cut in margarine using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle milk, one tablespoon at a time, while blending, until all ingredients are moist. Using wax paper, place dough onto one sheet, flatten with palm, place another sheet on top and roll out to desired size. Remove the top sheet and invert into pie pan.

To bake the pie crust alone, bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.

With pie filling, bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350°F for an additional 40 minutes. Makes 12 Servings.

GLUTEN-FREE CRISPY GINGER COOKIES
Contributed by Bob’s Red Mill

1/2 cup Tillamook Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Sorghum Flour
3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Potato Starch
1/2 tsp Guar Gum
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Ginger, ground
1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
1/4 cup Sugar, reserved

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and spices. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and blend until combined. Place the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar in a bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and drop into sugar cover the outside of the dough. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

GLUTEN-FREE QUINOA STUFFING
Contributed by Bob’s Red Mill

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Quinoa Grain
1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 cup Water
1/4 cup Tillamook Butter
1 Onion, chopped
6 Celery Stalks, diced
1 tsp Sage, dried
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Parsley Flakes

Bring broth and water to boil. Add quinoa and bring back to boil. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes, or until quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. In a skillet, melt margarine and cook onion and celery on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine prepared quinoa, onion mixture and spices. Place in an 8-inch square pan and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Makes 12 Servings.

GLUTEN-FREE HOLIDAY CUT-OUT COOKIES
Contributed by Carol Fenster, “1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes” cookbook author and Bob’s Red Mill

2 1/4 cups Carol’s Sorghum Blend (recipe below)
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Tillamook Unsalted Butter, at room temperature and cut into tablespoons
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp packed Brown Sugar, light
1 large Egg
1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Almond Extract
White Rice Flour for dusting

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum blend, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the butter pieces until smooth. Beat in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract until well blended. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and knead it with your hands until very smooth. Divide the dough in half and pat each half into a flat 1-inch disk. Wrap each disk tightly and refrigerate 1 hour.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 15 x 10-inch baking sheet (not nonstick) and line with parchment paper and have it ready.

Put half the chilled dough on a 15-inch square piece of parchment paper that is dusted with white rice flour. Cut a piece of plastic wrap the same size as the parchment paper, lay it on top of the dough, sprinkle it with white rice flour, and roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Remove the plastic wrap and cut out the desired shapes, reserving the scraps. Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Cut the second half of the dough into shapes. Re-roll the scraps from both halves, cut more cookies, and arrange on the baking sheet. If your sheet won’t hold all the shapes, bake two batches.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet on a wire rack 2 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and cool completely on the wire rack. Bake the second half of the cookies and cool in the same manner. Store undecorated cookies, tightly covered, for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Decorate as desired with frosting, sprinkles, coconut, raisins, chocolate chips, and so on. Makes about 24 cookies (depending on shapes and sizes of cookies).

Carol’s Sorghum Blend: Whisk together 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill® Sorghum Flour, 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill® Potato Starch (or Corn Starch) and 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill® Tapioca Flour. Store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.  Makes 4 cups.

Thanks Bob’s for contributing to this blog!

Don’t forget to ‘Like’ Bob’s on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

By Jala

Anyone who is married, has been married, or is planning on being married, knows that the holidays present some challenges. Are we going to your mother’s house or my mother’s house? Can we just stay home this year?Will it be Tofurky or the real deal on the table? And the big one— will it be bread stuffing or cornbread stuffing?

I grew up on delicious southern cornbread stuffing. My husband only knew soggy, gray-colored, white bread stuffing. Okay, a little editorializing, but true. Was this going to be our first fight? Nope. I’m the primary cook, and cornbread it was (and is)! Now, after 31 years of marriage, he admits that our stuffing dilemma is over – he prefers cornbread. One less challenge…HIS and HERS!

Here’s my recipe. Compare it to your favorite bread stuffing and decide for yourselves. Warning: I like to make things from scratch and garden grow as much as I can, so store bought substitutes may not get the same challenge-winning results. But, I think you’ll still like it better than the alternative.

Delicious Southern Cornbread Stuffing
Serves 4-6, perfect for a 10-14 lb. turkey

Cornbread recipe:

1 cup unbleached white whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
1 cup medium grind cornmeal
2 eggs
¼ cup honey
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup Tillamook Unsalted Butter, softened

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl; stir in cornmeal. In a bowl add eggs, honey, buttermilk, and softened butter and slightly blend with a fork. Pour the egg mixture into the sifted dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer about 1 minute – do not overbeat. Pour the batter into a greased 9X9X2-inch pan. Bake in hot, 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 mins.

I start by making the cornbread two days before Thanksgiving. After it cools from the oven, cut it into 2” squares and crumble it up with your hands onto on a large, flat pan (cookie sheet or jelly roll pan). Cover with paper towels and let it sit out on the counter to dry.

The next day ( the day before Thanksgiving) you can make the stuffing (dressing) recipe and put it in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to really blend together and make the stuffing taste much better.

Southern Cornbread Stuffing recipe:

crumbled, slightly dried, cornbread
3 Tablespoons Tillamook Unsalted Butter, melted
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup whole hazelnuts
1 small can water chestnuts, sliced
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup chicken broth (I make homemade, but store-bought works fine)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
½ teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Place the crumbled cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan, slightly browning the butter (careful not to burn). Turn the heat to low-medium and add the chopped onions. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add chopped celery and sauté for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the sautéed onions and celery to the cornbread. Roast the whole hazelnuts in a dry pan. To do this, you use a small sauté pan without any oils or water, and turn the heat to medium-high. Place the hazelnuts (also called filberts) into the pan and gently roll them around, watching them closely to prevent burning, which happens easily because of their natural oils. After the nuts are roasted, let them cool slightly and then chop them in half or into large broken pieces. Add them to the cornbread mix. Add sliced water chestnuts, beaten egg, chopped herbs and chicken broth to the cornbread and mix ingredients well. Add the salt and pepper to your taste, but I suggest going easy on this because celery and chicken broth are both salty (and so is the delicious gravy that will inevitably top your stuffing). Cover the cornbread and store in the refrigerator until Thanksgiving Day.

You can bake this stuffing inside the turkey, but make sure you follow the instructions so that your turkey gets cooked thoroughly (as it takes longer to roast with stuffing inside the cavity).

I (or should I say, WE) prefer to put the stuffing in a casserole dish with a lid and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then, take the lid off (or handmade foil top) and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top of the stuffing is slightly browned and crispy.

This recipe is an easy one to pass on to the next generation, so that the next set of challenges can begin! Good luck, and enjoy.

~ From the kitchen of Cynthia Schaeffer (Matt’s, of the Tillamook Team, Mom)

Photo courtesy of Silvia Song.

By Matt