Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. 

Growing up, my dad always made the turkey.  He was the early riser, up with the sun, chopping, simmering, stuffing, stirring.  Dad loved to cook.  Mom would stay up late the night before and make lasagna and clean the turkey so it would be ready for dad in the morning.  Somehow I managed to watch at both ends, never see them working together, but separately as they did the late night-early morning tag team routine.  Maybe I love this holiday so much because it reminds me of special alone times with my parents, chatting with me, allowing me to help them, watching them as they worked.

My mom’s birthday is in late November.  I remembered one Thanksgiving, during one of those late nights making lasagna, she complained that she had to cook on her birthday and I promised her that when I grew up, I would cook Thanksgiving dinner every year for her.  It is a promise I love to keep.  I spend all day cooking, relaxed, smelling the familiar smells, hearing the familiar sounds of the Thanksgiving Day Parades from the TV in the other room, seeing family, having their thanks for my labors.  It is a labor of love and delight.  The gift is truly mine and I am thankful…

A frozen turkey (18-20 lbs) takes 3-4 days to defrost and should be totally defrosted by Thanksgiving morning.  So take it out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator to defrost no later than Sunday before Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving morning start early! The preparation of the turkey and stuffing takes about 3 hours.  Then you have to stop now and then to feed hungry family. Take it slow, make a cup of coffee first and enjoy.

Turkey and Stuffing

Starting the stuffing:

1. Carefully clean a head of celery.  Break apart and clean each piece, remove dead ends and chop into small pieces.  Put in a 12-inch fry pan, it should cover entire bottom.  Add oil and sauté covered on low heat, stirring often.
2. Chop 2 large onions into small pieces.  Add to the pan.
3. Mince 3-4 cloves of garlic. 
4. Once the onions and celery are translucent and limp, add the garlic and cook briefly, stirring, until slightly cooked and fragrant.  Turn off the heat, cover and set aside.

Cleaning the turkey:

1. When handling uncooked turkey, be sure to thoroughly clean all utensils, bowls/pans and counter surfaces that have come in contact with the raw meat.  Also, wash hands after handling with plenty of soap and hot water, using paper towels to dry. 
2. Clean your sink well and clear the area. 
3. Place the turkey in the sink, cut open the wrapping and open up the cavities at both ends of the bird, removing any large chucks of fat, the bag of “inners” and neck.
4. Fill the sink up to soak the turkey and neck in cold salted water.  Let turkey soak while you finish the stuffing.  Open the bag of “inners” and soak them in a small bowl of salted water for a few minutes.

Finishing the stuffing

1. The “inners” are usually three items: gizzard, heart and liver.  All will go in the stuffing.  The gizzard and heart takes longer to cook, so chop that fine first.  Put the pan of celery and onion back on low heat, pushing the celery and onions to the side, and cook the gizzard/heart in the middle of the pan.  Make sure there is enough oil. Cook on low and stir.
2. Chop the liver next fine and add that also to the center of the pan.  Stir and cook center until the meat turns color to indicate it is cooked.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stirring all together.  Cover and turn heat low.
4. Add 1 stick of butter and heat until melted.
5. When butter is melted, turn off heat, uncover and allow to cool.

In a VERY large bowl:

1. Beat 8 eggs with a splash of milk.
2. Add 2 bags of seasoned stuffing (15 oz) and stir.
3. Pour celery mixture on top and stir until completely combined.
4. If stuffing is too dry, add ¼ to ½ cup of water.

In the same fry pan:

1. Heat oil, spoon stuffing into pan in one layer and fry for 3-4 minutes, turning stuffing once. Stuffing should be golden/light brown.
2. Remove to another dish and set aside.
3. Continue until all stuffing has been fried.

Back to the turkey:

1. Rinse turkey well and to remove any fat or left over waste from the cavity. 
2. Drain water out of the turkey, lay on a flat surface.
3. Stuff both ends of the turkey with the stuffing.  Close cavity by covering the hole with loose skin and the rear part, secure with thick thread, strong wooden toothpicks, or skewers.
4. Take out a turkey size cooking bag and place it in a large roasting pan.  Put the turkey neck in first, to the back of the bag. 
5. Place in turkey size cooking bag.
6. Rub butter (use about ¼ stick butter or margarine) onto the turkey,
7. Top turkey with strips of bacon, being sure to place on the legs, as that part can get the driest.
8. Close bag with tie, cut 6 holes on the top.
9. Bake about 4 hours at 350 degrees. 
10. If turkey is getting too brown before it is fully cooked, cover with aluminum foil.

The cooked turkey, after it is removed from the over, must sit 20-30 minutes before carving. 

Sweet Potatoes – Micchelli Style

Mom still brings one dish to Thanksgiving and this is it. When my daughters were small, it was their job to help grandma make this dish.  They loved to make it with her and to eat it later!

1. In a large pot of water, place 5 lbs well scrubbed sweet potatoes. 
2. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes, until fork tender.
3. Remove from pot and let cool.
4. When cool enough to handle, scrap off the skin with a butter knife. It should come off easily.
5. Put peeled cooked potatoes in a large bowl.  Mash with a potato masher adding 2-3 tablespoons margarine or butter. 
6. Put sweetened applesauce in the bottom of a large glass baking dish.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
7. Cover with mashed sweet potatoes.
8. Cover with large marshmallows. 
9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.  This is usually made the night before.
10. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes just until marshmallows are crusted to a golden brown. 

Sweet Potatoes – Ruglio Style

Ruglios have a sweet tooth, as you can see from this one.  My mother-in-law always made this version, now my brother-in-law has taken over the tradition.

1. Place two large cans of yams on a cookie sheet, cutting the larger pieces in half.  Set aside.
2. In a medium-size pot, put about 2 cups of light brown sugar plus about ¼ cup of water.  
3. Heat on low heat until it starts to form a sauce.
4. Add ¼ stick of butter and stir until smooth. 
5. Taste a bit and add more butter if it tastes gritty and not smooth enough. 
6. Spoon on top of yams. 
7. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes until warm, but not too long as the sauce will melt completely off the yams.

Sautéed Mushrooms

1. Wash mushrooms in warm water, one at a time.
2. Cut the bottom off each mushrooms and slice, about ¼ inch slices.
3. In a non-stick pan, place mushrooms and some oil, cover and sauté, stirring occasionally.
4. Add salt, pepper and chopped fresh garlic.
5. Stir and cook until the garlic fragrance is released.  Mushrooms will shrink and change color and become limp.

Candied Carrots

1. Peel and slice carrots.  Place into microwavable bowl with about ¼ cup of water and cover.
2. Cook 6 minutes and stir.  Cook additional 4-6 minutes until fork tender.
3. In a glass bowl or measuring cup, melt 1-2 tablespoons of margarine or butter in the microwave, 15 seconds. 
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of light brown sugar and stir.
5. Microwave 1 minute and stir.   
6. Drain water from the carrots and add the sugar/butter mixture and stir briefly.  Reheat if needed.

Lasagna

Eventually we dropped Lasagna from the Thanksgiving tradition because we’d be so full we would never eat any turkey.  Traditional meat lasagna starts with meat-based gravy.  The meat balls and sausage are then chopped to add to the lasagna.  My mother-in-law was an over-achiever in this process – she would make tiny meat balls. To make the process easier, you can use the following:

Meat Gravy for Lasagna

1. In a large heavy pot, coat the bottom with oil. Put heat on low.
2. Break up 1-2 pounds of chop beef into the pot. 
3. Add 4-6 links of Italian sausage meat pushed out of the casings. 
4. Cook on low heat and stir until the meat changes color and is cooked through. 
5. Add 2-3 cloves minced garlic.  Cook on low very briefly until is begins to get fragrant. 
6. Add 2-3 cans of crushed tomatoes.
7. Add a handful of salt, pepper, basil and oregano, stir well to combine.
8. Cook on low at least 30 minutes.

Assembling Lasagna

1. In large pot of water, boil lasagna for 5 minutes only, until the noodles are limp but still firm. 
2. Add cold water to stop the cooking process. Add oil to the pot and stir to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
3. In a large bowl, beat 2 eggs.
4. Add 2 lbs pot cheese and 8 oz grated mozzarella cheese.  Stir well.
5. In a large glass pan, coat the bottom of the pan with gravy.
6. Line the pan with lasagna noodles.
7. Dot noodles with cheese mixture, add gravy and meat.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
8. Add another layer of lasagna noodles and repeat.
9. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until hot and bubbling.
11. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing.