Basic Stuffing
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon ground sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 cups white bread (or whole wheat bread) (about 1 pound), cut into half inch cubes and toasted in a 400F oven for 5-7 minutes or until slightly golden.
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth (homemade or store bought)
Directions
Cook onion and celery in a large skillet over medium heat in the butter until soft. Transfer to bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and toss well. Either stuff the mixture inside the turkey cavity or bake it in a shallow casserole at 350 degrees, covered for 1/2 an hour. Uncover, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes to get crispy.
Optional Variations – add:
- 1/2 pound cook crumbled bacon or pancetta, or cooked crumbled sausage, or chopped Canadian bacon or prosciutto,
- 1 pound sliced mushrooms that have been sautéed in 2 tablespoons butter.
- 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts and 2 golden delicious apples that have been peeled, chopped and sautéed in 2 tablespoons butter.
- 1 cup dried fruit
- or a combination of the above
Make Ahead Gravy
Makes 8 servings
I recommend making about 1/2 cup gravy per person. You need that much gravy to pour over everything, and for leftovers. So here is the formula for make ahead gravy: For each cup of gravy you will need 1 cup broth, 2 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons flour. Here is a sample recipe for 4 cups gravy serving 8 people:
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or turkey broth, heated *See Sara’s Video about making broth!
½ cup dry red or white wine
reserved liquid from turkey roasting drippings
reserved liquid from turkey resting platter
Directions
In a medium saucepan over moderately low heat melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook it, whisking, for 5 minutes. Add the broth in a stream, whisking and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Let the gravy cool, transfer to a bowl, cover and chill overnight. Note: the gravy will be thick but you will be adding liquid which will thin it down.
On Thanksgiving day, after you have transferred, the turkey to a platter and covered it loosely with foil, pour off the drippings from the pan into a fat separator and discard the fat in the separator. Put the roasting pan on two burners on the top of the stove, and turn the burners to medium. Add the wine and the reserved drippings to the pan and scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the premade gravy, any juices from the resting turkey and salt and pepper to taste.
Turkey Broth
Makes about 4 cups
The giblets and neck from one turkey (save the liver for another use, such as sautéing and serving on a piece of toast).
Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth (good quality canned is fine)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, cut in half
1 celery rib, cut in half
1 small parsnip (optional), cut in half
1 thyme sprig
1 parsley sprig
1 Turkish bay leaf
4 cups cold water
Directions
Combine the giblets and neck with the chicken broth in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down immediately and simmer, skimming and discarding the scum (this is just the protein solids from the giblets and neck, but it will cloud the broth if you leave it in) that rises to the surface with a slotted spoon. After about 20 minutes, when there is no more scum rising to the surface, add the remaining ingredients and bring the liquid back to a simmer. Simmer the broth, adding water as necessary to keep all the ingredients submerged in liquid, for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Strain and skim off any fat that settles at the top (You can use that fat for your pan gravy).
Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk, heated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Quarter or halve the potatoes, depending on size. Place in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and stir to dry out for about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food mill fitted with the finest blade or to a ricer and puree. (Or just mash them with a handheld potato masher.) Stir in 1/2 cup of the milk, the butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with additional milk if you like a lighter texture. (I like my mashed potatoes pretty soft.) Serve right away.
If you want to make the potatoes a day ahead, follow the instructions up to the point that you puree the potatoes. Then transfer them to a glass bowl, cover them with plastic and park them in the fridge overnight. On Thanksgiving day, soften the butter, heat the milk, nuke the potatoes and whisk in the other two ingredients along with salt and pepper to taste.
Easy Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Makes about 2 ½ cups
Ingredients
½ cup water
½ cup fresh orange, tangerine, or clementine juice
¾ to 1 cup sugar or to taste
12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
Directions
Bring water orange juice and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries just pop, 12 to 15 minutes. stir in zest, then cool to room temperature and chill.
