This year's Thanksgiving recipes

Just for future reference:

I used Pepperidge farm corn bread and country style dressings half and half with mild Italian sausage, butter, 5 sticks celery,  one onion 1/3 green pepper and chicken stock. Forgot to add pecans and maple syrup.  Used 5 cups each kind of dressing.

SAUSAGE STUFFING

Recipes courtesy Julie Song 

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3 cups onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
6 cups croutons
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 cups dried cherries
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
2 cups chicken stock, plus extra as needed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Sauté sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling sausage with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Discard sausage fat in pan. Add butter, onions, and celery to skillet and sauté until tender, about 10 to15 minutes. Add to sausage, along with herbs and croutons, mix to combine. 

In a medium bowl, combine allspice, maple syrup, cherries, pecans and chicken stock. Add to crouton mixture. The mixture should be moist, but not soggy. Add more chicken stock if necessary. Transfer stuffing to a baking dish and cover with foil. 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top is golden. 

Yield: a whole mess o’ stuffing (about 5 quarts)

TURKEY

Thawed. Put orange and onion i cavity, baked with probe thermometer in place of pop up indicator. Put butter under skin, used cheese cloth over breasts soaked in butter and a little wine. Roasted at 325 on bottom of oven with cheese cloth soaked in butter and a little wine. Had to remove and baste with pan drippings and butter to brown during last 30 minutes or so.

SPICED CRANBERRY AND ZINFANDEL SAUCE

2 cups zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine

1/4 cup sugar

5 (2-inch) orange rind strips

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

6 whole cloves

4 slices peeled fresh ginger

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries

1.  Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium, and cook 15 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and sugar dissolves,  stirring occasionally.  Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and discard the solids.  Return mixture to pan.

1. Add cranberries to pan; cook over high heat 10 minutes or until berries pop.  Reduce heat to low, simmer 30 minutes or until mixture is slightly thick.  Pour into a bowl, let cool.  Yield:  10 servings (serving size:  1/4 cup).  

Pumpkin pie

Used Libbys pumpkin pie mix because Cassie bought a can of it last year and we needed to use it. Put the pumpkin pie mix in sauce pan and cooked it for about 8 minutes to brown it and reduce liquid a little, then added egg and evaporated milk according to can directions ( tempered egg first) Baked in deep pyrex pie plate with Pillsbury pie crust mix.  It cooked a little quicker because filling was hot when it went in oven.  Topped with pecans and drizzled maple syrup over top after baking.

Gravy

Made stock with turkey necks, onion, carrot, celery and chicken broth  then use in making gravy with turkey pan drippings, flour and butter.  Used some of turkey stock in dressing too.  In dressing also added water with Better tham Bouillon chicken paste. See above. 

Green beans

broke off stems and tips when old. Discarded old limp ones, cooked in salted water with bacon for 1 hour. 

Yams

used canned yams

mashed potatoes ....  yes