Brenda's Thanksgiving Survival Guide


THE MENU

Entree: Vegurkey Vegetable Patties for Kids or Oven Roasted Portobellos for Adults

Sides: Make ahead Dinner Biscuits, Mashed Potatoes, Apple Sage Stuffing, String Bean Casserole, Butternut Squash with Caramelized Apples, Oven Roasted Glazed Brussel Sprouts, Glazed Carrots, Cranberry Orange Sauce

Dessert: Apple Pie with Non-Dairy Ice cream (store bought) and Spicy Pumpkin Cake

THE GAME PLAN

Up to 7 days before serving:

  • Make the biscuits and freeze
  • Do you have low protein bread for stuffing? If not, make, slice and freeze
  • Make the pie crust and freeze

Up to 5 days before serving:

  • Make the cranberry-orange sauce

Up to 3 days before serving:

  • Dry measure the ingredients for the spicy pumpkin cake and set aside.

Up to 2 days before serving:

  • Dry bread for stuffing
  • Blanch the string beans, transfer to a Ziploc bag and refrigerate
  • Dice the vegetables for the stuffing
  • Place frozen pie dough in the fridge

The day before serving:

  • Assemble the string bean casserole, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate
  • Assemble the butternut squash dish, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate
  • Assemble the stuffing, wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate
  • Prepare brussel sprouts
  • Prepare the pie recipe through step 5
  • If you are cooking for a child, make the vegurkey patties
  • Bake the Spicy Pumpkin Cake

Thanksgiving Morning:

  • Make the glazed carrots
  • Make the glaze for the brussel sprouts
  • Marinate the mushrooms
  • Complete apple pie recipe and bake

2 hours before serving:

  • Roast the mushrooms – don’t forget to deglaze the pans for the gravy (see recipe for instructions)
  • Roast the brussel sprouts
  • Make the potatoes; keep warm in a slow cooker set on low

1 hour before serving:

  • Make the gravy
  • Take butternut squash with apples, stuffing and string bean casserole out of the fridge

45 minutes before serving:

  • Place butternut squash with apples, string bean casserole and stuffing in the oven

15 minutes before serving:

  • Bake the biscuits
  • Reheat gravy and mushrooms on low simmer and put roasted veggies in oven to reheat
  • Reheat the carrots
  • Reheat brussel sprouts, add glaze

SIT DOWN, HAVE A GLASS OF WINE, ENJOY THE MEAL & YOUR COMPANY – YOU DESERVE IT!