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help me, help you

give thanks

Thanksgiving is two weeks from today… only 2 weeks, people!

With that in mind, I’m asking for your input, your comments, your suggestions, your help.

thanksgiving

If you were to go over to the “Complete Recipe Index” over there on the top left side of this page, and you were to scroll down to “Holiday” then scroll to “Thanksgiving” … you would find more than 30 Thanksgiving Recipes, plus my “Thanksgiving Planning Guide” and about a half dozen Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes.

But you don’t have to go to the trouble today. I’ve listed all of that right here on this page for you.

That’s right, direct links to the “Guide” and all of the nearly 40 recipes can be found below.

After scanning the recipes, PLEASE let me know, by leaving me a comment at the end of this post, what it is that YOU want, and what it is that YOU need a recipe for.

Perhaps, you’re looking for a new take on green beans.

More pecan, pumpkin, cranberry, or apple desserts, possibly.

A new exciting recipe for …. ???  You tell me!

I’m counting on you. I need and want YOUR input. Contrary to what my family believes, I am not a mind-reader! Please tell me what you’re looking for. What you’re hoping for. Your Thanksgiving dreams and aspirations…

OK, you get the idea. For goodness sake just leave me a comment!

thanks table

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Planning Guide

thanksgiving2010

Thanksgiving Recipes

Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Spinach, and Black Bean Filling

Apple Tart with Macadamia Nut Crust

Asparagus and Sugar Snap Peas with Tangy Tomato Vinaigrette

Brussels Sprout Salad

Butternut-Herb Risotto

Butternut Squash Soup with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Sage

Cloverleaf Rolls with Pomegranate-Orange Butter

Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Cranberry Pumpkin Walnut Spread

Elote’s De Lujo Margarita

Fall Spiced Orange Kuri Squash & Apple Soup

Green Beans with Pistachios and Red Dried-Fruit Vinaigrette

Green Onion-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Hot Feta and Tomato Spread

Margarita Apple and Oatmeal Crisp

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mixed Potato-Watercress Gratin

Pecan Pie

Pumpkin and Chipotle Soup

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Pie, Perfect

Red Wine Pearl Onions and Wild Mushrooms

Refrigerator Potato Rolls

Roasted Butternut and Apple Bisque with Fall Spiced Crème Fraîche

Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Puree

Sage Stuffing/Dressing

Savory Pumpkin Pie Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

Stuffed Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy

Triple Onion Creamy Corn Gratin with Bacon

Twisted Tapenade Swirls

Zinfandel-Pom Poached Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Salad

hearty thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes

Autumn Shepherd’s Pie

Barbecued Turkey and Spinach Quesadillas

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas

Five-Cheese Turkey Lasagna

Hearty Wild Rice & Andouille Soup

Mashed Potato-Turkey Casserole

Southwestern Caesar Salad

Seriously, in the words of Jerry Maguire:

Jerry Maquire


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20 comments

1 Marissa { 11.14.13 at 8:02 AM }

Bread pudding!

2 Sharon { 11.14.13 at 8:09 AM }

I second the bread pudding. Pumpkin bread pudding.

3 Linda Hopkins { 11.14.13 at 9:03 AM }

Fabulous commenter #1 and #2!!! Pumpkin Bread Pudding, it is. Look for a recipe and post next week.

4 Cheryl { 11.14.13 at 9:13 AM }

How about you make my Thanksgiving dinner and drop it off at my front door…..then you can make whatever you want. I am having 7 people. XO. (How’s this comment?)

5 Linda Hopkins { 11.14.13 at 9:19 AM }

Commenter #3, Cheryl – Haha! If only you weren’t an outstanding cook and already the Hostess with the Mostess… best comment of the day, so far! xox

6 Vicki Dickerson { 11.14.13 at 9:45 AM }

Here is my big question–I have 20 people coming; I don’t have a huge or double oven to accommodate two turkeys. I was thinking of doing a turkey breast or two the day before…but then, what’s the best way to reheat, etc.? Or would you do that in an electric roaster? Heck, I don’t know–I’m ready to buy a honey-baked ham, but my family would revolt!

7 Linda Hopkins { 11.14.13 at 10:20 AM }

Vicki, I totally understand the family revolt! Thanksgiving is the most traditional food holiday there is. If people have grown up with that green bean casserole or jell-o mold – they WANT that green bean casserole or jell-o mold on Thanksgiving day!

I do have a solution for your do ahead turkey breast/reheating question. I’m going to email you a recipe for Stuffed Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy that can be done a day before and reheated the day of (on the stove-top for the turkey and microwave for gravy).

If anyone else would like the same recipe, please leave a comment to that effect here. When you comment, I’ll get your email address (no one else will see it) and I’ll email it to you as well.

I won’t be posting the recipe here, for now, because I would need photos and I really don’t want to make turkey (breast or otherwise) and have it hanging around the week before Thanksgiving, if you know what I mean!

8 Sydney { 11.14.13 at 10:43 AM }

I am traveling to Santa Barbara for the holiday. I am assigned the mashed potatoes. The problem will be to transport the potatoes and keep them warm. Our hostess has one oven and a small stove top. I thought of using a slow cooker/crock pot to keep them warm and fluffy as a double boiler won’t be an option. Any suggestions or tips to keep them yummy and not pasty?

9 Linda Hopkins { 11.14.13 at 10:54 AM }

Sydney, you are 100% on point to be transporting and heating the mashed potatoes in a crockpot. The best way to keep them from getting dried out or pasty is to fatten them up!

For 5 pounds of potatoes; add in 4 to 8 ounces sour cream,
4 to 8 ounces softened cream cheese, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup melted butter.

I give you a range on the three fatties, so taste as you go, but honestly, the more you add – the creamier and more stable (and delicious!) your potatoes will be.

10 Betsy { 11.14.13 at 10:58 AM }

a miracle for taking everything we want and need to spend Thanksgiving in a rental and having no idea about the kitchen set up is like 🙂 Think we are just doing a turkey breast if I can find a good one- any ideas? and trying to figure out what I can make a head of time– don’t want a total Costco meal – You really don’t need to answer this but the post just made me start to panic a little 🙂

11 Linda Hopkins { 11.14.13 at 11:04 AM }

Betsy, I’m sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was make you panic, even though I know the feeling all too well.

I’m sending you the same recipe for Turkey Breast that I sent to Vicki. And if you read Sydney’s question and my reply about Mashed Potatoes, that may help too. Also any recipe can be done (to a certain point) ahead of time. If you have a recipe of your own or there is one of mine that you need help figuring out how to do ahead or at what points to stop and start up again, just send your recipe to me or let me know which of mine you’re wondering about and I’ll give you do ahead instructions. Hope this helps ease some of the panic. 😉

12 mmcdou { 11.14.13 at 2:25 PM }

Will you post the stuffed turkey breast and gravy recipe later? It sounds like something I might want for the years I don’t have Thanksgiving at my home.

13 Linda Hopkins { 11.14.13 at 3:11 PM }

To mmcdou: yes, I will. I’ll make it this year for our family and then post about it (with photos) so it can be added to the Thanksgiving recipe list. In the meantime, I’m going to email you the recipe.

14 Kim Salmans { 11.15.13 at 9:36 AM }

Hi Linda- I love this idea! I am lucky and still get out of having Thanksgiving. But I do have to attend 2 thanksgiving dinners in one day. How do you eat at 2 dinners with out over stuffing your self? Ha Ha! I want to make your potatoes rolls so I will have to print off your recipe! Thank you for being such a great resource and a fabulous person!

15 Linda Hopkins { 11.15.13 at 10:18 AM }

Aw Kim, Thanks for being you and Happy Thanksgiving to your beautiful family! xoxo

16 Karen Mock { 11.17.13 at 8:05 PM }

Pecan Pecan Pecan stuff! 🙂

17 Karen Mock { 11.17.13 at 8:07 PM }

Oh for crying out loud! You better make it easy-I couldn’t even get my email right in the previous comment!!!

18 Linda Hopkins { 11.18.13 at 11:02 AM }

Correction: In comments above, I said that I would post the recipe for the Turkey Breast sometime down the road. Turns out… I posted it in 2010. The link for it was already in the list of Thanksgiving recipes above. It’s called Stuffed Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy.

19 Jan Mann { 11.21.13 at 9:28 AM }

Prior to receiving this post I was at a restaurant that had goat cheese/squash bread pudding on the menu. I thought it was too interesting not to try it. Our family is not big on bread but I would like make to try to make it as a muffin for our Thanksgiving guest/family. I looked at two recipes for bread pudding and one used fresh bread and another dried out bread. I was going to “wing” it but if you have any suggestions I would love your help!

20 Linda Hopkins { 11.21.13 at 1:57 PM }

Hi Jan, sounds tasty!

My suggestions….Use French bread. Use about 2 1/2 cups of bread cubes (slice the bread, crust and all, and then tear or cut the slices into cubes, place on a baking sheet and let dry out partially for about 6 to 8 hours). Mix together the bread cubes, crumbled goat cheese, and roasted squash (plus maybe some diced green onion or what ever seasonings you recall tasting) in a bowl. Whisk together 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk or half-and-half, salt, pepper, maybe some chili powder, etc. in a bowl. Pour over the bread cubes in the bowl and let soak for a few minutes before filling greased muffin cups. Bake at 350. I have no idea how long, you’ll just have to test by inserting a paring knife into the center of one and seeing if it comes out clean. I hope this helps and please let me know if you make it, what you used, and how it turns out!

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