Thanksgiving 2020

When I created this blog I had a category in mind for all of my party meal planning. I love throwing parties with lots of snacks and whole menus of food to serve my guests. This year, of course, I haven't had much chance to do that kind of planning at all. We made the tough decision to stay home and not visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving a couple of weeks ago, and it took me a week to bounce back from the disappointment. Now that I've made it past that I've been working on a meal for just the four of us. It will have all of the basics, but in small-ish (who am I kidding?) quantities.

I have a couple of ideas to make the holiday as special as it always is even without being with extended family. First, we'll be having a short Zoom party! I'm going to coordinate a few Pictionary games, a Thanksgiving Mad Lib, and a progressive story. I'm hoping to get a few groups from the family to participate.

My second idea is a pie swap with a friend. One of the best things on Thanksgiving is having a "sliver" of more than one kind of pie on my dessert plate. A little pumpkin pie, a little apple pie, maybe some pecan pie? With only four of us, I can't exactly bake three pies (or can I?) but if I swap half of a pie with a friend, at least I get to try two at once! I'm still in negotiations for my second pie, stay tuned.

Even though this is just for the four of us, there is still planning to be done to make sure everything is warm and fresh and ready at the same time. Luckily, we can smoke our turkey breast (my partner is in charge of that!) so our oven is free to prep all of the sides. There will be so many sides! See the menu below with links to some of the recipes I'll be using, and then I'll go through my prep in the days leading up to the big event.

Thanksgiving 2020 Menu

Smoked Turkey Breast

cider and herb brine recipe from Southern Living, smoked on the Trager

Gravy

I'll be using an old rotisserie chicken carcass to make a stock and preparing the gravy from this

Mom's Dressing

cubed stuffing with celery, onions, and water chestnuts plus poultry seasoning

Mashed Potatoes

basic as basic can be, to fancify mashed potatoes on this day is gilding the lily

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

fresh herbs and butter

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Warm Honey Glaze

Eat. Drink. Frolic. is supplying this recipe!

Cranberry Jelly

this is coming straight from the can because it's my favorite for leftover turkey sandwiches

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Gingersnap Crust

we are making this recipe from Saveur

Thanksgiving Breakfast

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Vee the Baker, scrambled eggs, bacon, and mimosas

Food Prep Schedule

Monday: Bring the turkey to the refrigerator to thaw.

Tuesday: Prepare the pumpkin cheesecake and wrap for chilling in the refrigerator. Prepare the rotisserie chicken stock and then the gravy.

Wednesday: Prepare the brine for the turkey breast, brine the turkey. Chop Celery, onions, water chestnuts, and clean and halve the brussels sprouts. Slice sweet potatoes and store brushed with prepared herb butter. Prepare the cinnamon rolls and let them do their second rise in the refrigerator overnight.

Thursday: Bake and glaze cinnamon rolls. Enjoy breakfast! Start the turkey breast in the smoker. Set the table.

• 2.5 hours before meal: Prepare dressing and bake at 350F for 45 minutes, then move to warming drawer. Peel and dice potatoes, place in pressure cooker with water. Take sweet potatoes out of refrigerator to warm up to room temp.
• 1 hour before meal: Start mashed potatoes in pressure cooker. Bake sweet potatoes at 400F for 25 minutes. Increase heat to 450F. Add brussels sprouts to oven (cover sweet potatoes if they start to brown too much) and cook for 25 minutes. Prepare honey glaze and zest lemons.
• 20 minutes before meal: Clean off the counter and put down hot pads for all the food to land on.
• 15 minutes before meal: Pull turkey off the smoker to rest. Mash and season potatoes. Warm up gravy on stovetop. Bake dressing for 10 minutes to brown the top. Open up the cranberry jelly and hopefully unmold with the can ridges intact. Toss brussels sprouts with glaze and dust with lemon zest.
• Slice the turkey and EAT!

I wish you all the very best of the Thanksgiving holiday!