Gobble Gobble Gobble: How to Cook a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner

Every family develops their own set of traditions when it comes to celebrating holidays.  It may be a set of decorations, a special activity that you do every year as a family, or a special meal that is prepared,   Often, its these little things that you remember from your childhood that stick with you.  Part of the fun of being a young couple or new family, is taking elements of each others' family traditions and combining them to make them your own.  In our case, holidays have always revolved around food.  Luckily for me, my husband comes from a family that loves cooking as much as my own and we have a thick book of old family recipes that have been passed down through the generations.

Pete, getting close to our turkey, Thanksgiving 2002.  It was our first Turkey-Day together and we cooked a full meal with all the fixings in the dormotory kitchen. 

Our Thanksgiving dinner incorporates elements from both sides of our family.  Every year the menu changes slightly, but the core dishes always remain the same.  We usually start cooking in the morning, snack along the way, watch a few movies, and finally settle down to eat sometime in the late afternoon.  Everyone has a job to do, and even the little ones help get the meal to the table.  While preparing such a massive meal can be intimidating, with a little planning, some cooking in advance, and a good attitude, you can create a delicious Thanksgiving meal and turn the cooking process itself into a fun family tradition.  If you are looking for some new ideas for your own Turkey-Day meal, here are some of our family favorites and some useful tips!

Thanksgiving 2003.  A very proud Pete shows off his bird.

How to Cook a Turkey

1.  There are a million different ways to cook a turkey.  People debate different cooking techniques - high temp or low temp, deep fry or roast, to brine or to not brine - but there is only one way to really screw up a turkey.  OVERCOOK IT.  Many people are squeamish about under-cooking poultry.  Erring on the side of caution, they overcook their bird and the result is a dry and rubbery meat that no one really enjoys.  I mean, is there any wonder why most of us only cook a turkey once a year?  So, to safely cook your turkey without torching it, make sure that you have a functioning meat thermometer.  Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh (but avoiding the bone).  If it reads 165 degrees, your turkey is done.  Cover it with foil and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes (the temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees).

Sean and I; Thanksgiving 2008.  We brought Ryan home from the hospital that morning - we had a lot to be thankful for.

2.  If you purchased a frozen turkey, make sure you begin defrosting your turkey, in your refrigerator, 3 days in advance (more if you intend to brine it).  If you forgot to take your turkey out of the freezer, the fastest way to defrost the bird is to put it in the sink and cover it with cold water. 

3.  While brining your turkey is not a necessary step, I do recommend it. Brining is an easy way to add moisture and flavor to your turkey.  What is a brine?  At its most basic, a brine is a salt-water bath in which you soak your meat, but you can add all sorts of seasonings to the brine to gently flavor your bird.  Remember that day in high school biology when you learned about osmosis?  Well, brining is a perfect example of it.  When the turkey is submerged in the salt water bath, moisture moves from the water to the turkey and back to ensure equilibrium.  As the salt water moves into the turkey, it brings with it all the salt and seasonings into the meat.  The result?  A really yummy bird.  So, the day before Thanksgiving, submerge your bird in whatever brine strikes your fancy (this is my favorite).  We usually brine in a cooler or a large bucket and then leave the turkey in our garage - don't worry about bacteria - the ice in the brine plus the cooling weather should keep it cold enough.   Plus, bacteria hate salt (which is why we use salt to "cure" meat).

Morello Family Stuffing

After brining your turkey, you could just truss that sucker and stick it in the oven.  My husband's family, however, has a tradition of stuffing their bird.  Many people have concerns when it comes to cooking stuffing inside the cavity of the turkey.  If you do not feel comfortable stuffing your bird, you can always bake the stuffing or “dressing” in the oven alongside your turkey.  However, stuffing cooked inside the turkey really is delicious – it is easily the best part of our Thanksgiving meal and it is always the first item to be completely consumed.  As long as you follow a few simple guidelines, you can enjoy your delicious stuffed bird without worrying about potential health concerns. 

1.  Cook the stuffing.  All ingredients in a stuffing – meat or vegetable - must be fully cooked prior to going into the turkey to avoid health risks. 

2.  Stuff the turkey just before you intend to roast it.  Unfortunately, this is not something that can be done in advance the night before.  Allowing the stuffing to sit in the raw turkey for a prolonged period of time allows bacteria to grow. 

3.  Both the stuffing and the turkey have to reach 165 degrees before it is done.   Using a stuffing can often slow down the cooking time, so give your stuffing a head start by putting into the turkey cavity while it is hot.

Ingredients:

4 large loaves stale French bread, crust removed with a serrated knife and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large Spanish onions, finely chopped
2.5 lbs. 85% lean, grass fed beef
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6 eggs
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced
1 cup red table wine
1 stick butter
1 tsp Allspice, or to taste
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Soak the bread cubes in water for a few minutes.  Drain into a colander, pressing the water out with your hands.  Set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat ½ cup of olive oil.  Add the onions and carrots and cook until softened, but not browned.  Add ½ cup red wine to the pan and allow to reduce slightly.  Remove the veggies with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Melt a tablespoon of butter in the same sauté pan.  Add the ground beef and brown, crumbling with the back of a wooden spoon.  Season the meat with 1 tablespoon of allspice.  Return the vegetables to the pan and add the other half cup of wine.  Allow the wine to reduce slightly.  Remove from heat.

Beat the eggs in large mixing bowl.  Add the bread mixture to the eggs and mix until well blended.  Fold the meat mixture into the egg mixture. 

If you are stuffing your turkey, spoon the stuffing into a cheesecloth bag and place inside the turkey cavity just prior to roasting.  If you are not stuffing your turkey, pour the stuffing into a ceramic dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hr. 

Cranberry-Pear Relish

This recipe comes from my mother - the balsamic, orange juice and ginger add a nice twist to an old classic.  This can easily be made ahead several days in advance.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 piece peeled, fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
2 bags of cranberries
2 firm, ripe, medium Bosc Bears, peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces

Combine sugar, orange juice, vinegar, cinnamon and ginger in saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat.  Add cranberries and pears; heat to boiling while stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes or until most cranberries pop, pears are tender and relish thickens.  Discard ginger and cinnamon, spoon relish into serving bowls and refrigerate 3hours -4 days.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin pie is great, but sometimes you just want something a little different.  Well, that's what I thought when I first tried this cheesecake and now it is an annual Thanksgiving staple.  You can use store-bought caramel sauce, but you can easily make your own by following Ina Garten's simple recipe.

Crust:
2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies
2 cups toasted pecans, finely ground
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs
caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crust.  Combine ground cookies, ground pecans and sugar in bowl; add melted butter and mix until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Set aside.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping. 

Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, cinnamon and allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined.

Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan).  Place a pan of hot water on a rack below the cheesecake - this will help to ensure that the cake cooks evenly and prevent cracking.  Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Then, instead of taking it out of the oven, turn the heat off and open the oven door and continue to let the cake hang out there for awhile. This will keep it from deflating in the center as it cools.  Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes.

Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature.  Add the remaining 5 tbs whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.  Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness.  Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly.  Spoon the caramel sauce in lines over cream cheese mixture.  Using tip of knife, swirl caramel sauce into cream cheese mixture.  Release pan sides from cheesecake and serve.