Menu

Pomegranate Rubbed Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
Cran-Cherry Compote
Baked Sweet Potatoe
Green Salad with apples, candied walnuts, and feta
Pumpkin Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, and mini-apple pie

Crafts

Peanutbutter Play-doh (for the kid's table)
Fall Feather Trees
Leaf Stamped Tablecloth

Pomegranate Rubbed Turkey

1 large turkey
(mine was about 20 pounds)
2 large pomegranates
¼ cup dried sage, crumbled
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces

Preheat oven to 500°.  Unwrap and rinse off the turkey, be sure to pull out the insides.  Pat the turkey dry and place in a roasting pan. Stuff with the cornbread stuffing.  Cut one pomegranate into quarters and use as the ‘plug’ to keep the stuffing in the bird.

Rub one half of the pomegranates all over the turkey coating the skin completely.  Be sure to squeeze as you rub so the juice evenly coats the bird. Season the bird with sage and salt and pepper and place in preheated oven. 

Check turkey every twenty minutes and baste when turkey appears dry on the skin.  Halfway through cooking, rub the second half of the pomegranate all over the turkey and top turkey with butter slices.  Reduce heat to 400 and continue to cook. 

Use a thermometer to determine when the turkey is done.  Temperature should be 180° when a thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.  Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes. 

1 lb = 15 minutes

Ali’s Mashed Potatoes
I spent ages perfecting mashed potatoes.  Never in my life have I eaten so many potatoes.  But it was worth it – the end result of all those experiments is these luscious and utterly sinful mashed potatoes.   If there are any left overs (there never are at my house) form them into patties and brown them in butter the next morning.  With a fried egg on top they are the perfect breakfast.  You may even make extra just for breakfast!

6 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
8 ounces cream cheese
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic

Peel potatoes if you like - at least remove the eyes - and cut them into equal sizes. Place potatoes in a large pot and fill with cold water to cover potatoes. Put on the stove to boil and drop in both cloves of garlic. Boil about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft all the way through when poked with a fork. Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Add butter and mash thoroughly. Next, add cream cheese and mix thoroughly. 

Note that it's important to blend the butter BEFORE the cheese to prevent the starches from getting gummy. Stir in parmesan and serve hot! 

 

Pomegranate Cran-Cherry Compote
2 cups cranberries (I use frozen)
½ cup dried cherries
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup pure cherry juice
¼ cup pomegranate juice

In a small saucepan bring all ingredients to a boil.  Stir constantly while cooking until all sugar is dissolved.  Turn heat to low and continue to cook until all liquid is dissolved.  Serve warm over sliced turkey or over warmed brie. 

 

Craft and dessert links
Peanut Butter Play-doh
Fall Feather Trees
Leaf Stamped Tablecloth
Pumpkin Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies
 

 

Herb Rubbed Turkey Breast

1 bone-in turkey breast (about 2 ½ pounds)
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon flake salt
½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 cup white wine
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400.

Rinse turkey breast and pat dry.  In a small bowl, mix together dry spices, salt and pepper and rub over the turkey breast.  Heat oil in a oven proof skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot, place turkey bone side up in the pan and brown 5-8 minutes, until a crust has formed on the skin.  Flip over and repeat on the bone side. 

When browned on both sides, pour wine and fresh thyme into the skillet and slide skillet into the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165-170 degrees.  Remove skillet from oven and let rest, covered, 15-20 minutes. 

 

 

Cornbread sausage stuffing

12 cornbread muffins
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon thyme
1 ½ pound mild bulk Italian sausage (not the kind in links)
2 medium onions chopped finely
8 stalks of celery chopped finely
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup chicken broth

Cut muffins into rough 1 inch cubes and toss with melted butter salt, pepper, and thyme.  Lay muffins out on a cookie sheet and bake in oven until lightly toasted.  It should take about 20 minutes, but check and rotate often to evenly toasted and lightly browned.  Remove and place in a large mixing bowl.

In a nonstick skillet, cook sausage until browned.  With a slotted spoon, remove sausage and add it to the cornbread bowl.  Pour out the fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.  Add celery and onion to the fat and cook on medium heat until onions are translucent and celery is wilted.  Add cherries and cook for a few minutes so they soften up (about 5 minutes). 

Add onion mixture to cornbread and stir very carefully.  As you stir, add broth very slowly so bread is evenly moist, but not wet. 

Stuff turkey and cook or cook covered in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes. 

Makes enough stuffing for a 20-24 pound turkey
   
   
 
     EMAIL ME    .    JOIN THE MAILING LIST