Thanksgiving Dinner-The Standouts

Nana's heirloom cornucopia is my prized centerpiece

Potato Squash Soup
(This will be a light meal for about 12 people or a hearty meal for 6.   I will double it for our brood, to serve as Thanksgiving day lunch)


4 cups sliced and cleaned leeks (rinse the sliced leeks in a colander, as they can be very sandy/gritty)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
12 cups chicken stock or broth (3 boxes of TJ's brand if you don't have homemade)
6 cups green and yellow zucchini, chopped
Any other veggies you want to throw in...the kids will never know
1 bag Trader Joe's frozen mashed potatoes
1 cup sour cream
Shredded cheese to sprinkle on top
Salt & Pepper to taste


Melt butter in a large stock pot, being careful not to burn it.  Add leeks and saute until soft and slightly browned.  Pour on chicken stock and add squash and any other veggies you might be throwing in, minus the mashed potatoes.  Cook until veggies are soft, then add the potatoes and sour cream and stir until the potatoes defrost.  Once the potatoes have defrosted,  blend with an immersion wand or puree in blender in batches.  Add salt and pepper to your liking and serve with grated cheese on top.
(You can make this a day or two ahead and reheat it.)

Patsy's Old-fashioned Bread Stuffing
Serves 8-10 people
If I had to pick one dish that epitomizes Thanksgiving dinner,  for me, it would have to be this one.  The smell of onion and celery cooking in butter,  layered with the smell of roasting turkey evoke the spirit of Thanksgivings past.


1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2  cup diced onion
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2-1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
8 cups bread crumbs
1-2 cups chicken broth

Melt butter in medium saucepan.  Add celery and onion and cook until tender.  About 20-30 minutes. (My mother-in-law, Patsy, always does this part the night before Thanksgiving and leaves it covered on the stove until the next day.)  Stir in seasoning, adjusting to your tastes.  (Dave is always my designated taster to judge whether I've added enough sage or not.)
There are two ways to deal with the bread crumbs.  The first way is the traditional way, which is to save the ends of your loaves of bread over the weeks preceding Thanksgiving,  in a paper bag.  When you put the bread in a paper bag it just dries out, no need to worry about mold.  Stuffing was probably invented by our ancestors as a way to use left over bread.  Waste not, want not, is a good adage to live by.  The other way is to buy a couple of loaves of your favorite bread, lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and and cook on the lowest setting for about an hour or until the bread is hard.  Break up the bread into a large bowl and add the celery and onion mixture, stirring well with a wooden spoon.  Slowly pour chicken broth over the bread until it is fairly moist.  Clean and dry the cavity of the turkey and stuff right before you put it in the oven.  When the bird is done....you'll be in for a rich treat.


Katie Houlihan's Wild Rice with Water Chestnuts
Serves 10-12 as a side dish
A nutty compliment to any savory feast.


1 cup wild rice (cook in water according to directions)
2 cups brown basmati rice cooked in chicken stock
4 cups chicken stock to cook brown rice in
2 cups sour cream
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 small can water chestnuts cut up into medium size pieces
1/2 cup pan toasted pine nuts

Mix cooked wild and brown rice in a large bowl.  Stir in sour cream, feta and heavy cream, to coat rice.  Gently stir in water chestnuts and pour into a lightly sprayed 9x13 casserole or pyrex dish.  Bake for 35minutes @ 350 degrees.  Toss pine nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat until lightly browned and throw on top of cooked casserole.  Let sit for at least 15 minute before serving.  Yum!




Marge Archambault's Praline Sweet Potatoes
Serves 10-12 as a side dish
Our homage to the South.


4 large sweet potatoes (peel, quarter and boil in salted water for 15 min. or until fork tender.  Drain and set aside)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla (to taste)

Melt sugar in heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until light brown.  Immediately add syrup and water blending thoroughly.  Allow to cool slightly then stir in pecans, butter, salt and vanilla.  Place sweet potatoes on a platter, pour sauce over the top and serve.

Day after Turkey Sandwiches...Smith Style
Left over turkey (I like the white meat, my husband likes the dark....it's the classic Jack Sprat story)
White bread (Weber or Wonder, preferably)

Mayo
Dill pickles
Lays classic potato chips
Knudsen Cottage Cheese
S & P

Most of the year we really work at eating healthily, but when it comes to left-over turkey sandwiches, doughy white bread is a must.  Start with 2 slices of white bread topped a slathering of mayo (Best Foods), your choice of white or dark turkey,  sliced dill pickles,  and salt and pepper.  Finish with a big plop of cottage cheese and a heaping handful of potato chips.  (Use the cottage cheese as dip for the chips, a real Smith staple.)  I might be known to put a couple of chips in the sandwich a squish it closed!

Was it the soporific effect of the turkey or was it the carb overdose? Does it matter?