Thanksgiving is always the perfect opportunity to gather with friends and family to celebrate. However, being the hostess with the mostest can be quite a daunting task. But have no fear, we are here to help you create the most delicious dinner that your guests will rave about for years.
We will start with the easiest and biggest crowd pleaser, the bread! Whether you like classic rolls or flaky biscuits, below are two simple and beloved recipes for these favorites.
Parker House Rolls
Recipe by: foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ sugar
- 1 package of active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm water
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions:
- Place milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and sugar and let cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit until foamy.
- Combine milk mixture, eggs, yeast, salt, and 1/2 of the flour in a mixer with the dough attachment and mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until a smooth ball forms.
- Combine milk mixture, eggs, yeast, salt, and 1/2 of the flour in a mixer with the dough attachment and mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until a smooth ball forms.
- On a floured surface, punch down the dough and shape into desired shapes. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover again and let rise until doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter before serving.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Recipe by: seriouseats.com
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs, 1 whole, 1 beaten
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose biscuit flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/5 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes and kept refrigerated
Instructions:
- Using a knife or bench knife, cut your butter into marble-sized pieces. Store the cut butter in the refrigerator until you’re ready to combine it with the other ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, cream, and whole egg.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add butter to flour mixture and toss until fully coated. Working quickly and using your fingers, rub butter into flour until butter forms marble-sized pieces. Alternatively, add flour mixture and butter to food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times to form marble-sized pieces; transfer to a large bowl.
- Add buttermilk mixture and gently mix with a fork until just combined; the dough should look somewhat dry and shaggy. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Form dough into a rectangle, lightly pressing and folding to bring it together; avoid squeezing or kneading the dough.
- Fold dough into thirds like a letter. Using rolling pin, roll out dough and repeat folding once more. Roll out dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap in plastic and transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes
- Return dough to work surface, and, using a 3-inch round cookie-cutter and pressing down without a twisting motion, cut out biscuits as closely together as possible. Gather together scraps, pat down, and cut out more biscuits; discard any remaining scraps. Brush the top of each biscuit with egg-wash.
- Bake the biscuits in a 400°F oven until risen and golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Now for the main course, the most highly anticipated part of every Thanksgiving dinner, turkey! Make it juicy and cooked to perfection with these recipes. Whether you like your bird deep fried or roasted in the oven we have you covered.
Deep Fried Turkey
Recipe by: foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
- 1 (10 pound) turkey
- 2 tablespoons of house seasoning, recipe follows
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite dry rub
- 3 to 5 gallons of peanut oil
- 1 cup salt
- ¼ cup black pepper
- ¼ cup garlic powder
Instructions:
- Wash bird inside and out, and allow to drain
- Rub turkey all over with House Seasoning. Coat turkey with dry rub. Allow the bird to sit until it reaches room temperature.
- Heat peanut oil in a turkey fryer or a very, very large stockpot to 350 degrees F. Lower turkey into hot oil, very carefully, making sure it is fully submerged.
- Fry turkey for 3 minutes per pound plus 5 minutes per bird. Remove turkey from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Serve with favorite Thanksgiving sides and salads.
Garlic and Herb Roasted Turkey
Recipe by: delish.com
Ingredients:
- 1 (12-14 lb.) turkey, thawed if frozen
- 2 heads garlic, halved horizontally through the equator
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 small onions, quartered
- 14 springs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- kosher salt
- 2 large carrots, cut into 2-in. pieces
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 2-in. pieces
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Fresh herbs, for serving
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Working on a baking sheet, remove the giblets and neck of the turkey from the cavities. Reserve the neck and discard the giblets. Using paper towels, pat the turkey dry. Stuff the garlic, lemon, half the onions and 10 sprigs thyme into the main cavity.
- Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wing tips underneath the body (this will prevent them from burning). Rub the turkey with the oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt.
- Place the turkey neck, carrots, celery, the remaining onions and the remaining thyme in a large roasting pan. Place a roasting rack in the pan and put the turkey on top of it.
- Roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 21/2 to 3 hours. (Cover the bird loosely with foil if it browns too quickly, and add the broth to the pan if the vegetables begin to scorch.)
- Carefully tilt the turkey to empty the juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the turkey to empty the juices from the cavity into the pan. Transfer the turkey to a carving board. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 25 minutes. Reserve the pan and its contents for gravy. Carve the turkey and garnish with herbs as desired.
If you are still hungry after filling your belly with delicious rolls, turkey and countless other fixings then we have two desserts that are sure to tip all your guests over into a food coma. Sick of pumpkin pie but can’t get enough of that holiday pumpkin flavor, try out these recipes!
Pumpkin Mouse Trifle
Recipe by: countryliving.com
Ingredients:
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 ½ cup heavy cream
- 15 oz. canned pumpkin
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. dark rum
- 1 tsp. powdered gelatin
- 3 oz. shaved dark chocolate
Instructions:
- Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and set aside.
- Whisk the yolks, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3/4 cup cream together in a medium saucepan. Heat while stirring continuously with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon over medium-low heat, until thickened and the mixture coats the spatula — about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set over the ice bath. Stir to cool.
- Add pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt to the egg mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon rum and 1 teaspoon gelatin together in a small bowl. Heat the remaining tablespoon rum, and stir in to the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Gently whisk into the pumpkin mixture. Beat 1/2 cup cream to stiff peaks, and fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill until cold and thick enough to fall from a spoon in heavy dollops — about 8 hours or up to overnight.
- Beat the remaining cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Alternately layer the pumpkin mousse and whipped cream in a glass serving dish. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings between top two layers. Serve chilled.
Pumpkin Roll
Recipe: gimmesomeoven.com
Ingredients:
Pumpkin Cake-
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- powdered sugar
Cream cheese frosting-
- 1 brick cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large mixing bowl until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and granulated sugar for 1 minute until thick. Add in the vanilla and pumpkin, and whisk until just combined. Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, and stir together until just combined.
- Line a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, leaving an extra 1-inch of parchment sticking up on both 15-inch sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out after baking. (If you’d like the parchment to stick to the bottom of the pan more easily, sprinkle a little bit of water on the pan and then press the parchment paper on top of it. You can also lightly mist the top of the parchment paper with cooking spray for easier cake release afterwards, although it’s not required.)
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched. Carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat (and heat-safe) surface. Then slowly, use your hands to roll the cake — rolling from the short end to the short end — until it is completely rolled up. Transfer the cake roll to a wire rack, and cool until it reaches room temperature.
- While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese filling (see below).
- Once the cake has reached room temperature, transfer the cake roll to a flat surface, and carefully it until it is flat again (or mostly flat, it’s ok if the ends curl up a bit). Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over cake, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides. Then carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll until you can completely remove and discard it. Tightly wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
- Remove and unwrap the pumpkin roll and transfer it to your serving dish. Lightly dust the pumpkin roll on all sides with powdered sugar, if you would like. Then slice and serve.
- If you have leftovers, just re-wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Whisk together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. If the filling is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a half teaspoon or two of water. (You want a medium consistency so that the filling is easy to spread, but not too warm or thin that it will ooze out of the cake when you’re rolling it up.)