Help!!! I Need "Easy" Recipes for Thanksgiving Turkey, American Way

there are so many ways to cook a turkey - each region has thier own way of doing it. My grandmother always put 2 sliced gala apples in the opening, along with baby carrots, celery, garlic & salt & pepper (sea salt is best when cooking) we never ate the apples & veggies, she just used them for seasoning & to keep the meat moist. We also never stuffed the turkey with the stuffing. She liked to cook it on the stove top then bake it so some it was toasted. You can check out butterball.com for recipes & tips on cooking the right size turkey. Good luck & have a blessed Thanksgiving!

R.,

Since you have never done this before, start out as simple as possible.

If I were you, I would stuff the turkey with a stovetop stuffing of your choice-follow the directions on the box. Bake the turkey at 350 degrees, allowing 20 minutes per pound.

I just put some brown sugar in my yams, but many people also add marshmallows. You can bake them in the oven, or simply microwave.

Cranberry sauce, either jellied or whole berries, is served right from the can, just place in serving bowl.

If you want an easier pumpkin pie, look at this link:

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?rec...

I plan to use it this year to save myself some time and the chore of making my own pie crust. I will just be using real cream cheese instead of the Neufchatel cheese.

Each part of the country is a little different as to what they have with the turkey. Some serve green bean casserole. I like saurkraut served along with my mashed potatoes (I add a little garlic powder to the mashed potatoes to enhance the flavor). Just figure out what will go best for your family and look for simple recipes. Kraft foods, Pilsbury, ect. have wonderful recipes. Look for recipes that are simple or can be made ahead of time, so you can enjoy Thanksgiving as well, instead of slaving in the kitchen.

Good Luck!

M.

my mom would faint to hear (or see me write this) but stove stop stuffing for turkey is pretty good. I started using that a few years ago for a quick fix because my hubby's family like corn bread stuffing which I just couldn't enjoy.

The prefab pie crusts help to make a nice apple pie-ahead of time and just warm before serving.

The green bean casserole is easy and yummy.

Also, maybe you could ask your guests to bring a dish but find out ahead of time what they want to bring so you don't get too many of the same thing. Feel free to suggest something. Cranberry sauce, some apple cider, cream cheese stuffed celery, a pie. don't try and be super hostess if you don't have to so that maybe you might be able to enjoy the day too!!

Hope you have a Happy Turkey Day!!
LaurieK
www.mymonavie.com/Lauriek

R.,

For your turkey, a simple thing to do and have it taste wonderful and be very juicy something I have done in the past is the following. Let some butter come to room temperature and combine rosemary, thyme and parsley. Rub the turkey down with the butter mixture all over. Stuff your turkey if desired. Cover your turkey with aluminum foil until the last 45 minutes (remove the foil to let the bird brown) and then baste every 10 minutes - 15 minutes or so.

I also do yams with cinnamon and marshmellows, simple mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin or apple pie, cranberry sauce and biscuits.

Good Luck.

S.
34 year old SAHM of 3 boys