Thanksgiving 2010 Menu

I think that I've finally locked down the menu for Thanksgiving and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  I know it will meet my goal of traditional with a twist.

Our family Thanksgiving isn't until Saturday, so I will still be cooking and preparing long after most of you are relaxing in your food comas or holiday shopping.  To keep it low stress, I took a cue from Ina Garten and am doing simple appetizers and as many things that I can prep in advance. Also, my brother in law is preparing about half of the side dishes to go with the main course and my mother in law is bringing desserts.

If you are still undecided on what to make, I hope you get some inspiration from my menu. 

Thanksgiving 2010 "The Middle Menu"

Appetizers

• Assorted Cheeses & Crackers
• Apple, Carrot, & Celery Sticks
• Cashews and Candied Pecans

Main Course

• The Perfect Roast Turkey
• Dressing
• Potatoes
• Cranberry Sauce
• Green Beans
• Brussel Sprout Slaw
• Cheddar Dill Scones and Rolls

Desserts (provided by my mother-in-law)

Drinks

• Beer and Wine
• Cranberry Mojito
• Juice (for the kids)
• Coffee & Iced Tea

One thing I learned about planning this Thanksgiving menu is that you have to consider what your time-line will look like the day of.  For example, the Buckeyes are playing on Saturday and then men want to watch.  I adjusted my cooking schedule so that we could eat our main course around half time.  Also, I went through my recipes to figure out what I could make in advance.  The cranberry relish can be prepared several days in advance and refrigerated; the cheddar dill scones can be made and then frozen until you are ready to bake them.   I'm making the candied pecans tonight or tomorrow and then keeping them in an airtight container on the counter until Saturday.

I'm sure I will be wrapped up in Thanksgiving preparations and holiday shopping for the rest of the week, so until next week, I wish you a wonderful weekend filled with food and family.