Happy Thanksgiving! What's for Dinner?

Menu

Shrimp Cocktail

Assorted Cheese and Crackers

Roast Turkey with Fresh Herbs

Mashed Mixed Potatoes

Sweet & Sour Green Beans

Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing

Red Cabbage

Cranberry Apple Chutney

Assorted Breads

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Apple Pie

I was in the kitchen this morning by 8:00 a.m. and by noon had cooked my cranberry sauce (nice and tart, just the way Steve likes it), made my world-famous "make the day before mashed potatoes", prepared the creme brulee and baked a mile-high apple pie. Tomorrow there will be even more kitchen craziness with The Bird, stuffing and green beans, and then the always challenging act of getting everything to the table, at the same time, while it's still hot.

I do not have a double oven. I would only use it one day of the year and therefore cannot justify the expense, nor could my recent mini makeover of a kitchen find room for it. For the last several years I have regrettably roasted my turkey in the Nesco to free up the oven for all of the side dishes. The resulting bird has always been moist but I miss that lovely caramel color, the crispy skin and the yummy roasted flavor you can only get from an oven. How can I make this work?

I have no idea, no real game plan, but this year I'm moving The Bird to the oven. I bought a cute little heated buffet server at Target this year, thinking my potatoes, stuffing and veggies could go in the three trays very nicely. However, according to the directions, it only heats to 185 degrees so everything must already be warm before putting it in the server. Hmmmmmm. Of course, there is the microwave, but I'm not sure how my potatoes will behave because I've always baked them in the oven - they get all puffy and fluffy in the real oven and I'm worried they won't be as delicious out of the fake oven. I guess I really don't have a choice...

We are not having a big crowd, just mother- & father-in-law, so we'll have LOTS of leftovers with a 22 lb turkey! Turkey and biscuits, Turkey cacciatore, Turkey pot pie, Turkey sandwiches, Turkey Turkey Turkey. It doesn't matter to me, I'm in it for the side dishes anyway. YUM!

Happy Thanksgiving!