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A Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Dinner This Is Not
If you came here looking for an easy way to make a classy and complicated Thanksgiving dinner you came to the wrong place (and you ignored the title).Â
Yep, from the guy who brought you The Lazy Man's Guide To Compost - I give you instructions on how to cook a tasty Thanksgiving dinner without breaking a sweat.
Bon appetit!Â
The Easiest Thanksgiving Dinner You Will Ever Cook
This easy Thanksgiving Dinner Tutorial will work great for up to 8 people.I will show you how to cook everything you will need for a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. My traditional Thanksgiving dinner does not include sweet potatoes - I have tried them, but I can't stand them.
My Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner:
- Turkey
- Mashed Potatoes
- Stuffing
- Green Bean Casserole
- Cranberry Sauce
- Gravy
The most complicated part of my version of the Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner is probably the green bean casserole. That's because it requires opening a few cans and measuring a couple ingredients.
The rest is easy-peasy :)
Thanks to SignGenerator.org for the fake book cover.
Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Dinner
Hope you aren't serving popcorn, jelly beans, and toast for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Step 1 - Get that turkey cooking
Let's start with the turkey. This is the easiest, moistest, and tastiest turkey I have made. Okay, I'll be honest - it tastes so good the first time I made one this way I have never tried any other methods.I use my Rival 6 Qt. Crock Pot to cook this bird. The 6 Qt. model can cook a turkey breast that weighs up to 8 pounds.
I boil about a cup or so of water and wisk in about a tablespoon of chicken bullion (or 1 bullion cube). I then pour the broth into the crock pot. The turkey goes in next.
Note: Make sure you check inside the cavity of the turkey. Depending on which brand you purchase there is usually a plastic packet containing a gravy mix and/or the neck and assorted organs. Remove those.
After the turkey is placed in the crock pot I simply toss a small handful of Kosher salt into the cavity. That's it as far as seasoning goes. Turn the crock pot on high and cook that bird for 5-6 hours depending on the size.
Lets move on to the Mashed Potatoes.
A Thanksgiving Dinner Photo Album
Bill and I spent Thanksgiving together at home, just the 2 of us. Brined and roa...
Richard is performing surgery on my turkey. I accidentally tore the turkey skin...
Looking down the table at my mother's copious and tasty Thanksgiving offerings.
Thanksgiving turkey.
I thought it would be nice to have a Thanksgiving-esque photo.
The table setting at my aunt Maureen's house for Thanksgiving 2005. Photo taken ...
Thanksgiving last year%u2014a small part of our feast. (The vegetables and crudité...
curated content from Flickr
Step 2a - Mashed Potatoes - They Really Are Easy to Make
I know this isn't as simple as opening a box of potato flakes and spending 5 minutes in front of the stove, but the rest of this Thanksgiving dinner is so easy you'll have plenty of time to make "real" mashed potatoes.Now, since I subscribe to the "work smarter, not harder" way of doing things I make mash potatoes the easy way - no pealing.
A lot of folks refer to these as "dirty" potatoes because you don't have that pretty bowl of "clean" white potatoes on your table. First, the bulk of a potatoes nutrients are in the peal. Second, you cover them with gravy so who cares if they are pristine white or not.
Some people figure on one potato per person. If I am making "real" mashed potatoes I just grab about half of a 5 pound bag and dice 'em up.
Throw your diced taters in a bowl partially filled with water (this keeps them from turning brown while you wait for the water to boil). After your turkey has been cooking for about 5 hours (again, this could be less depending on if you have a smaller bird) get your pot of water boiling and throw in the diced potatoes.
They usually need to cook for about 15-20 minutes. You know they are done when you can stick a fork in them rather easily.
Drain out the water and mash the potatoes (preferably with a potato masher, but you can always improvise with a fork and a hand held mixer)
Then, add the following:
- 1 stick of butter (yeah, this isn't a low-fat recipe)
- Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
- Toss in half of a small container of sour cream
- Add milk till it is a consistency you like
Mix it all together and you're good to go (you can even leave some lumps in if it reminds you of your mom's recipe).
Step 2b - Green Bean Casserole
While your potatoes are boiling mix up your Green Bean Casserole.Ingredients:
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 3/4 C. milk
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 2 cans cut green beans
- 1 1/3 C. french fried onions
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with french fried onions and bake another 5 minutes. You can also jazz it up a bit and toss on some shredded sharp cheddar and melt that in the oven.
Step 3 - Stuffing and Gravy
This shouldn't take more than 20 minutes or so of cooking time. I guess this step could almost be 2c, but we'll call it Step 3 just for kicks.Buy a box of stuffing and splurge on a large jar (or two) of turkey gravy. You can just follow the instructions on the box of stuffing. I like to brown up some mild pork sausage and add that to the stuffing because that was always in my grandma's stuffing.
Nuke the jars of gravy in the microwave until they are piping hot and pour them into a fancy gravy boat - if you have one.
Thanksgiving Dinner That You Can Drink
No, it's not a bottle of Wild Turkey either. ;)
Step 4 - Cranberry Sauce
Ahh, the final and easiest step of all. My wife makes a delicious homemade cranberry sauce and I love it. Well, we're not making that for the easiest Thanksgiving dinner you will ever cook.The kid in me still longs for the stuff in the can.
You know what I mean. You open up the can of cranberry sauce, turn it upside down over a serving dish and give it a solid smack on the bottom.
Shhloppp! Out plops the quivering scarlet mass of processed cranberries. Delicious in addition to being a treasured memory.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding Recipe
Easiest pumpkin pie you'll ever make!
This is a simple and easy pumpkin pie recipe that you just mix up and put in a slow cooker.
Lets get to the recipe:
Mix together in large bowl and transfer to greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve in bowls and top with whipped cream - yum!
Now, this serves 6-8 people and we have one of the larger slow cookers so I usually double the recipe. It's so good you won't have very many (if any) leftovers.
Lets get to the recipe:
- 1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin
- 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
- 3/4 C. sugar
- 1/2 C. biscuit/baking mix (Bisquick or Jiffy Mix)
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 T. melted butter
- 2 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together in large bowl and transfer to greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. Serve in bowls and top with whipped cream - yum!
Now, this serves 6-8 people and we have one of the larger slow cookers so I usually double the recipe. It's so good you won't have very many (if any) leftovers.
Utensils and things you might need for this meal
OXO Good Grips 26291 Wire Potato Masher
You'll love the way OXO kitchenware makes everyday more...0 points
Metro 0240 20 Quart Stainless Steel Stock Pot
Established in 1975, Metro is a time tested brand more...0 points
OXO SteeL 53381 Serving Spoon
Get the essential Serving Spoon that is both sophi more...0 points
Henckels International Eversharp Pro 8-Inch Stainless Steel Carving Knife
Has a thinner, more flexible blade than the heavie more...0 points
Calphalon Traditonal 6-Inch Carving Fork
From Calphalon's Traditional line of cutlery, this more...0 points
White Porcelain 20-Inch Platter
The Home Essentials Oval Serving Platter is a slee more...0 points
Final thoughts on A Lazy Man's Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner
I hope everyone is able to look at this as a tongue-in-cheek sort of deal. I don't want to insult people who perhaps cook their Thanksgiving dinners in this fashion.I just thought that I should point out how easy it is to have a nice homemade tasting meal without all of the work.
Still others might look at this and say, "man, that is still a lot of work." Well, you can always just buy a rotisserie chicken and call it a turkey while you whip up some instant mashed potatoes. Keep the other steps the same and there ya go!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Well, waddaya think?
I hope this lens provided you with some laughs. If it inspired you to cook your own tasty Thanksgiving dinner then it went above and beyond my expectations ;).
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- littledarlin littledarlin Nov 15, 2008 @ 5:10 pm
- Glad you leave the potato peals on. That's just the way I like it. But I also like to add a couple cloves of garlic as well as it really helps.
You know a great way to use that canned cranberry sauce? use a fork and lightly go over across of the top of the can in layers with the can over top of your turkey, kind of like you're sprinkling salt (except you use a fork to break it into small pieces). It really adds some nice flavor.
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- seedplanter seedplanter Oct 13, 2008 @ 12:38 am
- I'm including a link to this GREAT lens in my newest lens: Turkey's Last Stand.
Thanks for all the good info you pulled together on this one.
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- MadeInMichigan MadeInMichigan Nov 16, 2007 @ 8:27 am
- Yum! I'm ready for Thanksgiving dinner!
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- clouda9 clouda9 Nov 6, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
- You sure did put a smile on my face :) And the cranberry sauce must be with the whole cranberries in my house!
by AllThingsMichigan
Born and raised in Michigan - the Great Lakes State. I love how easy it is to set up a lens at Squidoo. I get so many ideas for new lenses...
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