Thanksgiving Dinner for the Masses…Simplified Food is such a huge part of the holiday season so it just makes sense that Thanksgiving is my family’s favorite. My home has become the gathering place for all of our holiday meals since it is big enough to accommodate our extended families. Without a plan, cooking the entire meal alone can be quite a stressful ordeal. However, with careful planning, organization and early preparation of classic dishes, the day of Thanksgiving can be easy, enjoyable and stress free. My preparation begins three days before Thanksgiving Day with the turkey. I make sure that it is completely thawed, dried inside and out, and placed back in the refrigerator on a sturdy full sheet tray wrapped tightly with aluminum foil. Now, with the bird tucked in until the big day, I can start on the relish tray. Prepping this ahead of time is simple since the tray is comprised of fresh vegetables, pickles, and olives. I carefully cut the bright carrots, …show more content…
For the green bean casserole, the blanched green beans are bathed in a mushroom cream sauce that is made with diced onions, cremini mushrooms and heavy cream. This mixture is transferred to a foil baking pan that is covered and refrigerated. The roasted sweet potatoes are mashed and blended into a vanilla custard then poured over chunks of day old French bread for a delicious sweet potato bread pudding. The crumbled cornbread is mixed with sautéed onion, celery and bell pepper. I season it with ground sage, salt and pepper. It goes into a foil pan for storage. Last, but not least, are the potatoes. After peeling and dicing the Idaho potatoes, I boil them in salted water. They are mashed and combined with heavy cream, butter and cream cheese. I load them into a buttered foil pan that is covered and refrigerated. The last day of preparation is