Well once again, the inner planner in me has sprung to the surface in an effort to once again make this the best Thanksgiving ever. I always start my meal planning early for the holidays when I'm the one hosting. I try to figure out what items I can cook in the slow cooker, what will work just as well on stove top, and what I have to try to squeeze into my oven at 350 degrees while the turkey cooks. This year will be a meal for 7, so I'm hoping my menu is a crowd pleaser:
Hors D'oeuvres: (served from 10 am until meal time)
Fruit platter with fruit dip
Meat and cheese tray
Deviled eggs
Turkey time: (2:30 pm)
Michigander Style Turkey with Wild Rice Stuffing
Slow cooker mashed potatoes
Candied Yams
Creamy Green Bean casserole
Homemade rolls
*Possibly a jello salad, still undecided (Every year I try a cranberry dressing/sauce and it never gets eaten, so I'm giving up on that)
Dessert: (5:00 pm)
Pumpkin pie
Peanut butter pie
I always like to try one or two new recipes for the holiday, because I usually end up keeping at least one around for the following year. I figure if I keep at it for long enough I'll eventually have a set of recipes that are tried and true without being old and boring. Now I being the task of building my timeline for the night before and day of to ensure that everything gets finished at exactly the same time so it's all hot and fresh right as we sit down to say grace.
If you are looking for a few new recipes for this Thanksgiving (or Christmas), these are the two I tried last year and have added to the Jeska household tradition:
Wild Rice Stuffing
*You will not believe this stuff, I think it is by far the best stuffing I have ever had in my entire life!* (for 18 lb turkey)
-3 c hot water
-6 tsp chicken bouillon (I use that paste that comes in a little tub, it is way better than the dry stuff)
-9 oz wild rice (I used a mix of long grain and wild rice)
-3/4 c butter
-1 1/2 c chopped celery
-1/2 c chopped onion
-6 oz dry bread cubes (I use those ones the grocery stores sell in the bakery this time of year)
-1 tbsp poultry seasoning
1. Dissolve 4 tsp bouillon in half the water over medium heat. Add rice and just enough cold water to ensure rice is covered with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 25 min, stirring occasionally.
2. Add remaining bouillon to 1 1/2 c water. Heat butter in skillet until melted. Add celery and onion and cook until tender. Add bouillion water and cook a few more minutes. Pour into large bowl and mix with bread, rice and poultry seasoning. (If you are preparing the night before, this is where you stop for the night)
3. Stuff turkey loosely and cook turkey as you would with any other type of stuffing.
Creamy Green Bean Casserole
(Notice: this is not yo mammas green bean casserole, so if you want the old version with cream of mushroom soup, just look on the back of the can!!!
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 (14.5 ounce) cans French style green beans, drained
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup french fried onions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
- Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together french fried onions and sprinkle over the cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.
My parents arrived on Wednesday and reminded me how thankful I am for the way that they have raised me, with strong values and a bunch of love! And I'm thankful that I inherited some good cooking skills from somewhere up in the gene pool! 
