Just realized you are left to your own devices this Thanksgiving?
No worries. If Macaulay Culkin Kevin McCallister can outsmart burglars, you can surely put together a holiday dinner in one day.
There is no need to freak out if your super behind on your Thanksgiving prep. It's not too late to cook a tasty turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
Whether you are short on time or suddenly decided to throw a last-minute gathering, serving a home-cooked meal this Thanksgiving will be as easy as pulling a turkey rabbit out of hat.
Step #1 Shopping
Read through all the recipes and note which ingredients you will need to pick up. You probably have the essentials already in your kitchen like salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil, butter, brown sugar and garlic. The most important ingredients you probably will need include: 1 whole bone-in turkey breast, canned sweet potatoes, green beans, shallots, pecans, walnuts, white wine, rosemary, thyme, sage.
Since you probably will only need the key ingredients, you will be able to self-check at big supermarkets.
Step #2 Cooking
The following recipes are not only delicious, but super simple to make. The turkey will obviously take the longest to cook, but compared to a big, whole bird, cooking just the breast will be a huge time saver.
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
It will take a total of 2 hours to cook, not including the 25 mins of prep, to prepare your turkey breast. One whole bone-in turkey breast (6-7 pounds) will serve six people.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and prep your bird. Pour white wine into a roasting pan and baste the bird with garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Roast the turkey breast for just about 2 hours until your thermometer reads 165 degrees or the skin is golden brown. Slice and serve!
See full recipe here.
Mushroom and Walnut Stuffing
This easy-to-make stuffing recipe will go great with the rosemary and lemon flavors from the turkey breast. Leave 1 loaf of white bread (with crust) out overnight after cubing it into pieces. If you are stretched for time, simply toast the bread and get to cooking.
In a large skillet, add onions and celery to 1 tbsp of oil until soft. Add mushrooms and sage, salt, pepper and white white until the wine almost evaporates and mushrooms are brown. Add cubed pieces of bread, walnuts and 1 cup of chicken broth until moist, not soggy. Add 2 eggs to mixture and bake at 400 degrees F until golden brown.
See the full recipe here.
Super Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
Who doesn't love sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving? Using canned sweet potatoes will allow you to cut corners on this simply delicious recipe. It will only take 8 MINUTES TO COOK!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and mash one 29-ounce can of sweet potatoes (drained), 2 beaten eggs, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla and a spindle of salt.
For pecan crumble toppings, combine 5 tbsp of butter, brown sugar, flour and pecan pieces in a small bowl to make crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs on top and bake in a shallow dish or iron skillet for 25-35 minutes.
See full recipe here.
Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots
This recipe is so simple that it can be made while the turkey and other sides are baking. You will probably want to start on this last since it only takes about 20 minutes to cook.
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in medium saucepan and add 2 shallots that are peeled and sliced into thin rings until golden brown. While that cooks, boil water into a pot and cook green beans for about 5 minutes until tender. Drain and serve with shallots on top.
See the full recipe here.
Caramel-Apple Ice Cream
When it comes to desserts, you can easily pick up store-made cake, cookies or pie. If you'd rather make something simple, then no treat is better than caramel-apple ice cream.
See full recipe here.
Step #3 Enjoy!
These simple recipes will surely be a Thanksgiving lifesaver. You will be finished cooking in 2-3 hours, allowing for more time to relax and enjoy the time spent with family, friends and that glass of wine.
Remember, just because you weren't planning on cooking a full three course meal, doesn't mean you have to order a pizza.
[PHOTO CREDIT: Christopher Schmidt/Flickr]
