Unfortunately this is not going to be an easy Thanksgiving. Many of those big , family ones from years past have to be cancelled and rethought. There is a plus in this - less cooking. That means that elaborate dinners will be postponed and smaller ones will be cooked. That also means easier recipes made in half the time.
Of course turkey will always be the main attraction. Select a smaller bird - namely a four to six pound one. Cooking time will be a lot less. Usually bigger birds take anywhere from four to five hours to thoroughly roast. A smaller one will only take an hour and a half.You could make a homemade stuffing and be prepared for leftovers (which do work the day after paired with gravy and sliced turkey). A more simpler way is getting Stovetop Stuffing which would considerably cut down on prep and cooking time. It's just a quick mix of butter, margarine and water and then cooking for only twelve minutes.There probably won't be any leftovers too.What about the sides? You can nix the traditional drenched in mushroom soup green beans and just try the more refreshing string bean almondine. This is a zingy lemon drenched veggie dish , decorated with slivered almonds. Should you serve sweet potatoes or yams? Yes, but think about roasting four of them for the family. Again, this is a better version and tastier too as it's not covered in marshmallow goo. If you want to make a small green salad, go ahead. If you want to cut down and serve just the turkey and salad, that's fine too. As for the cranberry sauce, why not put dried cranberries like Craisins in the salad for a twist on tradition.
Thanksgiving means pies too. Yet is it worth making a whole pie for just four or five people? An easier idea is a galette.It's baked on a cookie sheet and has an easier to make crust.It's usually made with fruit such as seasonal apples or pears yet you can also make a pumpkin pie one. This is a rolled out crust with a thin layer of pumpkin filling spread on top. The dough ends are then folded over and the entire pie is baked at 400 degrees F for only half an hour. You can serve the slices with a dollop of maple syrup infused whipped cream. Another easy idea is individual desserts. Think apple crumble in ramekins. It's layering apples with a streusel topping of rolled oats,light brown sugar, walnuts and butter and then baking them in a 375 degree F oven for half an hour to thirty-five minutes. The mix is good for six ramekins , Don't worry about it being too much for four people. Guaranteed, there won't be any leftovers. Have the family top the crumbles with whatever they want, creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Pecan pie is another tasty Thanksgiving dessert however a whole pie is too much. Think turning this popular treat into bars.It's a buttery cookie bottom topped with the mouth watering blend of brown sugar, heavy cream and pecans.It's the perfect weekend snack too, especially for movie night.
Yes, Thanksgiving will be different this year. It will be smaller but easier to handle. The food will be a snap to cook and bake. That means more time , spent with family and enjoying the day.
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