HEELLP!! (o/t)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
HEELLP!! (o/t)
25
Sun, 11-05-2006 - 6:13pm

In a moment of stupidity I have found myself agreeing to cook Thanksgiving meal for 14 people. DD will be "helping" me. The queen told me we're either going out to eat or your on your own... Oh swell....
I am NOT going to a restaurant for Thanksgiving. So my pig headed side naturally got me in trouble. I thought, what better place to plead for help than the POT board.
I need to order a fresh turkey. How many lbs.?
How long do I cook it at what temp.?
Any other tips and tricks?
I am not going to give the queen the satisfaction of asking her these questions.. :-)

PS. I make really good homemade pies. Everything else is what microwaves were made for....

Thanks!
D

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 8:48am
lol... vicious???
Since we're both in the midwest, we probably are going to need the obligatory orange jello salad with carrot shavings.. :-)
Yah, yah betcha....
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2000
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 9:23am

What a fun thread!

Pam
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 10:06am

<All this time I thought it was a bad joke from Campbells food scientists.>>

lolol - yes, actually I think it is THE reason cream of mushroom soup was developed. MIL hasn't quite figured that out yet, tho, as just about everything that comes out of her kitchen is drowning in a 'sauce' of cream of mushroom soup.

Here is the 'original' green bean casserole recipe direct from the Campbells web site. It is slightly different from the one you have from dianas kitchen.

Good luck! And let us all know how your feast comes out!

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup OR Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Directions:

MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.

BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.

STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe.

 

 

 

Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 10:23am

Or a good green salad always goes over too...a favorite my SIL has made that I now make is:

Romaine lettuce
red onions, chopped fine (can be left on the side as optional)
chopped up apple (like Jonathans)
craisins
provel string cheese
poppyseed dressing

Don't assemble til time to eat - but YUM, and very festive/Thanksgiving-y.

Sue, who hates green bean casseroles but loves salad any time!




Edited 11/6/2006 10:38 am ET by suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-07-2005
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 10:40am

The corn casserole sounds good! We're going to friends' for Thanksgiving and I'm taking a couple of sides. How long do I cook the casserole? At 350 degrees?

I'm also taking my mother's famous macaroni and cheese. There are NEVER any leftovers, gotta get that recipe out!

And I usually cook turkey in a paper grocery sack, but I might try an oven roasting bags next time. One of the best turkeys I ever cooked was on top of a piece of rebar that was stuck in the ground, put a brand new aluminum trash can over it, and piled charcoal all around the outside of the can.

zz

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 2:31pm

There are some great smoked turkeys you can buy fully cooked (from the grocery freezer) and just thaw and reheat. I prefer smoked to oven roasted myself and am from the South so we have cornbread dressing on the side, not in the bird.

BTW, who is the queen? Mrs. D? What's her aversion to helping cook?

There's alot of ready-made good stuff you can buy in the store, and it doesn't take much to mash some taters to go with.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 2:59pm
I'm getting some great ideas here!
I think I'll take a crack at that green bean casserole.
A smoked turkey sounds wonderful, but I'm going to have to stay with a traditional roasted turkey. If I take any short cuts, I'll never hear the end of it.
We have a new double oven convection range from a summer kitchen remodel that has not experienced a turkey yet.
Mrs. Daddio (aka: the queen) has announced she will not be cooking Thanksgiving this year. She does the full meal deal on Christmas day. She says it's my turn or we go out to eat. She never bargained that I would step up to this task. I need to make this an exceptional meal so as to give her the raspberries.... (so to speak...) :-)
Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 3:03pm

Well, then be sure to go all out and have cold shrimp and cocktail sauce, crackers/sausage/cheese, veggies/dip, mixed nuts (in shell if you don't mind the mess) before the meal...those things take NO prep time especially if it's a tub of special cheese spread, etc. Have fun with it!

Sue

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 3:25pm

<>

Woo hoo! You go daddio! We'll all be waiting to hear all about it. I'm sure you will knock the Queens' crown right off her head with your culinary talents.

Julie

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
In reply to: daddioe
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 3:34pm

I'm glad this appears to be a "friendly" competition.

I personally love to cook the big meal, but it does require preparation, and starting early! This queen bee will be on a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico on Thanksgiving this year and I won't miss doing all those dishes! LOL! Will the queen help with cleanup?

Or are there numerous "serfs" for that job...

Any of ya'll southern readers might consider the cajun fried turkey. It's quite unusual, but I don't know how far away from Louisiana you could find one. I also roasted a great big bird once where I put rosemary, garlic, orange and lemon slices between the meat and skin and in the body cavity. Roasted as usual, lots of basting. It was well-received. Discard the fruit/herb before serving.




Edited 11/6/2006 3:39 pm ET by momsacupcake