Thanksgiving is a time to come together, enjoy the arguments across the table, sip wine as the sky goes dark and think about how much you can’t wait to make an excuse that you can’t come to the next one.
Okay, jokes aside, Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American tradition that is not just about family and good times, it's about the food. It's one of the most loved times of the year because you get to eat dishes that you wouldn’t normally make if ever. They are twists on the most popular dishes of the olden days, such as pumpkin pie. But we think everyone can agree that there are at least 3 dishes that everyone loves and wouldn’t ever dream of missing out on. Guess which ones?
Green Bean Casserole
Green beans are one of the most loved foods for Thanksgiving. They go well in lots of salads, pies, and starters. The green bean casserole is one of my favorites because it is so rich, healthy and so simple to make. All you need is to make some fried mushrooms and then cool them off in some fresh cream. Fry up some onions and put them in and then all you need is to cover it with green beans and some more friend onions and mushrooms. Place in the oven for about 40 minutes. Make sure to season the cream and the green beans as you don’t want a creamy but bland dish.
The Turkey
You can’t have Thanksgiving without the star of the show. This is how to cook a thanksgiving turkey and not make it dry and bland. Rather than baste it with butter and herbs, you should be more adventurous. Choose a dry rub of your liking. Or you can mix salt, thyme, dried sage, paprika, black pepper and ground mustard. Place spoonfuls of butter underneath the skin to make it crisp and stuff the bird with half-cut onions. This allows the aroma of the onion to penetrate the bird from the inside, flavoring the meat as you let it cook for several hours. Make sure to baste it every hour or so of 30 minutes and add some more dry rub if you see it is lacking in areas.
Pumpkin Pie
It's the most recognized American pie in the world, pumpkin pie. It's sweet and can be enjoyed with a little bit of chocolate syrup too. It's made using mashed pumpkin and nutmeg among other things. There is also cinnamon, cloves and ginger. You need about 2 cups of sweet pumpkin puree and then mix it with some brown and white sugar. Mix all the other ingredients in and you bake for about 45 to 55 minutes. Leave to cool for about 1-2 hours.
What are your top three Thanksgiving dishes? You can't deny that the turkey is the part everyone looks forward to the most but the green bean casserole is a close second. The pumpkin pie is a classic favorite but there are other desserts you may want to try too.
