Thanksgiving Menu 2012

Though I can hardly believe it, Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Before it gets here, we’ll be traveling to Philadelphia to see a specialist about Clara’s hand. As you can imagine, we’re most definitely thankful to have something fun to look forward to after that (not that we’re expecting bad news, but the time with family will be a welcome distraction). We’re celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad and little brother this year, and we are super pumped about visiting them and spending some time in Charleston (my first time there). They just moved into a new house, and we’re so happy that we get to cook Thanksgiving dinner in a brand new kitchen. The thing we’re most excited about? My dad’s fried turkey. It’s succulent, crispy and perfect, and I pretty much want to keep it all to myself. Our usual tradition is to eat one at Christmas, but since Eric and I are celebrating Christmas in Virginia this year, we get to eat fried turkey a month early. Heck yes!

Even though we’re not hosting Thanksgiving, I kind of took over planning the menu. My dad is making the usual Thanksgiving fare – turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes – and I’m making the green bean casserole, rolls, some type of sweet potatoes and dessert. We’re still debating what vegetables we want to make, but the menu is mostly finalized. And since no Thanksgiving dinner would be complete without wine, we’ll be taking along a couple bottles from our favorite Virginia wineries. I’m sure we’re going to have a fabulous time, and I’m already salivating thinking about that fried turkey. It’s no joke, guys. If you’re still searching for some ideas for your menu, here are some of  my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving.

Appetizers:
Fried Herbed Almonds
Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts
Goat Cheese, Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Terrine

Sides:
From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole
Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Mashed Parsnips
Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Breads:
Rosemary and Pepper Dinner Rolls
Bubble Top Brioches
Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

Desserts:
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Tiramisu
Classic Pumpkin Roll