Thanksgiving 2008

I'm going to do a long post or series of posts about this year's Thanksgiving menu. As usual, I'm trying a bunch of new recipes, so I'll post the new ones after the meal if I think they are worth recommeneding. For now, here's my menu!

Thanksgiving Menu

Appetizers
Pumpkin-shaped cheese ball with crackers
Pumpkin dip with gingersnaps and green apples
Chex mix

Main course
Turkey – 2 (one smoked, one traditional)
Gravy
Stuffing (Mom)
Waldorf salad (Chris)
Jello salad (Chris)
Mashed potatoes
Whipped sweet potatoes with streusel
Cranberry Apple Salad
Cranberry sauce
Glazed pearl onions
Green Beans with hazelnuts
Parker House Rolls with cranberry butter

Desserts
Mini pecan pies
Mini pumpkin pies
Pumpkin cheesecake
Apple Pie (Mom)
Southern Pecan cake (Chris)
Gingerbread pear trifle

Pumpkin Dip (from Cooking Light)

This dip is very good and looks great served in a bowl that is placed inside a hollowed-out sugar pumpkin. I usually make leaf-shaped gingersnaps to go with it, but that's a short-cut I'm taking this year! I'm doubling the recipe.

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons maple syrup (can sub with brown sugar or honey if you don't have any)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
24 green apple slices
gingersnaps (thin kind)

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple and gingersnaps.

Pumpkin-shaped Cheese Ball (from Southern Living)

Two 8-ounce blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
One 8-ounce container chive-and-onion cream cheese
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground red pepper
1 stalk broccoli
red and green apple wedges
crackers

1. Combine cheddar cheese, cream cheeses, paprika and red pepper in a bowl until well blended. Cover and chill 4 hours or until mixture is firm enough to be shaped.

2. Shape mixture into a ball to resemble a pumpkin. Smooth entire outer surface with a frosting spatula or table knife. Make vertical grooves in ball, if desired, using fingertips.

3.Cut florets from broccoli stalk and reserve for another use. Cut stalk to resemble a pumpkin stem, and press into top of cheese ball. Serve cheese ball with apple wedges and crackers.