Wednesday, November 14, 2007 12:19 PM
Make-ahead dishes for Thanksgiving?
The secrets to a totally successful turkey day: any shortcut that frees up kitchen/oven/stovetop space (or brain space, for that matter) on Thanksgiving day, and freezer-to-oven side dishes you can make days or weeks in advance.
My shortcut? Pre-measuring, chopping and prepping ingredients for a dish the night before Thanksgiving. Zip-top bags with measured flour or sugar, small bowls filled with spice mixes and other dry ingredients like baking soda and salt, whole eggs--you can store everything a bowl in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to throw it all together, you just…throw it all together, and you won’t destroy your kitchen again and again.
Making just two or three dishes before the big day is the real lifesaver because there’s nothing worse than having witnesses (read: MIL) to your last-minute culinary scramble. I know from experience. For the record, sucking back a bottle of red wine to calm your nerves because the family dinner is two hours late (because of you) is a really, really bad idea. ☺
Got any other bad ideas or Turkey Day disasters to share?
Or, maybe just a good kitchen/cooking tip for a smooth, sane holiday? Any tried and true make-ahead dishes? I’m risking being disowned by revealing recipes of two of my family’s standard holiday sides, but these are perfect dishes to make and freeze ahead of time.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
4 cups sweet potatoes, grated
3 eggs, beaten
1 stick of butter, melted
¾ cup sugar*
1 cup half and half
2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and fold the mixture with a rubber spatula until thoroughly mixed. Scrape into a 9 x 12 baking dish and bake at 350 for 60 minutes.
* Note: My sister, Meredith, says if the meat of the sweet potatoes is pale—peachy or whitish instead of a deep, rich orange—use 1 full cup of sugar. The sugar content of the sweet potato can vary depending on where you live and where they were grown.
This next dish is the one that rarely survives the first 10 minutes of the buffet line, so double it if your family likes creamed spinach. We always make extra-extra and eat it like a spread on turkey sandwiches. It’s spicy, too—a nice counterpoint when you’re serving a lot of rich, starchy sides.
Spinach Madeline
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
4 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. chopped onion
½ cup evaporated milk
½ cup reserved spinach liquid
½ tsp. black pepper
6 oz. Jalapeno jack cheese, cubed
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
red pepper, salt and pepper to taste
Cook the spinach according to package directions. Squeeze and drain the spinach, and reserve ½ cup of the liquid. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth (but not brown). Add onion and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Slowly add reserved liquid and evaporated milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and thick. Add the seasonings and cheese. Stir until cheese has completely melted. Combine with cooked spinach and stir until blended.
With a plastic spatula, scrape the spinach mixture into a large baking dish. Optional: top with breadcrumbs. Bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned on top, and bubbling around the edges.