{giving thanks}
Thanksgiving has come and gone once again. My holiday was spent with family members eating, drinking, football watching, and game playing. Bryan & I drove to Ohio Wednesday evening after work. We are very accustomed to the snow, but we were quite surprised by the amount of snow on the ground at my mom’s. It was the pretty snow too, which I love. The wintery weather, crisp air, and white wonderland made Thanksgiving feel more like Christmas. Family members came to the house on Thursday for the day. It was nice to see my family & spend time together. In the morning, we all got to work on the meal – everyone with their own task.
Main Items
MOM: turkey & stuffing / her turkey roulade
STEPH: cranberry sauce & crab dip appetizer
SARA: green bean casserole, kale salad, & baked brie appetizer
RYAN: potatoes & turkey prep
BRYAN: bloody marys & my helper
A lot more went into the meal, but the above were our main endeavors. In this post, I will be featuring the 3 dishes I made for the meal & my sister’s crab dip. Do you want my mom’s stuffing or turkey roulade recipe? Well, lo siento, family recipes 🙂
I love Thanksgiving meal and sometimes wonder why we only have it once a year. People claim the whole meal is over 4000 calories, but if eaten with appropriate portions I don’t see a 4000 calorie meal at all. The past two years I made my green bean casserole, influenced by Alton Brown’s recipe. I love green beans! Add a little bit of mushrooms and cream sauce. Yes, please. The dish can definitely be made less doughie and I made it once that way, but it was Thanksgiving so I decided to go with the doughier version. The key to this recipe is blanching the green beans, allowing them to slightly cook, but still have that delicious crunch. I would say year #3 was a success on this recipe & I plan to make it again next year.
{Click here for Green Bean Casserole Recipe}
Per my previous posts, my kale obsession continues and even snuck itself into our Thanksgiving meal. This was definitely the not so doughie dish on the day’s menu. It was a nice change in pace from the classic salad. I kept it very simple in order to highlight the depth in flavor of the kale. And in my opinion, the salad on Thanksgiving should be a dish that still acts as the cold side / starter and not be garnished with filling items.
{Click here for Sara’s Kale Salad Recipe}
My family didn’t want to do heavy appetizers because we are such intense snackers. We always snack to the max, which doesn’t leave much room for Thanksgiving dinner. However, we wanted to have some to munch on while cooking & keeping the kids (and adults) satisfied until dinner time. My go-to appetizer is my Spiced Brie Bake. I have made this numerous times and am happy to share it with my readers. If you have been over to my house for a get-together or invited me to your get-together, I most likely made this appetizer. It is so easy to prep and the aroma is enough to entice anyone. The toppings can vary and I have included a list of them in the recipe.
{Click here for Spiced Brie Bake Recipe}
My sister, Stephanie’s, main task was her cranberry sauce that we all love. However, as she rummaged through the fridge she spotted a can of lump crab meat. My mom didn’t have plans to use it for anything specific so Steph decided to prepare her Crab Dip. Again, it went against our lean appetizer plan, but it sure was gobbled up (pun intended) fast. Her dip is DEFINITELY doughie, but it has potential to be made a little not so doughie. The thing to keep in mind with the doughie version is to just have a taste – a dollop on two crackers makes for a small & satisfying taste. Isn’t that how appetizers should be anyways? It can be served warm or cold depending on your personal preference. Due to the oven being occupied by all the other Thanksgiving dishes, she served it cold. The dip was rich & creamy with the perfect amount of saltiness from the crab.
{Click here for Steph’s Crab Dip Recipe}
I had a lot to be thankful for this year. Most importantly, I am thankful for my family and their health & wellbeing. I am thankful for my dedicated little group of readers and the support I have received for Not So Doughie. Thank you to those who are returning to read & to my new visitors as well.
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