We all celebrate Thanksgiving Dinner in our own way, but one thing is for certain, on Thanksgiving Day, Americans are preparing a feast to share with their families. Therefore, creating a beautiful tabletop with your finest china sets the tone for your elegant Thanksgiving dinner. It creates a festive atmosphere and high hopes about what is coming!
History of our Thanksgiving Dinner
When I was young, I remember my mother in the kitchen cooking, the delicious smells of baking & a feeling of happiness! I couldn’t wait for my Grandparents to arrive so I could sneak one of my Grandma’s rolls. Together, they would prepare the meal and get the china, silver & crystal out. The fine dinnerware was so beautiful to me and I was eager to assist with setting the table for an elegant Thanksgiving dinner.
Go ahead and get out your and china – just add a few touches of Thanksgiving and it fits right in with the occasion. Click here to find out more how to elevate your Thanksgiving Decor.
Dinner Menu
from Williams Sonoma is the place I get my turkey. A fresh, free range, organic turkey, it comes ready to bake. We always enjoy this flavorful bird!
Mothers in law aren’t that bad after all!! Mine turned out to be a good one and a treasure trove for recipes I use repeatedly. Her stuffing is delicious and a tradition on our elegant Thanksgiving dinner table.
Sassy's Cornbread Dressing
Delicious homemade stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 box cornbread mix 12 servings
- 1 can biscuits
- 1 lice crisp toast
- 1/2 stick butter sliced
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onipn
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
- turkey or chicken broth
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
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Cook cornbread 2 days before you make the stuffing
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1 can biscuits, slice after cooking and leave out to dry
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Toast bread and leave out to dry
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Put crumbs in Ziploc bag & refrigerate until ready to use.
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Morning of dinner: Saute celery & onions in butter until soft.
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Add crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, & poultry seasoning to bread mixture
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Pour turkey/chicken broth until mixture is mushy
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Add water to butter until melted and then add to stuffing mixture
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Cook in 9 x 13 casserole at 325 for 1 hour.
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Drip juices of turkey over top of dressing after it is cooked.
Better than it sounds! This casserole is delicious and bursting with flavor.
Onion Bake
Onions baked in a creamy, cheese sauce
Ingredients
- 5 white onions
- 3 sticks butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- 2 1/2 cups colby jack cheese
- pinch salt
- 5 eggs beaten
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers crushed
Instructions
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Slice onions into thin rings.
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Melt 1 stick of butter and pour over onions. Cook at 350 degrees until onions are translucent.
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Sauce: Melt 1 stick butter on stovetop. Stir in cup flour. Gradually add cups milk. Stir until thickened. Add cheese & salt. Once cheese melts fold in eggs.
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Melt 1 stick butter and mixed with crushed saltines. Spread over mixture.
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Return to oven until bubbly
These bundles of green beans make a stunning presentation for a vegetable! A combination of sweet and salty flavors make these hard to put down.
Green Bean Bundles
Green beans wrapped in bacon glazed with buttery brown sugar
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 pound green beans
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven t 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil. Lay bacon strips on pan without overlapping. Bake for 10 minutes or until bacon is just starting to brown on the edges while remaining underdone and pliable. Drain bacon on a plate lined with paper towels and once cool, cut each slice in half. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
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While bacon cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch green beans by plunging them into the boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer beans to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
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In a small pot, melt the butter. Mix in salt, garlic powder, and brown sugar until well blended.
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To assemble bundles, lay 8 to 12 beans in a pile (or less, depending on the thickness of your beans). Take a half piece of bacon and wrap it around the top of the green bean bundle, tucking the ends underneath. Lay the bundle on a baking sheet with the bacon seam side down. Repeat with all green beans.
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Using a spoon, evenly drizzle the butter/sugar mixture over each green bean bundle. Season with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
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Roast at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crisp and cooked through. Allow to rest on the baking pan for 3 - 5 minutes before serving.
This sweet potato recipe could double as a dessert. Really easy to put together and the pecans add a bit of a surprise to this old favorite.
Joyce's Sweet Potato Casserole
Great for Thanksgiving
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp margarine softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 cups cooked & mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
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Beat eggs; add sugar, margarine, vanilla, milk, and sweet potaoes. Pour into 1 quart buttered casserole.
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Topping: Mix brown sugar, margarine, and flour until it looks like cornmeal. Spread on top of sweet potato mixture. Cover with pecans and pat down with hand. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Another simple recipe that makes people think you’re a master chef! Homemade cranberry sauce adds some color & chill to your elegant Thanksgiving dinner.
Cranberry Sauce
Simple recipe for homemade cranberry sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pkg cranberries
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
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Bring 2 water to boil, add sugar and boil for 2 minutes. Add cranberries and stir until sauce thickens. Pour into mold or bowl - put in refrigerator until jelled.
There truly is nothing better than homemade rolls. They fill the room with a heavenly aroma while they bake!
Yeast Rolls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp yeast
- 5 cups flour
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
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Mix together sugar, salt & egg
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Mix yeast in warm water
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Add yeast mixture to egg mixture - stir
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Stir in 2 1/2 c flour until mixed and then add the other 2 1/2 c flour. Add butter.
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Place dough into bowl covered with cloth. Allow to rise. Punch down and then put container in fridge until chilled or overnight.
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Roll dough into balls and put in pan. Cover pan and let rise for an hour. Bake at 350 until golden
Fresh apple pie topped with ice cream is the final delight of our elegant Thanksgiving dinner. I have a special I use for baking pies that makes for a pretty presentation!
Apple Pie
Fresh Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- lemon juice
- 8 apples
Pie crust: 2 c sifted flour, 1 tsp salt, 2/3 c crisco, 4 tbsp ice water
Instructions
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Combine flour, salt, Crisco & water together to form dough. Roll out and place in pie pan. (Enough for top & bottom crust)
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Peel & thinly slice apples. Place in bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.
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Mix together flour, sugars, & 1 tsp. cinnamon then add apples and toss together
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Spoon into pie crust and sprinkle with 2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg & dot with butter. Cover with top pie crust
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Bake 1 hour at 425
Watch for my post next week where I’ll showcase informal Thanksgiving dinners and casual place settings.
First Place setting -Thank you to http://www.thecanopy.net/
Photo credits: Geniuskitchen.com, dinner@ the zoo, taste of home, sugar & soul, food & wine, pioneer woman, allrecipes.com, Valerie’s kitchen, Williams Sonoma, Hungry Lobbyist, Land O’Lakes