Thanksgiving 2020 Made to Order and Made Easy

This year just hasn't been that great. Covid has taken over our lives and is putting many family traditions on hold. Yours also? We usually have our family, extended family and friends for a real Thanksgiving feast. This year we are down to six folks, all over 65, so we can spread out at the table and in the house. If you are facing the dilemma of preparing a small Thanksgiving dinner, I will try to make some helpful suggestions for you to consider.

The Turkey

No one said you have to cook a big ole turkey this year. In fact, if you look around you will find some good alternatives. Shop as soon as you can as I suspect the little ones will sell out fast. In the past when we are craving turkey but it's just for us, I have prepared smaller portion bone in turkey breasts and the turkey breast roast. This year, while standing in the turkey aisle at my local Publix, I spotted a Li’l Butterball Whole Turkey. It looked like a big chicken, so I brought it home to the freezer to serve this year. If all you can find is a big chicken, put it in your cart and serve that. It will be delicious.

Any of these smaller turkey options will work. Just be sure to thaw your frozen turkey in advance. There is NO good way to thaw a turkey at the last minute. As you start your preparations, you can call in all your turkey questions to Let's talk turkey! Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) or text 844-877-3456.

For my 'really into shortcut buddies':

Buy a roasted chicken (turkey breast if available) and serve that. You can purchase your roasted meat ahead, freeze, thaw 24 hours ahead, heat and serve. Add prepared or packaged turkey gravy, canned cranberry sauce or jelly, prepare a bagged or boxed dressing, prepared mashed potatoes, some kind of green veggie, and a store bought pie. There you go! A complete, yummy, easy to serve Thanksgiving meal without breaking the bank. I love that so many places will fix your entire meal for you, but it's expensive.

Sides

I love the sides! How about you? Here are some easy ideas, mostly old favorites, sized down for a small gathering;

Green Bean Casserole:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cans French style green beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (no salt should be needed as the canned goods have sodium)

Stir together and put in a small size casserole dish that you spray with non-stick.

Top with either: Fried onions, crushed potato chips or slivered almonds.

Bake for 20 minutes. You will know it's done when the side are bubbling a bit and the topping is starting to brown. It could take up to 30 minutes.

Roasted Asparagus:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Prepare one or two bundles of asparagus by getting the tough part off. I do this by bending 3 to 5 stalks a time until they break. They will always break leaving a shorter but very tender tip. The older the asparagus the shorter the tip. Rinse and shake dry the tips.

Place the tips in a bowl. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Toss around in the bowl until all the tips are coated.

Pour the tips onto a baking sheet with an edge in an even layer. You need the edge so oil won't drip onto the bottom of your oven. If you haven't got a non-stick baking sheet, cover the sheet with foil and spray with non-stick.

Cook for about 15 minutes. You will want to see the oil bubbling around the tips. These are delicious hot, warm or at room temp.

Easy Dressing:

If you like the convenience of packaged dressing that you just add water or stock to, this is for you.

Follow the package directions adding in one or all of the following:

• If it calls for water, use low sodium chicken or turkey stock or broth.

• Chop an onion and cook in butter on medium low heat until the onions are translucent. This takes about 10 minutes.

• Chop up the heart of a celery, the tiny inside ribs and leaves, and cook in butter on medium low heat until the leaves start to wilt. This just takes about 5 minutes. And yes, you can add the celery to the onions and cook together.

• Chop up a stick or two of carrot. They add a lovely sweet flavor and you can cook them right along with the onions.

• Add some more seasonings. I like to add 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage and/or rosemary. Sage is the secret seasoning that differentiates Thanksgiving from other occasions. Careful, a little goes a long way.

• Add some pecans. Rough chop or break up with your hands. That's it. Add 'em.

Tip for keeping sides warm until you are ready to serve:

I never have enough space in my oven to keep sides warm while I am cooking or warming the meat. So try this. For each casserole, get two bath towels. Lay them out in an X shape on your counter or table. Place the hot casserole in the center of the X. Cover the casserole tightly with foil. Pull the towels over the casserole to wrap completely. Sometimes I put this bundle in an ice chest if it's going to be a while until we eat.

Let's all remember

In the end it really doesn't matter what you serve for Thanksgiving. It's sharing a meal with family and/or friends. Be it one guest or six, it is a blessing. If I have learned nothing else during Covid, I have learned that human contact is a blessing not to be taken for granted. Love to all of my family and friends. Thank you to all of you who have been visiting this website. Happy Thanksgiving!