We’re just under two weeks away from the big day. Which means it’s time to plan our menus.
Creating a menu for a special meal is one of my favorite tasks. Particularly for Thanksgiving as I find that creativity abounds in the boundaries of traditional flavors. Of course there will be stuffing, but how can we push the idea of what we know about stuffing while still giving us the dream-like state of tasting something that is familiar? It’s not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, but do we go rustic (chunky) or creamy (always yes), loads of butter (browned?) or with the twang of sour cream (or even better, cream cheese)? And there will be turkey but is it stuffed, or deboned and turned into a roulade (my favorite), or smoked (always a winner AND more oven space)?
We celebrate two Thanksgivings (or sometimes more) every year. One with my family and a few days later we gather around the table with my husband’s family. My family has often tended towards the traditional; tried and true recipes that have delighted us for years. Mom’s perfectly creamy mashed potatoes topped with gravy made from the turkey neck simmered for hours on the stove and often sweetened with a touch of maple. Sweet potatoes snow capped with marshmallows that caramelize and soften in the oven. And grandma’s perfect pumpkin pie; bordered by a crust that shatters and flakes (even though there is NO butter in it - it’s all oil) holding a pumpkin custard so silky and spiced just so (the recipe can be found on the back of the Libby can but why was it so much better when grandma made it?) While Gabe’s family has let me push the limits and play around with the traditional flavors in new and unique ways.
When creating a menu I first ask myself, “what’s inspiring me right now?” You’ll see some examples below that were inspired by travels (New Mexico and Louisiana) and others are simply inspired by recipes that intrigue. This year I’m letting the seasons guide my cooking. I’m enamored by ruffled and pink bitter greens I found recently at the co-op and am stunned by the flexibility of Brussels sprouts (a once loathed vegetable that deserves a rebranding). I’ll tuck in wild mushrooms I’ve recently found and perhaps even light up the fire and roast potatoes in the coals (bonus, I’ll get to spend time outside while prepping!). I definitely stick close to the classic flavors knowing that my table wouldn’t feel complete without potatoes (sweet and not sweet), stuffing and turkey. I also like to round out the heaviness of the meal with vegetables; either roasted with simple accessories like parmesan crumbs or a nutty pesto, or a hefty salad (like the one below which I’ll often add greens, specifically arugula, to bulk it up). For dessert I must always have pumpkin pie without the frills, just like grandma would make. And then something apple or pear and there I like to play around with flavors; pear galette with pistachio frangipane perhaps, or a towering Dutch apple pie with a smoky sweetness from muscovado.
This year I’m hosting my family and although they are begging me to let them help I am just so giddy to be crafting the menu and cooking for them that I want to do it all. The thought of spending days and countless hours on Thanksgiving week makes me so excited. While some may think that the time it takes to cook the meal versus how long it takes to consume the meal is disproportionately not worth it, I would disagree. I’ll admit that some years I haven’t been nearly as excited to cook for days on end so then we divide and conquer. Each of us bringing a dish to the table to share. Some bring something the store prepared while others may bring a treasured family favorite. Guess what? It’s all appreciated and really it’s not just the food that elicits the giving of thanks. It’s setting that intention, paying attention and then giving space for the gratitude to fill.
There are many in my life who do not spend the weeks ahead of this meal scouring cookbooks or they don’t look forward to prepping pie dough days ahead or blending potatoes that steadily grew in the rich soil of summer with butter to create a flavor and memory that covers half my plate. To many this holiday and this season creates stress, grief, and heartache. I see you and want to acknowledge that. And also I want to shoulder some of that pain by doing whatever I can to lift some of those burdens so that we can bring the focus back to the act and art of giving thanks. My love language is food so I want to offer myself and my passion for food in this season of so many feelings.
Getting back to the menu planning: Start by asking yourself the honest question of “What do I need right now?” Do you need more time on the couch with a good book? Then divide and conquer. Turn this year into potluck Thanksgiving. Or do you need to taste the familiar? To cozy up to the classics and live in the memories of remembered flavors? Stick with the tried and true classics. Do you want to be inspired, to try new things, or to get in touch with the changing seasons through the food that the earth is giving right now? Let the answers to these questions guide the menu making.
If you are feeling inclined towards new inspiration, pour yourself a glass of wine or brew your favorite tea and sit next to a pile of cookbooks and magazines and see where that takes you. And please, when you have your menu settled, share with us! I’m still tweaking this year’s menu and would love to hear from you all what’s going to be on your table.
Please do feel free to reach out here with any questions you may have. Or email me directly (ashley@notwithoutsalt.com), or send a message to me on Instagram (@ashrod).
Below you’ll find menu inspiration and a recipe for my favorite Thanksgiving salad (one that is requested year after year). Next week we’ll break down the menu into doable tasks leading up to the big day. And Thanksgiving week we’re focusing on gratitude and finding the space to breathe in this busy season.
Favorite Menus from the past
(Underlined menu items include links to the recipes and several recipes can be found in either of my cookbooks, Date Night In and Let’s Stay In, linked below)
A New Mexican Scented Thanksgiving
Cauliflower Gratin with Cotija
Tamale stuffing (this was SO good I’ll sometimes make different versions of it outside of Thanksgiving)
Mashed potatoes
Delicata squash salad (add arugula) (*Recipe below) (from Let’s Stay In)
Adobo Turkey with Red Chile Gravy
Classic rolls, honey butter (my favorite rolls recipe is in Let’s Stay In)
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Modern Classic
Turkey Roulade with Sausage Stuffing (from Let’s Stay In)
Maple and Coriander Roasted Carrots (from Date Night In)
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes or Extra Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Yams with Crispy Skins and Brown Butter Purée
Winter White Salad (from Date Night In)
Salted Browned Butter Apple Galette
Pumpkin Pie
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A Little Southern in the Northwest
Appetizer: Pimento Cheese, Crackers & Crudite
Black Pepper Buttermilk Biscuits & Honey Butter
Fresh Corn Cornbread Stuffing with Shaved Ham, Gruyere and Horseradish
Braised Collard Greens with Deeply Caramelized Onions
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Candied Pecan Buckwheat Crumble
Brussel Sprout and Green Apple Slaw with Pickled Cranberries
Duke’s Mayo Mashed Potatoes OR Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Smoked Turkey with Bacon and Bourbon Gravy
Sister Pie’s Buttermilk Streusel Pumpkin Pie
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Just a Bunch of Food That Sounds Really Good
Turchetta (porchetta style turkey)
Crunchy Winter Vegetable Salad
Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
I need at least one dish on my holiday table that is fresh, vibrant, and not laden with cream and butter.
If I had to choose favorites Delicata would be my pick. It has a sweet and nutty flavor and requires very little fussing which is quite uncommon when working with squash. The thin skin crisps up when roasted and is completely edible and actually adds a lovely texture set against the soft, sweet squash.
I’ve done this salad many ways. Sometimes with lemon, parsley and long ribbons of Parmesan, or cilantro, chili, and crumbled cotija.
However this salad ends up it is such a pleasant surprise on the holiday table and is easy enough for a fall and winter side dish for any weeknight meal.
Serves 8 to 10
2 pounds/ 910 g Delicata squash (about 2 large), halved, seeds removed and cut into 1/4-inch to 1/2 inch half moons
1/4 cup/50 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 small/ 120 g red onion (about 2/3 cup) thinly sliced
1/2 cup/ 60 g crumbled feta
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup/ 10 g mint leaves
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup/ 10 g pomegranate seeds
Flake salt
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the cut delicata to the sheet pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt to the squash. Toss well to coat. Roast until crisp and nearly charred in parts, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Let the squash cool a bit before adding half to your serving platter. Layer on the onion, feta, avocado, mint, lime, and pomegranate. Repeat the layering until all ingredients have been used.
I went non-traditional and smaller this year (for my partner, brother-in-law, and myself): Smitten Kitchen's Roast Chicken with Schmaltzy Cabbage, Budget Bytes' Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, ATK's Classic Gravy, your White Bean & Pumpkin Gratin with Crispy Shallot Crumbs, and Julia Turshen's pumpkin + honey pie (my first pumpkin pie!). So yummy! Leftover chicken got made into Joy The Baker's double crush chicken pot pie.
This all looks so good!
I could post our menu, but aside from mentioning that we do our turkey on the grill (and never ever want to go back to an oven roasted turkey), I wanted to say: I think of your grandmother often. Because you have shared how close you were, and I make her banana bread recipe at least twice a month. It is beloved in our home, and when I bring up the recipe I always take a moment, however brief, to think about her. So curious about her oil crust, although I will likely never stray far from my butter favorites...