Here are six delicious and easy recipes to help you create a homemade feast, without mom's help
By Amie Dahnke
Let's face it, not being able to go home for Thanksgiving is beyond just a bit of a bummer. Not only do you not get to escape the humdrum stress of the Bluff but you also miss out on Mom's home cooking. Instead of ordering Safeway takeout and wallowing in the stay-at-school blues, push up your sleeves, tie on an apron and heat up the oven. The Beacon has your College Thanksgiving.
*All recipes are for a dinner party of six with leftovers.
Turkey
Cooking a turkey - a whole, real turkey - is about as intimidating to a college student as building a car is to an English major. Instead of roasting a full bird, pan-fry boneless turkey breasts instead. Make sure to get skin-on turkey breasts in order to have that crispy goodness that oozes mommy love.
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skin-on turkey breasts
(usually called cutlets or tenderloins at
the store or butcher)
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp. butter
Directions:
Salt and pepper turkey breasts. Heat up a skillet on medium-high heat. Melt butter in skillet. To make sure the skillet is at the right temperature, sprinkle a few drops of water onto the pan. If the water sizzles, it's time to cook. Place cutlets skin side down onto the heated skillet. Sauté on each side until it has lost all traces of pink, about 4 minutes each side.
Stuffing
Just because you aren't roasting a turkey doesn't mean you can't enjoy artery-clogging stuffing. This "unstuffing" is more of a side dish since, traditionally, it doesn't cook in the turkey.
Ingredients:
½ pound bulk Italian sausage (vegetarian sausage works here, too for your non-meat eating friends!)
¼ cup butter
½ pound fresh mushrooms (white or
button mushrooms work well)
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium yellow or white onion,
chopped
1 tsp poultry seasoning (look in the
seasoning aisle for this)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
6 cups unseasoned stuffing croutons
(like Stove Top) or dry bread cubes
2 ½ cups chicken (or vegetable for the
vegetarians) broth
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a large skillet, brown sausage. Drain the excess fat from the sausage into a small bowl. Add butter, mushrooms, celery and onion into skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add cheese, croutons and enough broth to moisten all croutons. For extra savory dressing, use the sausage drippings in addition to the chicken stock. Place mixture in a greased 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
5 lb. russet potatoes
1/3 - ½ cup milk/cream
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
Optional: Fresh garlic cloves
Directions:
Wash and peel potatoes. Cut potatoes into fourths and place into pot of cold, salted water. Bring water and potatoes to a boil and cook, with heat still on high until the potatoes are soft, between 15-25 minutes. Boiled potatoes are ready for mashing when you can easily stick a fork in them (There's a reason for the saying, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done.").
When potatoes are done, drain potatoes into a large strainer. Make sure all the water has drained from the potatoes before transferring them into a large bowl. While draining potatoes, heat cream, butter and sour cream in a sauce pan on medium low heat to melt butter and sour cream together.Use a potato masher or ricer to mash potatoes. Add warm cream from saucepan into the bowl of potatoes. Mash to preferred lumpiness. For an extra zip, add parmesan cheese, chopped garlic cloves, parsley and salt and pepper.
Cranberry Sauce
If you want to really impress your Thanksgiving dinner party, make your own cranberry sauce instead of opening a gelatinous can of cranberry ooze. Not only does homemade cranberry sauce look better in a serving bowl, it gives a biting texture that juxtaposes tartly against the moist turkey.
Ingredients:
½ pound cranberries (check out New
Seasons)
1 cup white sugar
½ cup water
Directions:
In a microwave safe bowl, mix cranberries, water and sugar together. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high power until cranberries "pop" (about 7 minutes). Chill before serving. For an extra zip, add two cinnamon sticks or 1 tablespoon of orange zest (grated orange peel) into the bowl before microwaving.
Pumpkin Pie
Sure, you could buy a pumpkin pie from the store, but that $6.99 plastic-encased pastry lacks the taste and that love that only a homemade pie boasts. Here's a recipe that's not only easy (there's no scary crust to make!), but tastes better than anything Safeway or Freddie's could whip up.
Ingredients:
¾ cup white sugar
3 tbsp butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" pie pan and set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium size bowl. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter and eggs together. Mix in the pumpkin, evaporated milk and vanilla. Add the sifted ingredients and beat until smooth. Transfer mix into greased pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool at room temperature. Serve with a hefty dollop of whipped cream.
Spiced Cider
Buying spiced cider from the store is easy, sure but it doesn't fill your house with that cinnamon and spice aroma that comes from brewing it at home. To make this easy cider, clean out your coffee pot and get ready to brew a hearty caffeine-free quaff.
Ingredients:
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 large orange, quartered and peeled
2 quarts apple cider
Directions:
Place a coffee filter in the coffee basket and fill with brown sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, salt, nutmeg and orange wedges. Pour apple cider into the coffee pot where water usually goes. Brew and serve hot. For those of you who are 21 and over; add a couple splashes of room temperature whiskey to make this cider a real belly warmer.
Bread and Gravy
For bread and gravy, don't be afraid to head to the store to grab these Thanksgiving staples. Trader Joe's, for example, has flaky and moist miniature ciabatta rolls that soak up cranberry sauce and gravy like a college girl soaks up tanning bed rays in January. Buying store-bought, already made gravy or gravy packets can be just as good as mom's homemade gravy, especially if you add some of your own delicious aromatics, such as a bay leaf or a pinch of cloves.
