Thanksgiving Plan of Attack

It's Thanksgiving week and I want to take the time to share with you an easy meal plan that is not only simple but easy on your pocketbook. I want to also go over the timing so you can get it all to the table warm.

Every year, I seem to want to out do the last year. Then there are those years when I am just tired from all the activities my kids have going that Thanksgiving needs to be simplified. With the state of the economy and everyone penny pinching, I think it is only right that I share Thanksgiving in a way that everyone can afford. Some items are home made, and others are store bought. Thanksgiving doesn't need to be days of cooking just for a thirty minute meal. I have done that and it is so much work on one person that it just isn't fair. I also try to keep the menu simple. You don't need three vegetable dishes when really everyone is just looking for mashed potatoes with gravy and saving room for desserts. Lets be honest, its all about the turkey and the dessert.

I will also break every recipe down so that a person who has never conquered Thanksgiving can easily master it. The only recipe I will not have for you is Stuffing. I don't do stuffing but I will link a great recipe on a friends blog.


Menu
Simple Roasted Turkey
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Gravy
Individual Twice Baked Candied Sweet Potato
Simple Holiday Green Beans
Dinner Rolls
Cranberry Relish
Phyllo Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie

Four days before Thanksgiving (Sunday)
Take your bird out of the freezer and place on a plate in the refrigerator


Day before (Wednesday)
Make your Pumpkin Pie
Make your Phyllo Apple Pie
Make Cranberry Relish


Thanksgiving
Morning
Bake 4 pieces of bacon or microwave on a plate. Set aside to cool. Crumble and set aside for Green Beans
Bake your Sweet potatoes and prepare everything but the final baking (this also can be done the night before
Peel and slice up potatoes. I like to have them in the pot of water on the stove with the stove off just waiting to cook later in the day.


Afternoon
3 hours to serving
Place your Bird in the oven three hours before you plan on serving dinner. Prep time takes about 15 minutes.
One hour to serving
Cook the potatoes (keep covered until ready to serve. I like to do 40 minutes before I pull the bird out of the oven)
Place Sweet Potatoes in the oven 30 minutes before your bird is done (unless you do not have room, in that case put them in right when the bird comes out of the oven. They need about 20 minutes to warm up.
Make your gravy as you pull the bird out of the oven
Put your rolls into a basket covered with a clean towel
Cook your beans in the last five minutes.

Serve!!