re: where's all the thanksgiving recipes!? post what you're making this year!

Both sides of my wife (no pics) and I's family are going out of town this year, so we're going minimal. Actually planned on not doing traditional Thanksgiving at all until my oldest requested it.

Picked up a small ham, a single turkey breast, and we're cheating on the sides of green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, Mac and cheese, sweet potatoes and dinner rolls.

Scrolling through social media, I saw someone making a custard based pecan pie, rather than using Karo syrup. Pecan Pie used to be one of my favorite desserts, my MIL (also no pics) usually makes it every Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it is Karo based and is usually runny and goopy. It's been so long since I had any other pecan pie, that I guess never put it together. I'm far from a baker, measuring is my achilles heal, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

1.5x this recipe for 2 premade shallow crust

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1 cup (235 ml) whole milk
1 cup (220 g) brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup (65 g) finely chopped pecans
A pinch of salt
Pecan halves, for a layer on top of the filling*
(also added vanilla)

In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, flour, chopped pecans, and salt. Set it over medium-low heat and gently stir. Be sure to do this over low heat because we don't want the eggs to scramble. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture steams, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat if necesary so that the mixture only steams, not simmers*. Pour into the cooled pie shell.
Add a layer of pecan halves on top of the filling in whatever pattern you wish.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until there’s just a slight wobble in the center.
Set the pie on a wire rack to cool completely.

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Needs a good bit of tweaking, but it definitely reminded me why I used to love pecan pie, and that a custard based pecan pie is far superior to Karo syrup.

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The water pan will have garlic, green onions, celery, lemon and orange in the water.

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Interesting. I’ve smoked countless meals on my WSM over the years, but I’ve never heard of doing this. What’s the point of this?

quote:

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The water pan will have garlic, green onions, celery, lemon and orange in the water.


Interesting. I’ve smoked countless meals on my WSM over the years, but I’ve never heard of doing this. What’s the point of this?

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Aromatics in the water help flavor the meat.

We are buying a ham and a fried turkey
Im also smoking a turkey and making a gravy
rice dressing
cornbread dressing
mirliton with shrimp
sweet potato crunch
potato salad
Others are handling candy, desserts etc and breads

chicken and mac & cheese.

Potluck style here as well.

I’m making the gravy, the mac and cheese, and a twist in corn pudding that uses fresh jalapeños, pepper jack, and roasted green chilis.

Beer deer:

3 lbs venison hind quarter roast
3 jalapeño peppers diced
1 large red onion diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 bottle of a dark beer of choice
1/2 cup of worstershire sauce
Tony’s seasoning
garlic powder
Smoked paprika

Coat roast with Tony’s, garlic powder and paprika. Put everything in a Dutch oven with lid in a 275 degree oven for 4 hours. Enjoy over rice, potatoes, pasta or make sandwiches. Great stuff!

Rootbeer glazed ham
Rice-cooker smothered green beans

C&S Gumbo
Fried Turkey
Cabbage. Rolls
Sweet tater casserole
Kartchner’s Stuffed Pork Tenderloins
Bananas Foster

Alarm is set for 345 to get the smoker going