Thanksgiving HELP!

[McCord6]

This is my first year doing thanksgiving just me, hubby, and the kids. I never cooked a TURKEY before!! YIKES!!! what temp and how long am I supposed to cook a 10lb turkey? Any ideas of what I can do to Dress it? Here is everything I have got for our Thanksgiving dinner (SO FAR!)

10 lb turkey

Stuffing mix (box)

French Style Green beans

Sweet Potatoes (Both real and canned)

Red Potatoes

My friend told me she is also bringing us more thanksgiving stuff from a food drive that the school she teaches at, has set up. Im not sure what she is bringing but I do know she is giving me a BIG ham, which I don't know if Im actually going to cook that up or not. Since we still have left over food stamps, Im thinking about getting stuff to make a pie, maybe pumpkin...hhhhmmmm...Mom has this recipe for some kind of cheese cake like pumpkin pie YUMMY!

 

[Wildsky]

I saw in a magazine how they cut the turkey up before roasting it, making it easier overall and a lot faster! I would do that if I had to cook one this year.

 

[Wifezilla]

Gravy?

Biscuits or Rolls?

Raw veggies with dip?

 

[McCord6]

Gravy and Rolls! THat's what I forgot!

Raw veggies? If I had guest over, then yeah but it's just the 5 of us.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
My daughter prefers her veggies raw -

I'm fine with her eating them that way so most times I'll give her a little bowl before dinner with her veggies and a squirt of ranch.

 

[McCord6]

My kids like raw veggies too with RANCH and if I do that, they will nto eat dinner. They will fill up on raw veggies. I know, it's healthy for them but they need dinner too.

 

[Kim_NC]

How nice that you're making dinner yourself this year! Good for you!

For sure I would make gravy for putting over the meat, potatoes, or the stuffing! Holidays are meant for gravy

Sounds like you have lots of sweet potatoes....so maybe a sweet potato casserole or candied sweet potatoes?....and a sweet potato pie for dessert?

I have turkey recipes (and other poultry) posted here. Some are for whole turkey, others for cut-up or using cooked turkey (think leftovers) in other dishes:
http://www.millriverfarm.com/recipes.cfm?catname=Poultry and Game

And I have lots of veggie recipes posted too:
http://www.millriverfarm.com/recipes.cfm?catname=Vegetables

Maybe your mom's gift from the food bank will include cranberries or cranberry sauce? If not, they're inexpensive and say "holiday" to lots of folks.

Also if you get any canned beans, try this one. It's a great Baked Bean recipe my SIL (DH's sister) shared:

Mixed Baked Beans - uses 3 types of canned beans, but change it up if you don't like one of them or don't have one kind but another instead

ETA: Deviled eggs are a family favorite for us at all holiday gatherings too. Great as an appetizer and as leftovers.

 

[McCord6]

Quote:
Hmmm... alot sounds good.
BTW, was my friend's gift not my mom. I gotta check out some of those recipes. OFC devil eggs, can't live without them! Yeah, I remember now that we forgot the cranberry sauce

 

[blueberrylu]

Here's a suggestion for making turkey for the first time if you are scared it will dry out. Use one of the cooking bags you can get at the grocery store. I used one the first time I made a turkey, followed the directions and it turned out great!! I have since moved up to using the good old roaster pan, but I wouldn't hesitate to use a bag again if need be.

 

[agnes_day]

this is how i cook mine, but i have had tons of people tell me its unsafe blah blah blah etc.

i make the stuffing, and set it aside. then i take some butter/marg and whip it in a bowl and add salt, pepper, and sage..then i cut slits in the skin of the bird and get it all in there and smush it up really good. then i stuff the turkey, wrap in foil and put it in the oven at about 250-300 at midnight and its done at around 11 or so the next day.
ive done it this way for 16 years (except for the time i forgot to turn the oven on

) and it always turns out great, with no hassle.
you will want to take the foil off for the last hour of cooking though so it will be nice and brown.