“Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes,” Ensign, Nov. 1971, 76

Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes

For that special Thanksgiving dinner, here are recipes for three food items
shown in the color photograph on page 71: nutty stuffing, giblet gravy, and frosted grapes.

Nutty Stuffing

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup butter

4 quarts coarse bread crumbs or cubes

1 cup toasted walnuts¹

2 to 3 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried sage, rubbed

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Hot broth or water, if desired

Cook onion in butter over medium heat until transparent, but not brown, stirring occasionally. Toss lightly with bread crumbs, walnuts, and seasonings. If turkey is to be stuffed, stuffing needs no further liquid, for the drippings of the turkey will moisten it sufficiently. If it is to be baked in a casserole alongside the turkey for the last hour, add enough hot broth or water to moisten it as desired. Makes enough stuffing for a 12- to 14-pound turkey.

Giblet Gravy

Simmer the turkey giblets, neck, and wing tips in 2 quarts of water for 2 hours. For tastier broth, add some sliced celery, carrots, and onions, a few peppercorns, and 1 chicken bouillon cube. When turkey is arranged on serving platter, strain liquid from roasting pan and let fat rise to surface; skim off fat and return 6 to 8 tablespoons to baking pan. Stir in 8 tablespoons flour, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring in all the brown bits from bottom and sides of pan. Stir in 6 cups combined stock from giblets and the liquid from the roasting pan, and cook, stirring, until gravy is thickened and smooth. Add the chopped giblets.

Frosted Grapes

2 pounds grapes

1 egg white, very slightly beaten

1 package (3 ounces) fruit-flavored gelatin dessert mix (or use about 1/4 cup granulated sugar)

Cut bunches of grapes into small clusters. Dip clusters one at a time into beaten egg white. Hold up to permit excess to drain off, then sprinkle with gelatin or sugar. Chill about three hours. Grapes may be prepared ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight or longer. (For a new taste treat, use sugared cranberries instead of grapes.)

Good-bye Turkey

How fortunate we are, what with freezers and refrigerators and good recipes, that we can save and savor every morsel of the lordly bird. There are rules to be followed: Carefully remove all stuffing and refrigerate or freeze. Cut meat from bones and separate nice slices and chunks from scraps and wrap each separately in recipe amounts. Freeze. And save the bones for making a gourmet soup.

Turkey, Sweet ‘n’ Sour

2 cups cooked turkey meat, cut in strips

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups turkey stock (or use water and

1 chicken bouillon cube)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1 1/3 cup soy sauce

1 1/3 cup catsup or chili sauce

2 tablespoons salad oil

1 cup carrots, sliced or cut in thin strips

1 cup drained pineapple chunks

1 cup green pepper, cut in strips

Combine cornstarch, stock, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and catsup in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until thick and clear; set aside. In 2 tablespoons oil in large, hot skillet, stir-fry carrots, then cover and cook until tender-crisp. Add green pepper and pineapple and heat through. Add meat to sweet-sour sauce. Heat thoroughly, and serve over cooked rice to make 6 servings.

Turkey Verde

2 pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli (cooked

according to package directions)

2 cups cooked cubed turkey

2 cans cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup nippy cheese, grated

1 cup cracker crumbs combined with 2 tablespoons melted butter

Spread cooked broccoli in 9x12-inch pan. Top with turkey. Mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry, and spread over broccoli. Cover with grated cheese and top with buttered crumbs. Bake at 350° F. until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Turkey S’More

Layer stuffing, turkey pieces, and gravy in family-size casserole. Repeat layers, ending with gravy on top. Bake until thoroughly heated in 350° F. oven (about 45 minutes), and enjoy Thanksgiving flavors s’more.

Company Turkey

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3-ounce can sliced mushrooms, undrained

1 cup light cream

2 cups cooked cubed turkey

1 cup cooked cubed ham

1 can (5-ounce) water chestnuts, sliced

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

Cook onions in butter until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper, mushrooms, and cream. Cook until thickened; then add turkey, ham, and water chestnuts. Top with grated cheese, and bake in a 1 1/2-quart casserole at 350° F. until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Rich Turkey Broth

1 turkey carcass

1 or 2 pounds raw beef or veal bones

Raw turkey necks, hearts, gizzards, if not used for gravy

1 tablespoon salt

2 large carrots

2 celery stalks

2 leeks

8 parsley sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme or sage

2 peeled onions, each stuck with 4 cloves

Cover turkey carcass and bones and giblets with water. Add salt, vegetables, and herbs. Simmer, do not boil, for several hours. Strain, and store in freezer in recipe amounts until ready for use.