Learning How to do Thanksgiving, Part 4, the Final Installment: The Rest

I’m staying home for Thanksgiving this year.  My husband and I decided to do some projects around the house and to simultaneously try our hands at cooking a Thanksgiving meal this year.  We aren’t spending the holiday with extended family, but we are spending it with family (because two people who are married, even if they don’t have children, still count as a family).

Item #4 on the list: everything else.  To complement our tasty turkey and dressing, we made mashed potatoes and gravy, sautéed Brussels sprouts, bread, and butter pecan ice cream.  And lots of wine.

After too many glasses of wine, I burned the bread.  Also, my husband didn’t read the ice cream maker directions very closely, so the ice cream didn’t set (although it did look yummy).

I burned the bread. Yes, that is smoke you see.

We have much practice at the other two items and can cook them after drinking wine though, so I will share their goodness.

Mashed Potatoes (I highly recommend red potatoes):

Wash as many potatoes as you want to cook.  Leave skins on.  Put them in a pot of salted water and boil until fork tender.  Drain and add back to hot pot.  Add cream or milk, butter, herbs (I recommend rosemary), salt, and pepper—all to taste.  Mash to preferred consistency.

See, easy.  Go home and make them tonight.

If you buy instant mashed potatoes, please ask someone to hit you in the head (like the V-8 commercials) because real mashed potatoes are too easy to buy frozen or dehydrated instant varieties.

Brussels Sprouts:

1-1½ lb fresh Brussels sprouts, halved

½ cu chopped pecans (walnuts work well too)

4 strips of bacon

1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced

1-2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Chop and sauté bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon from the pan, but leave drippings.  Add shallot and garlic and sauté until tender.  Remove from pan to prevent burning.  Add sprouts and sauté until tender and slightly browned, about 10 min.  Add olive oil to prevent burning, if needed.  Add nuts in the last 3-4 min.  Add shallot, bacon, garlic, and red pepper flakes and toss to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

The finished product was a pretty good one. Look how tasty those Brussels sprouts look.