Thanksgiving dinner for 2?!


Question: Thanksgiving dinner for 2!?
I know its a little far away, but Im doing the budget for next month soon, and I need to know about how much Thanksgiving dinner will cost!. Its just me and my husband this year(and he can eat a lot!!)!. Im pregnant, so Id like to not be cooking all day (especially at 8 months!)!. I hope theres going to be leftovers!.!.!.!. we are short on money and would just like something simple!.

also, do you have any recipe ideas!? Easy cleanup suggestions!? How to cook/stuff a turkey!?
Any help is greatly appriciated!! Thanks in advance!Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
I am picking up on two facts you mentioned - your husband can eat a lot - and you hope there's going to be leftovers!. Here's what I'd do!.

I would buy one of the smaller turkeys - maybe 10-12 pounds

Make your own stuffing with the following (my mother liked this recipe so much that she changed from her old one she'd used for years and years to mine):

Buns - hamburger or hot dog - whatever you have extra of in the freezer or just buy one package of hamburger buns (the 4-pack will do)
Yellon onions - use 1/2 to 3/4 of a medium onion - chopped
Celery - use 1 stalk - chopped
Butter - about 1/2 stick or 1/4 cup
Nuts - about 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Ground sage - about 1/2 teaspoonful
Ground Poultry Seasoning - about 1 teaspoonful

Put the butter in a pan and melt it!. Add the onions and celery and saute until the onions turn translucent!. While that is cooking, tear the hamburger buns into bite-sized pieces and put in a large bowl!. Just before removing the onions from the pan, add the ground sage and Poultry Seasoning and stir well!. Remove from the heat, add a little water to the mix - not much - and pour over the bread!. Add the chopped nuts and mix well!. If too dry, add more water from the pan to get up all the bits of veggies and seasonings!. You want it to hold together in your hands - not be soupy but not be dry either!. It will look kind of like cooked bread pudding looks in texture - meaning moist but not wet!.

Make sure all the goodies are out of the bird and put the dressing in the big opening as well as in the neck opening and tuck the big neck flap under to seal in the dressing!. Spread butter over the turkey after placing it in a pan with a rack under it if you have one!. Add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan, tent a piece of foil over the bird and place in a preheated 350o oven and roast for 20-25 minutes per pound of your turkey!. Place the giblets from the inside of the turkey into a put, cover with water, and bring to the boil!. You will use the neck later for soups, the broth from the cooking giblets for making gravy if needed or saved for soups later!. You will chop up the heart and gizzard for your giblet gravy and have hubby (or you) eat the liver if either of you like it!.

When the turkey is done, remove the turkey with the tent over it and set aside to get to the pan underneath!. Strain off the fat and then heat the broth until it starts to boil!. Take some flour and add cold water to it, stirring until no lumps in the flour mixture and it's pretty thin!. Slowly add the flour mixture to the broth, stirring constantly with a whisk (you can have hubby do that part), scraping at the bottom of the pan to get all the bits!. It will start to thicken!. If too thick, make more of the flour mixture but only add a little at a time so it doesn't get too thick!. If too thick, add some of that broth from the giblets to thin it out a little!. You could also use the potato water if you needed more!.

To serve along with your turkey, you can make Green Bean Casserole!. The recipe is all over the net but you can cut it in half, using only one can of green beans instead of two, using 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup, saving the second half for another use - can even add it to your turkey soup that you make with the turkey carcas (you can freeze the turkey carcas to make the soup at a later date)!. Here is the half-recipe for the Green Bean Casserole that I like to make:

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
1/2 can condensed cream of mushroom soup - undiluted
1/4 c milk
1 tsp soy sauce
dash of pepper
1 can julianne cut green beans
1 small can French fried onions (not the biggest size)
1/4 to 1/2 small package slivered or sliced almonds

Mix the milk, soy sauce, soup and pepper together!. Add the green beans and the almonds and mix well!. Put half of the green bean mixture in a small casserole dish, add a layer of the French fried onions and then add the second half of the bean mixture!. Bake in a preheated 350o oven for 20 minutes and then add the rest of the French fried onions to the top!. Bake 5 more minutes!.

(The Green Bean casserole can be made the day before and held in the refrigerator so all you have to do is add it to the oven)

Regarding your mashed potatoes, I read you can make those as much as two hours ahead of time and place in your crockpot to keep warm - giving them a stir every now and then so you don't have to be working with them at the last minute along with everything else!.

So, so far we have the turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole all set!. For the candied yams, if you like them, my hubby's sister would always put the canned yams in a cake pan with their juice, sprinkle mini marshmallows over the top and bake until the marshmallows were partially melted and everything was hot!. For you, you can use one small can of the yams for the two of you and the mini marshmallows - easy easy!.

If you like cranberry sauce or black olives, you can buy small cans of that and you are good to go with that!.

You can buy your pie already made - meaning a full pie, or - a lot of grocery stores sell the pies by the piece - individually packaged - you could do that if you two aren't dessert fans normally!. If you want the pie home-made, the one on the back of the Pumpkin can is the best!. Don't buy the Pumpkin Pie mix - the seasonings are wrong - it tastes better using the recipe!. You can buy a premade crust if you want to make that part simple!. I have an absolutely wonderful recipe for a Pumpkin Streusel Cake that tastes just like a pumpkin pie but it is a big recipe and too much for 2!.

Open a nice bottle of Sparkling Cider, put the candles on the table and you are ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving!. My mother always bought the brown & serve rolls but I always made my own so that is up to you!.

Enjoy!Www@FoodAQ@Com

As it is just the two of you I would suggest using breasts, instead of a whole turkey!.

Norfolk Turkey Breast with Asparagus
Ingredients
Serves: 4

225 Gram Thin asparagus stalks, trimmed to length (8 oz)
2 x 225 Gram Turkey breast fillets, skinned & halved (8 oz)
2 Tablespoon Plain flour
15 Gram Butter (1/2 oz)
1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil
300 ml Chicken stock (1/2 pint)
1 Teaspoon Fresh sage
2 Tablespoon Dry white wine
150 ml Soured cream (5 fl oz)
Method
Cut off the asparagus tips and cut the stalks into 3 pieces!.
Bat out each turkey breast slightly with a rolling pin or meat mallet!. Coat in the flour, shaking off any excess!.
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the turkey until lightly browned on both sides!. Add the stock, asparagus stalks, reserving the tips, the sage and the wine!. Cover and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, until tender!.
Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the reserved asparagus tips and the cream!.
Www@FoodAQ@Com

with it being just the two of you, why don't you go some place like Ryans steak house, or some kind of buffett restaurant!.

However, something simple without cooking all day

Turkey
mashed potatoes
a vegetable,
hawiaain Dinner rolls or french bread
gravy
get a frozen pie and fix it!.


i ti shard to cook what is a festive meal like that for 2 people!.


An alternative idea would be

fried or roast chicken instead of turkey!. Although this time of year, when turkey goes on sale, you can get a huge turkey for the cost of a fryer hen!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

I don't know how much you want to stick to traditional Thanksgiving, but chicken breasts are a good alternative to buying a whole turkey and much more 2 people friendly!.

Get the good, thick chicken breasts!. Get a package of 3-4 and you'll have leftovers!.
Coat in oil and dried herbs -- oregano, basil, rosemary, maybe a dash of sage!. Sautee in a skillet until brown on both sides, then move to a baking pan, covered with tin foil and bake for another 20-30 mins on 350!.
Can of corn!.
Stovetop!. You can make stovetop really good by adding sauteed onion/celery to it, 1 egg, chicken stock and 2 blueberry muffins!. SO GOOD!!!
Mashed potatoes --- you can get a single pack of the instant and add 1 large real potato to it, mash it and it tastes great!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Joy, make your life simple!.

Buy a whole chicken and a few potatoes!.

Season the chicken and pots to seasonings you like, place both in a baking dish and bake!. You will have chicken and pots in about 1 1/2 and you really don't need to babysit the oven!.

Buy some fresh string beans and cook them any way you like and use that as your veggie!.

1 box of stove top stuffing will do and follow the box directions!.



Www@FoodAQ@Com

Salad, turkey, a mixture of mashed potatoes and mashed turnips, green beans, store-bought pumpkin pie!. Should take about an hour in the kitchen at most, in small shifts!. (The turkey can be in the oven while the potatoes and turnips are boiling!. The beans take a few minutes to heat or cook!. Bread dressing in the turkey - 5 minutes to mix!. Cutting the turnips - leave that to the he-man!.)Www@FoodAQ@Com

Food plays such an important role in our holiday celebration and even if there isn't much money in your purse right now, you want to prepare something special be it for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday!. That's why I asked the Hillbilly Housewife readers to share some of their best frugal holiday recipes!.

http://www!.hillbillyhousewife!.com/holida!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

well first you need to decide if you want turkey or ham or both i dnt know where you stay but honey baked ham its a place that sells ham their the best and pretty reasonable also they have coupons you could put your order in now then all you would have to do is make your sides also another idea is to cook all your food 3days ahead and freeze then just warm it up!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

here are some web pages that might help

http://entertaining!.suite101!.com/article!.!.!.

http://www!.associatedcontent!.com/article!.!.!.

http://www!.thekitchn!.com/thekitchn/good-!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Roast Chicken
Stove Top Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce (use the recipe on the bag)
Green beans sprinkled with cooked crumbled bacon
Pumpkin Pie (recipe is on the Libby can)
Purchased dinner rolls, OR homemade biscuits OR homemade corn muffins
Www@FoodAQ@Com

You could just get a turkey breast, instead of the whole turkey!. Then scale down the portions of your favorite side dishes!. You can make some things the day before, and buy ready-made pie!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

Whatever you do, do your bird in the crockpot!. That way you know it will be moist, and you're not on your feet every 20 minutes basting!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

try getting a turkey breast, not a whole turkey!. it is a lot cheaper and you'll still have leftovers!. Www@FoodAQ@Com

Why dont you get a turkey breast and put in the crockpot!. You need to rest as far long as you are!.

crockpot turkey and gravy dish with special country potato stuffing



Ingredients

For the turkey:

7 to 7!.5 lb!. turkey breast

1 18-oz!. Hienz Homestyle Turkey Roasted Gravy

For the stuffing:
2 cups diced celery
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 c!. margarine
-------------------
1 14-oz!. bag Pepperidge Farm cubed sage and onion stuffing
5 slices wheat bread, torn into pieces
3 cups (about 1!.25 lbs) red potatoes, cubed with skins on, boiled and drained
32 oz!. chicken broth
2!.5 t ground sage
1!.5 t rosemary
1 t thyme

Directions
For the turkey:

Rinse and pat dry turkey breast and place in a large crockpot!. Pour gravy over the top of the breast!. Sprinkle with salt and pepper!. Cover with lid and place on high!. Cook for 10 hours or until meat thermometer registers 170oF!. I like to put this in when I go to bed on the low setting and let it call all night!. It's ready to eat at noon the next day!. Once the turkey is done, I take it out of the crockpot and place on a serving platter to carve!. Reserve the turkey gravy to ladle over turkey and stuffing!.

For the stuffing:

1!. In a large non-stick skillet, melt margarine and sauté vegetables until tender (about 10 minutes)!.

2!. In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix and bread!.

3!. Add the sautéd vegetables, herbs and chicken broth!. Fold all ingredients together well and add the potatoes!.

4!. Place in a 9X13 baking dish and bake covered for 25 minutes!. Take foil off stuffing and brown for five minutes!. Serve a slice of turkey breast beside the stuffing and drizzle gravy over the turkey and stuffing!. Enjoy!




Crockpot Turkey Breast

1 onion
1 turkey breast
garlic powder
pepper
other seasoning -- to taste
dry H!.V!. ranch salad dressing mix -- *

Simply slice an onion and place it on the bottom of the Crock pot!. Then,
remove the skin from the turkey breast, season well with garlic powder,
pepper and any other spice (no salt, though!. It tends to dry out the
meat)!. Turn on low for eight hours!.
(perfect for week-days coming home from work) and enjoy!. Don't forget to
let the breast rest for twenty to thirty minutes before carving!.







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