Thanksgiving 2022 - The Much Smaller One

Thanksgiving has always been a huge thing here; for most of the last 15 years, I've been the organizer, host, and main cook. (And main house cleaner and dish washer. Story for another day.)  Over the course of the last several years, though, the entire family has moved away to a couple of states east of here. So we'll probably do a big thing over there sometime in December. 

But that means that this year's Thanksgiving is a much, much smaller affair, with just the three of us. At the same time, I stumbled across a 27-lb turkey, which is all but unheard of these days and especially this year. So, because the risk is smaller, I'm going to cook it as my first bird, the one I use for leftovers and stock, FROM FROZEN. At 15 min per lb for a thawed bird, I'd be looking at 7.25 hours; most of the sites suggest to increase that by 50%, so I'm looking at 11 hours minimum.

Finally, due to some health issues, I'm trying to trim down the menu calorically as well. So vegetables will be baked, roasted, or steamed, in very little fat. The one exception is my stuffing, because shut up. 

So. This year's slimmed down menu: 

Turkey 1, from frozen. Verdict: The bird was just too big - by the time the internal breast meat hit 165F, the thighs were nearly 200F, and even the outer breast meat was 180F+. I think it could work with a much smaller bird; might try again next year. 

Turkey 2, bone-in turkey breast with herb gravy. 

Stuffing: Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Sausage, but replacing the sausage with bacon. 

Sweet potatoes: Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Vegetable: Honey-glazed carrots - no recipe, this came from the store

Green vegetable: Green salad - no recipe, this came from the store

Cranberry sauce: Cranberry Sauce with Port and Cinnamon

Dessert: Store-bought pumpkin pie with Reddi-Wip. 

Up next: Turkey soup with egg noodles, fresh carrots & celery, and leftover sweet potatoes. 

Pickle Soup

This is a basic recipe for black bean soup, with the addition of diced dill pickles. I don't know when or why I first made it this way, but it is an absolute go-to year-round and I make it every couple of weeks in the winter. Use whatever salsa you like as long as it's a savory flavor profile. You can use pre-made salad-style tortilla strips, but I find homemade ones to be thicker & therefore crunchier. 

Ingredients: 

• 3 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water, plus more if necessary to maintain desired thickness
• 1 14-16 oz jar salsa, any savory flavor or heat level
• 2 medium flour or corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp spices (cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, etc. I like 1 tsp of each of those.)
• 1/2 lb ham, diced
• 3-4 whole dill pickles, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
• Juice of 1 large lime

Accompaniments and garnishes: 

• Hot cooked rice
• Shredded cheese, such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or cotija
• Cilantro

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large pot, combine black beans, chicken stock, water, and salsa. Place 4 cups of the mixture in a blender or foot processor and blend until smooth, then return to pot. Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

2. While the soup simmers, place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the spice mixture. Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once or twice. Remove and let cool. 

3. Add diced ham and diced pickles to soup and mix well. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice. If using rice, add 1/2 cup cooked rice to individual bowls. Add soup. Sprinkle with tortilla strips, and cheese and/or cilantro if using. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly.