Thanksgiving

Alright so I know the normal route for Thanksgiving dinner is Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli cheese casserole, rolls, and stuffing. But here are some recipes to mix things up every now and then. 


Something other than the regular Turkey recipe


Roasted Butter Herb Turkey


Prep Time: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 0 min

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 (32-ounce) bag celery and carrot party sticks
2 large onions, large dice
1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken broth
12-pound turkey, thawed if necessary
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
3 (3/4-ounce) packets fresh herbs poultry herb blend (sage, thyme and rosemary)
1 lemon, thickly sliced
Directions
In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Arrange celery, carrots, and half of the diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.
Rinse the thawed turkey and pat dry. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.) Insert the pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast.
Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan. Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours. 


I am a huge fan of mashed potatoes. These are amazing and have so much more flavor over normal mashed potatoes. 


Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes


Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients
4 pounds white creamer potatoes
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh or dried chives
2 tablespoons alfredo sauce mix (recommended: McCormick)
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a large pot cover potatoes with cold water by 1-inch. Add garlic salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower temperature and simmer until tender.
While potatoes are simmering, pour buttermilk in a saucepan and add butter. Bring to a simmer. Add chives and alfredo sauce mix. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Using a potato masher coarsely mash the potatoes until smooth. Slowly add the buttermilk mixture and mix until creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 


Red Mashed Potatoes


Ingredients


16 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic & herb seasoning by McCormick Grillmates 
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


Place the potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the crushed garlic to the water for flavor. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes, and add the butter. Mash until the butter is melted. Mix in the half-and-half, sugar, garlic & herb seasoning, garlic powder and remaining garlic. Mix potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth.