Thanksgluttony

I always go all out on Thanksgiving, but this is the only year in recent memory that I've woken up at 7am to wrestle a 21 pound turkey. The kitchen at my last place was woefully small, so back then I opted for a pre-smoked turkey that required only a couple hours of warming. That let me save trouble and focus on the sides, which everyone knows are the best part anyway. Or so I thought!

  I mean, look at this sucker

My bird was cooked from scratch this year and it came out really delicious, which was good for my ego and my waistline as I found myself eating a lot of lean protein over the long holiday weekend (NOT typical). You'll notice I didn't stuff the bird. Not only does that add to the cooking time (something we definitely didn't want) but there are possible food-safety issues and the resulting stuffing is often soggy anyway. My method comes from my dad and produces great results. I juice a couple of oranges and lemons then stuff the peels inside the turkey along with some fresh herbs. This looks pretty and is aromatic. I like to think it adds to the flavor as well. With the juice, I mix some soy sauce (umami baby!...wait does that sound like something Guy Fieri would say? It does doesn't it? Sorry) and melted butter. I use this mixture along with the bird's own juices to baste every half hour or so. I've read that it's inconclusive whether basting actually has an effect, but in my opinion it helps to flavor and crisp up the skin so I will keep doing it.

I tried something new this year where I roasted the turkey upside down for the first 2 hours. I'm not sure if I can attribute my juicy breast (hee!) to that, but it's worth a shot. I'd recommend having some help though because flipping a big old turkey by yourself with hot, bloody turkey juice...just have help. After that I rubbed the whole thing directly with half a stick of butter, some sea salt and fresh ground pepper and popped it back in for the rest of the cook time, which was approximately a million hours.

 By the time it came out of the oven, this is what I looked like

Now, since I realize turkey cooking tips are completely useless after Thanksgiving, I'll share a recipe that can be used year round. I always make yams (with the marshmallows, screw the haters), cranberry sauce and stuffing (chorizo and poblano this year) but the highlight, my specialty, my crowning glory is my greenbean casserole. I'm not going to lie to you, there is cream of mushroom soup in this thing and those canned fried onions on top. I generally believe in making things from scratch, but this version is so good I've been hesitant to mess with it, and when you're making like 7 dishes you'll be glad you're not having to mix up your own bechamel or some shit. As usual, measurements are approximate and substitutions can be made. As long as you are using fresh green beans you are in the clear. If you use canned green beans the Thanksgiving Police will come and arrest you.

Jen's green bean casserole

Ingredients:
-Large bag of fresh green beans
-1/2 onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic
-4 small cans (or 2 big cans) cream of mushroom soup
-Half and half or milk
-Pepper and herbs of your choosing
-Various cheeses (I recommend cheddar, gruyere and parmesan)
-Can of those crunchy fried onion thingies

Steps:
-Snap your green beans in half, removing any excess stems as you go. This will take awhile so allot plenty of time
-Boil your green beans with a little salt until they are almost fully cooked but still a bit tender. 
-While that's happening, saute up your onions and garlic
-Drain your greenbeans, etc etc
-In a large bowl, mix the cream of mushroom with the half and half or milk, some fresh cracked pepper and a little oregano, thyme, whatever you have on hand. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water or milk. Do not, I repeat do not add any salt. Between the soup, the cheese and the topping you have plenty.
-Spread some of the cream of mushroom mixture in a large casserole dish and top with a layer of cheese. You can do cheddar, then gruyere later, then parm on top or just mix it all up. It doesn't really matter.
-Add a layer of green beans along with the sauteed mushrooms and garlic
-Top with more of the cream of mushroom mixture, some more cheese and some more greenbeans
-Finish with a layer of the mixture on top (and if you don't feel like layering it, just mix it all together because who cares)
-Top with the crunchy onion things and bake at 350 until they are golden brown and the edges of the casserole are bubbly.
-Eat a shitload of it and convince yourself it's good for you because of all of the greenbeans. Feel all smug about it.

Those crunchy onion thingies count as a vegetable right?

Oh, and I almost forgot! A huge bonus to cooking your own turkey is the bounty that will fill your freezer. I have half of a carcass (mmm...carcass...), some leg bones and dark meat, and about 2 quarts of broth. It's a cook's dream! The Thanksgiving that keeps on giving.