Next Year….. Stovetop Stuffing

I was feeling  domestic this week.  Everyone was coming  to Thanksgiving at my house.   I had a new kitchen to prepare all the yummy traditional foods.  Lots of blessings to be counted.  There would be twelve of us, including my youngest daughter’s best friend from out of state.  The house was clean, the tables were set, the good silverware was carefully placed on the table. The menu was ready.

Turkey, Pork loin with cranberry glaze, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, oyster dressing, stuffing (a new recipe this year), green bean casserole, cherry delight, and pumpkin bread pudding (a new recipe) replacing the traditional pumpkin pie.  I had listed and shopped and crossed off ingredients needed for each dish. I was ready.

I cooked the turkey the day before, sliced it, and covered it with broth to be heated on Thanksgiving Day.  Oyster dressing was made the day ahead as well, because when it sits overnight, the flavors mingle.  Green bean casserole assembled the day ahead, ready to pop in the oven, and the new stuffing ready as well because it was a made-from-scratch deal.   A loaf of sourdough bread cut into cubes, pork sausage, Gala apples chopped, onions, celery, broth from the turkey, and even fresh sage I had chopped myself.  My mouth watered as I prepared it, because it sounded so perfect and looked wonderful. My daughter was bringing the cherry delight, and the pumpkin bread pudding was ready to put together and bake while we were eating the main course.   Bob Evans mashed potatoes (already prepared) were on sale so I just scooped them into the crock pot that morning to heat up.   The gravy turned out pretty good-no lumps.  Frozen bread dough to make the rolls.  Tastes just as good as home made, they thaw out, rise and melt in your mouth.

Everyone arrived and snacked on cheese and crackers and a dip I had prepared.  I finally kicked them all out of the kitchen so I could organize.  We eat buffet style so I needed to get things out of the oven and lined up.

I surveyed the meal.  The rolls had risen and unfortunately fallen.  I had to bake them anyway-no back up plan.   I had accidentally bought Cheddar Onions for the green bean casserole-why on Earth did they need to make Cheddar onions?  Just to confuse me?  The new stuffing wasn’t done.  It was jiggly in the middle.  I took it out anyway, because everything else was done and some family members had to leave at a certain time.

We all filled our plates a couple of times at least.  The rolls tasted ok, they just were not picture perfect.   The new stuffing recipe was a big disappointment.  It should have been great, but it wasn’t and I have a lot left.  Everything else was fine, even the Cheddar green bean casserole; no one seemed to notice.

No one minded the meal mishaps.  A good time was had by all.  We were all stuffed at the end of the day.  Board games and discussions of Christmas gifts was the main business after dinner.   A few pictures of the grandkids and catching up with my youngest daughter who only gets home once a year.

 I found out later that you can order stuffing from a local restaurant.   Next year that just might happen.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging friends.   Enjoy!