RiverBlog: Thanksgiving at The River

By Deb Midkiff 

As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m excited to share some classic recipes with our River community! I recently appeared on RiverTalk on IRSC Public Media where we talked about preparing the perfect Thanksgiving feast, and so many of you asked for the recipes—so here they are. 

Culinary,  Restaurant, Hospitality & Tourism Management at The River 

At Indian River State College, our Culinary, Restaurant, Hospitality and Tourism Management programs train students in everything from fundaments, modern and classical cooking techniques to hospitality and tourism management. Whether mastering the perfect gravy or front desk, housekeeping, travel and tourism, catering and conference services, our students develop skills that prepare them for careers in restaurants, hotels, tourism, cruiselines, casinos, catering, and culinary arts. The techniques in these recipes are some of the same ones we teach in our kitchens here at The River.  I sincerely hope you try and enjoy them! 

Thanksgiving Menu 

Chef Midkiff’s Thanksgiving menu includes: Roasted Turkey, Giblet Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, and Pumpkin Pie 

Helpful Turkey Thawing & Cooking Charts 

Turkey Weight in lbs.	# of Days to Thaw	Cooking Time (Unstuffed)	Cooking Time (Stuffed)
8	2	2 hr 45 min	3 hrs
12	3	3 hrs	3 hrs 30 min
16	4	4 hrs	4 hrs 15 min
20	5	4 hrs 30 min	4 hrs 45 min
24	6	5 hrs	5 hrs 15 min

Recipes 

Pumpkin Pie 

Yield: 8 servings (1 pie) 

Ingredients: 

• ¾ cup granulated sugar 

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger 

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 

• 2 large eggs 

• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin 

• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk 

• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell 

• Whipped cream (optional) 

Directions: 

1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. 

2. Beat eggs in large bowl. 

3. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. 

4. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. 

5. Pour into pie shell. 

6. Bake in preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes. 

7. Reduce temperature to 350°F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. 

8. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. 

9. Optional: Top with whipped cream before serving. 

Roasted Turkey 

Ingredients: 

• 1 whole turkey 

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 

• Salt and ground black pepper to taste 

• 1 ½ quarts turkey or chicken stock 

• 8 cups prepared stuffing 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place rack in lowest position. 

2. Remove turkey neck and giblets, rinse turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey breast side up on a rack in roasting pan. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Rub skin with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Position aluminum foil tent over turkey. 

3. Place turkey in oven and pour 2 cups stock into bottom of roasting pan. Baste every 30 minutes with juice. Add stock as drippings evaporate (1-2 cups at a time). Remove foil after 2½ hours. Once turkey reaches 150°F, turn up temperature to 375°F to ensure browning. Roast until meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thigh. 

4. Transfer turkey to serving platter and let stand 20-30 minutes before carving. 

Giblet Gravy 

Yield: 2-3 cups 

Directions: 

1. Remove liver and pour remaining giblet bag contents into large saucepan. 

2. Cover with 2½ cups water and simmer until cooked through, 30-35 minutes. 

3. Remove giblets, let cool, then chop gizzards and heart. Pick meat from neck. Discard bones. 

4. Pour turkey drippings from roasting pan into separate container. Allow grease to separate from juices. Skim fat into another bowl. 

5. Place roasting pan over 2 burners on medium heat. 

6. Add 3-4 tablespoons of fat back into pan and whisk to distribute. 

7. Sprinkle 5-6 tablespoons flour over grease and whisk to combine, loosening bits from bottom. 

8. Cook roux until deep golden brown, 4-5 minutes. 

9. Pour in chicken broth (2-4 cups), whisking constantly. 

10. Cook gravy, whisking gently, until mixture thickens. 

11. Pour in a little turkey drippings. 

12. Continue cooking until thick, adding chopped giblets and black pepper to taste. Use giblet water to thin if needed. 

13. Adjust consistency as necessary. 

Stuffing 

Yield: 8-12 portions 

Ingredients: 

• ¼ cup butter (½ stick) 

• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup) 

• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup) 

• 2.5 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth 

• 1 package (14 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing 

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 

2. Heat butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook 5 minutes until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add broth and heat to a boil. Remove from heat. Add stuffing and mix lightly. Season to taste. Spoon into greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Cover. 

4. Bake 30 minutes or until hot. 

Tips: For crunchier stuffing, bake uncovered. For Cranberry & Pecan Stuffing, add ½ cup each dried cranberries and chopped pecans. For Sausage & Mushroom Stuffing, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms to vegetables and stir in ½ lb cooked, crumbled pork sausage. 

Cranberry Sauce 

Yield: 2¼ cups 

Ingredients: 

• 1 (12 oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries 

• 1 cup water 

• 1 cup granulated sugar 

Directions: 

1. Wash cranberries and drain well. 

2. In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar and bring it to boil. 

3. Add cranberries and return to boil. 

4. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5. Cook until you can hear cranberries popping, 1-2 minutes. 

6. Remove from heat, cool and cover. 

Mashed Potatoes 

Yield: 8 portions 

Ingredients: 

• 2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled 

• 6-8 oz milk, warm 

• 2-4 oz butter, softened 

• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

1. Place peeled potatoes in tap water with 1 teaspoon salt. 

2. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until fork tender. 

3. Drain and dry potatoes on low flame in pan to release excess moisture/steam. 

4. Mash potatoes with masher, fork, or ricer. 

5. Stir in warm milk and soft butter until desired consistency. 

6. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Green Bean Casserole 

Yield: 6 servings 

Ingredients: 

• 1 can (10½ oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup 

• ¾ cup milk 

• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper 

• 1 can (28 oz) any style green beans, drained 

• 1½ cups French’s Original crispy fried onions, divided 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 

2. Mix soup, milk and pepper in 1½-quart baking dish. Stir in green beans and ⅔ cup fried onions. 

3. Bake 30 minutes or until hot. Stir. 

4. Top with remaining ⅔ cup onions. Bake for 5 minutes until golden brown. 

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Indian River State College! 

Deb Midkiff is a professor in the Culinary, Restaurant and Hospitality & Tourism Management programs at Indian River State College.