Simple Ways to an Amazing Thanksgiving Menu

As the holidays are upon us, it is time to start planning those holiday meals for your family and friends. They say that giving thanks is the main focus of the holiday but as we all know, there are just some foods that have to be present to make it more like Thanksgiving. Like many of us today, we don't have or well take the time to cook all the things that our grandparents or even our parents cooked, we tend to cook simpler and smaller or at least I know that it how I am. So I thought that I would share the menu that I use when preparing Thanksgiving at my house, being that I am in no way a cook to say the least. But here is what I have had success in preparing.

I start with a simple plan by first making my grocery list and getting a meal plan together. Seeing what I have on hand and what I need to pick up at the store. Then going from there, for Thanksgiving my menu is usually consists of: (these recipes are based on cooking for 10-15 people, you will need to adjust for your size gathering)

Brown Sugar Ham
The size of the ham really depends on the amount of people that you will be cooking for. The baste I prefer to use is easy to make, all it consists of is 1 box brown sugar or larger depending on the size of you ham, and butter - now it is Thanksgiving so go for the real butter. Mix the basting ingredients together in a saucepan until it is good and mixed, although it will still have lumps from the sugar. After this is done, prepare your ham by doing a quick baste. I prefer pour it over the first time so that it can soak in. Cook your ham by the directions on the package, basting about every hour.

You may also wish to add mustard and honey into basting ingredients. This gives the ham a sweet and sour taste but that is optional.

Seasoned Green Beans (this recipe will need to be adjusted to fit your needs)
1 can green beans, rinsed.
¾ c. water
1 tsp. beef bouillon
Garlic salt
1 T. butter
Pour water in saucepan with bouillon. Heat and dissolve bouillon. Add beans, garlic salt, pepper and butter. Cook until done. \

Sweet Potato Casserole with Topping
3 c. sweet potatoes (yams can be used), cooked and mashed
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c milk
1 c. white sugar
½ c. butter
1 tsp vanilla

Topping
1 c dark brown sugar
1/3 c butter
½ c. flour
1 c chopped pecans
Mix potatoes, eggs, milk, white sugar, ½ cup butter and vanilla. Mix well and put into baking dish. Next, mix brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, flour and pecans. Spread (sprinkling works best) the mixture on top of the potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until topping is golden brown.

Devilled Eggs
½ dozen eggs
2 T relish
1 tsp mustard
1 T. mayonnaise
Boil eggs for approximately 30 minutes in water. Let cool before you peel. Cut eggs in half length wise, scooping out the yolk into a bowl and placing the whites on a plate. Take the yolks add mayonnaise, mustard and relish to taste. After getting that mixed, take a tablespoon and scoop the yolk mixture, placing it back into the whites where the yolk was removed. Sprinkle the tops with paprika.

Dressing
Being that I this is a quick meal, I suggest for this going and paying the stove top stuffing and using it. Most are made with just using water and butter.

Desserts
Well we all know that desserts are another favorite of big dinners. So this will be left up to you depending on your preference. But being that Thanksgiving used to be when the harvest was celebrated, I do have a suggestion or two. Whether you wish to make or buy these that is up to you, with all the cooking though I would suggest buying as you will be tired of cooking at this point I am sure. Think about getting/making a fruit pie, pecan pie, or even coconut. I tend to bake a cake, either Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker and decorating with homemade butter cream icing that the family bakery uses - decorating it to represent the holiday.

There you have my fail proof Thanksgiving menu. If you give this a try, please let me know what you think as it is a big hit with my family. Also suggest if you are cooking, that other members bring items, last year when I prepared this my mother-in-law brought turkey, dumplings, and dressing (no stove top that year) and my step mom brought a few items. It was so much food that I am sure we could have fed a small army.

Hope that you have a Happy Holiday Season!