What makes up the perfect Thanksgiving plate? Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie are only some of the dishes that make up the whole of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Per tradition, the turkey is the centerpiece and main focus of the classic Thanksgiving dinner, and thus, precisely why it is important to get it just right. “The turkey is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, no matter what background you come from or tradition that your family may have on Thanksgiving, a perfectly roasted turkey always brings it all together,” senior Josh Derrell said.
To prepare the turkey for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner, I utilized Natasha Kravchuk’s juicy roast turkey recipe from her website, Natasha’s Kitchen. It required certain ingredients: a turkey, preferably 11-15 pounds (I opted for one around nine pounds), flavored butter, and stuffing consisting of onions, garlic, parsley, and lemon pieces. The recipe also provides a separate stuffing recipe that can be used. Other ingredients you will need include olive oil, salt, and pepper. The recipe also stresses the importance of thawing your turkey before preparing it; the bigger the turkey, the more time it will require to thaw. Overall, the roast time should take around two and a half hours.
Of course, you can’t have turkey without mashed potatoes. “You just can’t have one without the other on your Thanksgiving plate, one plus one equals two, and mashed potatoes plus turkey on your plate equals deliciousness,” senior Gabriella Gbebry said.
For the classic Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, I have tried different recipes, but Holly Nilsson’s mashed potato recipe on the Spend With Pennies website is one of my personal favorites. You will need three to four pounds of mashed potatoes (Yukon gold, I highly recommend), three cloves of garlic (to taste), one-third cup of melted salted butter, a cup of milk/heavy cream, salt, black pepper, and I always like to add fresh parsley on top, although the recipe doesn’t call for it. Cook time varies depending on how quickly you peel and mash your potatoes, but it should not take more than 30 minutes.
To pull the two main dishes together, gravy is a classic choice for a Thanksgiving plate. Although I am not a fan of gravy myself, after researching and comparing a fan favorite with an astounding 2,718 five-star reviews, I found Lauren Allen’s Turkey Gravy recipe on the Tastes Better from Scratch website. It is a straightforward recipe, only requiring four ingredients and less than a 30-minute cook time.
Another classic side that doesn’t disappoint and is heavily loved not only on Thanksgiving, but also daily, is mac and cheese. A highly regarded baked recipe can be found on The Chunky Chef Website, with four point eight stars out of five and 3,663 votes. The recipe calls for 10 ingredients, including pasta, butter, half and half, sharp cheddar, etc. The overall cook time is estimated to be 35 minutes, making this a quick and delicious dish for a Thanksgiving dinner.
For senior Ruth Bayou, baked mac and cheese is a staple in her home. “My mom makes some amazing mac and cheese, it’s always perfectly baked and crispy on top and cheesy in the middle. Mac and cheese with some Caesar salad on the side, along with turkey and mashed potatoes, makes a perfect Thanksgiving plate.”
