Mrs. Cubbison's Thanksgiving Tips

Bread & Bakery

• Recipe pastry (9-inch double crust pie)

Canned Goods & Soup

• Chicken stock (7 cups)
• Pure pumpkin (15 oz. can)
• Turkey stock (1 1/2 quarts)

Condiments, Spices & Bake

• Mrs. Cubbison's Seasoned Classic Seasoned Dressing (5 or 6 6 oz pkg)
• Mrs. Cubbison's Seasoned Cornbread Stuffing (6 oz pkg)
• Creamy salad dressing
• Dijon mustard (1/2 tsp)
• Evaporated milk (12 fl oz can)
• Ground cinnamon (1 tsp)
• Ground ginger (1/2 tsp)
• Ground cloves (1/4 tsp)
• All-purpose flour (3 Tbsp)
• Garlic powder (1/2 tsp)
• Garlic clove (1)
• Mustard (1/2 tsp)
• Olive oil (1/3 cup, 1 Tbsp, 1 tsp)
• Prepared stuffing (8 cups)
• Paprika (1 pinch)
• Pepper (1/2 tsp)
• Poultry seasoning (1 Tbsp)
• Red wine Vinegar (2 tsp)
• Brown sugar (1/2 cup)
• Sugar (3 tsp)
• Salt (1/2 tsp)
• White sugar (1 cup)
• White rice (2 cups)

Dairy, Eggs & Cheese

• Butter cup (3/4 stick)
• Unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
• Sour cream (1 Tbsp)
• Eggs (13)

Deli & Signature Café

• Cooked ham (1/4 cup)
• Turkey (18 pounds)

Fruit & Vegetable

• Celery (2 3/4 cup)
• Dried cranberry (1/2 cup)
• Potato (2 pounds)
• Garlic clove (1)
• Granny Smith apples (8)
• Green beans (1 pound)
• Whole onion (3/4 cup)
• Toasted pecans (1/2 cup)
• Rosemary (1 Tbsp)
• Sage leaves (1 tsp)
• Spinach (6 oz)

Cookies, Snacks & Candy

• Saltines (sleeve crushed)

Meat & Seafood

• Breakfast sausage (1 pound)

Some things to remember when putting together a Classic Thanksgiving Menu:

• It doesn't have to be complicated to be great. A simple roast turkey is a flavorful, delicious entree; traditional oven-baked stuffing has been popular for generations because it just plain tastes great; if nothing is as American as a simple apple pie, that's because everybody loves that timeless recipe.


• Execution is everything. It's true in any kind of cooking, but especially when you are preparing a very traditional holiday meal. The simple, familiar recipes are going to focus attention on the quality of your ingredients, the skill of your preparation, and the perfection of your cooking methods. This is why a classic Thanksgiving menu is an exciting challenge for even experienced chefs -- with the focus being put squarely on the quality of technique that went into preparing the pumpkin pie or the country green beans, it's a great way to show off your cooking skills.


• Use great-quality ingredients. When you are making a familiar, classic Thanksgiving meal, it's all the more important to use the best ingredients you can find. Many of the recipes are simple because our forebears were cooking with fresh-from-the-farm vegetables and fruits that were best highlighted with simple cooking techniques that let all their natural flavor come through. In today's more complicated world, you have a lot of choices when it comes to obtaining your produce, but try to find a great grocery or better yet, a local farmer's market, to get key ingredients for your favorite dishes. A big plate of country green beans made from freshly washed, locally-grown green beans can be a real eye opener around the table. Remember, Thanksgiving was originally about giving thanks for the bountiful farm harvest each autumn, so don't forget that wherever you live, there is a great farm harvest that you can incorporate into your own cooking at this time of year, so use it!

Thanksgiving is about tradition, and the main way we all participate in that tradition is around the Thanksgiving dinner table, enjoying a big family meal that harkens back to the past. As a cook, it's a special pleasure to bring those traditions to life with a classic Thanksgiving feast. Let these recipes give you a start on making your traditional holiday meal, and then add your own family recipes to make it a very special Thanksgiving indeed.