Last weekend Sunday night Someone and I had our Thanksgiving dinner. As there was only the two of us, we tried to ‘keep it simple”. Cooking a holiday meal ‘for two’ is not humanely possible, at least in our house. Despite trying to cut recipes in half, we had tons of leftovers. We will be living off this simple supper for a fortnight. On the other hand if there was one day in the year for over-eating and self-indulgence it is Thanksgiving.
Someone doesn’t like mashed potatoes but he likes sweet potatoes – or yams as he sometimes calls them. He made a sweet potato casserole. It had a brown sugar topping and was as sweet as sugar candy. Deprived of mashed potatoes I put my foot down on mini-marshmallows in the dish. It’s tough to pair wine with Thanksgiving dinner given the sweetness of this dish. Wine aficionados suggest eliminating the sweet potato dish for the sake of the wine but this was vetoed by Someone with a hot oath.
He also made a corn dish, whose title included “Bourbon” in it. Someone doesn’t drink bourbon so he relied on my advice which one to purchase. Only a few tablespoons were needed, so I chose a good bottle, knowing I get the rest. It was a win-win situation. I liked the dish although Someone thought it a disappointment: it was supposed to be more of cake when it was more likely a loose pudding.
We had a turkey breast rather than a full turkey so there wasn’t a cavity in which to cook the stuffing. This is supposed to be hazardous to do anyway. We made ours in a crockpot somewhat out of whimsy but mostly to free up space in the oven and the stove top. Our stuffing is based upon cornbread, another Someone favorite. I think he could live off of cornbread and sweet potatoes.
One downside of a turkey breast we realized is there is no dark meat or legs. I like a turkey leg and dark meat is good for chicken pot pies, which is the official Spo-house dish for food-pushing leftover turkey. Perhaps we will make a turkey soup this time around.
What was missing was green bean casserole. While I extol proper food and abjure rubbish I confess I like this dish. Mother made it the Midwest way: a can of cream of mushroom soup combined with a can of green beans, with salt and pepper to taste. The fried onion topping appeared later on.
Someone loves to make pumpkin pie; he always makes two of them. He likes his with homemade whipped cream; I like mine with Edam cheese. We had some of both. I had only one slice which satiates my appetite for pie. This morning I saw in the fridge ~ 3/4 of the first pie had been consumed in the night. I suspect Nargles are behind it.
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November 27, 2018 at 8:19 AM
Old Lurker
Silly Dr Spo. Thanksgiving is not the one day for overeating and indulgence; it merely signifies the beginning of Gluttony Month. Have fun navigating office parties and trays of Xmas baking people bring to the office, topped off with a giant Christmas dinner before we collectively freak out about our waistlines, go on “diets”, and purchase gym memberships.
Also: what happened to the macaroni and cheese and spam? I thought that was to be the Thansksgiving feast?
November 27, 2018 at 8:25 AM
Urspo
On Thanksgiving day proper I made me a M&C using the recommendation of fried cubes of SPAM. It was lovely. When Someone came home that night about 10 we ate it with relish.
November 27, 2018 at 8:30 AM
Debra She Who Seeks
I’ve never heard of eating pumpkin pie with Edam cheese — interesting! Do they go together as well as apple pie and cheddar cheese?
November 27, 2018 at 9:31 AM
Urspo
Eating Edam cheese (or Gouda) started with my great grandmother. She gave some to all her children for Thanksgiving. As a consequence most of her descendants still do this although only a few of them actually know the origin. Whether pumpkin pie and cheese ‘go together”? well, they do at my house! 🙂
November 27, 2018 at 9:49 AM
anne marie in philly
ooooh, look at all the cheeses at the top!
“Cooking a holiday meal ‘for two’ is not humanely possible” – sure it is; we do it all the time!
“3/4 of the first pie had been consumed in the night” – the BoD got to it!
November 27, 2018 at 10:04 AM
Urspo
I suspect not. They would have devoured both pies. Also, they are incapable of cutting fine straight edges.
November 27, 2018 at 12:21 PM
Steven
Sounds like you two had a grand old time! I gained 3.5 pounds after losing 21 pounds since late August. Everyone loves my sweet potato casserole. Rather than marshmallows (ewwww) on top, I add chopped pecans, butter, flour and brown sugar. Corn casserole is a recipe that “Tales of a Sissy” shared with me years ago. Love, love, love!
November 27, 2018 at 8:16 PM
Urspo
your casserole sounds exactly the type we made!
November 27, 2018 at 12:47 PM
Cateina
No mashed potatoes??? I made mine by adding roasted garlic, cream cheese, and of course butter and cream. I always make enough to send leftovers home with family with enough left for me to make potato pancakes.
November 27, 2018 at 8:17 PM
Urspo
yes, it does sound shocking, doesn’t it? By the way, I love the additions you mentioned. I used to propose such as a boy but everyone pooh-poohed such radical notions.
November 27, 2018 at 12:57 PM
Barbara Bomberger
We use a turkey even for just two people. Because of the dark meat and well……..turkey soup from the bones.
November 27, 2018 at 8:17 PM
Urspo
Turkey soup from bones is the food of the gods, or at least the demi-gods.
November 27, 2018 at 4:21 PM
Todd Gunther
“…vetoed by Someone with a hot oath.” Oooooh, drama at the Spo House. Play nice, gentlemen, or WQ will come down there and confiscate the bourbon.
November 27, 2018 at 8:19 PM
Urspo
Someone’s eyes cross at the embellishments I write in my blog at his alleged doings and sayings. Sometimes (he says) he runs over these entries with the divining rod in cannot find himself. He goes it downright lies: I call it exaggerations for the sake of entertainment.
November 27, 2018 at 11:32 PM
Old Lurker
If only Someone had a blog of his own so he could refuse these inveracities.
November 27, 2018 at 5:28 PM
Tony D
I once made a Thanksgiving dinner just for myself! It was spectacular, as are many things I do! Instead of making a “dish” I scooped out a squash and filled it with wild rice and dried cranberries. I had some green beans on the side, and a roasted turkey breast with crispy skin. I bought a container of store-made cran sauce and viola. Since then I have served 6-8, and I cannot decide which I prefer.
November 27, 2018 at 8:19 PM
Urspo
I am always glad to hear from you. You continually amaze me at your abilities such as cooking Thanksgiving for one person!
November 27, 2018 at 5:37 PM
Steven
The mini marshmallows made me laugh. I bought a turkey last spring, I don’t really know why, I live alone. Some day I think I will cook it and just invite people over without saying a word, hopefully they like turkey.
November 27, 2018 at 8:20 PM
Urspo
I think this is a very good idea:tell several people you have a turkey that you want to cook and push has a impromptu party item. Cook it in they will come.
November 27, 2018 at 8:22 PM
David
With stuffing, I stopped making mashed potatoes, we (or at least he) does not need to heavy starches in one meal. I have started making roasted brussel sprouts, I never liked the green bean casserole.
Pie is the perfect breakfast food – fruit – it is a serving of fruit.
November 28, 2018 at 6:38 AM
Urspo
The leftover pumpkin pie we have is being used for breakfast and anything else for that matter.
November 28, 2018 at 8:05 AM
Ravager619
All of this talk about proper food has me thinking of…. tacos? Yes, it’s my day off from work and I can duck into the drive-thru at Del Taco for lunch today.
November 28, 2018 at 3:06 PM
Urspo
Are they any good? I have never been to Del Taco
November 28, 2018 at 9:32 PM
Ravager619
Oh, yes. The crinkle fries are really good, too. As promised, I got a medium combo meal that had two tacos for lunch. Dee-lish!
November 28, 2018 at 10:25 AM
itsmyhusbandandme
I’m surprised the two of you aren’t the size of a house.
JP
November 28, 2018 at 3:06 PM
Urspo
Who says we aren’t? oh the embarrassment.
December 10, 2018 at 6:29 PM
Ron
Frozen Stouffer’s Thanksgiving dinner here. Would love to have an old fashion Thanksgiving dinner sometime but I fear those days are in the past. Enjoyed reading about your Thanksgiving dinner.