How to Thanksgiving
Holiday feasts are on the horizon, but around here, they’ve already arrived! We’re perfecting the puff on French bread stuffings and testing the balance on dressings and sauces. And it’s all in service of you, dear Good Eggs community, so that your gatherings deliver maximum deliciousness and minimum stress.
To that end, you may be eager to get planning and place a preorder, but you’re not quite there mentally. Consider this a little memory-jog on what you’ve loved in the past, plus some inspiration for new things to try.
Our Good Eggs Kitchen offerings are extensive and incredibly tasty, so if you want to throw down a beautiful dinner with almost no cooking required, we’ve got you covered. And if, on the other hand, you wait all year to spend whole days in your kitchen with your cutting boards, you can source all the best local, organic ingredients to bring your vision to life.
Our in-house chef, Anne Sjostrom, has put together some menu ideas for you, all of which can be sourced entirely from the Good Eggs Kitchen. She’s also cooking up some other menu ideas for project lovers, as well as shopping lists and notes for thinking through your order of operations as the big day arrives. In addition to the meal components themselves, she’s created a list of essentials to have on hand when it’s time to get to work. So, without further ado, Chef Anne’s Plan:
Thanksgiving Holiday Menu
8 adults and 6 kidsAppetizers & Cocktails
French Onion Dip & Sea Salt Potato Chips
Spinach Artichoke Dip & Crudité Platter
Wine, Champagne & Ruby Grapefruit Palomas
The Main Menu
Fully Cooked Organic Oven-Roasted Turkey
Wild Rice Hash with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Pistachio Dukkah
Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing
Green Beans with Salsa Verde & Crispy Fried Shallots
Dessert
Three Babes Pumpkin Pie & Whipped Cream
Bourbon Pecan Pie & Coffee Cocoa Nib Ice Cream
Chef Anne’s Pantry Essentials:
salt: It has to be Diamond Kosher brand for me (it’s the perfect size, not too small, not too big, it’s just right!). I also love this flake salt from Jacobsen Salt Co. for freshly dressed salads, veggies, dips, and lean meats.
spices: Before the holiday season kicks off, I do a quick check of spices and dried herbs I know I’ll want to have on hand, then I restock on: black peppercorns, thyme, nutmeg, dried sage, ground ginger, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. I also love to keep Toasted Seeds and Shichimi Togarashi Spice Mix on hand from the Good Eggs Kitchen. Both great for added texture and flavor to sides and salads.
for baking: Baking soda and baking powder should be refreshed from last year’s pantry stocking. Using questionable and expired leavening ingredients means your cakes won't rise, your cookies won't spread, and your baked goods will end up tough and dense. Pro tip: baking soda is an amazingly effect natural cleaning agent and removes tough stains and burnt food from pots and pans!
good fats!: Favorite mild olive oil for cooking, favorite finishing oil, unsalted butter (I stock up for myself but also for that forgetful neighbor!) for baking and sautéing. I always keep European-style butter in the fridge for buttering dinner rolls and for special breakfasts throughout the holiday season when hosting family and friends.
neutral oil: I stock up on grapeseed oil for Thanksgiving: the “elegant workhorse” it has a high smoking point for searing meats and sautéing veggies, and works as the perfect 50/50 addition in any dressing or vinaigrette when you need to mellow out peppery olive oil.
condiments: At the beginning of November I do a restock of all my condiments and accoutrements that I’ll want to have on hand for entertaining: olives, caper berries , pickled veggies and mustards are a must for my charcuterie and cheese boards. I also like to have a few unexpected additions that I know my guests will appreciate: spiced nuts, dried fruits, INNA jams, and honeycomb.
dairy staples: Don’t overlook extra staples like cream, milk, and eggs! You always need an extra egg for brushing baked goods before going into the oven, or whipping up a quick healthy omelet to enjoy before a day of cooking and festivities.
coffee and tea: So many opportunities to host friends and family over the next 2 months, you never want to run out of coffee, teas, non-dairy creamers, and coffee filters!
treats that keep well: and as long as you're stocking up on coffee and tea for your expected and unexpected guests, make sure you have artisanal tea cookies and biscotti to offer!
**Check out our FAQs for more of the logistics and practical details of ordering your holiday from Good Eggs.