Happy Thanksgiving, all!
This year, I’m teaching my brother how to handle the turkey breast. (Since it’s just me & him, no sense in a whole turkey.) Honestly, it couldn’t be easier and given that I actually don’t like turkey *that* much – he can cook it next year. :)
I do a salt/sugar (2:1) brine with some peppercorns thrown in. Give that a couple hours, rinse & pat dry. Slather in melted butter and rub in the spices that suit your fancy. McCormick has a “steakhouse grind” that I’ve used and liked on turkey, and I’ll likely go with that again. Roast at 325 until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Let rest, carve and enjoy!
No fancy or exotic sides – my brother likes to have what we’ve always had since we were kids…which is box stuffing and instant mashed potatoes and crescent rolls. It’s not exactly gourmet, but it makes him happy. A *must* for me is the dish of sweet pickles.
We got a late start today, so by the time we eat, it very well could be midnight. But, in the meantime we’ve got Cheesy Ranch Bacon Dip (details after the jump) and some ready-made spinach dip under the “Simply Enjoy” brand. The spinach dip is kind of “eh” – it’s not seasoned very well, and there are some large chunks of *something* in it that wasn’t chopped up quite right. (Texture of water chestnuts, but who knows.)
We’re skipping dessert cause we need an entire pie in the house like we need a hole in the head. That, and my brother doesn’t actually like pumpkin pie. (I’m not sure we’re really related sometimes.)
Have a lovely day and may nothing burn and all the sides finish at the same time.
Cheesy Ranch Bacon Dip
1 pint sour cream
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup bacon pieces. (Hormel’s bacon pieces work very well for this)
Mix it all up, let set up in the fridge for a bit and enjoy