Today I am making what I’m calling a turkey thigh roulade, with cornbread stuffing.
Some Inspiration
Boned and stuffed.
Next;
Brush the skin side of the thighs with the olive oil. Lay the thighs seam side down in a small roasting pan or heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Brush the thighs with the pan drippings and continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, 15 to 30 minutes more
Shucking oysters is definitely an art …
Not at the home last year. Not ever. This year, at my sister’s MIL’s house, there was most definitely wine. And a toast to our Mom.
A bitter sweet meal. Wonderful to have both my and DH’s folks with us, but hard knowing it’s probably the last thanksgiving both dads will be here. Food was all good. From one o’clock, noodles, tiny piece of turkey, stuffing, cranberries, green beans, kale salad.
Well the meal turned out 99% great. The only thing I wasn’t happy with was that the small tip end of the breast dried out during the dry brine, and I ripped the skin getting salt under the skin, so it was inedible IMHO. The rest of the bird was fabulous, it was just the tip.
We did have to move the feast to the senior living center (2 broken ribs and a dislocated finger), so last minute had to figure out how to transport everything.
Thankfully I have no sense of portion control and always make tons of food for Tday. The in-laws are not exactly great communicators. So no one decided to tell me that the nephews and their SOs were coming too. So we went from 5 people to 9 after I showed up with the food.
Thankfully the BIL lives nearby so he and his wife were able to take the leftovers (I probably could have fed 6-8 more people). But to help pack the leftovers she decided to throw out the gravy (down the toilet to add insult to injury) to use the container. I spent 4+ hours making the stock for that gravy and I love my gravy (probably my favorite part of the leftovers). But oh well. My MIL was thrilled to have 3 generations there and it was my first Tday with her grandkids (my nephew in laws - is that a thing?).
Ready to fly home.
safe trip home. great thanksgiving for. you despite
That’s horrendous.
Truly! I literally cringed when I heard about the delicious gravy down the toilet @Thimes. My sincere condolences 
Post game analysis:
Apps:
Brandade was a sleeper hit (slow start, strong finish). Remarkably easy (I was unnecessarily fussy… I’ve realized I slow down to occupy available time 
)
I forgot the sigara boreki / spanakopita-ish rolls I had made and frozen… didn’t remember until last night 
Prosciutto was a new addition this year - I loved it! Didn’t care for the style of smoked salmon otoh (wild - too dry, I miss the unctuousness).
Main event:
First time Judy bird (courtesy unsubtle hints from yours truly) a huge success! Aunt declared this is how we’re doing it from now on. I said - ok, but next year I want to try Judy bird + overnight / low & slow 
Gravy - da BOMB. And I don’t even like gravy that much. Made ahead with a separate batch of dark parts, roasted. Fantastic. I appropriately sang praises during and after the meal, and yesterday and today.
Stuffing balls - YES! I under-moistened them so they wouldn’t get mushy like last year, but they were a bit crumbly even after I increased the stock called for… well, it worked, because lots of crunchy bits exposed. Yum!
Meh - Brussels sprouts (delicious, perfectly roasted and crisp in bits, but horribly thwarted by delayed timing on other things at the last minute - so, cold and soggy by the time they got on the plate… glad I snuck a few hot), green beans, mashed potatoes (travesty - reference my potato obsession above)
Missing in action - sweet potatoes, squash, etc
Dessert - Everyone but me enjoyed apple crumble, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. I made midnight brownies and squeezed one in. Most magically disappeared with the other leftovers people took home. (Aunt already called to ask for the recipe - apparently she ate a few today 
)
Today or tomorrow… a WF run for slashed-price turkey parts for stock (and some more meat for non-thanksgiving-y things).
I can just hear it. “Ewww… Mom! Put some clothes on!
I know. I was screaming inside when reading it. The no RSVP for 4 additional people is an irritation, but I would’ve wanted to throttle SIL for throwing out the gravy. The Gravy!!!
Great report.
You go, Gurl!
Yes, please! 
I get it. Funny!
I’ve cooked a lot of necks. @rwcfoodie & I must’ve had the same teacher. Usually they simmer all day in my stock pot with various odds & ends (aromatics, giblets, heart, adding livers at the end.). Then I combine skimmed & strained broth, pan drippings & flour to make roux for gravy. The neck meat and innards are super tender by this time and go chopped up into the gravy. I imagine the innards are a turn-off to some, but 
.
A little late. How about about sautéed pancetta?
“The rest of the bird was fabulous, it was just the tip.”
I boil skin-on then peel afterward to avoid watery potatoes. Unless I’m feeling lazy then I just smash skin-on boiled potatoes with butter and milk. I must remember to buy a ricer!
Interesting. That’s exactly what we have. Maybe it’s that particular kind of Morton’s salt I don’t like. I won’t be finding out anytime soon as I’m up to my neck in salts.
