Brag about what you're making (or having) for Thanksgiving! [View All]

Tell us every decadent, mouthwatering detail. Why is your Mom's gravy so fantastic? What's that special thing you do to mashed potatoes that makes them even MORE delicious? How do you prepare your ham/turkey/main course? What's your SECRET? :D

A few of mine:

--I use a large, bone-in Sugardale ham, placed into the roasting pan with absolutely NOTHING else EXCEPT...a single can of Coca-Cola poured over the top. I loosely tent it with foil, bake it at 300 degrees for a few hours, and it comes out so juicy and tender and flavorful that I have to beat the menfolk off in order to slice it without cutting off any niblet-seeking fingers. ;)

--I make my mashed potatoes using Yukon Gold potatoes cooked in chicken stock; I use only real, salted butter; and instead of milk, I use buttermilk. It just gives the potatoes a lovely little "zip" without overpowering the natural potato flavor like sour cream can.

--I brine my turkey for 12 hours in chicken stock, dissolved kosher salt, brown sugar, minced garlic, onion slices, and several tablespoons of an herb bend meant for poultry. I take it out of the brine 2 hours before cooking time so I can rinse it and then soak it for an hour in cold water, and then I pat it dry with paper towels (inside and out) and rub it with a thick layer of room-temperature butter. I sprinkle more herbs on top of the butter, swirl it all around with my hands, and put it on a rack in my roasting pan with two cups of chicken stock underneath it and a foil tent over it. About an hour and a half before it's due to be finished, I take the foil off and let the skin get golden and crispy. It comes out so tender that you hardly need a knife to slice it. :)

Please tell me some of the special things that you and your family do! :hi: