What's Cookin': Thanksgiving favorites

We alternate Thanksgiving and Christmas between my family in Lexington and Mike's family in Pittsburgh.  Although we're blessed with wonderful and welcoming families, it's always hard to be away from your own family and traditions on any given holiday, so this year I hosted "Pre-Thanksgiving" for my side of the family in Cincinnati the weekend before we left for Pittsburgh.  We hosted seven adults and two children and the menu included a roasted turkey breast, green bean casserole, corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, stuffing / dressing, gravy, and cranberry sauce (out of a can due to popular demand), rolls, Paula Deen's pumpkin pie, and chocolate cream pie.  My Mom provided guidance (and baby-sitting!) during most of the prep as this was my first big solo meal, and everything went off without a hitch.  Of course it didn't hurt that I was using tried-and-true recipes from years of practice.  If full bellies were any indication, I'd say the meal was a success and I hope this becomes a tradition with both sides of our family.

Perhaps one of the best parts of the day and the icing on the cake was Anna having a chance to play with her cousin, Aiden.  It took a bit for Aiden to warm up to Anna's "in your face" welcoming nature, but when he did, they literally ran circles around the house for an hour and had a blast playing with one another all afternoon and into the evening.  I love holiday food, but I love the fact that holidays gather family even more!

I love, love, love how the turkey turned out, it was quite possibly the best turkey I've had, ever (if I do say so myself), and I was pretty proud that I carved it myself.  I've copied the full recipe below, but I took a few shortcuts using dried herbs, and also chickened-out (or would it be turkeyed-out?) in regard to putting any of the mixture under the skin; I think I'll try that when I'm not cooking for a crowd.  The corn pudding recipe is a family tradition that my Mom has been making since I was born.  It's so, so, so, so good.  And super easy.  I hesitate to even post it here, but it deserves to be shared with the world, aka my 12 readers : )

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
Courtsey of Ina Garten
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1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

Corn Pudding
Courtesy of Patricia Miller's kitchen

1 can cream corn
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick of butter, melted
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
2 eggs, separated

Mix the corn, sugar, flour, butter and two egg yolks in a greased casserole dish. Beat the egg whiles until they form stiff peaks. Fold in egg whites to corn mixture, very gently. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower oven to 300 degrees for 1 hour, alternatively, bake at 350 degrees for a little over an hour, or until set.  Let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.