by Ashley Hagar

Center Editor

Looking for the perfect way to give back to your family? Try cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for your loved ones in lieu of having your parents spend hours laboring over the kitchen stove. Using the following recipes you can create the perfect meal for your dinner table this Thanksgiving.

Turkey: This time-sensitive dish unfortunately takes the longest to make since the turkey must slowly roast or bake for the best possible flavor.

Ingredients:

1. 2 tablespoons dried thyme
2. 2 tablespoons dried sage
3. 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
4. 2 tablespoons dried parsley
5. 2 stalks celery, chopped
6. 1 onion, diced
7. 1 carrot, chopped
8. 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
9. 1 (15 pound) whole turkey

Steps:

1. Stir all of the herbs together and use them to coat the turkey cavity. Stuff the turkey with the chopped vegetables.
2. Pour the chicken broth over the chicken in the roasting pan and seal the pan with aluminum foil.
3. Bake the turkey for two and half to three hours. Uncover the turkey and continue to bake until the skin is golden brown. To ensure that the turkey is fully cooked, insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 180 degrees.
4. Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and let it sit in the pan for about fifteen minutes before serving it.

Stuffing: If your parents have dry, leftover bread, don’t throw it away! Instead, use it for your Thanksgiving stuffing.

Ingredients:

1. 13 cups dry bread cubes
2. 1 cup celery, chopped
3. 1 cup onion, diced
4. 1 ½ cups butter
5. 1 ½  cups chicken stock
6. 2 eggs
7. 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
8. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

1. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter for about ten minutes.
2. Place the bread cubes in a bowl with the celery mixture and mix them together.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to mix.
4. Put the stuffing mixture into a casserole dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top begin to brown.

Mashed Potatoes: One of the easier dishes you can make for your family is mashed potatoes. They only take about an hour to make and taste delicious alongside turkey and other Thanksgiving favorites.

Ingredients:

1. 15 white potatoes
2. 1 ½ cup milk
3. 2 ½ tablespoons butter

Steps:

1. Boil a pot of water then add the chopped potatoes and cook until they are soft in the middle. This will take about fifteen minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the milk. Once both are warmed through, add the potatoes.
3. Blend the potatoes and the milk mixture with a potato masher until they are at the consistency you like.

Pumpkin Pie: To round out the dinner you prepared for your family, this seasonal favorite is the perfect end to your meal. Pumpkin pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spritz of whipped cream on top is the cherry on top this meal.

Ingredients:

1. 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2. ¾ cup granulated sugar
3. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4. ½ teaspoon ground ginger
5. ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
6. 2 large eggs
7. ½ teaspoon salt
8. 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
9. 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell

Steps:

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Pour the filling into a pie dish lined with crust. Bake the pie for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees and continue baking the pie for 40-50 minutes. If you insert a knife in the pie and it comes out clean, the pie is ready to be taken out, if it comes out with filling residue, leave the pie in the oven to bake longer.

These recipes are suitable for any crowd and are sure to win over all of your friends and family, especially when your relatives find out you cooked the meal instead of your parents.