5 Food Ideas For Thanksgiving Dinner

As the host of this year's favorite pig-out meal, come up with 5 food ideas for Thanksgiving dinner and let everyone else bring the rest. That way, you can have a humongous feast without knocking yourself out. As the host, you have the luxury of selecting the showiest parts of the meal, and believe it or not, these five Thanksgiving dinner food ideas are among the easiest to prepare.

1. Turkey. The flagship dish on every Thanksgiving table is the turkey, and it's easy to prepare. Bake unstuffed Mr. Gobble in a shallow roasting pan for approximately 20 to 30 minutes per pound in a 325 degree oven. The turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees.
2. Dressing. Another food idea for Thanksgiving dinner is a delicious dressing to go with your turkey. Add one cup of chopped celery, half a cup of shredded carrots, one fourth a cup of butter and one teaspoon of turkey or chicken bouillon to three cups of boiling water and simmer until the celery is tender. Put one package of bread crumbs for stuffing into a large mixing bowl. Add half a cup of chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are best). Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl and gently toss. Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan and bake for approximately 20 to 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
3. Hot cheesy-garlic biscuits. Follow the directions on the package of Bisquick or other baking mix. Once you mix the ingredients, add one cup of shredded cheddar and one teaspoon of garlic powder. Spoon the biscuits onto a baking pan and bake according to the directions. This is likely to be one of your guests favorite of the five food ideas for Thanksgiving dinner.
4. Candied Yams. One of the easiest of the five food ideas for Thanksgiving dinner is candied yams, and your guests will think you spent the entire day in the kitchen. You can prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate it until the big day. Pour two large, drained cans of yams into a greased baking dish. In a medium saucepan, mix half a cup of brown sugar with a fourth cup of butter, and a half cup of corn syrup. Heat until it bubbles. Remove it from the heat. Add onetablespoon of vanilla. Pour the mixture over the top of the yams in the baking pan. Top with miniature marshmallows and bake in a 350 oven until the marshmallows are brown.
5. Green Bean Casserole. Many people's Thanksgivings wouldn't be complete without the traditional green bean casserole. Dump two cans of drained, French-cut green beans into a greased casserole dish. Mix one can of cream of mushroom soup, a half can of canned fried onions, and one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the fried onions over the casserole and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, until the onions are brown.

Ask your buddies to bring salads, vegetable dishes, drinks and dessert, but someone will probably show up empty-handed. Even if no one else brings anything, these five food ideas for Thanksgiving dinner will be a complete meal. Pick up a bakery pie and some whipped cream, just in case your dessert person forgets.