A Very 'Mob Wives' Thanksgiving Menu
The women of Mob Wives are family women as much as they're Family women. They love to care for their kids, spend time with loved ones, and spend time in the kitchen, so we figured they could help us plan our Thanksgiving menu out and create a true feast.
We asked them for some of their favorite holiday dishes and go-to recipes, and put them all together for everyone to enjoy. From Renee's classic Italian meatballs and gravy to new wife Alicia DiMichele's crunchy, marshmallow-y sweet potato casserole to Big Ang's Bloody Mary to get you through the family meal, we have a menu that we can't wait to try this Thursday!
Renee's Thanksgiving Turkey
1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
5-6 fresh rosemary leaves
salt and pepper to taste
3 stalks celery chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 stick of softened salted butter
2 orange, cut into wedges
2 lemons cut into wedges
1 onion, chopped
6 carrot
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together the parsley, rosemary salt pepper, onion and garlic powder and 1Ž2 of the can of chic stock, in a small bowl. Rub the herb mixture into the cavity of the turkey, then stuff with the celery, orange, onion, and lemons. Place the turkey in a roasted pan then pour the rest of chicken broth over the turkey and on top of the turkey smear the butter.
Put aluminum foil over the top of the turkey, and seal. Try to keep the foil from touching the skin of the turkey breast or legs arrange the carrots around the turkey.
Put the turkey in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Uncover the turkey, and continue baking until the skin turns golden brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees
Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
In any Italian home, Thanksgiving isn't just about the turkey, and gravy isn't necessarily the brown variety. It's about a full Italian feast with pasta, meatballs, and red sauce. Here are two of Renee's classic Italian dishes, straight from her kitchen.
1 LB. ground beef chuck
1 LB. ground pork
1 LB. ground veal
5 slices white bread
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
2 tsp salt
1½ tsps. freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil for frying
Cooking Directions:
Combine all of the meat in a large bowl. Soak the bread and milk together in a separate bowl. When the milk is absorbed, add the bread mixture to the meat. Add the remaining ingredients except the olive oil. Mix well.
Roll into balls 1 ½ - 2 inch round. Heat the olive oil in a 10 inch frying pan.
Fry over medium heat about 10- 12 meatballs at a time until nicely browned. Place in the sauce. Repeat as many times as necessary until all of the meatballs are browned.
Simmer uncovered on low heat until meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce mellows, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove the herb sprigs and serve.
This recipe was styled and developed by chef Karen Pickus for Good Morning America.
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 Tbs. minced fresh garlic
¼ cup minced parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3- 28 oz. cans whole peeled tomato
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
Cooking Directions:
In a 6 quart pot over medium flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and herbs. Saute' over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent but not brown. Add the salt and pepper and all of the tomato product. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the meatballs. Simmer 1 ½-2 hours. If using without the meatballs simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove herb stems and serve.
Natalie's Thanksgiving Baked Sweet Candied Yams
2lbs of Sweet Potatoes
2lbs of Yams
1 1/4 cups of butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon or to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F
Wash and skin the yams & sweet potatoes
Cut the sweet potatoes and yams into 1in thick slices (like circles)
Use a nonstick spray on a 9x13 in baking dish
In a large saucepan on medium heat, combine the butter or margarine, brown sugar and cinnamon stirring occasionally until melted. Do not burn
Arrange the yams and the sweet potatoes in your baking dish and pour the saucepan over them.
Mix around to distribute evenly and add the pure maple syrup, continue mixing.
Cover with tinfoil and place in preheated oven to 400° for 35-45 min or until cooked.
To caramelize, remove tin foil and broil on hi.
Caramelize to your liking & enjoy!
Alicia's Sweet Potato Casserole
Alicia's Sweet Potato Casserole
4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Bake sweet potatoes at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Let stand until cool to touch (about 20 minutes); peel and mash sweet potatoes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
2. Beat mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
3 Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over casserole in diagonal rows 2 inches apart.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows in alternate rows between cornflake mixture; bake 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
4 oz. Vodka
6 oz. tomato juice
A splash of Tabasco Sauce
A splash of Worcestershire Sauce
Vermouth-soaked olives (2 per glass)
Horseradish
Celery sticks for garnish
Combine all the liquid ingredients over ice. Add olives and top with fresh-ground salt and pepper, a dollop of horseradish, and stir with a celery stick. Makes 2. Salut!
Renee's Favorite Deep Dish Apple Pie (Recipe courtesy of Eating Well)
"To me, you can’t go wrong with a good old apple pie. I also suggest you use a dollop of vanilla or pumpkin flavored frozen yogurt in place of ice cream on top," Renee writes about this healthy-ish variation of an apple pie recipe. "And if you still feel guilty, there's always another glass of wine to help drown your sorrows."
Crust:
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
6 cups thinly sliced peeled McIntosh apples, (about 2 pounds)
6 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apples, (about 2 pounds)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for brushing
Preparation:
1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and, with your fingers, quickly rub them into the dry ingredients until the pieces are smaller but still visible. Add sour cream and oil; toss with a fork to combine with the dry ingredients. Sprinkle water over the mixture. Toss with a fork until evenly moist. Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl a few times - the mixture will still be a little crumbly. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few more times, until the dough just holds together. Divide the dough in half and shape into 5-inch-wide disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make filling: Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and pinch of salt in a large bowl. Reserving 4 cups, transfer the rest of the apple mixture to a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the apples are tender and beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the reserved apples and 2 tablespoons flour; let cool for about 30 minutes.
3. To assemble & bake pie: Position a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; let stand for 5 minutes to warm slightly. Roll one portion between sheets of parchment or wax paper into a 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet and invert the dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan. Peel off the remaining paper. Scrape the filling into the crust. Roll the remaining portion of dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper into another 13-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of paper and invert the dough onto the fruit. Peel off the remaining paper. Trim the crust so it overhangs evenly. Tuck the top crust under the bottom crust, sealing the two together and making a plump edge. Flute the edge with your fingers. Combine 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Cut 6 steam vents in the top crust.
5. Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and continue baking until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack for about 1 1/2 hours before serving.
Drita's Apple Pie
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
about 1/2 cup unsalted butter
around 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
A little less then 1/4 cup of water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla
About 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
Around 7 small Granny Smith apples..peeled, cored and sliced. If you do not like Granny smith apples you can use about 4 large red ones. Some find Granny smith too tart.
(Make only half of the mixture first because you will mix it in with the apples inside the pie and the rest needs to be made the last 15min of baking to be poured on top of the pie).
Preheat oven to 350
Melt butter. Stir in flour to make a past. Add water, white, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cornstarch. Bring to boil. Reduce Temp and let simmer. (Remember only half of this liquid mixture for now)
Place the bottom crust in your pan (if you don't like soft crust on the bottom like me you can brush it with egg white before hand.
Fill with apple and pour about half of the butter liquid on apples (mix it well).
Cover with a lattice work crust.
Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees or until apples are soft. Now pour the rest of the mixture on top of the pie and bake for another 15 min.
I know this is a mission. But if it's done right.You will make the best apple pie you ever tasted. Trust me. It took me tons of recipes and tons of changes to make my own pie and have my own recipe. This is my famous Apple Pie
So here it is...enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.
Tips: Prepare the lattice ahead of time and keep in fridge.
Glass pie dish,they are bigger and deeper than the tin ones. Put a pan lined with foil underneath it before baking so if any juice runs off it doesn't make a mess.