Our Mexicana Thanksgiving Dishes

Feliz Accion De Gracias

(Happy Thanksgiving)

2023

Thanksgiving Day, After the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I have Miracle on 34th. Street on a Loop All Day Long

This movie is the sounds of the day, blending with the smells of the kitchen, and I love every second of it.

With Gordon working overseas Thanksgiving was up to me this particular year. I really wasn’t interested in doing anything big and grand and traditional, but I also didn’t want to sacrifice taste in order to do so. I wanted things a bit easy and simple. Therefore, I came up with all of this! I am actually quite proud of it too. It was fun! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Julie

(Hopefully we will be bringing more of these delicious recipes for future Thanksgivings.)

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My Potato Chip, Potato Skins

(Recipe Down Below)

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My Layered Turkey and Mexican Cranberry Sauce Tortilla Casserole

Deliciously Served With a Lime Wedge

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I Made These With our Homemade Mexican Cranberry Sauce

Click Here For: Spicy Hot Mexican Cranberries

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The Small One Was For Me, The Larger One Was For Brodie and Mackenzie

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Here, Topped with a bit of my Mexican Cranberry Sauce and some Sour Cream

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Sarajane and Milton Whann’s Eastern Shore Cornbread Recipe

This is a Delicious Whann Family Tradition

(I decided to remake it a little bit, and include this Ole’ Smokey Mountain Pumpkin Moonshine.)

My Secret Ingredient 🙂

My Pumpkin Moonshine Based Eastern Shore Cornbread

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(Recipe Down Below)

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My Backup…

..If All Goes Bad

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Sparky and Spooky with Cousin Hank

I kept Hank for about 4 days through this Thanksgiving for Brodie and Mackenzie, I refer to this time as…

..Hanksgiving 🙂

Spooky Looking Cutie

Always the 3 Together, The Power of 3

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Recipes Start Here

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Potato Chip, Potato Skins

My New Version of Potato Skins

How this recipe came to be was that I purchased one of these bags of Dark Russets Kettle Chips, and they were delicious! They weren’t just good, they were the size of my hand. They were thick and sturdy and I knew that I had to create something to place on them to eat.

I then got the idea to use them as a new version of Potato Skins.

Baking Some Idaho Potatoes

(Most people know how to bake a potato, but just in case you don’t, I will explain it here. You simply buy any sort of potato that you desire. I used Idaho Potatoes here. I washed them in the sink to clean off all the dirt and remove any funky parts, like some growth. I then used an Ice Pick and poked about 3 holes in each potato. If you don’t do this then the potatoes can explode in your oven or microwave.

I prefer to bake potatoes in the oven so I wrapped each potato in Aluminum Foil, and secured the ends. As in, I twisted them.

Turn the oven on 400F and then just place them on the oven rack when the oven reaches the temperature. Set the timer on your stove top for about 50-60 minutes. You can test to see if they are done by simply squeezing them with your hand in an oven mitt. When you can feel them squeeze together then you know they are done. Some people will pierce the potato with a fork or knife to see if the fork or knife can easily be inserted. This is fine expect sometimes you then are pushing some of the foil into the potato. You don’t want to do that.)

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Before hand I fried up some bacon to use here.

You can fry as much, or as little as you like.

My Delicious Mess

I also have some Butter, Sour Cream, and some Shredded Cheese.

Now that my Potatoes are cooled, I am removing some of the potato and placing it into a bowl.

I’ve also dumped my Russet Potato Chips into a bowl to pick through them looking for large ones.

Remember when I told you that when I opened the original bag these chips they were the size of my hand? Well, these weren’t!

Here I am spreading out onto a baking sheet lined with Aluminum Foil, my Russet Kettle Chips.

Just like you do any nachos that you make.

I am now spreading some of the Baked Potato on top of the Potato Chips.

Here I am adding some little bits of Butter to each chip. And, some of the Shredded Cheese.

Now, crumble the Bacon on top and place into a 350F oven for about 8-10 minutes. Then turn off the oven and put it on Broil, just to turn them a bit brown and toasty.

Remove From The Oven

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My Herbs and Sour Cream

(Parsley and Chives)

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When you remove them from the oven place them onto a platter…

dollop with Sour Cream….

and add the Chives and Parsley…

Perfection in a new version of Potato Skins

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Cooking a Turkey

My goal here is to cook a turkey to use in my:

Layered Turkey and Mexican Cranberry Sauce Tortilla Casserole

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I don’t think that I had ever cooked a turkey on my own. I had always had Gordon here to either do it himself, or to coach me in some way. So, this was a bit scary, I have to admit.

The First Step Was in Buying a Turkey:

I Purchased a Small One, a Little Over 6 Pounds

Once it was thawed, I washed it in the sink and removed the gizzards from inside of it, and then placed it into my aluminum baking dish.

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My Spices

In this area I employed Gordon long distance via the phone. He had me to collect them all ahead of time to use here. I was pretty much being coached long distance on how to cook my turkey.

The Spices:

Sage

Oregano

Onion Powder

Roasted Garlic Powder

Garlic Powder

Paprika

Chili Powder

Jalapeno Powder

Marjaram

Thyme

Hawaiian Sea Salt

Olive Oil

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My Hawaiian Sea Salt and Thyme

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I placed the turkey into the aluminum baking pan I bought for it.

(I would like to state that usually I don’t like buying these containers because they senselessly add to a landfill. However, this year I sadly made an exception because with Gordon working overseas I knew that he wouldn’t be here to clean it, and I always need that upper body strength in cleaning these pans after cooking these great holiday foods in them. And I do have to admit that it was nice to just throw it away when the turkey was done.)

I Placed The Turkey, Bottom Side Up, and Drizzled Some Olive Oil All Around It

I then just started adding all the spices just a few shakes at a time to the inside of the turkey.

I Then Added All The Spices To The Top Of The Turkey

(I would like to state that I cannot give you exact measurements where the spices are concerned. This is a small turkey after all. I just used a few shakes here and there with all of them.)

I followed the cooking directions on the package and placed my turkey into the oven.

I did add some water to the bottom of the pan, about a cup.

Into The Oven It Goes

(I do have the turkey sitting on a rack of sorts, so that it isn’t touching the bottom of the pan.)

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Meanwhile….. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Cher’s Up!

I Had To Run In And Catch This Performance 🙂

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My Turkey Cooking

I do admit, not the most attractive of Turkey’s.

At one point I had removed it from the oven to add a few more spices. I accidentally tilted it a bit and then all of a sudden the button popped out as if it was done. I knew damn well it wasn’t done as it had a good 2 more hours of cooking time.

Gordon explained to me that when I tilted the turkey the juices ran towards the button and it popped out. So, exactly how accurate are those things anyway?

I also didn’t want my turkey to burn so I added some Aluminum Foil over top of it.

It’s Done!

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I allowed my Turkey to cool and then I picked all the meat off the bones and placed it in a container and put it in the refrigerator for the following day when I make my casseroles.

Of course, I did pick at it. 🙂

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Making My Layered Turkey and Mexican Cranberry Sauce Tortilla Casseroles

Ingredients:

(This is a recipe that you can use as much or as little as you like. I spread this out into two casserole dishes. If I had more of the turkey and other ingredients I could have made each one a bit larger than I did with more layers of tortillas and turkey. And perhaps, a bit grander.)

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One Small Cooked Turkey

Our Spicy Hot Mexican Cranberries

(See Recipe Link Above)

Yellow Corn Tortillas

2 Bags Bird’s Eye Tri-Colored Peppers and Onion Medley

1 Can Green Chili Enchilada Sauce

Chili Powder

Hawaiian Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

10 oz. Queso Fresco Cheese

1 or 2 Limes

Bag of Shredded Cheeses

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Gathering Some Ingredients

The Bird’s Eye Tri-Colored Peppers and Onions Medley, and a Sauce Pan

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Chopping Up My Thanksgiving Turkey into Bite Sized Pieces

Adding some Vegetable Oil to the Sauce Pan, (about a Tablespoon or so), and Adding the Chopped turkey Meat on a Medium- Low Heat

In a Saucepan on the Stove Top I am placing the 2 bags of the Tri-Colored Peppers and Onions.

Using the package directions.

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Ready to Add the Enchilada Sauce and our Spicy Hot Mexican Cranberries

I just eyeballed how much of the Cranberry Sauce I wanted Here

Continuing to Cook on a Medium Heat, Stirring Occasionally

Ready to Add the Hawaiian Sea Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper and a dash or two of Chili Powder

It is Really Looking and Tasting So Good!

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Pre-Heat Oven to 450F

I sprayed a Vegetable Oil Spray on these two casserole pans.

I Then placed the Corn Tortilla’s down on the bottom. Some whole, some I cut in order to fit.

I then placed some Shredded Cheese on top.

Now It’s Time To Start To Place The Turkey Mixture On top of Tortillas

As Is Here

Now It’s Time To Add More Corn Tortillas to the Casseroles

Also, More of the Turkey Mixture

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Time to place into the 450F Oven for about 15 minutes or So

Queso Fresco Cheese

After about 15 minutes or so, remove from the Oven, Add a sprinkling of Chili Powder over Top,

Add the Queso Fresco Cheese Crumbled, then place back into the Oven for about 5-10 Minutes to melt the Cheese

Like So…

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Limes, To Wedge

The Sauce you see Above is a Cilantro Lime Salsa Cremosa.

Perfect drizzled on Everything!

The Casserole’s are Done

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My Pumpkin Moonshine Based Eastern Shore Cornbread

Eastern Shore Cornbread was a Whann Family Tradition in my Husband’s Home Growing Up

This particular year I wanted to make it for my own little Thanksgiving Dinner. I got the idea to add this Pumpkin Moonshine in place of some of the water in the recipe. It turned out great! It added a nice pumpkin flavor, and the alcohol contributed to a lovely caramelization which made it taste even better. It’s amazing that just adding one ingredient revamped the entire recipe.

My Pumpkin Moonshine

(I only added 2 shots to my recipe.)

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Even though I have the recipe photographed above, I will relist it all here.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Milk

1 Cup Water

(I used 3/4 Cup Water and 2 Shots of the Pumpkin Moonshine)

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups Yellow Corn Meal

1/2 Cup Crisco

(The 1/2 Cup Crisco is to be used to grease the pan you will be using to bake the recipe. That does seem like a lot, you don’t have to use that much if you don’t want to.)

2 t. Salt

2 Cups Sugar

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