The big day is almost upon us and we have been busy getting ready for a small and subdued celebration with just our little family (though my mom is going to stop by on Thanksgiving and sit by the fire with us.)
We have had a family tradition of proactively burning some calories, and working up an appetite by splitting firewood on Thanksgiving morning. With that in mind, Mike and I cut down a tree that was standing dead on a friend’s property a couple of weeks ago. Mike bucked it into logs and we brought half of them with us that weekend and we picked up the rest last Friday. The boys are a little nervous because this is the pile of logs…..
After we split the logs, we are going to have my college room mate, Sarah Hill’s, delicious egg casserole, which I have already prepped. My husband is a huge fan of this dish and has requested it several times since we had it at Sarah’s.
Egg Casserole
5 or 6 slices of smoked bacon, chopped
1 large onion diced finely
2 packages sliced shitake mushrooms
12 oz ciabatta bread diced into 3/4″ cubes
12 oz shredded gruyere, swiss, and/or gouda
6 large eggs beaten
2 cups milk or half and half
Fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste
Saute the bacon. Once crisp, remove bacon to paper towel lined plate. Drain all the grease from the pan except a tablespoon or two. Add onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook until the onions are translucent. In a large bowl, combine the bread, bacon, onion mixture and 2/3 of the shredded cheese. Place the bread mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk or half and half, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread mixture in dish and top with remaining cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown and the eggs are completely set. Sarah served it with a delicious green salad with dill vinaigrette and prosecco to drink. We are going to have it with some fruit salad.
As you saw in an earlier post, we normally go to Mike’s parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner and do a really big centerpiece and elaborate place settings. This year the celebration is here, so, like the rest of our celebration, it is more subdued. I shared how I made the centerpiece in an earlier post. For the table, I am using a white tablecloth, and gorgeous fall colored scarf that my mom gave me. I am reusing the turkeys from several Thanksgivings ago, along with a jute twine and metal leaf garland that I have had for several years. I also suspended some beautiful lacy gold leaf ornaments from the light fixture over the table. We are reusing the copper colored chargers, white dishes, pumpkin colored napkins, and glass stemware. I added the green apples for a little dash of color.
For dinner, we are abandoning the traditional Thanksgiving menu in favor of a lighter, yet fall inspired Thanksgiving lasagna (https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-vegetarian-thanksgiving-lasagna-237532). I am modifying the recipe slightly by adding sauteed shallots and German speck (bacon) to it. I am using fresh lasagna sheets for the first time. We will be pairing this with the salad that I shared in the Cranberry Sauce post, and roasted brussels sprouts.
I hope that each and every one of you have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving and that we can share the holiday with one another in person next year.
Cathy At Home on the River 