topic Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients in Kitchen

Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

aroc3435 — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:13:30 GMT

In a couple of responses I have made to "Another Shortage?" thread in the Community Chat forum it made me curious as to what items do you consider essential to having on hand for any special holidaay meal, say Thanksgiving or some other special menu--Christmas, Easter, Passover.

In that thread I mentioned Bell's Seasoning and Old Bay. I also like McCormick's Simply Better Turkey Gravy which I only discovered last Thanksgiving.

So, do you have cherished ingredients or items for these meals that are "must haves" for your special celebration meals?

I'm curious and would love it if you would share. We all might learn about something new in terms of ingredients to try or to substitute since there are differences in recipes region by region around the U.S.

Best,

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

AuntG — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:19:33 GMT

Was thinking about that too. I want to get some baking staples like flour, sugar, chocolate chips, evaporated milk and nuts. I use very little of those type of ingredients in summer.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

QVCkitty1 — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:44:36 GMT

I already can't find pumpkin.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

tucsongal — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:46:40 GMT

The only thing I can’t work around is Trader Joe’s cranberry orange relish. Just like Mom used to make, yum.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

EatWell — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:59:13 GMT

Spanish saffron. 👍

Lucky to have purchased a kilo of real saffron threads from a saffron farm when I traveled to Spain a few years ago. Expensive but sooo worth it. 👍'

For my New Years Eve paella dinner. . Made with lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, chicken, chorizo, tomato, peas, artichoke hearts, and rice. I use saffron throughout the year when recipes call for it.

~Life is short. Eat well. You could die tomorrow.~

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 00:53:31 GMT

Pitted dates for Date-Filled Roll-Ups cookies.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

tucsongal — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 01:00:55 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
Pitted dates for Date-Filled Roll-Ups cookies.

——————

My mom used to make those too, another yum 😀

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 01:15:43 GMT

@aroc3435 I keep pots of parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage out on my patio just for Thanksgiving! Sure, I use them for other things. But, I really need them for the turkey and the bread and oyster fillings. Love going out on Thanksgiving morning and breaking away the ice to collect my herbs!

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

Snowpuppy — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 01:30:43 GMT

Cracked or shaved ice for the shaker. 😉

I can forego if certain relatives will not be attending.

May pick up a turkey and other meats/sausage early if we face meat shortages again. Other than that I keep a deep pantry (including canned pumpkin) so I'm good.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

aroc3435 — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 10:55:49 GMT

@AuntG @QVCkitty1 Yeast has been fluctuating in terms of availability and price. Can't always find preferred brands and types of flour.

Wow, didn't think about chocolate chips. Must add that to my list. Nuts are on my list. Found Ocean Spray dried cranberries and have some of the fresh in my freezer.

I have an excellent supply of Hershey's Cocoa which I've used for years instead of the baking squares of chocolate since it is much more shelf stable and the back of the canister gives the equivalent formula for mimicking squares.

Have both kinds of coconut for baking.

Pumpkin is showing up in some stores and online. Have to constantly check and scoop up immediately when it appears.

Good to brainstorm with all of you.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

candys mine — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 02:27:53 GMT

@aroc3435 CRASINS! NEED Crasins for the Stuffing! Hopefully they'll have canned Squash for pie. I think my family is hardwired to want Squash pie instead of pumpkin. I DID try once and you should have SEEN the looks I got. TRAITOR! The cook and serve sugar free chocolate pudding hunt is on. haven't seen any for a month. Most of the holiday special foods are fresh veggies so got to just keep my fingers crossed. I'm Hopeing there will be plenty of turkeys. I have allready stocked up on chicken and beef broth. Got my sweet sausage in the freezer.

Come to think on it I might just mix up the savorys of the stuffing and freeze it. HECK, I can make the whole darned thing and freeze it. Thanksgiving is NOT that far away!

If you can get your hands on the Nov.1994 issue of Bon Appetit That is the absolute BEST issue I have ever seen. I have used the recipe for the Turkey with maple herb butter and the New England sausage Apple and Dried Cranberry Stuffing Many Many times over the years and it has been loved by all. from the kids table to the octagenarians.

Needless to say , Apple cider makes a grand apperance on the Thanksgiving day table!

Happy Hunting Everyone!

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

aroc3435 — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 02:36:51 GMT

@candys mine. I will look for that Bon Appetit edition. Maybe Epicurious has some of that edition's recipes online. Their recipes also have the defunct Gourmet magazine recipes.

Your stuffing sounds fabulous. Like the idea of that particular New England sausage. Might steal that idea frrom you.

I found the Ocean Spray cranberries in big, bonus sized packages at Walmart and had two shipped to me. Much better than the tiny size I normally find and buy and I think they were about $5 each for 24 ounces.

I use fresh vegetables, too. Mashed rutabaga is a must for any festive fall or winter holiday meal--as a side for turkey, ham, or prime rib. I also like it cubed along with parsnips in beef or lamb stew.

I am keeping my eyes peeled for Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider.

Except for the Stove Top brand bags of stuffing, like Pepperidge Farms or Arnolds, this item seems to be scarce. But, I can always make my own dry cubed bread base if necessary. I am WELL stocked in the spice and seasonings department.

This is good--thank you all--keep the ingredient ideas coming

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

peachesncream — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 03:15:34 GMT

I bought dried apricots the other day, from nuts.com. I use them in our Thanksgiving dressing. And I stocked up on Penzey's spices.

I need to buy:

*Pillsbury pie crusts (the rolled up kind); they keep well in the freezer

*Pecans (Texas pecans if I can find them)

*Dark corn syrup

*Jarred turkey gravy, to use once the homemade gravy is gone!

*Pumpkin

*Brown sugar

*Lasagna noodles (for Christmas Eve)

It might be just DH and me for the holidays (not sure), but I want to be prepared.

Thanks for starting this thread!

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

aroc3435 — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 03:50:40 GMT

@peachesncream I've seen the commercial for nuts.com so I'll try there, based on your recommendation.

Lasagna noodles are difficult to locate. Haven't found them at a decent price, or at all, in my preferred Mueller's or Ronzoni brands.

I don't buy brown or confectioner's sugar any more. I make my own.

Brown sugar is just normal sugar placed in a bowl with molasses blended into it with a fork or wooden spoon technique--the more molasses added the darker the color. Confectioner's sugar is normal sugar made with the addition of a little cornstarch and pulsed to the proper powdery consistency in my Vitamix.

The internet has directions for precise formulas for both. (I was baking for a special occasion in the middle of the night when I learned these tricks and had run out of the proper sugar.)

Thank you for your post. Just checked--thought I had both corn syrups and I do--brand new, unopened, date still good.

Need to do another inventory check and rearrange things tomorrow. I can see my Significant Other has been rearranging to his style, but it doesn't help me locate things like the syrup that I don't use often!

Best,

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

Sooner — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 04:31:19 GMT

We don't do a big meal at holidays now, but we always make homemade fruitcakes in October or November and soak them in Grand Marnier until Christmas, and we always make that orange/cranberry/sugar and Grand Marnier (we add about a scant tbsp to the recipe on the cranberry package and I'm seeing a theme here!).

Easter, hot cross buns, homemade.

Other holidays, hamburgers!

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

Carmie — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 05:00:28 GMT

Most of my must haves, I already have.

My freezer is full of pumpkin purée and sour cherries for pies. I have bags of nuts and flour and yeast. I have pasta sauce made and ready to go. I make my own pie crust and homeade pasta.

Things I have to buy at the last minute are fresh veggies, a fresh turkey. Fresh sweet and white potatoes. I also want to buy about a bushel of apples while they are in season and plentiful....they keep well, but we use them fast.

I have already started baking nut, poppy and pumpkin rolls. They are in my freezer. I hope to get most of my cookies baked earlier this year too.

We have decided to just have the holidays with our children and their families this year and not the full house we usually have, so I will only have to cook for 10 people.

I don't think any shortages will effect us. Outside of the speciality baking, we eat the "holiday type" food all year around. Turkey dinners with the trimmings are pretty common fare in our home.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

AuntG — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 12:37:52 GMT

That dressing sounds sumptuous @candys mine .

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

candys mine — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 12:50:26 GMT

@AuntG as @aroc3435 thought, it looks like both those recipies are on Epicurious. Both are straight forward to make. I don't have the inclination to do "fancy". I will say for anyone starting out. One of the younger girls at work was going to b away from home over thanksgiving and decided to invite one and all to her appartment for the feast. She had never made a turkey before but wanted to give it a try. I gave her this recipe and she did perfectly well with it. first time out. Everyone loved it. I WIll put out a warning that the skin will not be 'Rockwell gold" because of the maple syrup in the butter slather. more a rich mahogany just so nobody panics.

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

LindaSal — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 13:13:18 GMT

@aroc3435 I don't have anything different to add that hasn't already been mentioned but I wanted to thank you for this post as you got me thinking about this and I will be starting a list today!!

Re: Must Have Holiday Meal Ingredients

Caaareful Shopper — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 13:21:28 GMT

I depend on sage sausage for my sausage stuffing. My must have seasonings are Borsari Original Blend, and Herbs de Provence.

Onions (PLEASE not another onion recall!), celery, fresh cranberries & sugar for my cranberry sauce.

Cognac for my cranberry sauce, and for me after dinner when we're all on the sofa talking about each dish!