To celebrate Thanksgiving here at Food Safety News we’re hosting our fourth virtual potluck (we’ve also held virtual picnics on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day).
We’ll be having turkey, of course, and for tips on how to cook a turkey, you can’t beat the Food and Drug Administration’s Keep Food Safe Blog. For instance, did you procrastinators know it’s safe to cook a frozen turkey? It will just take 50 percent longer than a fully thawed turkey. Check out the FDA’s helpful Turkey Roasting Chart and reminders that no matter what method you use — roasting, brining, deep frying or smoking — the bird isn’t safe until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees (and that goes for the stuffing).
In addition to the turkey, we’ve got two soups–Dan’s lentil and Marijke’s curry kale. Claire has contributed corn pudding, Gretchen made Brussels sprouts, and Helena suggests roasted squash and veggies. Alexa has shared Parmesan-rosemary potatoes and cranberry Waldorf salad. For dessert there’s Michelle’s “that blueberry thing,” a variation on a crisp, and Suzanne is bringing an unusual-but-delicious concoction involving butternut squash and pretzels.
We’re sharing the recipes here, so you can join in our virtual potluck or use them at your next one.
Have a happy and food-safe Thanksgiving Day.
The Food Safety News team
Alexa’s Cranberry Waldorf Salad
Cranberry Waldorf Salad is a traditional holiday dish that goes well with either a formal or casual Thanksgiving dinner. Not only is it a fantastic salad, but it’s also a dish that adds a lot of color to the table.
Each year, my parents serve this salad with Thanksgiving dinner. It’s fairly light and is a nice accompaniment with some of the heavier food served.
This salad can quickly be thrown together and set aside while working on other parts of the meal. I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients
— 1/4 cup sour cream
— 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
— 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
— 1/4 tsp grated lime rind
— 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
— 3 medium Granny Smith apples, chopped
— 1 ripe red pear, chopped
— 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
— 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
— 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
— 1 cup miniature marshmallows
Instructions
Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
Add apple and next 4 ingredients to sour cream mixture; toss well.
Cover and chill salad at least 1 hour. Stir in marshmallows just before serving.
Makes 4-6 servings.