Thanksgiving Leftovers Idea: Roasted Turkey Cobb Sandwich Recipe

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Thanksgiving Leftovers Ingredients:

1/2 ounce(s) (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter,  softened, plus more for roll or bun
1 teaspoon(s) crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort
3 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 brioche roll or hamburger bun, split
1/4 ripe avocado
2 thin slices tomato
1 medium egg
4 thin slices cooked turkey

Turkey Sandwich Directions:

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, and wipe skillet clean.
2. Butter cut sides of roll or bun. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Place roll or bun, buttered sides down, in skillet, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Mash avocado and blue cheese in a small bowl. Spread mixture on bottom half of roll or bun. Top with tomato and bacon.
4. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add egg, and cook until white is set, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gently flip the egg, and cook until yolk is runny in the center but slightly set around edge, about 30 seconds. Remove from pan. Add turkey to pan, and heat through.
5. Place turkey and egg on top of the tomato. Top with remaining half of roll or bun, and serve immediately.

Need more Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe Ideas?

Our 34 Thanksgiving Leftovers Ideas here will inspire to enjoy leftovers again.

For more recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Thanksgiving Hosting: Perfect First Thanksgiving Tips

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Choose Fool-proof Recipes

After the number of guests is finalized, you should make decisions about what you want to cook and how much you will need. Make sure to know about possible allergies or health conditions of your guest, so you can make informed decisions. After that, ask yourself about what you have experience with and what you are comfortable cooking.

Now it’s time to choose your menu. Stick to a few dishes, you really don’t have to do it all. If you want, ask for help from your guests or family; they could bring a dessert or wine, or a side. Just make sure to know about it early on, so you can plan accordingly. When choosing your dishes and recipes, read them first, check the rating if available and scan through reviews.

Choose only recipes that are fool-prove, with easy to follow directions and that all ingredients can be found fairly easy, preferably at only a couple of places. Ideally, choose recipes you have cooked before or if you have time, make a test-run. Also, make sure you have all necessary equipment at your disposal. But don’t be shy on buying desserts or fresh appetizers from a store if you want. Just make sure that the majority of things served are made by you. The dessert is also really important since it closes the meal and leaves a lasting impression.

Decide on a strategy and stick to it

Now that you have your recipes, work out a strategy and time plan that you will stick to. Of course there should be room for some adjustments if necessary. Make at least two lists of things you need: one for things you can buy several days before Thanksgiving (plates, pantry items, decorations, beverages etc.) and one for things you will need to buy just a couple of days before Thanksgiving (e.g. fresh fruits and vegetables).

Plan your grocery trips carefully, so you save on time and money. Also, make a day – to –day to-do-list where you can write down what needs to get done each day the week before Thanksgiving. Plan ahead for the turkey to thaw (it needs about a full day for each 4 pounds of turkey) and cook ahead of time whenever possible; many things can be frozen or kept in the fridge until it’s time to serve them, just remember to thaw or warm them up in time.

Also, plan in time to clean the house, decorate it and clean and prepare your tableware. If you are awaiting overnight guests, prepare the guestroom at least a week ahead. Check at a glance everything the day before Thanksgiving to ensure everything is in order. Don’t forget your porch or entrance; it’s often the first impression that makes all the difference.

Shop Burlap and Succulents for Thanksgiving Dinnerware, aprons, recipe binders and more!

Think about the flow of Thanksgiving Day

Imagine how the big Day should go, how it should start, where your guest should be at the beginning or where they should take a seat. Make sure to have enough sitting opportunities and spread out serving tables with appetizers and drinks if needed. If you have many guests and want to have a buffet, think about where you will place foods, drinks and tableware.

Also, don’t forget to plan in entertaining details, like music or games for small guests. Write down any details, which will make sure you won’t forget anything and no chaos will be created on the big day. And make sure to have something planned for after the dinner is over, like a late coffee, tea or hot cocoaserving and have some boxes ready if anyone wants to take some leftovers with them.

Don’t leave too many things for the Last Moment

Set the table even days ahead if you can, fold napkins a week before and prepare your decorations sooner than later. Prepare a cleaning kit, so you can attend any emergency cleaning on Thanksgiving without being ashamed of that dirty mop. Wash vegetables and fruits you will need on Thanksgiving days before, strain them or wipe them dry and store them in airtight containers or zip-lock bags in the refrigerator.

Cut foods if possible into the pieces you need and store them until needed. Also make sure everything works and is in good condition. You don’t want to be needing the microwave just to find out it doesn’t work for some reason a few hours before your guests arrive.

Keep control over your First Thanksgiving Day

On the big Day, stick to your plan. Get an early start. Check all rooms and settings for a last time and make any corrections. Prepare your dishes and drinks. Ask your closest friend or family member to help if you need, there is no shame in that! Also, if possible make sure someone is in charge of looking after your guests, if everyone has a drink or if the music needs to be louder.

Bring gifts for the host or hostess!

One last thing to remember is to seek advice from experienced Thanksgiving hosts like your mom or an aunt… there is always something to be learned from the generations before us! So go ahead and follow these tips and it’s sure that your Thanksgiving hosting will be a full success. And of course never forget to have fun and be in a good mood on this special day! After all, the meal is not that important, if you have good times, laughter and fun with your loved ones to remember!

For more Thanksgiving entertaining tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Thanksgiving Breakfast: Pumpkin Waffles and Maple Cream

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Pumpkin Waffles Ingredients:

For the Pumpkin Waffles

• 4 cups of all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1 or 2 cups of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier version)
• ¼ cup of packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 4 lightly beaten eggs
• 3 cups of milk (you can use whole or reduced fat milk)
• 1 can pumpkin (15 ounces)
• ¼ cup melted butter
• Butter for the waffle baker

For the Maple Nut Cream

• 1 tbsp. butter
• ¾ cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are perfect)
• 1 ½ cups of pure maple syrup
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ cup of whipping cream

Image via: The Specklet Palate

Directions

• Prepare the waffle baker by brushing a little butter on it. Preheat the waffle baker and preheat your oven to about 300 degrees F.
• To make the waffle mixture, add the flour, the brown sugar, the baking powder, the salt, the cinnamon, the ginger and the nutmeg to a large bowl and combine the ingredients well.
• Create a small well in the center of your prepared mixture.
• Take another large bowl and mix together the eggs, the milk, the pumpkin and the butter.
• Combine the flour mixture with the pumpkin mixture and stir until you have a slightly lumpy but well moistened waffle mixture.
• Depending on your waffle maker, pour the correct amount of the waffle mixture (normally about 1 to 1 and ¼ cup of mixture) onto the grids of your waffle baker, swiftly close the lid and don’t open it until your waffle is done (refer to the waffle baker manufacturer’s directions for the baking time).
• Once baked, lift the waffle with a fork and place it onto a baking sheet and put it into the oven until all the waffles are baked.
• For the Maple – Nut Cream, melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the chopped nuts and cook while stirring for about 1 or 2 minutes, or until the nuts are looking toasted. Add the maple syrup as well as the whipping cream and let it heat through.
• Drizzle the maple-nut cream over warm waffles and serve immediately.

You can make the waffles ahead of time and freeze them in plastic freezer bags as soon as they have completely cooled down. They can be kept in the freezer for up to two months. As for the Maple – Nut Cream, prepare it for up to a week before serving, cover it tightly and place it in a refrigerator. When it’s time to serve breakfast, just reheat the frozen waffles in a warm oven or a toaster until they warm up and heat up the maple – nut cream in the microwave for about 1 or 2 minutes, stirring every 20-30 seconds.

This Thanksgiving Breakfast recipe is ideal for providing the perfect start into the celebrations.

Thanksgiving DIY: How to Make Beautiful Burlap Placemats

Image via: Etsy – The Sew Savvy – Thanksgiving DIY Burlap Placemats

 Image via Etsy – Sassafrass Home – Burlap Decor Thanksgiving DIY

Thanksgiving DIY Burlap Placemats Supplies:

Burlap fabric

Ruler

Pin

Scissors

Letter Stencil

Acrylic paint and foam brush

Thanksgiving DIY Burlap Wreath Inspiration:

Image via: Etsy – Creative Places – Burlap Placemats

Burlap Placemat Directions:

1. Cut one 15″ tall x 21″ long rectangle or use an existing placemat as your guide (you can use pins to mark the edges). To achieve a straight cut, you can proceed like this: make a small snip at one end of your burlap, where you placed a pin, find a loose, vertical burlap thread and pull it out all the way. The fabric will create wrinkles, but that is fine. As soon as all the thread is pulled out, straighten out the burlap. Now you should be able to see a nice, fine straight line where the thread used to be. This line will be your cutting guide. Repeat the same steps for the other three sides of your placemat, and you will have created a perfect burlap rectangle.
2. If you want to create a fringe, remove a few threads on every side until the placemats have the look you want. If you want to make the placemats more lasting, you can stitch a seam around the borders before creating the fringe. Use the scissors to correct any loose threats.
3. You can iron at this point the placemats smooth.
4. Place your stencil over the placemat and paint the shapes with acrylic paint (you could use fabric paint so it may not fade if washed), using the foam brush. Remove the stencil carefully and let the paint dry completely. Once dried, your placemats are ready to decorate your festive table!
5. Alternatively, you can paint a pattern or phrase with paint freehandedly or even with a sharpie pen, if you have the skills!

Image via: Etsy – The Sew Savvy – Thanksgiving DIY Burlap Placemats

Looking for creative Thanksgiving DIY ideas? 

We love these ideas from around the design community:

Country Living gives you creative Thanksgiving craft ideas.

WooHoo Home has 28 awesome DIY Thanksgiving decor ideas to try out.

Image via: Etsy – This Joyful Home Etc – Thanksgiving Craft Ideas

Looking for more Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas?

Take a look at our 25 Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas!

This easy Thanksgiving DIY is perfect for making your festive dinner standing out. If you make them individual for each guest, it would make a wonderful gift for them to take back home. Once you have the hang of this technique, think about other ways to make use of it, like making a burlap banner with letters, burlap table runners, burlap gift bags or burlap pillows, the possibilities are endless.

For more DIY Thanksgiving decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

I Host a Casual Thanksgiving Dinner with KitchenAid

All images by Stagetecture

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This Thanksgiving I paired up with KitchenAid® to show off their gorgeous colors of the season and how you can use their fall-inspired bakeware and small appliances to pull together a great dinner. To start off my table setting I used the Persimmon (Orange) Nesting Ceramic 4 Piece Set for fried chicken that my kids love! While you may think that fried chicken isn’t for Thanksgiving, think again! Perfect for a laid back dinner amongst friends and family. For those who still want a baked fowl I cooked a chicken in their Casserole Dish in Ivy Green and served it alongside green beans and potatoes.

Here’s a few tips on setting a Casual Thanksgiving Dinner table:

Choose your favorite small gourds like pumpkins, squash and other miniature vegetables to disperse around the table. I prefer to not have one centerpiece as it creates a more formal environment that makes everyone feel uptight!  Instead, I used a bag of mixed shelled nuts like walnuts, pine nuts, pecans and more and put them casually around the table.

Casual Thanksgiving Dinner – Create the look:

• Burlap runner in your choice of colors. It makes a beautiful backdrop to any natural tablescape
• Napkin rings with fall inspired motifs. I like these leaf ones
• Fabric napkins in a deep rust color brings texture to your table and pairs nicely with the autumn colored bakeware
• Casual dinnerware that doesn’t have a lot of ornamentation will bring focus to the food and will keep the meal casual
• Simple stemware for your favorite wine.. or put apple juice for kids to feel grown up!

Adding unexpected touches to the Thanksgiving meal

What I love about a casual Thanksgiving is you don’t have to only serve traditional food. I opted for a Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup prepared in the KitchenAid® 5-Speed Diamond Blender in Tangerine. It whips up your favorite soups easily but also would be perfect for drinks to serve table-side!

This Thanksgiving create a casual way to gather friends and family without the stress of formal planning.

For more Thanksgiving ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Thanksgiving Side Dish: Cornbread Dressing Recipe

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Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Yields: 14-16 servings

Cornbread Dressing Recipe Ingredients:

½ cup butter

3 cups celery, diced

2 cups sweet onions, diced

½ cup fresh sage, finely sage

Cornbread Crumbles

3 cups fresh, soft breadcrumbs

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

7 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon ground pepper

Cornbread Dressing Recipe Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Stir in sage, and cook for 1 minute.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cornbread crumbles and breadcrumbs. Stir in eggs, chicken broth, ground pepper, and celery minute. Stir until blended. Divide the mixture between a lightly greased baking dish (13*9 inch), and a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until set and golden brown.

Try these alternatives for your dressing recipe.

Fresh corn and green chili dressing: Substitute 3 cups corn kernels for diced celery and half cup chopped fresh cilantro for sage. Prepare the recipe as directed. Stir in 2 cans chopped green chilies with cilantro in step 1.

The best part about this Thanksgiving side dish is that you can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it until ready to use. Overall, easy to prepare, this cornbread dressing boasts of great flavor. Try it for your next turn as the party host and you wouldn’t be disappointed. We promise!

Taka a look at our Make-Ahead Recipes for your holiday meal.

From dressing to gravy and casserole dishes, save yourself time with 22 make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes

Overall, easy to prepare, this cornbread dressing boasts of great flavor. Try it for your next turn as the party host and you wouldn’t be disappointed. We promise!

For more Thanksgiving recipes on Stagetecture, click here

How to Make Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe

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Mushroom Soup Recipe Ingredients:

• Ingredients
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ¼ cup of butter
• 1 chopped medium white onion
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, snipped
• 1 ½ pounds coarsely chopped button mushrooms
• 2 14 ounce cans vegetable broth
• 2 cups whipped cream
• A little olive oil for serving

Soup Recipe Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, the bay leaves, the minced garlic and the rosemary to the pan and cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the onion becomes tender.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the ingredients simmer for 5 – 10 minutes without covering the pan, until the mushrooms become tender. Take out the bay leaves and let it cool a little bit.
4. Little by little blend the ingredients in a blender until smooth, but not completely smooth, you can leave a little portion of chunky ingredients for texture if you like. When you have blended the soup, pout it again into the pan and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil and whisk in the whipping cream; let it all heat through.
5. Serve the soup individually, drizzling a little olive oil over it and sprinkle with a few snipped rosemary leaves.

This easy yet elegant soup will give your dinner a perfect kick off. Add a few wild mushrooms to the button mushrooms when cooking for giving the soup an even earthier taste or add some more minced garlic to spice things up. Serve the soup with some crispy croutons or bread sticks to round the dish up and you will have the perfect Thanksgiving Side.

Thanksgiving Entertaining and Dinner with Burlap and Succulents Shop

Thanksgiving Entertaining: Fall Leaves Rustic Throw Pillows

Bring autumn to your home with falling leaves and rustic earth tones of browns, greens and purples. These throw pillows are customizable with your favorite sentiment, initials, or quote. Mix and match the coordinating colors on the back with other throw pillows for a layered appeal to your fall interiors. Shop the throw pillows here.

Fall Branches Rustic Throw Pillows

Bring autumn to your home with falling branches and rustic earth tones of browns, greens, and purples. These throw pillows are customizable with your favorite sentiment, initials, or quote. Mix and match the coordinating colors on the back with other throw pillows for a layered appeal to your fall interiors. Shop the fall throw pillows here.

Fall Wheat Rustic Throw Pillows

Bring autumn to your home with fall wheat, flowers, and rustic grasses. With soft browns, pinks, greens, and purples, these natural elements will look gorgeous in your home. These throw pillows are customizable with your favorite sentiment, initials, or quote. Mix and match the coordinating colors on the back with other throw pillows for a layered appeal to your fall interiors. Shop the rustic fall throw pillows here.

Ready for Thanksgiving Entertaining? Take a look at our dinner party ideas:

Dinner party ideas never go out of style, do they? Happy Fall Stagetecture readers. It’s already autumn and your home will be filled with family and friends gathered around the dinner table! As the cooler weather sets in, it’s time to turn to rich tones of greens, browns, and rustic reds. Stagetecture’s online home decor shop is introducing their fall line of dinner party ideas for your festive entertaining. From creative aprons that you can personalize to dinnerware that can mix and match at your dinner party, Burlap and Succulents have everything you need to transform your fall dining room into a cozy entertaining spot.

Rustic Decor Dinner Party Ideas: Burlap and Succulents Shop

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or a fall brunch who doesn’t love festive dinnerware? I created two lines of fall-inspired rustic decor lines to enjoy.

Our Burlap and Succulents store has a Rustic Fall Entertaining section we know you’ll enjoy.

Fall Wheat Rustic Kitchen Decor

This fall decorative collection is perfect for the inspired cook and entertainer. From aprons and recipe binders to dinnerware and napkins. Take a look at our beautiful line of fall wheat colors in pinks, purples, and green dinner and cooking accessories. You can ever personalize them with your family monogram or give them to the host(ess) to show your gratitude for inviting you to their home.

Rustic Wreath Dinnerware Collection

The Rustic Wreath Dinner collection can be used at your formal or casual dinner party and comes in a variety of mix and match styles. From wine totes to give the gracious host your best bottle of champagne, or to our rustic decor fall trivets to rest your hot casserole dishes, we have everything you need at Burlap and Succulents shop.

Fall Decorating with Burlap and Succulents

If you’re thinking about your Thanksgiving table or you’re planning a delicious apple dessert party, the fall lines at Burlap and Succulents shop is your answer.

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole 

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients:

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

Sweet Potato Casserole Directions:

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 the cornflake mixture; bake 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Want to try another side dish with Sweet Potatoes?

We think you’ll love this Butter Pecan Sweet Potato recipe. Perfect for your holiday meal.

The whole ingredients make around 6 – 8 servings of Southern Sweet Potato Casserole. It will take you approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes to complete this side dish. Feel free to adjust the sweetness and the crunchiness of this recipe by making some modifications with the sugar and cereal. But take the recipe as it is so you can taste the real sweetness of this deli.

For more Thanksgiving recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Thanksgiving Dessert: Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle Recipe

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Thanksgiving Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle Ingredients:

12 gingerbread cookies, crushed into crumbs (about 2 cups) plus a few for decoration

1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup cranberry puree (optional)

1-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar

12 oz whipped topping thawed and divided

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Directions:

1. Combine the cookie crumbs and the melted butter in a medium sized bowl. Place a layer of this mixture at the bottom of your serving bowl or glasses and press them to form a firm layer.
2. Take a large bowl and beat the cream cheese until its smooth, using a mixer for ease.
3. Add the pumpkin puree, sugar, the vanilla extract and the spice to the cream cheese and combine well.
4. If using cranberry puree hold to the side until ready to layer.
5. With a spatula, gently fold in the whipped topping.
6. Now it’s time to assemble the trifle. Spoon a layer of your pumpkin cream on top of the cookie crumb layer. Next, add a layer of whipped topping and repeat with a layer of cookie-butter crumble mixture, pumpkin cream and whipped topping until your serving bowl or glass reaches the top.
7. Refrigerate the trifle until you are ready to serve them. Decorate with some whole cookies or cookie crumbles, or cinnamon powder. Optional: garnish with whole cranberries as pictured above.

This straight-forward pumpkin cheesecake Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe will be closing the special menu in a wonderful way. The colors of the trifle are stunning fall colors and the taste of the pumpkin and spicy cookies are the best flavors to have at a Thanksgiving table. You can choose whether to serve the Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle in a large clear glass bowl and then serve everyone with their portion onto a dessert plate or serve it right away in wonderful individual, clear dessert glasses, but either way, it will be a delicious finale for your Thanksgiving Dinner.

Need more Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes?

Look to our 35 Favorite Thanksgiving Desserts for the yummiest and dreamiest of Thanksgiving desserts!

For more Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes on Stagetecture, click here.