Cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful and in my previous post I shared TWO TIPS to help the day go smoother:

1. Read your recipes and directions carefully.

2. Cook side dishes in advance (esp. if you’re like me and have only ONE oven).

I considered adding a third tip: don’t do anything different, but you might take that the wrong way. One of the aspects of cooking that I enjoy the most is trying new recipes. And every year I’ve gazed upon the mouth-watering November issues of all the cooking magazines I have, past and current, and select a new dessert or side dish to change things up a bit. I learned years ago that I can’t mess with the traditional line-up too much. The Don insists upon jellied cranberry sauce and by all means, DON’T mess with the mashed potatoes! So what I really mean is, to quote an old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, instead of stuffing the turkey this year, I baked the stuffing separately. Savory stuffing is what I anticipate most about Thanksgiving dinner and I was sorely disappointed because my traditional bread dressing lacked the moistness and full flavor that the turkey juices add. (When “stuffing” is baked separately, rather than stuffed in the turkey, is when it’s called “dressing”.)

On to the main attraction, the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table, Roast Turkey. Most importantly, it takes 3-4 days to defrost a turkey in the refrigerator (recommended). For tips on all things turkey, from defrosting to carving, visit Butterball.com or you can call the Butterball Talk Line at 1-800-BUTTERBALL. If you haven’t done your grocery shopping, here’s a list of supermarket specials from DealsDiva.

The Brown Sugar-cured Turkey has been a family favorite since 1997. This recipe, as well as the Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic-Lemon Vinaigrette, were featured in a collection highlighting the best-loved ingredients of the Pacific Northwest, so naturally, an Oregon Pinot Noir is the perfect wine pairing.

I started the Bon Appétit Challenge after seeing the movie Julie and Julia earlier this year.  The challenge is to cook the cover recipe of every Bon Appétit magazine that I have and cannot bring myself to throw out.

The September 2008 issue of Bon Appétit is one of their annual Special Restaurant Issues and includes recipes from renowned chefs and rising talent and a directory of regional restaurants featured in the issue.  The cover recipe is from Mario Batali’s restaurant, Otto, in New York City.

The original recipe is for 10 servings so I cut it in half.  Also, the sauce calls for canned tomatoes – I used fresh tomatoes (the last from our garden), quickly blanched to remove the skin.  Of course, you don’t have to do this, in fact, when I make Chicken Parmigiana I use a lower-sodium, organic marinara sauce.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Adapted from Mario Batali’s Basic Tomato Sauce from his Molto Italiano cookbook.

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 med. carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1 t. dried thyme

1 28 oz. can peeled whole tomatoes in juice, coarsely chopped

(or  6 large fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and coarsely chopped)

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over med heat.  Add onions and garlic; saute until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots and thyme, saute until carrots are soft, about 5 more minutes.  Add tomatoes with juice, bring to a gentle boil, lower heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 hour.  Season with salt and pepper.  May be made 1 day ahead.  Cool, cover and refrigerate.

Chicken Parmesan

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 c. fresh breadcrumbs (from crustless French bread ground in a processor)

1 lg. egg

1/2 c. flour

3 T. olive oil, divided use

1 c. coarsely grated well-draned fresh water-packed mozzarella, divided use*

3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. freshly grated Romano cheese

2 T. Italian parsley, chopped

1 t. marjoram (optional)

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound chicken breasts to 1/3 inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Spread bread crumbs on a plate. Whisk egg to blend in a medium blow. Spread flour on another plate. Coat both sides of chicken with flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat 2 T. oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side, adding more oil as needed (chicken will not be cooked through). Meanwhile, spread 1 c. sauce over bottom of baking dish. Arrange chicken breasts over sauce. Spoon another cup of sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. (I eliminated the Romano cheese because I always try not to use as much cheese – trust me, it’s still delicious). Bake until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley and marjoram.

Note * Fresh water-packed mozzarella is available in many supermarkets and at specialty food stores.  Regular mozzarella can be substituted.

Molto bene!  Add a simple side of caesar salad or sauteed spinach. Do as the Italian’s do and serve with a Chianti Classico