A collection of vintage Tucson recipes for Thanksgiving

Times change. But Thanksgiving meals are pretty standard: turkey in the center. But oh, the fixings surrounding the bird — that’s where the creativity bursts out. We’ve gone through our archives and back into time to give you a taste of recipes from yesteryear. While we were hunting, we came up with some handy tips and ideas, too.

So get out the measuring cups, the pans, the ingredients and, most importantly, gather the family, for a Thanksgiving from then for now.

Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during "the big thaw." As soon as they start to defrost, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.

There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave.

In the refrigerator, allow approximately 24 hours for each 5 pounds of turkey (a 12-16- pound bird will take 2-3 days to thaw).

When cold-water thawing, be sure the turkey is in a leakproof package or plastic bag, as a leak could introduce bacteria into your food. Allow 30 minutes per pound for cold water defrosting, changing the water every 30 minutes to make sure the water stays cold (a 12-16-pound bird will take 6-8 hours to thaw.) Cook water-thawed turkey immediately.

For microwave thawing, follow manufacturer's instructions and cook the turkey immediately after thawing.

For more information, call 626-5161 or the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555.

Source: From the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(Star, 2001)

Roasting a Turkey

To roast a turkey, wash in cold water (defrost first if using frozen bird.) Pat inside with paper towel. Sprinkle neck and body cavities with salt and pepper. Stuff both cavities. Fasten neck skin to body with skewer; push legs under band of skin at tail or tie them to tail.

Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow open roasting pan. If Desired, cover with a loose covering or tent of aluminum foil. Roast turkey in 325 degree oven as follows:

6-8 pounds — 3½-4 hours

8-12 pounds - 4-4½ hours

12-16 pounds - 4½-5½ hours

16-20 pounds - 5½-6½ hours

20-24 pounds - 6½-7 hours

Be sure to roast the turkey for its full roasting time, once the bird goes in the oven. Roasting half done the night before, and then completing the roasting the next morning invites spoilage. If using a meat thermometer, the turkey is done when its internal temperature is 165.

(Sandal English, Nov. 24, 1969)

Carving the Turkey

Place legs to carver's right. Gently pull leg away from body; remove leg. Cut between drumstick and thigh; slice off meat. Make deep horizontal cut in breast and, starting halfway up, carve thin slices down to cut, working upward.

Savory gravy

Drain fat from roasting pan and reserve. Add one cup boiling canned chicken broth to crusty drippings in bottom of the pan. Scraping them into the liquid. Pour 1 tablespoon turkey fat and 1 tablespoon flour into saucepan and stir into a smooth paste. Stir broth-dripping mixture into paste and cook and stir until slightly thickened. Season with salt, pepper and onion salt. Makes one cup. Double or triple recipe as required.

Zippy gravy

Skim fat from turkey drippings. Pour drippings into one quart measure. Add enough chicken broth to make three cups. In 1½ quart saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter or margarine and sauté one garlic clove chopped until golden. Stir in 1/3 cup flour. Stir in broth mixture gradually.

Now add one 1 pound can stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped and one 4-ounce can sweet green chili peppers drained and chopped. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce bubbles and thickens. Season to taste with salt.

Makes: About 4 cups

Chorizo & Cholla Bud Quinoa Stuffing

Servings: 8

• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• ½ pound chorizo
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• ¼ cup cholla buds
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups bread, cubed
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic
• 1½ teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1½ teaspoon. fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 eggs
•  1/3 cup mesquite flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté carrot, onion and celery until lightly caramelized with half a pound of your favorite chorizo. Add quinoa and cholla buds. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes, until lightly toasted. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, covered. Remove from heat and season to taste, reserving extra stock.

In a large mixing bowl toss chorizo and vegetable mix with cubed bread and roasted garlic, thyme, sage, chili powder. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add eggs and mesquite flour, then mix well and bake in an oven proof dish, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.

(Kathleen Allen, Nov. 19, 2012 Arizona Daily Star, Ken Harvey, Loews Ventana Canyon) 

Servings: 12

• 2 pounds pumpernickel loaf
• 1 stick(4 ounces) butter, salted
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 poblano peppers, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced
•  2 cups dried cranberries
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups goat cheese, crumbled
• 6 ½ cups of hot, low sodium chicken broth.

Toss pumpernickel in butter and toast until golden brown in 350° preheated oven (about 10-12 minutes).

Saute red onion, poblanos, garlic and jalapeño over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook 5-7 minutes until tender. Combine all ingredients well and place in a 10-by-10 baking dish and cook for 20-23 minutes. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

(Kathleen Allen, Nov. 19, 2012 Arizona Daily Star, Ryan Clark, Lodge on the Desert)  

• ½ cup margarine or butter
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup diced celery with leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 8-ounce can mushrooms
• 12 cups lightly packed bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Melt margarine in large skillet. Add onion, celery, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook until onion and celery are tender. Drain mushrooms, and heat liquid to boiling. Add onion/celery mixture to drained mushrooms, bread crumbs and parsley. Add mushroom liquid; toss lightly with fork until well mixed. Stuff turkey loosely. Recipe is sufficient for a 12-pound turkey.

Servings: 12

Hominy

• 2 cups raw hominy
• 2 clove stems
• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 hefty tablespoons kosher salt

Soak the raw hominy overnight. Pour off water and cover with fresh water. Add the peeled onion, stuck with clove stems, and garlic. Simmer until tender, 2-3 hours, adding water if necessary. Remove from heat and add salt. Let stand to cool, drain well and pat dry. (Can be done a day ahead.)

Cornbread

• 1 cup sweet butter (melted)
• 1⅓ cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375°. Beat melted butter and sugar, add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk and baking soda; stir into mixture. Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt, leaving few lumps. Pour batter into a butter or oiled 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely. (Overnight is fine)

Cut into one inch cubes, spread onto sheet pan and toast in 350° oven until crunchy; do not break up. Remove and cool.

Stuffing

• 8 ounces sweet butter, divided
• 2 cups cooked hominy
• 2 cups diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup seeded, diced poblano chiles
• 1 cup peeled, cored and diced apple
• 1 cup peeled, diced acorn squash
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
• 1 pound cooked chorizo rope, sliced
• 1 tablespoon New Mexico red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 1 tablespoon chipotle Tabasco
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 2 eggs
• 12 cups cornbread

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, melt half the butter (4 ounces) until starting to color. Fry hominy lightly in the butter (2 minutes), then add onion, celery, chiles, apple, squash, sage, chorizo, chili powder and salt. Sauté enough to break onion. Remove to large bowl. In same large skillet, add cream, stock, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Simmer. Remove and pour over vegetables.

Whisk eggs and pour over vegetables, fold in. Add bread cubes to bowl and gently fold in to incorporate. Place stuffing in large baking dish, lightly press down. Melt remaining butter (4 ounces) and pour over top. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover, bake 20-25 minutes more until crusty on top and bubbling.

(Kathleen Allen, Nov. 19, 2012 Arizona Daily Star; recipe by Jim Murphy, Kingfishers)

Servings: 3 Quarts

• Olive oil to saute with
• 1 cup diced smoked poblano chiles
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 cups diced portobello mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups cornbread cut into 1-inch cubes and deep fried until crisp on the outside, about 30 seconds
•  4 cups Mexican chorizo, cooked and drained
• 3 cups hot chicken stock

Saute the chiles, celery, onions, mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil until cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper; mix in the sage at the end. Let cool.

Lightly toss the sautéed vegetables with the cornbread and chorizo, moistening with the chicken stock. Use more chicken stock as needed to moisten the stuffing without letting it get soggy.

Can be cooked inside the turkey or separately. If cooking inside the turkey be certain your stuffing is completely cooled before placing into turkey (safety guidelines say stuffing should be cooked to 165° when cooked in the turkey). If cooked separately, put in a 10-inch by 10-inch casserole dish and cook 45 minutes at 350°.

(Kathleen Allen, Nov. 19, 2012 Arizona Daily Star, with local chefs submitting recipes.)

• 5 cups fine Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1½ pounds Italian salami
• ½ pound bacon
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Chop salami in ½ inch cubes, cross cut the bacon in small pieces. Combine all ingredients and stuff the turkey loosely. Stuffing is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

(Sandal English, Nov. 22, 1970)

Start to finish: 15 minutes.

Servings: enough for 12-16 pound turkey.

• One 1 pound package herb-seasoned stuffing
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine

Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Sauté onion and celery in butter until soft and combine with stuffing. Stuff the turkey loosely and truss it and roast according to directions. An egg may be added to the stuffing if desired. Note: Stuffing is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165.

(Sandal English, Nov. 14, 1973)

Serves: 12

• 1 pound chorizo
• 1 cup diced red bell peppers
• 3 whole jalapeños, diced
• 2 cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 8 cups crumbled cornbread
• 2 tablespoons sage chopped
• 2 cup diced pears
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon cumin
•  2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock
• Preheat oven to 375° and lightly butter 14-inch casserole dish.

In a large skillet, on medium heat, cook chorizo until brown and broken up. Add red pepper, jalapeños, onions, and celery. Sauté until vegetables are tender.

In a large bowl mix crumbled cornbread with chopped sage, diced pears, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, cumin, cilantro and chorizo mixture. Stir in melted butter and chicken stock until bread is moist. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into dish and cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes.

(Kathleen Allen, Nov. 19, 2012 Arizona Daily Star, Pendelton Jones, Contigo Cocina Latina)

Turkey leftover ideas

Polynesian Turkey

Servings: 4

• 2 green peppers, cut in strips
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• one 1 pound can pineapple tidbits
• 1 packet turkey gravy mix
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 2 cups diced, cooked turkey
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
• cooked rice

Sauté green pepper in butter until just tender. Drain juice from pineapple; add water to make one cup. Stir contents of turkey gravy packet to skillet. Add pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, turkey and pimiento. Heat to boiling. serve on cooked rice. 

Grapefruit Turkey Salad

Servings: 6

• 3 medium sized grapefruit
• ½ cup diced green pepper or celery
• ¼ cup diced canned pimiento
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey
• 2/3 cup mayonaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, saloid greens, olives, paprika

Peel, section and drain grapefruit, reserving 12 sections for garnish. Cut remaining section half and combine with green pepper, pimiento and turkey. Blend mayonnaise with green onions, and mustard and stir into salad. Chill. Serve on salad greens and garnish with grapefruit, olives and paprika.

Turkey Macaroni Loaf

Servings: 6-8

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 cup milk
• one 3 ounce can chopped broiled mushrooms
• ¾ cup diced American cheese
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1 chicken boullion cube
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
• 1½ cups diced cooked turkey
• ½ cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento

Sauté onion in butter for one minute. Add milk, mushrooms, and liquid, cheese, mustard and bouillon cube and cook over moderate heat until cheese melts. Cool and stir in eggs. Combine macaroni, turkey, bread crumbs and pimiento. Add sauce to macaroni. Place in well greased 8X4X2-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Invert on warm platter.

(Sandal English, Nov. 24, 1971)

Start to finish: 35 minutes

• 1 can french cut green beans
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 small can french fried onion rings

Arrange beans in baking dish and pour over them the soup and onion rings. Bake at 200  for 30 minutes. 

Cranberry Applesauce

Servings: 8 

• 4 pounds apples suitable for cooking, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith
• 1 cup white sugar (or more, see preparation)
• ¾ cup water
• 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Peel, core and cut apples. Cut apples into 1½ inch pieces. Unlike smooth commercial applesauces, this one is pretty chunky.

Make a sugar syrup. Combine sugar and water in a large pot. Cook it over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear, dump in the apples. Stir and cook. Stir the apples every 5-10 minutes. When the apples are firm-tender and translucent add the cranberries and stir. Cook the mixture until most of the berries "pop (10 minutes). Add cinnamon, taste for sweetness you may need to add more sugar.

(Article by Kristin Cook, Nov. 27, 2002, recipe by Julia R. Gruber)

Servings: About 2½ cups

• 3 cloves
• 3 allspice berries
• two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• one 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
• Grated zest of 1 orange

Make a sachet: Wrap the cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks in a cheesecloth square and tie it shut. Bring sugar, water and spice sachet to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring, until the syrup is clear, about 3 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook just until they begin to pop, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the grated orange zest and cool. Refrigerate 1 to 3 days before serving. Remove the spice sachet before serving.

Each ¼ cup serving: 134 calories; 0 protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 32 grams sugar; 1 mg sodium.

(Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times, recipe first published in 1992.  Also published later in Epicurious)

Serves: 6

• One 29-ounce can fruit cocktail
• 14 cloves
• 1 tablespoon red cinnamon candies
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon lemon rind
• 1 package or 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 package or 3 ounces cream cheese

Drain fruit cocktail, reserving syrup. Combine in saucepan: reserved fruit syrup, cloves, red cinnamon candies, lemon juice and rind. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. While syrup is simmering, soften gelatin in ½ cup cold water. Add to syrup and stir until dissolved. work warm syrup into softened cream cheese until well blended. Gently fold fruit cocktail into mixture. Using ½ cup, measure and fill individual molds. 

(Sandal English, Nov. 14, 1973)

Serves: 6-8

• 4 cups cooked sweet potatoes
• 6 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons imitation butter flavoring
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup rum
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Mash sweet potatoes, beat in dry milk, water, butter flavoring and nutmeg; blend thoroughly. Slowly pour in rum, blending well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heap potatoes in lightly oiled casserole and sprinkle top with pecans. Bake at 400 until top is lightly browned and puffy. 

(Arizona Daily Star, Nov. 4, 1971)

Makes: About 1 quart

• 1 can (1pound 14 ounces) fruit cocktail
• 1½ cups raw cranberries
• 1 orange
• ½ cup light or dark raisins
• ½ cup finely chopped celery
• ½ teaspoon salt

Drain fruit cocktail thoroughly. Wash and pick over cranberries. Put cranberries, orange and raisins through coarse blade of food grinder. Gently combine all ingredients and let stand several hours to blend flavors. Serve with roast turkey, chicken or duck. 

(Sandal English, Nov. 24, 1969)

Holiday Peach Pie

Serves: 6-8

• 1 29-ounce can peach halves
• 2 tablespoons orange concentrate
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 28-ounce jar prepared mincemeat
• 1 baked 9-inch pie shell
• whipped cream or hard sauce

Drain peach halves, reserving syrup. In saucepan combine ½ cup reserved peach syrup, orange concentrate and grated orange rind. Add peach halves. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining reserved peach syrup and combine with hot syrup mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until thick. Stir into mincemeat and turn into baked pie shell. Arrange peach halves in mincemeat. To serve warm, place in 250 oven 25-35 minutes. Top peaches with whipped cream or hard sauce if desired. 

(Sandal English, Nov. 14, 1973)

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 3½-4 dozen

• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup butter
• ½ cups shortening 
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup molasses
• 1½ teaspoon ginger
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4½-5 cups flour

Heat oven to 350. Cream: sugar, butter, shortening, eggs and molasses until fluffy. Sift: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and flour. Combine the creamed mixture with the sifted mixture. Roll walnut size balls of dough and roll in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes until crinkled and light brown. These freeze well.

(Sara Brown, Arizona Daily Star news assistant)

Makes: 2 pies

• 2 unbaked pie shells
• 1 40 ounce can sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup syrup from potatoes
• 4 eggs

Mash potatoes, add sugar, spices and eggs, stir in milk, syrup and melted butter. Beat on low speed of electric beater until smooth. Bake in pie shell for 45-50 minutes in 350 oven. 

(Sandal English, Nov. 7, 1969) 

Makes: About 6 dozen

• 3½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla, lemon or orange extract

Combine dry ingredients. Cream shortening and sugars. Beat eggs and add vanilla. Blend dry ingredients and egg mixture into shortening mixture. Roll as thin as possible on lightly floured board. Cut with cookie cutter and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes on lightly greased baking sheet. Cool and frost with tinted frosting.  

(Sandal English, Nov. 7, 1969.)

• ¼ pound butter
• 1½ cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons anisette
• 1 teaspoon orange juice (or more)
• 6 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, anisette liqueur and orange juice. Mix well. Sift flour and baking powder and mix with other ingredients into a medium soft dough. Shape by rolling into small logs for twists or into balls. Bake at 350 on greased cookie sheet for about 7 minutes, until light brown. Remove at once. Makes a moderately crunchy cookie.

Holiday Pepper Jelly

Makes: About 6 glasses

• 3 large green bell peppers
• 4-6 jalapeño peppers
• 5 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1½ cups white distilled vinegar
• one 1¾ ounce package powdered pectin
• Few drops green food coloring

Wash, stem, seed and grind peppers; measure out 2 cups. Measure 5 cups sugar and set aside. Place peppers in 3-quart saucepan. Add water and vinegar and bring to boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain.

Measure 3½ cups liquid into 6-8 quart kettle. Add powdered pectin; stir to dissolve. Place kettle over high heat. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add pre-measured sugar all at once and stir to dissolve sugar. Cook and stir to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for 2 minutes.

Remove kettle from heat. Skim foam and discard. Stir in green food coloring. Ladle jelly into hot, sterilized jars. Seal with paraffin or 2-inch metal lids. 

Note: For sweet, bright red jelly, use red bell peppers in place of green; no food coloring needed.

(Sandal English, Arizona Daily Star)

Servings: 8-10

• 2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 small, dried, hot red chilies crumbled
• 1 tablespoon salad oil
• salt

Place peanuts in large rimmed baking pan. Bake at 350 stirring occasionally until pale gold (about 15 minutes). Remove from oven and add chili powder cumin, chilies and oil, mix well. Return to oven and continue baking, stirring once, until nuts are golden brown (8-10 minutes). Season to taste with salt. Transfer to serving bowl; serve warm or cool.

(Sandal English, Nov. 19, 1990)

Makes: 3 cups

• 2 large oranges
• 2 cups cranberries
• ¼ cup minced onion
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon salt

Grate 4 teaspoons orange peel from oranges, place in bowl. Using sharp knife, cut remaining peel and all white membrane from oranges: coarsely chop oranges and place in colander to drain. Chop cranberries in food processor or blender. Place in bowl with peel. Add drained chopped oranges, onion, oil, cilantro, ginger and chili. Stir to blend; season to taste with salt. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. 

(Sandal English, Nov. 11, 1990)

Sandal English, the Arizona Daily Star's food editor from 1969 to 1985, was responsible for many of the recipes included in this holiday edition. The Star published her first cookbook, "Fruits of the Desert," in 1981. She also maintained a weekly column for many years. She died in 2005 at the age of 89.