Thanksgiving Menu! Any critiques?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How well do you know your guests?

My SIL once started crying when we went to a cousin's thanksgiving and there were no mashed potatoes. (though I agree they can be a pain to make - but not harding than thin slicing a ton of potatoes for a gratin!).

How are mashed potatoes a pain? Peel, cut depending on potato size, into cold salted water, bring to a boil, 20 minutes (although Jean Pepin recommended using very little water apparently), drain, toss in butter, milk or cream and/or sour cream or plain yogurt, herbs or chives if you want that, mash with a good hefty hand masher. You don't have to rice them. Sometimes I've used a hand beater on low speed (too much agitation and they get gluey, although I've read some melted butter will fix that). I only rice when, once a year in homage to my ancestry, I make lefse--which is a Project anyway and not done when cooking a meal. Plos that is easily done at the same time as gravy while the turkey is resting.