Recipes for a Thanksgiving feast

With Thanksgiving just a day away, you may already have your dinner menu written in stone.

For those of us who may still need a little nudge, here are some recipes, courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times.

Oven-RoastedTurkey

1 turkey, 10 to 12 pounds

Carrots and celery stalks (necessary only if elevating the turkey)

1 bunch sage, divided use

2 large onions, halved

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 cups low-salt chicken broth (optional, to use for basting if there isn't much pan juice)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pat turkey dry, inside and out. Place turkey on small rack (or make a rack of carrots and celery stalks) and set in a large roasting pan.

Fill main cavity with 1/2 bunch sage and onions. Mix oil, pepper, chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon chopped sage (save remaining sage for another use) in small bowl to form a paste; smear all over the turkey.

Tuck wingtips under, and tie legs together loosely to hold shape.

Roast turkey for 1 hour, tenting breast loosely with foil if browning too quickly. Turn pan around; roast another 30 minutes.

Baste with juices every 30 minutes until thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees.

Transfer turkey to platter. Remove vegetables and herbs from main cavity and discard. Spoon any juices from cavity into roasting pan.

Let turkey stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees). Serves 10 to 12.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix

Cranberry Orange Sauce

16 ounces fresh cranberries

Zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

2 cinnamon sticks

Pick through the cranberries for any bad ones. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until cranberries split and the sauce thickens somewhat. Place in the refrigerator to cool. It will thicken considerably after chilling; remove cinnamon sticks before serving.

Serves 8.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 stick of butter

1 to 2 pints heavy cream

Kosher salt and white pepper for seasoning

Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes). Place butter and cream in a small pot, bring to a simmer and remove from heat.

Drain potatoes, return to pan and let excess water evaporate. While the potatoes are still hot but dry, puree with a food mill or potato masher.

Whisk in butter and cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix

Roasted Butternut Squash with Herbs

1 butternut squash, split and seeded

3 ounces olive oil

3 tablespoons sage leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix olive oil, sage and salt and pepper, and rub on the flesh side of the squash. Roast the squash cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper until the skin starts to caramelize and a knife easily pierces the squash. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Remove the skin and mash squash. Add the butter and season to taste. Stir well.

Serves 4.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix

Homemade Turkey Gravy

1 quart turkey or chicken stock

2 cups turkey drippings

1/2 cup reserved turkey fat

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove turkey from roasting pan. Pour off pan drippings and reserve. Place the drippings in the refrigerator to cool so that the fat separates (or invest in a plastic fat separator that looks something like a measuring cup with a spout).

Place the roasting pan over medium heat and deglaze with 2 cups turkey or chicken stock, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Add additional 2 cups of stock and heat through. Pour through a strainer and reserve.

Skim the fat from the reserved pan drippings. Add the defatted pan drippings to the stock.

Heat turkey fat in a large pot and stir in flour. Cook mixture (called a roux) over moderate heat, whisking, for 5 minutes. Add stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer for 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 quart.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix

AmbrosiaSalad

1 (3-ounce) package orange-flavored gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup heavy cream

cup confectioners' sugar

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

1 (8.25-ounce) can crushed pineapple

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup mini-marshmallows

1 cup sour cream

Dissolve gelatin and sugar thoroughly in boiling water and chill until mixture starts to thicken. (To hasten setting, pour gelatin mixture into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or another shallow pan.)

Whip heavy cream and confectioners' sugar into soft peaks. Fold partially set gelatin and other ingredients into whipped-cream mixture.

Pour into 9- by 13-inch pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares to serve.

Serves 12 to 15.

Source: Apron's Cooking School, Publix

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)