Thanksgiving Menu Planning 2012

Here we are, Thanksgiving 2012. We all have so much to be grateful for, but in these weeks after Hurricane Sandy, especially here on LI and in the Northeast, I feel there is even more to be thankful for. To those of you struggling in the aftermath, please know your neighbors (both physcially and virtually) are here to help and we all are sending good thoughts your way.

Since I am hosting Thanksgiving, I wanted to share a few recipes  that I have truly come to rely on. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Ina Garten's Sausage and Herb Stuffing
When my husband and I were married my father was thrilled that another gentleman was seeking a stuffing made with sausage :) We have now since introduced this delicious recipe from my culinary hero, Ina Garten. Its delicious and simple.

Stuffed Mushrooms
A Thanksgiving staple for us! We do two versions...one stuffed with ricotta and the other is Giada De Laurentis' delicious version without ricotta :)

Food & Wine's Crunchy Baked Fennel 
This made its debut on my menu three years ago and it quickly became a favorite! Yes, it requires lots of prep work but it is soooo worth it! Plus, its a good dish to make ahead and freeze. Here are some pics of mine that I whipped up last weekend:

 

(I must work on my photo skills, I swear roasted fennel taste better than this photo makes it look!)

Ok, those are my star dishes, well, aside from my turkey, of course! What are you cooking? Let me know!