Real-Life Testers: Adventurous Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

To make sure our Adventurous Thanksgiving menu was everything we promised, we asked real-life tester, Amanda Pressner, to whip it up and document it along the way. What was her verdict? The menu was a total slam dunk, full of spice and flavor!

Author:: Rachael Ray Every Day
Publish date:: Nov 1, 2012

Hostest with the Mostest

Real-life tester, Amanda Pressner, graciously accepted our offer to try out our Adventurous Thanksgiving Menu, with some friends.

Get the Adventurous Thanksgiving menu.

Double Fisting

Amanda's pal is ready to help out! Here she is decked out in a silly apron, with glass of wine in one hand and a mixer in the other.

Tandoori Turkey Time

Amanda never cooked a turkey before this meal and was shocked by how easy it was! "When I read that I could cook a full-sized 12-pound turkey in 2 to 2.5 hours, I thought it was a mistake!"

Tester Tip: Make sure to use a fresh or defrosted turkey, to save yourself a ton of time!

Get the Tandoori-Spiced Turkey with Cracked Pepper Gravy recipe!

The Finished Bird

What a beaut! Amanda says she would make this recipe again in a heartbeat.

Tester Tip: If you're going to slide the buttery mixture underneath the turkey skin to make the turkey juicy, make slits in the skin in inconspicuous spots. Amanda says she made the mistake of cutting through the skin right on top and it didn't look as pretty.

Get the Tandoori-Spiced Turkey with Cracked Pepper Gravy recipe!

Bring on the Naan

The Naan & Cashew Stuffing was a big hit among Amanda's crew. Can't find naan bread in your local grocery story? Amanda recommends calling a local Indian food restaurant and see if you can order some from them!

Get the Naan & Cashew Stuffing recipe!

All Hands on Deck

Sometimes big dinners with multiple menu items can be stressful. One easy fix: get everyone involved and cooking in the kitchen like Amanda and her friends did!

Hard-Working Oven

This oven was hard at work with multiple dishes being baked at one time. Make sure to plan ahead if you don't think you're oven is big enough to fit all of the dishes at once.

Cranberry-Mango Chutney

Amanda thought this dish was nice twist on the classic recipe and plans to add it to her Thanksgiving menu line-up!

Get the Cranberry-Mango Chutney recipe!

Peas with Coconut

The Stir-Fried Peas with Coconut recipe boosts the flavor of frozen peas with global ingredients like cumin, coriander and shredded coconut.

Get the Stir-Fried Peas with Coconut recipe.

A Huge Hit

The Stir-Fried Peas with Coconut was almost unanimously the group's favorite dish. People who swore they hated peas were taking second helpings and asking me for the recipe. They were that good!

Get the Stir-Fried Peas with Coconut recipe.

Cute as Custard

The Cardamom-Vanilla Custards were so beautiful that Amanda and her friend had to take a moment to "ooh" and "aah" over them after they came out of then oven.

Get the Cardamom-Vanilla Custards recipe.

Savor the Sweetness

If you need an extra punch of sweetness in this custard, serve it with a sprinkling of brown sugar on top.

Get the Cardamom-Vanilla Custards recipe.

Turkey and Chutney

If you really want to be adventurous, pair the chutney with more than just the turkey. Try it on the stuffing or even the custards for a more savory dessert.

Get the Cranberry-Mango Chutney recipe.

Table Setting

A simple table with pink flowers is all that's needed for such a conversation-starting meal. Amanda says the spices in the meal made her guests nostalgic for their past travels around the world, especially Southeast Asia and India. "The meal took us on a true adventure through our memories."