It’s the week before Thanksgiving. You had planned to spend the holiday with your extended family, but plans fell through, and now you are at home, just you and your small family. You’ve never cooked a Thanksgiving meal before, but it’s not like you can skip out just because you’ve never done it before!! So, what do you do?
You don’t want to cook a full turkey. Your family is much too small for that. And let’s face it – a full turkey is kind of intimidating! But a turkey breast is totally do-able!
If you’ve never cooked a turkey breast before, you will find out it is so super simple. So simple, in fact, you don’t really need to wait just for a holiday to make one! It takes only minutes to prepare, then into the oven it goes to roast for 1 ½ to 2 hours. This frees up your time to make the other goodies, like stuffing and bread, or it gives you the extra time to spend doing things with your family! The hardest part of making a holiday meal, especially if you are doing it all on your own, is scheduling time in the oven for everything you are making. Turkey needs to go in, but pies also need to be baked, and rolls, and the green beans.
The solution to this is super simple, too – the GE Café™ Double Oven Range would make Thanksgiving morning a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable. You get two ovens that can be set at two different temperatures. And the bottom oven is a convection oven! Talk about making your job a little easier!!To cook on the stove is a dream, too. It has a tri-ring burner that goes as high as 20K BTUs – the most powerful burner GE Café ™ has ever made!
Or how about making the job go more quickly with the GE Café™ Advantium 120V Oven? With its Speedcook feature, you can cook more than two times faster than conventional baking! That’s a great way to get more family time into your holiday!!
Turkey dinner without the hassle of cooking a full turkey! This recipe produces a moist, full of flavor turkey breast - perfect for a smaller family.
- 1 6-8 lb bone in turkey breast
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 apple, quartered
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
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Preheat the oven to 350F.
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Rinse and dry the turkey breast. Gently pull the skin up from the breast, creating a pocket.
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In a small bowl, combine the butter and the herbs. Mix together completely. Using your hands, press the butter in between the skin and the breast meat. Place the apple and the onion in the small cavity under the bone.
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Place the tablespoon of flour in an oven-safe turkey bag. Shake to distribute. Place the turkey breast in the bag and set in a baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep. Make sure the onions and apple are on the bottom. Pour the chicken stock over the turkey. Tuck the edges of the bag under the breast and cut a few slits in the top of the bag.
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Bake in the preheated oven until a thermometer inserted in the breast reads 170F, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
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THE GIVEAWAY
Do you want to win a $100 Visa card to make your holiday season even better? BlogHer and GE Café™ are giving one away to one of my readers! Just comment below and let me know – what is your favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving?
You also have a chance to win a fabulous GE Café™ Advantium 120V oven. To win, just go to the GE Café™ Prizes & Promotions section page on BlogHer, between 11/10/11 – 11/30/11, and share your favorite recipe or idea for a chance to win!
Rules for $100 Visa gift card sweepstakes:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods between 11/10/11 and 11/30/11:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
I love to make maple molasses oat rolls. Yumm. They are dark, sweet and delicious and they make the house smell like heaven.
My favorite thing to make for thanksgiving is Apple Sage Stuffing. Delicious.
My favorite thing to make is my grandpa’s yuuuuummmy stuffing!! =)
Never had to make Thanksgiving dinner before always brought relishes and helped well there. Since Mom passed this year will be my first year to “make” the Thanksgiving dinner. Hopefully I was paying attention in years past I really want to nail her stuffing receipe!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Oooo, pearled onions in goat cheese!!
My favorite thing is cranberry sauce and appetizers. It has always been a big tradition in my family to have lots of munchies.
Vegetable casserole with water chestnuts
My favourite dessert to make for Thanksgiving is Tarte au Sucre (Sugar Pie). Being French Canadian, I love encorporating some of my heritage when celebrating with my friends and family.
Tarte au Sucre
1 pie crust, unbaked
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar (or half brown sugar, half maple sugar
1 1/2 cups low fat evaporated milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or maple extract
Preheat oven to 400F
In a saucepan, combine flour and sugar and mix.
Stir in milk slowly to avoid lumps, then add butter and salt.
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
Remove from heat, add vanilla or maple extract.
Pour into an unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 400F for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool in a rack.
Serve cooled in small wedges, with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.
My favorite thing to make for the Thanksgiving feast is actually the gravy! I love to use the turkey baster to transfer some of the turkey juices into the gravy pot! Yum.
I also Tweeted your giveaway :o)
http://twitter.com/#!/HunWFD
My favorite thing to make at Thanksgiving is some sort of pumpkin related dessert – I always get stuck with the cranberry sauce though which is from my mom’s recipe.
Scalloped oysters They are so good and a family tradition from my Mom’s side of the family. Some people aren’t to keen on them but that just leaves more for me. 🙂
We love grilling prime ribs and also green beans with bacon and almonds!
Do I have to decide which is my favorite think to make?? AGH?! I love the munchies before while we’re watching the games… Guacamole or Velveeta salsa dip are the easy favorites, or maybe even the shrimp dip with chili sauce.
Or I like the raspberry-walnut or carrot-pineapple Jello salads that go with dinner.
And of course the pies… Pumpkin for my hubby, Lemon meringue or Turtle cheesecake for me.
But my all time favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving time is the leftover sandwiches!! Turkey, salt, mayo, and canned cranberry sauce on the homemade rolls. YUM!
I enjoy making appetizers and cookies!
My favorite is my Mom’s broccoli cheese casserole. 🙂
My mom always made orange vegetables for T-day. Carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes. To me, that’s what the day is all about, orange vegetables! my favorite thing to eat is stuffing.
We have a few things–cornbread, breaded cauliflower, spinach squares…and don’t forget the mashed potatoes 🙂
Pumpkin Pie all the way!
An oven range like that would be a dream! I so can’t wait till we have our own home and I can actually get away with dreaming about the huge appliances I really would love.
I love making Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake! I make it every year for my family’s thanksgiving dinner and for our Thanksgiving Potluck we have at our church every year and the older ladies just go nuts over it. They are already asking me if I’m going to make it again this year 🙂 LOL!
I tweeted your giveaway!
Enter this giveaway and winning could make your holidays a whole lot easier! https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2011/11/herb-roasted-turkey-breast/ via @tasteandtell
Hands down, it’s hot, buttery rolls!
I love to make the turkey. Each year I try to come up with a different recipe and brine. It’s the most beautiful part of the dinner presentation!
My favourite thing to make for Thanksgiving has to be homemade pumpkin pie made entirely from a real pumpkin, no canned stuff! It’s delicious and almost healthy! 😉
I love the pies. I’m cooking a a bone-in turkey breast this year. So easy and delicious! Nice picture!
That turkey looks like it’s perfectly cooked!!! Delicious!
My favorite thing to make for thanksgiving, that would be the sweet potato casserole…yummy!
Love this idea for a smaller crowd
Cranberry Salsa!
Haha! I made herb roasted chicken last night for dinner! Anyways, my favorite Thanksgiving dish is the stuffing, no the sweet potatoes, no the smoked turkey, or probably the dessert. Darn I guess it all!
Well, I don’t cook the main meal – my mom does. But, last year I made cupcake bites and this year I am making cake pops with all my nieces. So, that should be fun 🙂
I am usually in charge of the appetizers, bacon wrapped water chestnuts are my specialty.
It is a toss up between Cranberry chutney or my aunt’s spicey party mix. I can’t survive the holidays without them!
I actaully make ribs for thanksgiving and everyone loves them then i also love to make all the pumpkin stuff too.
sweet potato casserole!
It’s hard to pick, but probably corn pudding
My favorite item is pecan pie!
Cheese ball. It’s true. It’s the highlight of my holidays! I also love cranberry salsa served over cream cheese. I’m a big fan of the munching part of Thanksgiving.
I love making the dressing. Its the perfect partner for the turkey. So delicious! Thank you!
My family Thanksgivings are always a HUGE affair, but I can definitely see myself making a breast like this if it ever ends up being smaller! Delicious!
Highlight of my holidays…sweet potato casserole. I”m a sucker for that caramelly topping.
My favorite thing to make is my Grandmothers sweet potato casserole with a streussel topping!
Our family loves Thanksgiving. We have all the traditional foods, but always add something new. We have had fried morel mushrooms, chutney, apple cakes , and many others. My favorite thing to make are marinated vegetables. They take 3-4 days to prepare, but are so worth the wait. Thank you so much!
My favorite thing to make is my grandmas chocolate pudding tarts. I can’t imagine a Thanksgiving without them. I haven’t perfected them yet, but I get closer every year.
I am in charge of green bean casserole every year, so I’d say that’s my favorite.
I make pumpkin pie and lemon tarts every year.
I’m in charge of green bean casserole every year
I love love love making pumpkin pie! …mostly because I’m so good at it ; )
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is my sweet potato casserole, but I love doing the whole traditional thing …turkey, cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, fresh baked bread, fruits salads, pies, a cake or two.
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/134852946285432832
My favorite part about Thanksgiving is getting together with family from near and far and catching up on everything. And of course the turkey, love turkey!
What? I have to pick between mashed potatoes and turkey? OK. I’m going with the taters.
I like to make dessert.
SAVORY SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE. A wonderful change from the usual dessert-like sweet potato dishes. I have made this every year for Thanksgiving (and other occasions as well) since I found it in a food magazine in November 2003. Have passed this along to so many people. Another favorite is SWEET ONION PUDDING. Wow. Found this in a magazine a few years ago and made it for a Christmas party. Quite literally every one asked for the recipe. Same results every time I make it. So very delicious. Was an easy add to the “make every year” list. Can’t wait for Thanksgiving!
I like making all the different pies!!
Pecan Pie. It’s so easy and most of all I love to eat it! 🙂
We’re Caribbean so my favorite is Turkey and Curry Chicken! They are both yummy and represent both our Jamaican and US family history!
Mashed potatoes are my favorite thing to make!
tweet–http://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/135040157656158208
Great giveaway! My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is the stuffing. Be still, my beating heart.
Yummy turkey breast! Was looking for a different way to fix it. Thanks!
my fav thing to make is sweet potatoes with marshmallow!
http://twitter.com/#!/aes529/status/135055217212403712
I love making the desserts. If it’s not at our house, I’m always on dessert duty. btw your turkey looks fantastic! Can’t wait to have some in another week (early Tday for us)
Seriously? Just one thing? Cornbread stuffing. It’s super easy and delicious. And I only make it for Thanksgiving.
Apple-cranberry pie is my favorite
http://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/135068702663122944
Cranberry salad since it’s so easy!!
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is butterscotch pie…yum!
My sister makes pineapple bread pudding that is so wonderful for thanksgiving.
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is homemade rolls. I use the bread maker for the dough.
I’ve actually never made anything for Thanksgiving before, but this year I want to make an appetizer (spianch artichoke dip) and a dessert (cookies!).
My favorite dish is jelled cranberry sauce. We cannot have Thanksgiving in my family without it.
Woohoo! Great giveaway! My favorite thing to make is stuffing. I have this GREAT recipe that is delicious and healthy so i don’t feel guilty!
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/pixystik4u/status/135184469572325376
we like pumpkin pie with tons of whipped cream! yum!
My absolute favorite thing to make/have is macaroni and cheese. It is a MUST have for me.
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/MeandBells/status/135185097145073665
I tweeted about the giveaway.
https://twitter.com/#!/Mommy24babies/status/135185437684805632
I love to make the mashed potatoes and gravy. and the pumpkin pie too!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/1amypugmire/status/135191635989512192
Classic Mashed Potatoes!
Our favorite things to make for Thanksgiving – pumpkin pie and sweet potato casserole
tweet.https://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/135249734112772096
I’m always asked to bring desserts to our family Thanksgiving feast. I think it’s because I always try to find something different each year (in addition to the required pumpkin pie that is…I don’t dare walk in the door without pumpkin pie). Last year I made a pumpkin & gingerbread trifle which was a HUGE hit!
http://twitter.com/#!/BrouseHouse/status/135335828250570752
Lbrouse1 (at) gmail (dt) com
Tweeted Today 11/12
sweet potato casserole!
My favorite thing to make is homemade macaroni and cheese
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/disneyfan40/status/135426364839960576
i love making those cute little lattice tops for apple pies, but typically i find the pie itself too sweet for me to eat more than a couple bites
I have always made the Thanksgiving dinner for my family. But What now we are empty nesters. What to do, what to do. Can never stop making my pumpkin pie with a flaky crust and whipped cream with a touch of maple syrup.
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is cornbread dressing and gravy!
I tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/Daisy522
Win 100.00 https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/2011/11/herb-roasted-turkey-breast/#comment-27225
Sweet potato pie. Love it!
I love making cranberry sauce using my grandma’s special recipe 🙂
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/DeeGee13/status/135642452789952512
Mandatory Entry: my family just love sweet potatos!
Thanks for the opportunity!
Anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I tweeted at http://twitter.com/#!/anashct/status/136050480911622144
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I love making the cheese ball!
I like to make pumpkin pie.
My favorite thing to make is the cranberry sauce, love that color and the “pop” of the berries!
sweet potato casserole. done and done. 🙂
My favorite thing to make is pumpkin cheesecake.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/sharonjo2/status/136306338446839810
Southern Cornbread Dressing.
My favorite thing to make for the Thanksgiving is the cranberry relish
https://twitter.com/#!/cjwallace43/status/136443921957011456
My favorite thing to make is “catfood”! It is a yummy fluffy chocolate dessert that is a tradition in our family. It earned its unique name because the older cousins used to tease the little cousins by telling them that the yummy dessert was catfood so they wouldn’t want to eat it and give up their portion. The name and the dessert stuck 🙂
My favorite things to make are Herbed Stuffing and Pumpkin Bars.
I love all the traditional food at Thanksgiving. One of my family’s tradtions, and my favorite part of the meal, is scalloped oysters.
Pumpkin Cobbler!
My absolute favorite thing to make at Thanksgiving is homemade dressing!!! Ummmmmmm, I can’t wait!!!
I use homemake cornbread, saltine crackers, celery, chopped hard boiled eggs, the mean of the cook legs and thighs from the turkey and sage, one stick margarine and some of the drippings from the cooked turkey. If I need more, I use either a can of cream of chicken of just plain hot water. The sage is what makes it. Uuuuummmmmmmmm, I can’t wait! My mouth is watering!!! Would love $100 gift card also!!
Everyone’s favorite is my Mom’s recipe for wet dressing. I make it every year, whether I am hosting or someone else is. All of us remember Mom’s special dressing and I try to keep the tradition alive since she has passed.
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/Allhoneyhere/status/136534053452120064
My favorite thing to make for thanksgiving is Sweet Potato Casserole.
http://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/136534246578847744
Cornbread dressing and cracker pie…
UMMMMMMM, I love banana cream pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and I LOVE Jello. Haha, stupid huh? I do though. I love jello.
I love so many things but I’ll go with leftover turkey and roll sandwiches, you know after things are cleaned up, sneak back in with roll in hand grab some turkey and eat it in peace.
My favorite thing to make is cheesecake. I only make it during the holidays so my family waits all year.
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows. Yes, both – a double dose of sugar.
I bloggged here: http://ifyoucouldseewhatisee.blogspot.com/2011/11/oh-hungry.html
Mashed potatoes!
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is my Smoky Butternut Squash Soup. It’s flavorful, festive, easy and perfect when made ahead. 🙂 Making Thanksgiving gathering much easier.
amy [at] utry [dot] it
Just tweeted about this giveaway.
https://twitter.com/#!/uTry_it/status/137032372678963200
amy [at] utry dot] it
What I like to make? I like to make a walk down to Starbucks for their salted caramel hot chocolate with my 5 girls and love.
I love to make my mom’s macaroni pie! Takes about 3 hours to bake.. 2 lbs of cheese, eggs, butter, and whole milk! YUM!
I usually never make anything for Thanksgiving… my mama does all the cooking. But this year I may bring a side like some mashed potatoes or stuffing… or some kind of dessert, possibly a pumpkin dessert. I’ve seen so many recipes around that I want to try… even some cranberry recipes too.
broccoli cauliflower stuffing casserole and a nice herb rubbed turkey mmm mmm mmmI am hoping to get the pies right this year as well just need the perfect crust recipe 🙂
I love making homemade cranberry sauce from handpicked cranberries.
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is between my Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or my homemade Stuffing with fresh herbs…ohh but then there is dessert…..well ok, I will stop! Thank you for this giveaway and opportunity! 🙂
I like making the turkey and the sweet potatoes
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/robinlscott/status/138001893334056960
I like making the stuffing.
https://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/138096469201780736
Homemade crescent rolls!
My favorite is a Cranberry Pecan White Chocolate Tart.
Hands down, stuffing. I have tried to replicate the simple recipe that both my grandmother and mother used, but over the years, I have adapted it by combining recipes I have found on the web. Still pretty basic, but I love the results.
My favorite thing to make is the Turkey! It has been our family tradition for many, many years and evokes such wonderful warm memories of our family and many friends coming together for a relaxing, food filled day!
I’m so thankful for blogs like this too, LOVE all the great recipes!!
; )
I hate cooking, but I will always enjoy making the Thanksgiving stuffing. My dad helped me learn how to make it using his “throw out the recipe” style.
I tweeted this giveaway: https://twitter.com/#!/NerakG1974/status/138766583983124480
My mom’s stuffing made with lots of apples 🙂 oh and banana cream pie. Num Num!
My favorite thing to prepare for a holiday meal is practically everything as I really enjoy cooking. It’s interesting to find new ways to present side dishes and desserts.
my favourite thing to make for thanksgiving is the stuffing 🙂
My favorite are: cut up, boiled organic potatoes, drained and added to them is extra virgin olive oil and organic herbamore. Still and enjoy.
Thanksgiving is not the same without my Green Bean Casserole made with French’s cheddar fried onions and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
I love making my turkey with these herbs and butter. My prep starts tonight !
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving would have to be my world famous mashed potatoes. My secret ingredient is cream cheese. That’s all I’m sayin’.
Fresh Apple Cake. This year, it’s Fresh Apple Muffins, but still. 🙂
I love to make croissants for Thanksgiving — the real thing, with butter and about 18 flaky layers of dough. It’s the only time of year I do them.
I don’t really enjoy making them, but I LOVE eating homemade skin-on smashed potatoes. DH washed the potatoes for me yesterday, so it was easier than usual to make them. Thanks so much!
I love a traditional turkey dinner ending with my homemade pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting!
tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/fairydancer35/status/140201271549374464
Stuffing! I make mine with dried cherries, mushrooms, pecans, celery, peppers and onions. Yum!
My favorite food of Thanksgiving is anything cranberry.
i love to make dressing
https://twitter.com/#!/purplelover04/status/140328404149993472
I love to make Fresh Apple Pie from scratch. It was a complete success this year!
My favorite thing to make is dessert! 🙂
I love to make Cranberry Chutney.
My great aunt’s spicey chex mix–there is nothing like it!
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is pumpkin pies! sweepmorey at gmail dot com
tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/mommysdizzy/status/141014498927587328
My favorite thing to make is Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Homemade Dressing! Thank You for this giveaway and opportunity! 🙂
I love making stuffing. Mostly because I get to eat the bread while I cut it 🙂
My favorite thing to make is homemade pumpkin pie with a pecan streusel topping!
I like making the turkey, pumpkin pie and candied yams simply because I love pleasing my husband and he loves eating all of those. I love listening to him munch happily and his Mmmm….’s. If those three things were all I ever made for Thanksgiving, he would not ever complain.
my favorite is making flan
babitababita@hotmail.com
https://twitter.com/#!/zbabita5/status/141391383025041408
babitababita@hotmail.com
My favorite Thanksgiving recipe is my homemade sage and veggie sausage dressing. I have the recipe in my head and nowhere else. It is based on the stuffing recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid and not a vegetarian. LOL I veggified it and its so good.
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/141508258719481857
I love making the pies – pumpkin, pecan, apple (perhaps Dutch).
I HAVE A SPECIAL RECIPE INVOLVING SWEET POTATOES. IT ROCKS MY WORLD.
2ND ENTRY TWEET https://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/141734140985876480
cranberry bread!!
http://twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/141753055212339201
http://twitter.com/#!/aj_sahm/status/141903829225574401
our favorite is sinful potatoes!!! then I make a leftover creamy turkey mushroom noodle soup. mmmmm!
Thanksgiving is usually at my mom’s house so I don’t really make anything since the majority of the meal is taken care of. I help out with the side dishes and it’s kind of a tradition that I make the fruit salad (I don’t know that this is anyone’s tradition except my family’s), just cut up apples, bananas, and oranges.
I tweeted about the giveaway:
https://twitter.com/#!/thehappyone/status/142054974346625025
Macaroni and cheese, I can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without it!
I love to make brussels sprouts! Nicely carmalized in bacon fat with garlic and onions =)
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/erunuevo/status/142104503259381760
I made this turkey recipe for our Thanksgiving dinner last week…in fact, I made two-a test turkey breast for leftovers and another one for dinner. I was so sick of the inconsistency and stress that whole stuffed turkeys cause me every year. So, my friends said to use a bag and I found your recipe and my Thanksgiving experience has been forever changed! Perfectly moist, delicious and great the next day, too. So easy to clean up. Thank you so much for a great recipe!!!
@Deb, I’m so glad you liked the recipe and that it’s taken some of the stress out of your Thanksgiving!
My favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving is a recipe passed down from my grandmother that she called “Ribbon Jello” but my family calls “Rainbow Jello”.
You use 6 colors of jello and sour cream and it takes about 5 hours to make!
My kids, friends, and family members ask for it every year though!
You don’t say what to do with the chicken stock
Sorry about that! I have updated the recipe.