Thanksgiving Warm-Up

The other night, we got a jump-start on Thanksgiving with some turkey drumsticks.

They made a super-easy and inexpensive dinner with some roasted acorn squash and cranberry jelly.  I don't know about you, but around here, the mass of cranberry jelly straight from the can is a highly-prized addition to the menu!

Here's what we did:

We put three turkey drumsticks, lightly sprinkled with kosher salt, ground pepper and ground sage, in a baking dish and covered loosely with tinfoil.  I spray the dish with Pam so it's easier to clean afterward.

The drumsticks cooked (covered) in a 400*F oven for about 30 minutes. 

Along with the turkey, we put an acorn squash in the oven.  To prepare the squash, cut it in half, scoop the seeds out with a spoon and put the sides hollow-side up it in a dish with sides (I used a foil-lined cake pan).  I like to put a small piece of butter (1/4 TB) in each half to keep it moist.  Some people season the squash ahead of time, but I prefer to let everyone season it at the table with salt and pepper since the sweetness of each squash can be different.

After 30 minutes, I removed the foil from the drumsticks, let them cook another 5-10 minutes and checked the internal temp  - 165*F and they're done!

The acorn squash is done around the same time.  If the flesh gives easily when you poke it with a fork and it has developed a darker, more moist look, it's ready to eat.

Let the turkey legs rest a few minutes while you put everything on the table, and voila - pre-Thanksgiving delights!