Favorite Thanksgiving dishes, food safety & restaurants open — what to know for the holiday

SHEBOYGAN – Whether over homemade meals or at local restaurants, families, friends and loved ones will gather for Thanksgiving this week.  

The festivities have already kicked off with the Holiday Lights Hunger Run/Walk and will continue later this week with Shop Small Saturday and holiday parades.  

Here is your Thanksgiving roundup: residents' favorite Thanksgiving dishes, how to cook safely, and restaurants open and accepting reservations.  

Favorite dishes include homemade cranberry sauce and stuffing  

Some of Nancy Herber Van De Kreeke's family's favorite dishes include cranberry sauce, dressing and mashed potatoes.  

For homemade cranberry sauce, Herber Van De Kreeke cooks the berries until they pop and grinds them in a food mill. She said she also adds a lot of orange zest.  

"End result is a sauce, thin like applesauce!" she said in an email. "Can be made a week in advance, saving time even the day before Thanksgiving."  

Herber Van De Kreeke's homemade dressing has croutons, butter, celery, onion, "special seasonings" and chicken stock. Mashed potatoes, which she said can be made three to five days ahead of Thanksgiving to save cooking time, is made in a casserole dish with butter, cream cheese and seasoning. 

Bev Foley said the "secret" ingredient in the dressing recipe passed down from her in-law's family is giblets and Johnsonville brat meat.  

"I grind them, no one knows they contribute to the yumminess!" Foley said.  

Food safety tips for turkey and perishable food

The U.S. Department of Agriculture shared several food safety tips for cooks this Thanksgiving:  

• Pick up turkeys and other perishable items at the end of a grocery shopping trip to maintain cold temperatures and prevent bacteria build-up. Opt-in for insulated bags if the commute home is longer than an hour. 

• Keep turkey and juices separate from other foods that won't be cooked, as it can spread bacteria that lead to foodborne illness. Clean and sanitize surfaces, including a sink if washing a turkey.   

• When cooking a turkey, ensure an internal minimum temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the breast and innermost parts of the thigh and wing. Use a food thermometer.  

• Perishable foods should not be served if they've sat out at room temperature for more than two hours because it can breed bacterial growth. As a rule of thumb, keep hot food hot at at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit and cold food cold below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  

• Leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours of serving to avoid bacterial growth. Turkey should be carved into smaller pieces and placed in a shallow container.

Thanksgiving refuse collection: When is garbage collection the week of Thanksgiving in Sheboygan?

What Sheboygan restaurants are open or offering Thanksgiving meals?

The deadline to order take-home Thanksgiving meal orders has passed at many restaurants, but some are still taking orders and are open for in-person dining throughout the day.  

Harry's Diner  

The diner, 2504 Calumet Drive, is open 7 a.m. to noon Thanksgiving Day.

River Park Family Restaurant 

The diner, 813 Monroe St., is open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 920-467-1454 to make a reservation.  

Sheboygan Town & Country Golf Course & Restaurant 

The golf course and restaurant will offer a buffet 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Breakfast, available all day, will include a made-to-order omelet station, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes and cinnamon french toast.  

An extensive lunch menu includes salad, roasted butternut squash soup, Miesfeld's beef tips, roast turkey with homemade gravy, broasted chicken, baked salmon with teriyaki glaze, homestyle baked macaroni and cheese and crushed ginger cranberry sauce. There will also be a full dessert bar.  

Adults are $29.99 and children 4 to 10 years old are $13.99.  

Blackwolf Run 

Thanksgiving dinner options include various soups and salad, roasted turkey breast, beef short ribs, pumpkin spice seared salmon, vegetable napoleon and dessert.

Dinner service is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Adults are $60 and children four to 10 years old are $20.  

Wisconsin Room  

A four-course dinner menu will be served at the Wisconsin Room 2 to 8 p.m. A variety of dishes include steak tartare, burrata, Cabernet-braised beef short ribs and pies. Adults are $85 and kids between 5 and 12 years old are $55.  

The Osthoff Resort 

The Osthoff Resort will offer a brunch buffet 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dishes include salads, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, herb roasted turkey, honey baked ham and desserts.  

Children younger than 10 years old are $19.95 and adults are $59.95. Reserve a spot at https://osthoff.com/dining/special-dining-events.

Greece e Spoon 

Though closed Thanksgiving Day, Greece e Spoon is still taking orders, like pans of meat and salad. Orders need to be picked up by 7 p.m. Wednesday. Place orders in-person at 1217 N. Eighth St., by email to Gyros2gosheboygan@gmail.com or via Facebook message.

Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com . Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner .

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan Thanksgiving guide: Restaurants, food safety, favorite dishes