Thanksgiving favorites/ must haves

[luvsJack]

It is different for all of us. I need green bean casserole, dinner rolls, and homemade gravy. DH needs corn souffle and apple crisp. DS needs this nasty marshmallow fluff stuff. My Dad needs mincemeat pie. And DD is only 4 so doesn't have a favorite yet.

Anyone care to share their sweet potato casserole and/or broccoli and cheese casserole with me? Vegetarian if at all possible. I am trying to make as many of the sides vegetarian as possible as I have one guest that is vegetarian.

Sweet Potato: Large can of sweet potatoes drained, a stick of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and an egg. Mix together in mixer until mixed well. Pour into a casserole dish. Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 stick margarine and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Spread mixture on top. Bake at 350 until bubbly. Topping will kind of harden on top.

 

[POOHsie]

Sweet Potato: Large can of sweet potatoes drained, a stick of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and an egg. Mix together in mixer until mixed well. Pour into a casserole dish. Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 stick margarine and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Spread mixture on top. Bake at 350 until bubbly. Topping will kind of harden on top.

This reminds me of the sweet potato casserole at Ruth's Chris. My former Son-IL was the exec chef at one of these places. DD and I had Thanksgiving dinner there (while he worked), and the sweet potato casserole was incredibly delicious. I think I would use all butter, not any margarine.

We like to have some special items for Thanksgiving. Celery stalks stuffed with Roquefort (creamed with mayo). Sliced, spiced apples (from a jar). Home made whole cranberry sauce. One absolute must is roasted chestnuts in the stuffing. Make a cut in the chestnuts, par-boil on the day before, then refrigerate. Peel, cut in halves and add to stuffing at the very end of mixing everything else. We use regular Pepperidge Farm stuffing, with the addition of turkey spice (in the can), chopped up meat from the boiled organs and giblets (that come in the turkey bag), eggs, salt & pepper. The roasted chestnuts elevate the dressing many levels. We cook the turkey with a bouquet of fresh poultry herbs on top (available in the produce section during Thanksgiving. Makes the turkey taste wonderful.

We have done the TurDuckHen a few times. It had the 3 meats, and 3 different dressings. Cooked in a large rectangular pan. It was an absolute hit, but a lot of work.

Last, my personal favorite pie is mince pie. You almost can't find it anywhere, anymore. But it's delicious with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. My other favorite is my mother's lemon pie, where the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk work together to get naturally thick (clabber). It's wonderful with real whipped heavy cream on top. Then, leftover heavy cream for the coffee service after dinner, served in bone china cups. I swear the china cups make coffee taste sensational (not to mention the heavy cream).

 

[barkley]

my mom's pumpkin pie. she's been gone almost 4 years now but fortunately dh can make her pie crust, and I know to double all the spices w/the exception of sugar to make it taste right (standard pumpkin pie tastes bland to me).

 

[barkley]

It is different for all of us. I need green bean casserole, dinner rolls, and homemade gravy. DH needs corn souffle and apple crisp. DS needs this nasty marshmallow fluff stuff. My Dad needs mincemeat pie. And DD is only 4 so doesn't have a favorite yet.

Anyone care to share their sweet potato casserole and/or broccoli and cheese casserole with me? Vegetarian if at all possible. I am trying to make as many of the sides vegetarian as possible as I have one guest that is vegetarian.

lots of vegetarians in the family, and they've always very much appreciated the inclusion of a batch of mushroom gravy on the table so they can enjoy drenching their food like everyone else

 

[kuhltiffany]

Ok, I'm Canadian and have a question...is there a difference between stuffing and dressing?

 

[jdb in AZ]

Ok, I'm Canadian and have a question...is there a difference between stuffing and dressing?

I believe stuffing goes into the bird and dressing is prepared in a casserole dish. If someone else has a different definition, feel free to chime in here. Since the turkey takes its time heating to a safe temperature for the mushy stuffing and might not actually reach that temp, dressing is supposedly safer to eat.

I love the family prank where they hid a Cornish game hen inside a turkey, along with the stuffing. When they pulled the cooked stuffing out of the turkey they told the cook (young woman, first-time cooking a turkey) that she had cooked a pregnant turkey. If you do a Google search you can watch videos of people who have pulled this prank.

 

[DisneyWalle]

Cornbread dressing with giblet gravy
Sweet n' Sour Turkey
BBQ Turkey
Sweet Potato Casserole with a sugar pecan crumble on top
Field Peas
Roasted Tomatoes
Yeast Rolls

My momma's pecan and pumpkin pies.

 

[thebutlerdidit]

Turkey with stuffing made with sausage meat and bell's seasoning. ( sigh) celery stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter. Squash, turnup, brown and serve rolls and 2 pies apple and custard. Yum! Hopefully my son's family won't be traveling this year , being with family is the best part!

 

[maslex]

I COMPLETELY forgot my most favorite food of Thanksgiving dinner!!!! I cannot get enough turnips. It's the only time of year we have them but man oh man, my plate is full of them. You'll see little piles of other food on my plate, but it's like half of my plate is orange because of the turnips. Love that stuff.

 

[Happy Snowman]

It is different for all of us. I need green bean casserole, dinner rolls, and homemade gravy. DH needs corn souffle and apple crisp. DS needs this nasty marshmallow fluff stuff. My Dad needs mincemeat pie. And DD is only 4 so doesn't have a favorite yet.

Anyone care to share their sweet potato casserole and/or broccoli and cheese casserole with me? Vegetarian if at all possible. I am trying to make as many of the sides vegetarian as possible as I have one guest that is vegetarian.

This is the Ruth Cris recipe:

CRUST
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
1/3 stick butter -- melted
SWEET POTATO MIXTURE
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs -- well beaten
1 stick butter -- ( 1/2 cup) melted
Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

Make your own. There are some great recipes and it's not hard to make.

If you have a good recipe, I would love to have it. I've yet to find one that is palatable!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I believe stuffing goes into the bird and dressing is prepared in a casserole dish. If someone else has a different definition, feel free to chime in here. Since the turkey takes its time heating to a safe temperature for the mushy stuffing and might not actually reach that temp, dressing is supposedly safer to eat.

I love the family prank where they hid a Cornish game hen inside a turkey, along with the stuffing. When they pulled the cooked stuffing out of the turkey they told the cook (young woman, first-time cooking a turkey) that she had cooked a pregnant turkey. If you do a Google search you can watch videos of people who have pulled this prank.

Haven't we beat that one to death here?

We make stuffing. We call it stuffing whether it is in the bird or in a casserole dish.

Dressing to me means "salad dressing".

And go....

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Everything has to be homemade (except maybe the gravy). Turkey and cranberry sauce are a must. Same with pumpkin pie. Everything else is negotiable.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Ok, I'm Canadian and have a question...is there a difference between stuffing and dressing?

Stuffing, dressing, and filling are all the same thing. It's a matter of semantics and region.

 

[wdwmom2]

Sweet Potato Casserole (I have saved and will try the Ruth Chris recipe)

Scalloped Oysters (only a handful of people like oysters, more for us that do )

And new this year, my grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe. Actually made from butternut squash, but it was what I grew up knowing as pumpkin pie. I finally found the recipe this year after searching for it for over 30 years (thank you dear cousin). Even my DH who HATES squash loves this pie!!!

 

[luvsJack]

Oh my we have the dressing vs stuffing debate every Thanksgiving, don't we?

Our dressing is made with finely crumbled cornbread and other stuff and then baked in a dish or pan. Too liquidy to be stuffed in the bird.

I have never made stuffing but always assumed it had the same ingredients but chunkier pieces of bread and firmer so it could be put in the bird.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Wow, I always seemed to get the impression that I was the only person in the world who actually liked cranberry sauce. I think it is great!

I love homemade cranberry sauce, but the stuff in the can is nasty.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I love homemade cranberry sauce, but the stuff in the can is nasty.

Ditto.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I also love cranberries. I prefer to make either cranberry applesauce or chunky cranberry-pear relish.

My mom, on the other hand, says it's not Thanksgiving until she hears the "slurp" of the cranberry sauce coming out of the can. It also must be jellied, she HATES whole berry. Since I've been married, we go to my SIL's house for Thanksgiving dinner...she hands my mother the can and an opener and tells her to go for it.

(As an aside, I've seen many posts here on the DIS in general about kids who are picky eaters...trust me, they've got NOTHING on my mother! )

 

[LBIJim]

The only "must haves" besides turkey and stuffing is jellied cranberry sauce from a can. Preferably the cheap store brand; slide it out of the can carefully so that the lines or ridges are intact.

No fancy homemade whole berry cranberry sauce for me!!! I demand the cheap stuff!!!

 

[LBIJim]

We always go to my SIL's house. She serves jarred, "brown"(beef) gravy with the turkey. Don't know why if she's going to buy gravy, she doesn't just get jarred TURKEY gravy.
s:

My father insisted on dark brown gravy for turkey. He said the sight of the yellowish turkey gravy made him sick.

We make stuffing. We call it stuffing whether it is in the bird or in a casserole dish.

Dressing to me means "salad dressing".

And go....

Yep, "dressing" is an oil based liquid used for salads. "Stuffing" is a bread based side dish, either cooked inside poultry, in the oven, or even, shudder, on top of the stove.

Someone asked about a broccoli/cheese casserole recipe. We have this about once a month, but not necessarily at Thanksgiving.

Blanch broccoli crowns in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain and let cool. In a large bowl, mix together a can of condensed cream of whatever soup and 1/4 can of milk. Shred a 8 oz. block of cheddar (or use bag of pre-shredded) and mix in. Mix in cooled broccoli.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Put broccoli mixture in dish. Melt 1/4 stick of butter in another bowl. Crumble some Club crackers and/or corn flake crumbs. Mix into melted butter. Spread on top of broccoli. Bake 350 for 30 minutes.

Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. If so, bake a little longer. This serves 4 to 6 as a side. Can easily be adjusted for a larger crowd.