RECIPES
I thought I would share a few of our Family Favorites for Thanksgiving. The turkey, giblet gravy and cornbread stuffing are strictly my husband’s domain. I honestly don’t know how to make the Cornbread Stuffing. My husband does that every year, and every year it’s fantastic. I just make a batch of cornbread for him the night before, and he mixes it up with seasoned bread crumbs, celery, onion, some of the giblets from the turkey, lots of broth and seasonings. I am fairly certain that Cornbread Stuffing is a requirement here in the South. Thank goodness!!!
Corn Casserole
- 2 Cans Cream Corn
- 1 C saltine cracker crumbs
- 1/2 C canned milk
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 C butter
- 12 drops Tobasco
- 1/2 C chopped green pepper
- 1/2 C carrots, grated
- 2 tsp. onion
- 1 tsp salt
- cheese, grated (I prefer cheddar)
Mix all ingredients together, except cheese. Pour into greased baking dish. Cover with cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until gelled.
Do-Ahead: Prepare recipe as directed above, but leave cheese off. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature. Cover with cheese and bake as directed.
Green Bean Casserole
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- dash of fresh ground pepper
- 4 cups cooked cut green beans
- 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/3 cups French Fried Onions
Mix soup, milk, pepper, green beans, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 2/3 cup of the onions in a 1 1/2 quart dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until hot. Sprinkle with remaining onions and cheese. Bake 5 minutes more.
Do-Ahead: Prepare recipe as above, leaving off the cheese and onions reserved for topping. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature, bake as directed.
Mashed Potatoes
I assume that everyone can make Mashed Potatoes, but for the sake of being thorough, I’m including my recipe. It’s not that exciting, and personally, I prefer to add garlic and chives, but my children have informed me that they like ‘em plain!
- 3 pounds red potatoes, cut into large chunks, boiled until tender
- 1/2 C butter
- Milk, to achieve whatever consistency you like best. (We like ours fairly thick)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mix ingredients together, to whatever consistency you prefer. Serve hot.
Candied Yams
- 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked & sliced
- 1/2 C packed brown sugar
- small can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/4 C butter
- 1/4 C chopped nuts
- cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste
- small marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first five ingredients – mix but don’t completely mash sweet potatoes. Spoon into baking dish. Cook for 20 – 25 minutes until hot.
For last 5 minutes or so of baking, cover top with marshmallows. Cook until lightly browned. (I like to sprinkle ground cloves on the marshmallows before browning.)
Do-Ahead: Prepare recipe as above, but leave off marshmallows. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before baking, and then bake as directed.
Bread Machine Wheat Rolls
- 3/4 C water
- 1 T shortening
- 1 1/4 C bread flour
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 2 T packed brown sugar
- 1 T dry milk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 tsp. bread machine yeast
Measure all ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by your bread machine instruction manual. Select Dough/Manual cycle. When done, remove dough from pan; knead 5 minutes on lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Grease large cookie sheet. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 40 minutes or until double. Heat over to 375 degrees. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Do-Ahead: After you shape the dough into rolls and place them on the cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate them up to 48 hours. Before baking, remove from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place about 2 hours or until double. Bake the rolls as directed above.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
- 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 3 T melted butter or margarine
- 2 T sugar
Filling:
- 3 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 C sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned)
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 or 9-inch springform pan.
For the crust, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake 8 minutes; remove from oven and cool.
For the filling, in a larg bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just combined. Beat in the pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger until just combined. Pour into the pan.
Place the springform pan into a larger pan filled with 1 1/2 inches of very hot water. Bake 1 hour 30 to 40 minutes (add 15 minutes extra if using the 8 1/2-inch springform pan) or until puffy and lightly browned on top. (The center may still be slightly soft, it will firm up on chilling). Removed from the oven and cool to room temperature, then chill until 1 hour before serving.
I got this recipe from a wonderful cookbook: 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles.
Others’ Thoughts