It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Wow…this month has gone past quickly! I wanted to share a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes. If you’d like to share a recipe or recipes, please feel free to comment. I always like getting new recipes to try. (As long as I can omit celery. LOL!)
Cranberry Sauces
Ever since I have started making my own cranberry sauce, I doubt I will ever use the canned stuff again. While I certainly don’t have anything against the good ole can, homemade is really easy and delicious. So, why not make your own? Here are two of our favorite recipes. The first is the “jazzed up” version and the second is plain. Both are fab!
Recipe 1
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1 (3oz) package cherry Jello
1 medium apple
2 stalks celery, chopped (I omit this)
1 small can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
In a medium saucepan, boil the berries, sugar and water until the berries split open. Let cool in pot about 10 minutes, then add Jello, stirring until the Jello is dissolved. Pour into a medium glass container. Dice apples and celery, add to cranberry mixture. Add crushed pineapple and chopped pecans. Chill at least 4 hours prior to serving.
Recipe 2
1 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice or water
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the juice or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and simmer until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
********
Cornbread Dressing
As I mentioned in today’s thankful post, I really love cornbread dressing. It’s a favorite of mine and I look forward to it at Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially. Many Southern cooks have their own spin on it, but this is an easy recipe that covers the basics of cornbread dressing. (Maybe one day I’ll have my own method down pat as good as my Gran and Mom.)
6 cups cooked & crumbled cornbread
3 pieces toasted bread, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery and celery leaves (I omit)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional, I omit this as well even though I love bell peppers)
6 tablespoons butter
Approximately 4 cups turkey or chicken broth
3 eggs, beaten
1 can cream of chicken soup
Combine the crumbled cornbread and toasted bread crumbs in a large bowl. In a skillet, saute the onion and celery until tender. Add broth and vegetables to the bread mixture; mix well. Stir in beaten eggs and soup. Mixture should be almost soupy. Pour dressing into lightly greased 9x13x2 baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 400.
********
Sweet Potato Casserole
I’m actually not making this year, but my sweet step-mom is and I can’t wait to eat it! She uses fresh sweet potatoes while I use the ones in the can. Either way, you cannot go wrong with this amazing dish. It could be a dessert, but I can never wait that long to eat it.
3 cups (1 large can) yams
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
Mix yams, eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter together. Spread into lightly greased baking dish. Prepare topping – mix all ingredients together with a fork. Spread topping over casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
********
Broccoli, Rice & Cheese Casserole
In my mind, this is a dish that my step-mom Dorothy is famous for cooking. This is one of the first casseroles I remember her making for us and I have loved it for more than twenty years. So good!
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 stick butter or margarine
2 (10oz) package broccoli
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (8oz) jar Cheez Whiz
Cook broccoli as directed and set aside. Saute onion and celery in butter; add broccoli, rice and soups. Place in a 2 1/2-quart casserole dish and top with Cheez Whiz. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
********
Pumpkin Pie
I seriously adore pumpkin pie. (And sweet potato pie too, for that matter.) Starting last year, I learned to make homemade pies from locally grown sugar pumpkins. Again, way better than the can. (Learn how to roast a sugar pumpkin here.) Top a slice with some fresh, homemade whipped cream and you have one amazing dessert.
2 cups fresh pumpkin, cooked and mashed (This is approximately one small roasted sugar pumpkin)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust**
(*I used 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of separate spices. **I used two regular pie crusts.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk and eggs. Season with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix together with a wire whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. (NOTE: I baked 40 minutes without inserting a knife — did not want to crack the pie.)
********
Ambrosia
I make the most simple ambrosia ever and it’s my fave! This is great by itself or put over a slice of sour cream pound cake with or without whipped cream.
1 small bag of naval oranges – peeled , pith removed and cut into small pieces (include juice)
1 regular fresh pineapple cut into small pieces
Shredded coconut
Honestly, this is more of a method than a recipe. I basically just cut up my oranges and pineapple in pretty equal portions to each other. So, you can adapt this recipe to fit any number, basically. Then I sprinkled in the shredded coconut. I usually use about a cup of coconut for a regular size batch.
********
Sour Cream Pound Cake
This is one of my all time favorite cakes. Simple and delicious! What I like about this recipe is that it makes a loaf size which is just right for our family. The top crust of this cake is heavenly! We either eat slices of cake by themselves, use as a base for strawberry shortcake or cover slices with ambrosia.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
3 eggs
1 pinch baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 8×4 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream. Add eggs and flavorings. Add flour and pinch of soda, mix well. Pour into a 8×4 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (NOTE: Do not open the oven while cake is baking. Pound cakes do best when not disturbed at all during baking.)