Thanksgiving recipes

The time is upon us again to give thanks. It’s also the time of year Pepto Bismal sells out. For us cooking challenged people, please help us with the details! I’m not a horrible cook, but have ruined the last Thanksgiving. I’d like a good sweet potato pie and Mac and cheese recipe. Thanks!

4 Likes

You know Thanksgiving is about dry turkey, lumpy potatoes, greasy gravy and a lot of wine or (whining if you have kids).

I focus on desert and making sure everyone is super happy…so wine and pie.

I make a banana cream, basic pie crust baked alone, add a layer of graham cracker and butter crust to the bottom then top with homemade vanilla pudding, layers of caramelized banana, real whipped cream, pecans, toffee…

Any pumpkin pie recipe using sweet potato instead of pumpkin should work. I add a brown sugar and roasted pecan glaze on top.

Chocolate pie. Its basically a graham cracker crust but you add almonds to the crust (a lot of them) bake just a little. Then in a pan melt some good chocolate and heavy whipping cream to a double boiler, pour in and let cool, it should get firm.

One of my families favorite things is our pre-turkey sandwiches. We are Portugiese and Spanish so instead of bacon it is a tradition to put linguisa in (not inside just on top and on the sides) with our turkey. I put two giant Costco packages in with onions and garlic (I don’t stuff the turkey I make stuffing separate). The linguisa is always done before the turkey and smells so good. I buy soft sweet bread rolls from the bakery but Hawaiian rolls will work in a pinch.

We stand around and make these little sausage sandwiches while we wait for dinner (lots of mustard). I think the linguisa is the highlight of the whole meal, The kids yell “its linguisa time!” No one yells its time for turkey.

We are a family that struggles with weight…I wonder why?

7 Likes

Mmm that sounds so good. Thanks for the recipe ideas! Yeah food is usually blah but the desserts and sides make the meal worthwhile. We struggle with weight too. I’m fat and have 2 bigger kids and two smaller sized kids. They all were slim until school age when the foods at school bulked them up. Add in snacks and we’re fat.

2 Likes

I found a sweet potato recipe that looks similar to my mom’s.

5 Likes

I couldn’t make Mac n cheese that tasted good to save my life. I called my mother one day n asked her how she make hers. I’ve been making it similar to her way every since n it is so good. Every time I make Mac n cheese, I think of my mom. Lord rest her soul. She used can milk instead of regular milk. She used different kinds of cheese. I buy the Mac n cheese, cheese.

2 Likes

I don’t like marshmallows so I do my yams/sweet potatoes a little differently. I peel, slice and then steam them. When cool enough to handle, I put them in a single layer in a large casserole dish or on a cookie sheet with an edge all the way around. I brush them with butter, drizzle them with honey and sprinkle them with finely chopped honey roasted peanuts. Then they go under the broiler until lightly browned. They’re sooo good! There’s never any left.

5 Likes

Canned milk makes the Mac and cheese. My mom made a good Mac and cheese too. She’s been gone 13 years but I miss her so much.

3 Likes

Yummy and healthy is always a good thing! I love sweet potatoes so I might try this for the kids. They hate sweet potato casserole.

2 Likes

Mmmmmm…we just had turkey dinner today. It was DELICIOUS!! My son and daughter in law are visiting from LA. They leave on Wednesday, just in t8me for their thanksgiving.

4 Likes

So your house is where to come. Directions?

2 Likes

I do things a bit differently, I guess. Being from Newfoundland we have our specialties.

Turkey
Gravy
Carrots
Whipped potatoes
Mashed rutabaga
Dressing (stuffing) I use traditional NL savoury
Biscuits
Pease pudding (made with split peas…if I only made this and turkey my family would be happy!)

We’ll have the full meal of leftovers tomorrow for lunch. Supper will probably be hot turkey sandwiches and fries. Next day I usually make potato soup from leftover potatoe. Then I do turkey soup from the carcass and any leftover scraps of turkey

7 Likes

That sounds pretty tasty! I’d definitely be at your table!

3 Likes

What’s your recipe for pease pudding? I’d like to try it.

3 Likes

To make my gravy I pour all the drippings into a large glass or metal bowl. I let it cool for about 10 minutes so the fat rises to the top. Then I add 12-20 ice cubes and leave it alone until the fat congeals. Then I just lift it out in chunks and have very low fat drippings to make yummy, non greasy gravy.

6 Likes

I know how you feel. My mom been gone 6 years.

2 Likes

This is an awesome tip! I use to have a fat separator and it fell apart, can’t find another one, I will totally use this idea.

2 Likes

Lord help me cause I dont measure my ingredients but everyone loves my mac n cheese to pieces. There is never any left.

Boil 3/4 of a box of regular macaroni noodles.
In a 9x12 baking dish put:
2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 bar of philly cream cheese softened cut into small cubes
2 Tablespoons of real mayonnaise
1/2 stick of melted butter
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
Lots of Salt and Pepper
Lots of garlic powder-like 5 heavy dashes
The hot macaroni noodles you boiled.

Mix all of this up, if its very thick, add more heavy whipping cream. If its too soupy, all more shredded cheddar cheese.

Smooth it all out in the baking dish and then put a thin light layer of cheddar cheese on top, with salt and pepper.

Finally put Presto Italian Bread Crumbs on top. A good layer so that every bite will have a light topping of those breadcrumbs.

Bake it on 350 for about 30-40 minutes until the cheese on top it melted and the breadcrumbs are golden.

This crap is freaking good. I LOVE mac and cheese! I hop this helps!

7 Likes

Hugs during this holiday season. I miss her a lot during Thanksgiving. It’s when she passed.

2 Likes

I’m going to try it. Wish me luck that I don’t mess this up haha.

1 Like

I lost my mother on Thanksgiving day many years ago. For many years I dreaded Thanksgiving but after my children grew up, I was able to again see what a wonderful holiday it is. It still is always a reminder though.

4 Likes