Thanksgiving recipe swap

[DeniseD]

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I would love to find out your secret family recipies for your favorite Thanksgiving food.

Do you make the best pumpkin pie or apple pie? How about a to die for recipe for your grandmothers stuffing?

I'm going to try to make a couple of different things this year so all of your suggestions would help.

Thanks!!!

 

[geffric]

Denise
i was thinking the same thing.. I make the same recipes every year, which my family loves.. but it is a very starchy meal..
with sweet potatoes, stuffing, white potatoes, green bean casserole etc..


Wondering what other do??

I make pumpkin pie, and bake pumpkin bread, zucchini bread and usually cranberry bread. Last year I made a chocolate cheesecake in my bread macine that was wonderful... not low calorie but wonderful.

Stuffing - i do a fruit type stuffing with bread crumbs, cranberry sauce, pineapple pieces, manderin oranges, water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, celery..

Favorite is Pumpkin Casserole

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup self rising flour or (1 cup and 2 T reg flour, 1/8 teasp salt and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup margarine or butter
some cinnamon and other pumpkin spices.


Bake in preheated oven 350 for 1 hour.

 

[mcnuss]

My family does not consider it to be Thanksgiving unless I make my pumpkin cheesecake and my MIL's special stuffing - which is the most artery hardening, fattening stuff ever, but oh so tasty!

Stuffing:

4-5 loaves of white bread, crustless if you can find it. My store carries unsliced crustless bread at T-giving. It's great. Cut it into 1 inch cubes.

5 lbs. yellow onions or Vidalias, sliced

1 head celery, chopped fine

1-2 cups of milk

3 eggs

2-3 sticks of butter & olive oil

Salt & white pepper

Saute the onions in the butter & olive oil (I use about 1/4 C oil to 1 stick butter) until they are golden and carmelized. I do this in batches in my electric skillet. It takes a long time!

Saute the celery until soft.

Beat the eggs lightly with the milk.

Mix the onions with the celery and the bread cubes.

Add milk & egg mixture. This is very imprecise, but you are looking for a fairly loose consistency. It should be pretty wet, but hold together when you make a ball of the mix. Season. My MIL used to add sugar, but I do not. The onions are sweet enough for us.

Stuff turkey or bake separately.

This makes a custard like stuffing; it's gooey and the onions get really mellow. The first time I saw her make it, I almost gagged at all the butter and all those onions. Then I tasted it and was sold!

 

[beansmom]

MCNUSS,

LOL!!1 That recipe is exactly what my Texas-born and bred husband calls 'snot-bread dressing'. We love it!!! My kids and I, I mean. DH wants dry old sawdust cornbread dressing.

So, we compromise...I cook what *I* like and he shuts up about it!

 

[mrp4352]

We have Monkey Bread for breakfast on Thanksgiving each year. Buy two packages of frozen bridgeford rolls. Melt a 2 sticks of butter. Cover each roll with butter and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Allow the bread to rise in a warm place. Bake at 350-400 until golden brown. Each roll will tear away from the loaf very easily and is covered in the yummy butter flavor!

 

[mcnuss]

So, we compromise...I cook what *I* like and he shuts up about it!

Well, I say if you're going to do the cooking, it's your choice, right??!!

 

[DeniseD]

I would love to try a new stuffing but I'm afraid my family would boycott Thanksgiving at my house forever! I've tried stuffing with sausage and fruit and nuts but the rest of my family do not think it is Thanksgiving without my Mother's stuffing. So here it is.

10 loaves of bread (we have a big family and love leftovers)
2 bunches of celery
4 onions
ground marjoram(Mom thinks this is the trick)
salt and pepper
turkey drippings

This is probabally the easiest recipe but it is sooooo good!

The night before Thanksgiving soften onions and celery in a ton of butter on the stovetop. Do not cook them until they brown, only until soft. Do not refrigerate overnight.
Break all the bread into bite size pieces (this is a great job to give to the kids Thanksgiving morning).
Add the onions and celery to the bread and work through with your hands.
Add spices, milk and hot water until it feels like cookie dough. Stuff inside bird and put the rest in casserole dishes. Bake at 375 until heated through and brown on top. Drizzle with turkey drippings.
Serve with lots of gravy and enjoy!

A great leftover idea is to put stuffing, turkey and gravy into a frying pan just to heat. it is soooo good.

 

[Pat]

Geffric, can you post the recipe for the chocolate cheesecake in the bread machine?

 

[geffric]

Pat.. yes i will do it later though as I am very deeep into homework with DS today.. but will get the recipe for you this evening... it is really good.

i am back.... and here is the recipe but one word of caution - my breadmaker has a dessert setting and this takes hours..and hours and hours...I use Ghiradelli chocolate chips.

3/4 cups semi sweet choc chips - melt before adding into the pan
2 large eggs - room temp
2 TSP vanilla extract
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese - microwave for 1/1/2 minutes on high and mix to smooth
3/4 cups sugar
2 TBL cornstarch

add all ingridents to pan in order
select dessert setting
beeper sounds at 1 minute and 48 seconds , use plastic spatula and stir. Scrap down sides to bottom of pan. when beeper sounds 8 times, the cooking cycle is down. LET Cheesescake sit in pan for 1 hour to firm up. At end of hour, take pan from machine use spatula to loosen cheesecake from sides of the pan , cool in pan for 1 hour at room temperature.
Place pan in frig for 5 hours or overnight.

Then use spatuls to loosen from pan , turn upside down and and shake to release cheesecake. Remoce the kneading blade from cheesecake.

Topping

2/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips adn
1/3 cup sour cream

melt together and cool slightly then spread over cheesecake..

Enjoy

 

[DeniseD]

thanks so much for all the replies. I can't wait to try them. The pumpkin cheesecake sounds yummy! If anyone knows a good recipie for cranberry sauce I would appreciate that.

 

[castlegazer]

Ooo, ooo, oo - I have the recipe for Cranberry Sauce. I have an antique grinder - the metal ones that have three legs and and opening on top where you place the stuff and the round blade wheel beneath that you turn..... well, anyways, I think you can do this with any old cuisinart.

Roughly grind in a cuisinart two bags of cranberries and add two whole ground oranges (peel and all). Add two cups of sugar (you can just add what you like - start with 1/2 cup and see how sweet you need it). Also, add however much orange you want too. That's it. Its amazing how simple and how much people love this. I can't believe everyone doesn't do it.

 

[HunnyPots]

I taught pre-K for 10 years and we made this every year as a class project. My family still insists we make it at home every Thanksgiving. Super easy and really good.

Cranberry Salad

1 lb. fresh cranberries, chopped finely
1 cup sugar
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
1 bag mini-marshmallows
1 container whipped topping
1 cup chopped pecans (walnuts are good, as well)

Add sugar to chopped cranberries and refrigerate for at least one hour, then stir all ingredients together. Refrigerate for at least one more hour before serving.

 

[Jen117]

This is my favorite pumpkin pie...

Marie Callender’s Pumkpin Pie

¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup shortening
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ice water

Filling
2 eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup whole milk

1. Prepare the crust by beating the butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Chill until firm.
2. Sift together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Using a fork, cut the chilled butter and shortening into the dry ingredients, until the mixture has a consistent texture. Mix egg yolk and ice water into the dough then form it into a ball.
4. Roll dough flat on a floured surface and line a 9-inch pie pan.
5. Prepare filling by beating 2 eggs. Add pumpkin and stir well to combine.
6. Combine sugars, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Stir spice mixture into the pumpkin.
7. Stir in milk until well blended.
8. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 45-55 minutes or until the edge of the pie and the crust is turning light brown.


Notes:
I usually make this pie using the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts.

I also don’t use the whole milk and use 1% without any problems.

When I bake the pie, I make a foil ring to go around the crust edge. That way the crust does not burn and makes a perfect looking pie every time. I pull the ring off when there is about 20 minutes left so the crust lightly browns. You can also buy crust rings for making pies.

 

[jiggerj]

Hollywood & Vine
Rootbeer Sweet Potatoes Sauce

1 quart rootbeer
1 cup bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice
6 ounces water
3 ounces corn starch
2 ounces butter
pinch of ground cloves
Mix corn starch with water, set aside. Bring all other ingredients to a boil in a pot. Add corn starch mixture. Sauce is now ready to be poured on sweet potatoes.
Slice fresh sweet potatoes in 1/2" circles, bake in 350 degree oven until soft. Remove from oven, pour glaze over and they are ready to serve.


Gotta have something "Disney" in every holiday!

 

[Desiree]

Here's a very easy favorite in our house. My family gets mad at me if I dont make it!

Corn Casserole (Doubled)

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
2 Sticks melted butter
16 oz. Sour Cream
4 Eggs
2 Cans Creamed Style Corn
2 Cans Whole Kernal Corn (Drained)

Mix well and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes

 

[joha]

Hi all!

My MIL lost her favorite sweet potato recipe (it calls for peaches/nectarine and lemon zest).

Has anyone heard of this combination? Could you please post it ?

Thanks!

 

[Mickster]

This is something I make every year! It gets better the longer it sits.

Orzo, Garlic and Walnut Stuffing
From Faye Levy’s International Chicken Cookbook, page 339

¾ cup walnut pieces 3 cups hot chicken stock or broth
6 Tbsp butter or olive oil ¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 medium onion, minced 1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
3 medium garlic cloves ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ cup orzo or riso (rice shaped pasta), about 12 ounces

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Toast walnut pieces in oven about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to plate and let cool.

Set aside 2 Tbsp butter at room temperature. Melt remaining 4 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring often, 7 minutes. Add garlic and orzo, and cook over low heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Add stock or broth, pepper flakes, and oregano and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat about 14 minutes or until barely tender.

Fluff mixture with a fork to break up any lumps in orzo. Add reserved 2 Tbsp butter, walnuts and parsley and toss mixture to combine it. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let stuffing cool.

Makes about 4 cups, enough for 1 chicken, with extra for serving separately.

Variation: Orzo Pilaf with Garlic and Walnuts
Reduce to butter or oil to 4 Tbsp. Omit the butter added at the end. Serve hot as a side dish.

 

[usewickhouse]

Hollywood & Vine
Rootbeer Sweet Potatoes Sauce

1 quart rootbeer
1 cup bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice
6 ounces water
3 ounces corn starch
2 ounces butter
pinch of ground cloves
Mix corn starch with water, set aside. Bring all other ingredients to a boil in a pot. Add corn starch mixture. Sauce is now ready to be poured on sweet potatoes.
Slice fresh sweet potatoes in 1/2" circles, bake in 350 degree oven until soft. Remove from oven, pour glaze over and they are ready to serve.


Gotta have something "Disney" in every holiday!

Has anybody ever tried this Rootbear recipie? It looks interesting but I have never had it at H&V. Would love to hear about more Holiday recipies!

 

[piratesmate]

I've made the H&V Root Beer Sweet Potatoes (well, without the bourbon) and the kids liked them, but said they weren't as good as at WDW. Maybe the lack of bourbon?

We like WDW recipe any time, but especially for holidays. I'm not crazy about sweet potatoes since I can't eat them candied anymore. But if feels weird to have Thanksgiving without them so we compromise with the Fufu from Boma!

Fufu

1 pound Sweet Potatoes, peeled, medium dice
1 pound Potatoes, peeled, medium dice
To taste Salt and Pepper
2 T. Coriander, roasted
2 T. Cinnamon, toasted
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Butter

Steam all of the tubers until tender. In a mixer mash everything together. Check the seasoning, adjust if needed.

Make sure the potatoes are cooked well.
NOTE: There seems to be an error in the recipe as I received it! There's no liquid listed & it's too dry this way. I just add some of the liquid from steaming the potatoes until "it looks right" - I can't tell you how much that is though.

Another thing we like that seems different from the "norm" is corn pudding. It's kind of like a custard consistency, but not sweet. I've seen it called "souffle" but it isn't that light.

Corn Pudding

2 c grated corn
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl butter
1 Tbl flour
1 c milk

The original says "fresh corn preferred" but I always use frozen & use the blender to "grate". I only grate until it is sort of like creamed corn - not totally mush. It screws up the baking time if you don't defrost the corn first though. (I know, I've tried it!) Doubling the recipe also extends the baking time - if you use one dish.

Grate corn & add salt, sugar, pepper, flour & melted butter. Add beaten eggs & milk. Pour into a greased baking dish & bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Serves 6.

It is done when the center is "set" - like any custard - & a knife comes out clean.

I like to make muffins instead of dinner rolls. Here are my two favorite recipes:

ORANGE MUFFINS

1 orange
1/3 c fresh orange juice
1 egg
¼ c unsalted butter, softened
1½ c flour
¾ c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ c raisins (I use Craisins)

Grate rind from orange. Remove skin and pith and any large white pieces from orange. Cut orange into 6-8 sections, remove seeds. In blender, blend rind, orange, juice, butter & egg until soupy with butter in little bits. Toss in raisins (or craisins) & blend 2 - 3 seconds. Pour into mixing bowl. Sift together flour, sugar, powder, soda & salt. Combine with wet ingredients - combine only, do not mix or beat. Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 15 - 18 min. Yield: 12 (If omitting orange, use 1½ tsp dry orange rind & additional 1/3 cup orange juice. If using craisins, soak first!!!)

Cinnamon-Topped Oatmeal Muffins

1 c flour
¼ c sugar
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c oats
½ c raisins
3 Tbl oil
1 egg
1 c milk
2 Tbl sugar
mini cinnamon chips (I just dump, but I'm guessing about 1/3 to 2/3 cup.)

Topping:
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp melted butter

Combine ingredients; stir until moist. Sprinkle with topping. (Double topping is better! ) Makes a dozen. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes in greased or papered cups.

 

[jennyL]

Desiree just noticed your sig. I love the Firefly/Serentity one. I loved the show and made my DH go to a sneak preview for the movie. People were dressed up and he thought they were all weird. LOL