Estelle

By the way, I would love to hear a GOOD recipe for that green bean casserole standard that is always, unfortunately, made with canned mushroom soup.

Estelle

Sweet potato slices baked with apples, butter, and salt. Soooo much better than marshmallows and sugar (eeeuuughhh)... thanks, Mom!

Danielle Jensen

BROCCOLI SOUFFLE

2 cups cooked finely chopped broccoli

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 eggs, separated

Melt butter;stir in flour and 1/2 teas. salt. Cook afew minutes. Add milk alittle at a time to prevent lumping. Cook and stir still thickened.Stir in cheese till melted. Stir in broccoli.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemony colored. Slowly stir into broccoli mixture.

Beat egg whites till stiff peaks form. Fold into broccoli mixture

Turn into ungreased 2 quart souffle dish. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or till knife inserted is clean.

This is delicious believe me. Everyone will love it - even kids and people who don't like broccoli. One Thanksgiving it was the only thing my friends 3 kids would eat. I never fail to make it every Thanksgiving and Xmas - if I didn't my family and friends would be disappointed.

P.S. You can use any veggie you like;the original recipe was with brussell sprouts!!!

Marcela Bumpus

The Most Amazing and Super Easy Spoonbread

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 16oz can cream-style corn
1 8.5oz corn muffin mix
1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of butter
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

Combine eggs, corn, muffin mix, sour cream and butter. Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 mintues. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 5-10 mins more or until knife comes out clean. Serve and drool.

J. A. Young

Uncle Moe’s Sticky Rice Stuffing

My Uncle Moe is likely the most versatile of cooks in my family. This recipe is based upon a Thanksgiving side dish that Uncle Moe served for countless years at family gatherings on the North Fork of Long Island.

Ingredients are given as I prepared this particular recipe, but the only semi-hard and fast ratios are rice to liquid and even here there is some leeway. Feel free to substitute ingredients that may work for your family. Suggestions follow the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups short grained sweet rice (I use Koda Farms -Sho-Chiku- Bai Premium Sweet Rice)
1 ounce dried shrimp
1 ounce dried Chinese mushrooms
water to cover
½ ounce salted black beans
4 ounces ( about 2) Chinese sausage
1 tablespoon black sesame oil
1 cup bok choy, stems finely diced and green tops chopped.
½ red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 cups reserved liquid
½ cup scallions, diced

Preparation

Soak rice in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours. Rinse and drain rice.

Soak dried shrimp, and dried mushrooms in separate bowls of warm water to cover for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain water from both vessels and refill with about 1½ cups of fresh cold water. Microwave the shrimp for about 1 minute on high and let cool. Let the mushrooms soak for another 20 minutes. Drain both and reserve liquid. Chop the mushrooms into ¼ inch pieces, if the shrimp are larger than ¼ inch chop in half.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the salted black beans to remove excess salt and pick through to remove any debris. Press the black beans through a garlic press.

Cut the Chinese sausage lengthwise into four quarters. Finely dice. Sauté in hot pan or wok until slightly browned. Remove from heat to a paper-toweled bowl. Sauté the chicken livers in the sausage fat until full cooked. Remove from heat to a paper-toweled bowl. Drain pan of any remaining fat, add sesame oil and sauté the bok choy, peppers, and ginger for 30 seconds, add the sausage, oyster sauce and soy sauce and stir together for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Mix the rice, the sautéed ingredients and the reserved liquid together in oven-safe glass baking dish or bowl. Cover with a lid or seal with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes and mix in the scallions. Serve immediately. Makes about 6- 8 servings.

Notes: I did a version for a friend who does not eat pork by substituting a chicken sausage, but I think using a beef summer sausage would work just as well.
A completely vegan version can be made by dropping all the meats and seafood and substituting more mushrooms, some cloud ears and diced fried tofu. For the oyster sauce, there is a vegetarian substitute which isn’t far from the original.

All the ingredients can be found in most Asian markets and many larger supermarkets.

Ted Nellen

Stuffed Pumpkin

1 medium sized sweet pumpkin
2 apples
½ Cup raisins
½ Cup chopped dates
½ Cup chopped walnuts
½ cup Dark Rum
Ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg
Tablespoon sugar

Core and dice the apples. The apples can be your choice. Put the apples in a saucepan. Add the raisins, dates, walnuts, rum, spices, and sugar.
Bring to a boil then cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.

Slice off the top the pumpkin and clean out the seeds (save the seeds). Place the pumpkin in a large steamer upside down and steam it so that the meat inside the pumpkin becomes soft when a fork is stuck into it.

Take the softened pumpkin and place it in a baking dish with some water in it. Pour the apple stuffing contents of the saucepan into the pumpkin. Place this in the oven at 350° for 45 minutes.

Clean the seeds, place them on an oiled baking tray and salt them. Put them in the oven until browned and crunchy. They are a great snack while cooking the TDay meal.

When serving, use a large spoon to scoop the meat of the pumpkin with the apple stuffing.

Cheers,
Ted

Robin Tropiano

I'd like to offer two side dishes. As a 40-something mid-westerner who married into a large, Italian-American family and whose spouse is a foodie (he co-wrote the indie film "Big Night" with his cousin), I often get teased by my father-in-law when I bring unknown food items to the yearly Thanksgiving feast. He asks if it is "one of those Michigan recipes."

However. I don't get teased any longer about either of these recipes, which have been lovingly embraced over the last few years, even by my father-in-law, who used to prefer his cranberry sauce from a can.

1. BAKES MAPLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH PRUNES, WALNUTS & CARDAMOM (serves 4-6; you can double if needed)

This is sooo delicious and easy. Everyone always loves it, including kids who might otherwise reject squash. I just don't tell them about the prunes. The cardamom provides just enough interest, and the maple syrup balances all of the flavors.

1 3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, strings and seeds removed; cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 t ground cardamom
1 T softened butter (plus butter for baking dish)
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
8 pitted prunes, cut into quarters
1 t grated orange peel
salt and pepper to taste

Steam the squash until tender - about 30 minutes. Butter a medium size baking dish and set aside. Mash the squash using a potato masher; there should be about 3 cups. Combine all of the remaining ingredients with the squash and spoon into a prepared baking dish. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 15-20 minutes.

2. CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND CLOVES

2 1/2 cups cherry cider (Trader Joe's carries it) or 100% cranberry juice, or cranberry juice cocktail
1 8 oz package dried tart cherries (about 2 cups) - the best are from Traverse City, Michigan
1 cup sugar
1 12 oz package cranberries
1/4 t (generous) ground cloves

Bring cider or cranberry juice to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cherries and let stand 8-10 minutes. Mix in sugar, then cranberries and cloves. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Can be prepared up to 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. My kids eat it by itself, even without the turkey.

Thank you, and enjoy!

Sarah

Armored Turnips

A medieval recipe found in Platina's "On Right Pleasure and Good Health". We eat this dish in the fall when one's thoughts turn to root vegetables. It's become a Thanksgiving favorite.

1 lb hard cheese (combination of muenster, sharp cheddar, & anything else you like. Shredded handles easiest.

2 lbs turnips (not rutabegas)
Pepper
Mace
Butter to dot with

Instructions:

Cut tops and roots off the turnips and boil for half an hour to 45 minutes until fork tender (but not mashable)

Cool turnips, peel and slice into 1/8 - 1/4 " thick slices

Cut slices of cheddar cheese (or shred) lay them in the pans to cover the bottom.

Top with a layer of sliced turnips, sprinkle with ground mace and pepper, add a few bits of butter. Cover with slices of shredded cheese

Repeat the previous 4 steps 1-2 times or until turnips are used up. End with cheese on top

Bake in a 300-350 degree oven until hot, with cheese melted (crispy cheese at the corners according to taste).

Serve it forth and it will be good.

Natalia Bilash

BABA’s APPLE CAKE
For the Apples
* 1 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices (or as Baba did it, shredded)
* 1 lemon, juiced
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Cake
* 4 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
* 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup warm water
* 2 1/2 cups white flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* Bundt pan
1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2 Mix the apples with the lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and let stand while you make the batter.
3 Lightly whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, melted butter, sugar, vanilla and water and whisk until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, and the baking powder. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients together. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture and stir just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
4 Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan. Pour 1/4 of the batter into the pan, and then arrange a 1/3 of the apples around the top of the batter. Make 2 more layers of apples, smoothing the batter over them after each addition. Top off with the last of the batter and smooth.
5 Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes, until risen, the top is nicely browned, and a sharp knife inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry.

Christie Fountain

Ismail Merchant's Mustard Peas:

16-oz bag frozen peas, defrosted
3 Tbsp coarse-grained mustard, moutard de Meaux (I use Pommery)
3 tbsp tarragon vinegar
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste, if desired
1/4 cup peanut oil

Combine mustard, vinegar, pepper, and salt in a mixing bowl and blend well.
Heat oil in skillet and add mustard sauce. Cook, stirring, about four minutes.
Add peas and stir to blend. Heat until peas are ready to eat.
Yield: six servings

In all my years as a stepmother, this is the only recipe my now grown and married stepson has requested.

carri skoczek

OYSTER STUFFING my all time favorite
1/2 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped shallots
1/2 stick butter
3 T chopped fresh tarragon
1 T poultry seasoning (belle's)
1/2 t powdered thyme
2 c. dried stuffing
3 c. soft rye bread cubed
1/4 t cayenne
2 doz fresh oysters chopped with liquid
2 eggs slightly beaten
homemade chicken stock to moisten
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
SAUTE onions, celery, shallots in butter. WHEN veggies soft add seasonings and oysters. SAUTE 3-5 minutes more. MIX rye bread and dried stuffing together. ADD wet to dry. ADD eggs and enough stock to moisten lightly.
BAKE in turkey or separate..if separate add more stock.
MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS

Jenny Paul

cranberry waldorf
2 bags cranberries
3/4 bag mini marshmallows
honey
5 chopped apples
2 cups chopped nuts
1 cup cream -whipped

The night before, use a food processor to cut up the cranberries- add honey to taste and the marshmallows. Leave over night. The next day add the chopped apples, nuts and whipped cream. Amazing!
When doubling, you only need 8 apples and less than 2 full cups of cream. My son waits all year for this - as do I!

Gregory

Buttery Pan Rolls

This recipe from The Galley Gourmet food blog last Thanksgiving would be my favorite even if it were not so quick and easy!

makes 12-14 big rolls

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoon instant yeast
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5-6 cups bread flour

1/4 cup (2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
additional flour for dusting

Spray a 10-inch springform pan or a 9x13-inch pan with non-stick baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the water, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and 5 cups of the bread flour. Mix on low speed until it forms a soft mass. With the mixer running add additional flour a tablespoon at a time until it forms a soft dough just lightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Place the bowl in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently degas the dough. Divide the dough evenly into 12-14 portions. Roll into balls and arrange them in the prepared pan. Brush with the melted butter. Cover the rolls lightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 15-20 minutes, or until puffy. Remove the plastic and using a fine mesh sieve dust with additional flour.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Helen Conroy

Smoking Bishop Cranberry and Fig Compote
The other day, I was heating a cup of Smoking Bishop -- a citrusy, spiced red wine and port warm punch-- while pondering what to do with the bag of organic cranberries I’d purchased that day. The aroma of the punch reminded me a tasty dessert from Alice Waters’ "Chez Panisse Fruits," made simply by poaching in lightly spiced red wine, then serving them with coffee ice cream. Problem solved! I immediately combined the basic formula for the Smoking Bishop, plumped up a few figs in it and added my cranberries and a tart apple, to create this compote. This needs at least a few days to mellow before it’s at its best. Once it’s ready, however, you’ll be glad you waited. Enjoy!! ;o)
Serves 4 - 6

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon crushed anise seeds (I prefer ones from Spain.)

1/3 cup apple brandy

¼ teaspoon salt

3/4 cup red wine (I use a vin ordinaire from southern France.)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

8 dried black mission figs, chopped into 6 – 8 pieces each

2 tablespoons regular molasses

8 ounces organic cranberries

1 tart apple that's been peeled, cored and grated

½ cup ruby port

Combine in a heavy saucepan over medium heat all of the ingredients except the cranberries, apple and port.
Simmer for about 10 minutes over very low heat, stirring frequently.
Add the cranberries and apple and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 15 - 20 minutes, until thick and jammy looking. Add the port and simmer for another two minutes.
Cool and then put in a jar and refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 days before serving.
Enjoy! ;o)

Louise Flax

1 English Cucumber
1 Bunch Radishes
1/4 cup Cider vinegar
1 1/2 TB sugar. 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper
1 TB oil

Cut cuke in half, slice 1/4 " thick
Cut radishes into 8 wedges
boil vinegar and sugar, salt and pepper until sugar dissolves. Add oil, pour over cut vegetables.

If you allow it to sit in fridge, it softens and melds
Like a mild kimchi.

A nice fresh taste.

a variation of an Epicurious recipe.

Linda Wexelblatt

Whipped Parsnips with Roasted Garlic

1 med head garlic
1 pound parsnips, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 Tabs. butter
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 1/4 inch off top of garlic and discard. Wrap head tightly in foil. Place on rack in oven; roast until tender, aobut 1 hour. Cool. Press garlic to release from skin. Mash.

Cook parsnips in pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Return parsnips to pot. Add cream, butter, nutmeg, and mashed garlic. Beat with handheld mixer until smooth, thinning with some of reserved cooking liquid if too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings.

Jim LaForge

Jimmie Dee's Candied Sweet Potatoes

2 -3 Regular Sized Sweet Potatoes
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
Nutmeg
1 tsp Vanilla

Peel Sweet Potatoes
Cut off the ends
Cut into 2" +/- chunks

Boil in water till sweet potatoes fall easily from toothpick (about 1/2 hour)

Drain ALL the water

Lower the fire to low

Soften the Butter, combine with sugar and pour over sweet potatoes

After sugar melts:

add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and sprinkle in some nutmeg

Simmer over very low heat 30 minutes or so.

Sprinkle in more nutmeg just before serving.

Serve and enjoy !!

(Recipe can be used for any amount of sweet potatoes; just keep the 1:1 ratio of unsalted butter to sugar).

Lucy Long

Fried Hominy

Saute (lard or bacon grease is traditional; olive oil is acceptable)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper (or mix different colors of peppers)
salt-1 tsp.
pepper--1/2 tsp.
basil--1/2 tsp.
parsley--1 tsp. (if using fresh herbs, add at end of cooking)
Once the onions are done (translucent), add 2 cans of hominy (1 can of white, 1 of yellow is best for color).
Saute the hominy until it is heated through, and serve.
(optional--You can also saute sausage with the onions.)

Claudia Ocello

This is the stuffing that we have every year with our turkey. My grandmother came to the US from Italy in 1935 and when she found out she had to stuff a turkey for Thanksgiving, her mother-in-law taught her this recipe, which she used in Italy to stuff capretti, or goat. I think it’s a great example of an ethnic influence on an American holiday.

Barbara Dominianni’s Spaghetti Stuffing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 pound spaghettini, broken into small pieces about 1” long
6 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese
1 ½ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound mozzarella, diced
½ pound sharp Provolone cheese, diced
½ pound sliced Genoa salami, cut into small pieces

Heat olive oil in large skillet and sauté onion and sausage. Let cool. Cook spaghettini according to package directions and drain. Combine all ingredients into large bowl and mix well.
We usually don’t stuff the turkey with this, just spread it in a 9 x 12 lightly-oiled glass pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes.

My mother and I will make the stuffing this year, because my grandmother passed away in July at age 98. She was cooking until 2 months or so before she passed away.

erica wides

Roasted Broccoli Romanesco with anchovies, capers and toasted bread crumbs