Everyone loves this cranberry dish because it is such a departure from most cranberry dishes. I love it because it's so simple and the fresh ingredients add some brightness to a classic dinner that is all cooked, baked and creamed things.

As soon as fresh cranberries are available, I keep small containers of this recipe in the freezer for a quick side to nearly any meal, not just Thanksgiving. I believe the recipe may also be on the bags of cranberries, but I first found it in the book I source in the recipe. -Grainlady

FRESH CRANBERRY-ORANGE RELISH

(source: SuperFoods by Steven Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews)

One 12-oz. package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 UNpeeled orange, washed and cut into eights and seeded
3/4 c. sugar (I use low-glycemic coconut palm sugar and have also used about 1/3 c. agave nectar in the recipe)

Place half the cranberries and half the orange pieces in a food processor and process until the mixture is evenly chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining cranberries and orange slices. Stir in the sugar. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.

[Grainlady note: I've also used my old-fashioned meat grinder to grind the cranberries and oranges. It gives it a little bit different texture.]

I have to second that cranberry relish suggestion. That particular recipe is a must on my Thanksgiving table (we've always added an unpeeled apple to it, though, and I love to add a handful of walnuts, and then process). My mom made it every Thanksgiving when we were kids and it's a tradition that has stuck with all of us. It's refreshing, as grainlady stated, and a good contrast with all the creamy/starchy foods served that day.

I also like a good spinach salad with this dressing given to me by an acquaintance long ago. It's very simple, but delicious:

1 egg, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1 tsp salt

Combine and slowly bring to a boil, whisking all the while. If you get a few lumps either strain or use an immersion blender. I like it best when tossed with the salad rather than served on the side.

Definitely the hit of my Thanksgiving is corn pudding. I use Nigella Lawson's recipe from "Nigella Bites". Here it is.

Whisk 5 eggs, then add, beating unenergetically:
18 oz canned corn, drained
14 oz canned creamed corn, drained
1 1/3 c whole milk
1 1/3 c heavy cream
generous 1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Pour into large buttered baking dish (she says 12 x 10).
Bake about an hour in 375 preheated oven. Should set and puff up on top. Serves 8. (or 10 if it's a big meal)

The measurements are all odd, I imagine, because they are converted from the British ones. The canned corn measurements don't match the cans in our stores, either. This is great with ham or turkey. Think she's got enough saturated fat and cholesterol in there?

Ginny, that's a lot like the corn casserole my family is used to, but without the Jiffy Mix and sour cream. I'm going to give that a try.

Here's another dish that shows up at every fall/winter/spring holiday. It's a recipe from my great-grandmother who made it during the Depression Era. I was reading a bit on the history of dishes like this and it seems that saltine crackers were used a lot to stretch foods. Anyway, it uses oysters which I would think weren't really cheap, but the dish has graced every holiday meal (except summer holidays) that I can remember.

Basically, all you do is crunch saltine crackers, say a sleeve at a time. I just crunch them up in the sleeves. You put a sleeve in a dish, doesn't matter if it's shallow or deep. Then you layer a can or so, depending on the size of your dish, of drained oysters on top of it and dot it with butter and pepper. Another layer of crackers and butter and peppers, until you fill your dish. We like lots of oysters. Then you pour milk on it until you can just see the milk through the crackers. I often add some of the drained oyster liquid to the milk.

Then you cover it and bake at 350 or so 'til done, about an hour until, like a custard, you can stick a knife into it and it comes out clean. I uncover it the last half of baking to get a nice crunchy crust.

Anyway, it's one of those handed-down recipes that almost isn't a recipe, but we absolutely love it and no holiday would be a holiday without it. :) We've always called it Oyster Dressing, but I think technically it would be Scalloped Oysters.

Creamed onions. I use Julia's recipe.

Our traditional Thanksgiving menu has been the same for years.
I would probably be disowned if I changed anything.

Turkey (We have switched from baked to fried turkey)
Dressing, half of which contains oysters,
Mashed potatoes with gravy,
Sweet potatoes baked in their skins,
Green beans with spatzle (sp??) & mushrooms,
Spiced cranberry sauce (made with fresh cranberries)
Green tossed salad
Fruit salad (using mostly fresh fruit)
Dinner rolls
Apple pie
Pumpkin pie
Cool Whip for those that want it on their pie.

I guess we are just a pretty tradition loving family,
Occasionally something new or different is added
to please a new adult family member,
But none of the 'old' dishes are left out,
That's just how it's supposed to be!
For us, anyhow. . . . .

Rusty

Although the cast of side dishes has evolved over the years, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner in our PA Dutch family without a big casserole of Potato Filling. Although we make it without a recipe, if we used one, it would be the one on the link below. As in her notes, we use less butter than our parents did.

Ads started popping up in this week's local paper to order potato filling and/or hot bacon salad dressing sold by the quart or pint by local churches and granges as a fund raiser for those who prefer to buy it already prepared.

Here is a link that might be useful: PA Dutch Potato Filling

Ruthanna, I'm not familiar with potato filling, but I feel pretty sure we would love it. I'm going to try it soon. Thanks for the link. I love the fact that it can be made so far ahead of time.

I have 8 issues of November Food&Wine starting in 1989. (the year we wed)
The only magazines we held onto when we moved. Stained, dog eared, full of post-its.
What memories. It is all there. Things we tried and ones that have become tradition.
(kale with garlic chips finished with fresh lemon) I learned so much back then. Had no idea i initially got that recipe from so long ago...
Makes me weepy just looking at them. So thrilled they were saved.
('89 has a full Marlboro add on the back cover!)

Two things tradition are my own recipes...but the inspiration came from those pages.
My main dressing/stuffing, and roasted root vegetables.

Bourbon Cranberry relish is from '93. All on the internet now.

Ruthanna, I'm not familiar with potato filling, but I feel pretty sure we would love it. I'm going to try it soon. Thanks for the link. I love the fact that it can be made so far ahead of time.

Two that almost always show up at our Thanksgiving Dinners are creamed pearl onions & peas ( which I know cheat on & buy frozen pearl onions instead of boiling & peeling the darn little things ) , pickled beets and mustard beans.

Diane

Yes, I have been making that cran-orange relish since the early 80's and will make it again this year. I used to add chopped nuts. It's good-tart and sweet.

My family strongly "suggests" that I make all the same recipes year after year....after year. My husband calls it tradition. I call it boring. The only way I get a chance to change it up is with the veggies. I make two and fortunately nobody is a big green bean casserole fan.
I tried this recipe last year and it has been requested again this year. I may have gotten it from one of the talented cooks on this forum. I just don't remember. I only planned to make it one year but it seems to have caught on. It is easy because I can prepare it ahead of time and roast the veggies while the turkey is resting.

ROASTED ROOT VEGGIES
Total Time: = 55 min Yield: 8 servings

1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 1/4-inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don't cut them too small.

Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.

Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

Thanks for the great ideas/recipes. I think for now I am definitely switching out my cranberry sauce for the cran-orange relish, and probably gonna add in the corn pudding. Keep the ideas coming. Anyone have any special beverages they serve other than the usual wine. I was thinking of doing a hot buttered rum this year in a crock pot. I had an extremely tough Thanksgiving last year, with 17 ppl at my house (husband's family) and 25 at my parents house (my family). We live 8 blocks apart and I did 95% of the cooking for both houses. This year its only my 25 relatives so I feel like after last year this time will be a cinch and I can try a whole bunch of new stuff.

Lvmadison - Lol I wish my family weren't fans of the green bean casserole. My only saving grace is that at least it is not the recipe with cans of soup and frenchs' fried onions.

This post was edited by Melissaki5 on Wed, Nov 6, 13 at 18:41

My ooey-gooey sweet potatoes and creamed onions.

When nephew was about 3-4, his mother (a VERY sweet woman) told him... he wouldn't LIKE sweet potatoes!! She "hated" them... but had NEVER even tasted?? IMNSHO... that's just WRONG to do... but NOT my place to make a major deal over. I told nephew they were like CANDY... and they were. Family thing has been... I can't come to T-Day without them!!

My Grandmother always made small amount of yummy creamed onions. I was among few others who LOVED them along with my Grandfather.

Alwyas go with Nana's version of stuffing (in bird)... always involved several grand kids. She'd save bread for a while and we'd have to break it up. She'd start all the goodies from inside bird (liver, neck, gizzard) simmering in water... extra flavor for a lot of stuff. She'd soften up a mess onions & celery in butter... in big old cast iron pan. Would liberally add BELL seasoning (sage & other stuff) and stuff the bird till close to bursting. What didn't fit IN the bird, went into a baking dish... if needed moisture... stock from gizzards. Any left-over broth was added to gravy.

We NEVER had anything but cranberry sauce outta the can... now I really like something chunky (from fresh/frozen berries).

VIVIDLY remember Dad making fresh bread/rolls on T-Day... FABULOUS. He tried to replicate just a few weeks later for Christmas... yeast he had apparently died in the process. Dough did NOT rise at all. Remember is flinging balls of dough around basement.

I think creamed onions are traditional for New Englanders (and my favorite!), but you've got too many people to peel pounds of onions for. We also always had mashed rutabagas. I love their sweet-sharp flavor. It's one more thing you can put gravy on too!

This post was edited by may_flowers on Wed, Nov 6, 13 at 18:53

Want to try a different green bean dish ?--found this a few years ago -- may have been on this forum--- I've only used fresh green & fresh wax beans for this recipe--it's not lofat or low calorie but it tastes WAY better than the infamous casserole.

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Vegetables

Sweet And Sour Green Beans With Bacon
=====================================
æ4 bacon strips
æ1/2 cup chopped onion
æ2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
æ3/4 cup water
æ1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
æ2 Tablespoons sugar
æ6 cups green beans, cooked and drained
æSalt and pepper to taste
. 1.In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp; reserve 2 tablespoons of
drippings. 2.Drain; then crumble the bacon and set aside. 3.Saute
the onion in drippings until tender. 4.Stir in flour until
thoroughly combined. 5.Add water, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until
thickened. Stir frequently. 6.Gently stir in beans and heat
through. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.
SPECIAL NOTES: You can steam the green beans or boil them in
water. Just donâÂÂt overcook them. They should be tender but still a
little crisp.

Diane

Funny, I was just thinking that my green bean and wild mushroom casserole is probably the only food that I love about Thanksgiving. I always do it all and host it here, and I serve just about the same things every year because that is how the family wants it done. One roasted and one deep fried turkey, acorn squash soup, salad, cranberry orange relish, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, oyster bread stuffing, corn bread stuffing, roasted root vegetables, gravy, Parker House rolls or brioche rolls. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, vanilla ice cream. The only things that vary are appetizers. Relatives spend five days here, so I cook for an army and they eat leftovers for dinner for a few days. This year it is the first night of Chanukah, too, so I am wondering if I should make some latkes, too. I just read Grainlady's post on the. Cookie sheets thread and I feel I must branch out a bit. Also, I believe DS 1 and his s.o. (She cooks!) may be conscripted this year. Coconut flour is a new one to me.

My family always wants the same dinner, it's traditional. I'd have a mutiny if I changed too much.

It's always turkey and dressing (or stuffing, if you prefer, ours is inside the bird), the dressing is the basic white bread/sage/onion/celery stuff. Mashed potatoes and gravy, and the girls love the dreaded green bean casserole, made with canned soup and onions from a can. I detest the stuff. They also like canned cranberry sauce, no berries. I make LindaC's Cranberry Jezebel for Elery and I, phooey on the rest of them. Sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, another "ick" for me, so I keep some fresh sweet potatoes out for those of us who want them that way, and bake the rest with the goopy topping. Homemade rolls, either Grandma's white or Sol's Honey rolls, and honey wheat or butternut squash rolls. Dessert I get a little leeway on, although I must have pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I've had pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust, pumpkin ice cream, chocolate and peanut butter Buckeye cake, banana cream pie, blueberry crisp, cookies shaped like turkeys. More than one dessert usually. Additional side dishes have been Woodie's 7 layer salad, corn pudding, Brussels sprouts. Like Diane, I like the creamed onions, but no one else does, so I've stopped making them.

This year it's a heritage Blue Slate turkey, raised on the farm and personally plucked, LOL. Eat 'em to save 'em, says the American Livestock Conservancy.

We always have a cheeseball as an appetizer and an assortment of home canned pickles, pickled beets, some Habanero Gold with a savory cheesecake, whatever else strike us. Mother loves spinach dip and The Princess shot her first deer this year, so there may be venison summer sausage this season.

Annie

Cooking2day, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! My dad was born and raised in Wisconsin. Every year when my grandfather came for the holidays (which was usually a two month stay) he made what he called "his oysters", which was what you posted. We would go up to Bodega Bay (No. Calif. coast) and buy a ton of fresh oysters, as well as fresh crab. After my dad passed away I tried making it but it never came out like I remembered. Probably because I used recipes that called for other things in the dish. I should have remembered that the whole dish was so simple. It was one of many recipes passed thru generatons that was never written down and lost.

Now I have it! As I was reading it I could taste it all over again. Again, thank you!

As far as our Turkey Day dinner, we're pretty traditional as well:

Stuffing (traditional)
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry sauce (made Jezebel this past August and I'm in love)
Corn (always has to be buttered corn)
Cucumbers in sour cream
Green bean casserole (I use sour cream instead of Cream of Mushroom yuck and it's oh so much better and it's usually completely gone by the end of dinner)
Sweet potato casserole with ginger snap cookie crust (made with yams, pears, honey and apple juice)
Green jello pear salad (made with LOTS of cream cheese and something else that surprisingly is always completely gone)
Dinner rolls

Desserts are always pumpkin pie, apple pie (with sliced cheddar), what we call "cheaters" banana cream pie and ice cream.

Beverages are usually hot spiced cider, egg nog, sodas and coffee. We don't have booze in our house as we have a friend and a relative that are both recovering alcoholics and they were always at our house for Thanksgiving.

We purposely don't serve appitizers because we want everyone hungry......REAL hungry!

We hosted Thanksgiving for over 30 years and don't host anymore as we retired and moved to another state. We did have a huge get-together this past summer and did a whole Thanksgiving meal, during the heat of an Arizona summer.

For the first time in our married life we're going to someone elses home for Thanksgiving this year. I'm actually looking forward to what they serve.

Jenna

My family is like Annie1992's, if I change anything up, they have a fit. Two years ago I allowed someone else to bring the mashed potatoes and I'm STILL hearing about it! So, I stick with tradition and have fun with other meals. It seems that everyone has something traditional that they look forward to at the Thanksgiving meal, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone. So I have decided to be fine with it.

Our menu consists of
Roasted Turkey, with herbed butter slid under the skin the day before and left in the fridge to dry and become crispy.

Gravy. Of course.

Stuffing, my grandmother's standard recipe with those little herbed cubes, sausage, apple, onion and celery.

Mashed potatoes, plenty of butter and cream cheese.

Grandma's sweet and sour red cabbage

Home-made rolls with butter

Green beans (fresh) in browned butter with toasted almonds, sprinkled with a bit of kosher flake salt at the end. I added this in a few years ago. Simple as this is, it's become everyone's favorite. No matter how many pounds of beans I prepare, they are gone by the end of cleanup and everyone raves. Go figure.

Fresh cranberry sauce

Sweet potato casserole

fruit/vegetables/pickles/olives/etc.

Assortment of pies, both regular and diabetes friendly, and a pan of brownies.

Standard, but that's why they call it comfort food. :-)

Jenna,Yay! I'm so glad to be unplanned help. If you make it and it's as you remember, please let me know.

Cooking2day - I've never eaten oysters from a can. Is there a special brand you would recommend? Can fresh oysters be used with the crackers? Must try your yummy-sounding recipe.

Pink

Please don't groan, but we in Maryland wouldn't think of having a roast turkey dinner without sauerkraut! Yum.

Cooking2day, last night I was laying in bed (playing a game on my tablet) and out of the blue oyster crackers popped into my head. I remembered that both my dad and grandpa always had oyster crackers as the top layer. Oh, and so much butter that you could almost hear the arteries clanging shut. All ingredients are now on my grocery list.

Another oyster dish we always had the night before Thanksgiving that I've tried to recreate over the years was something my grandpa called oyster stew, again made with fresh oysters. It really was a soup, not a stew in any way, shape or form. Again, very simple but I can't seem to get it right. Seems like he used milk, oysters, butter (of course), just a touch of finely chopped celery and salt and pepper. That's all I can remember. I've tried milk, cream, a mixture of both and it just doesn't come out like I remember. I know that he would stand over the stove watching it as it cooked down just a little. We would all sit around with our bowls and spoons waiting for it to be considered ready by my grandpa. Haven't had that since he passed away. Another fond Thanksgiving memory.

Jenna

Very enlightening thread! I thought I was the only one who made banana cream pie for Thanksgiving. And used a cache of old Nov issues of cooking mags. And was only allowed to change the green vegetable year to year. Since we're doing whole menus, here's mine.

Chicken Liver Bourbon Pate
Rondole and crackers
Pickled vegetables like beets and okra

Creamy Harvest Vegetable soup (it's orange colored)

Turkey, gravy
Chestnut and sausage dressing
Cranberry Pineapple relish
canned jellied cranberry sauce
Corn Pudding
Green veg - this year it's probably sauteed savoy cabbage

Pumpkin Whiskey Pie
Banana Cream Pie

Fruit (must include persimmons and grapes)
Nuts in shells
Fennel "to settle your stomach" (called finocchio, pronounced "finoik," because I'm Italian)
Assorted chocolates to pass

Later, mulled cider with applejack

Since it takes me days to clean the house and cook for this, I try to keep everyone at the table as long as possible, hence the multiple courses. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

I have made oyster dressing in the past, in addition to the sausage one. Mine wasn't like what you all describe, though. You had to chop up fresh oysters, and it took forever. I think the cracker and oyster dressing on here sounds wonderful. I may have to add that this year. I just googled canned oysters - which I've only seen smoked - and Trader Joe's has them.

I find non-smoked oysters everywhere here in the heartland. Aldis even has them. I think the dish would be great with fresh oysters, but they're hard to come by in our area and I'm sure that's why my family always used canned.

Jenna, my grandfather always made what he called oyster stew which was simply a soup made with milk, salt, pepper, and oysters, as you described, but no celery.

Quite a few people in my family still eat it like that.

We never use oyster crackers in our dressing, but I think they're basically saltines of a different shape, so should work fine.

Everyone's menus sound so good.

Our menu is different for the last few years. My son-in-law has a tendency to go into anaphylactic shock if he eats poultry or poultry by-products, so our meal consists of cherry-glazed ham and dressing made with vegetable or beef broth, and gravy made with pork or beef broth. Not traditional, but it works and best of he doesn't spend the day in the ER. :)

What i learned from those magazines i have saved and bring out every year are the prep calendars. So much can be prepped 4,3,2,day before...and the shopping list. All done ahead.
I even have lists saved and tucked into the pages.

I prep roasted root veggies the day before. Washed and cut. It always has everything i can find at market, tossed in olive oil and in two separate freezer zip-locks. One has the firmer veg that needs a longer cooking time, the other has others that i add 1/2 into roasting. Often more than a dozen varieties...,beets, red and yellow, whole garlic, a dozen whole brussels, baby sweet red peppers, pearl onions, even black radish cut into 6 or 8 wedges depending on size. I leave the skins on all of them for identification, lol. Vegetarians go nuts for that dish. I even roast a 1/2 bunch of baby asparagus the final 20 min....the rest i use for and egg tart for breakfast with leftover greens.

My dressing/stuffing has evolved from three classics to one. It has a few varieties of toasted homemade breads from the freezer, cornbread, wild rice, wild mushrooms, lamb sausage, chestnuts, apples, homemade stock, and all the usual beginnings of the basic dressing, starting with onion celery etc. Easily prepped the day before and easy to make a vegetarian version as i go along with a veggie stock, (already made a few weeks ago).
-We could never agree on a dressing/stuffing years ago so i made a combo and now it is our own recipe.

Oysters. All i really want. Love it and make my grandmothers recipe. I think a dozen recipes for oyster dressing exists for every EasternShore/Southern dozen homes. The most basic the better.

All the talk about Scalloped Oysters - I am adding them to my menu for this year. I found the following Martha Stewart recipe, it sounds pretty good to me, but since I have never had a scalloped oyster, I'm not sure if it has too much "stuff" and should I stick to the recommendations above?

Scalloped Oysters

Choose fresh, briny oysters that are small or medium in size.

Martha Stewart Living, November 2012 http://www.marthastewart.com/939250/scalloped-oysters
Prep Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Serves8

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for baking dish
3 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 celery stalk, very thinly sliced on the diagonal (1/2 cup)
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped (1/3 cup)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 pints (32 ounces) shucked fresh oysters in their liquor, drained, with 2 tablespoons liquor reserved
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in top position. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until breadcrumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, and remove from heat. Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs evenly in baking dish, and transfer remaining breadcrumbs to a plate.
2.Wipe pan clean, and return to stove. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Saute celery and scallions, stirring occasionally, until scallions just begin to soften but celery is still bright green, about 2 minutes. Stir in thyme. Add sherry, and simmer 30 seconds. Add cream, and bring to a boil. Stir in reserved oyster liquor, the nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in oysters.
3.Spread oyster mixture evenly over breadcrumbs in baking dish. Top with remaining breadcrumbs, and bake until bubbling and oysters are just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

We will be having my mothers stuffing and my daughter in law's granny's sweet potato casserole, hubby will make the orange cranberry sauce recipe that is on the cranberry bag. Can't wait. We will also have the turkey,mashed potatoes,gravy and green beans. There will only be 3 of us this year as the grand kids are going on a cruise with their dad and his wife and her kids. We will miss them but will enjoy our dinner. Maybe our other son will come from Florida to Georgia for the weekend. All your dishes sound good and are making me hungry.
Mary

Mary

re... the Martha scalloped oysters

Seems ok. Not sure about the nutmeg. A bit of cayenne and dash of sweet paprika on top is what i use. I mince the celery. A white cracker, cream cracker or oyster cracker is more traditional EasternShore. In a zip-lock and roll over with a rolling pin. I use a bit of white wine instead of sherry.
It should not look like your regular stuffing/dressing. But it should be in one layer or two max so it cooks evenly. (i looked on her site for the pic) I prefer it to look more white and creamy. A little toasty. (i should go find my recipe)
Get fresh if you can. I've never tried 'canned'. I've had quite the oyster festival the past week...po' boy with oyster stew tonight.

Sleeve - I thought when you are all talking "fresh" oysters, you are shucking as you go.... I am pretty fast with an oyster knife, but not on Thanksgiving when I have a bunch of other stuff going on too. BTW I am just north of Philly and can get great already shucked non-frozen oysters in containers like the one you took the pic of..... This will be VERY easy if I can use those instead of shucking a couple dozen for the dish!

And I like a little sherry splash in my oyster stew, so that is why I thought it would be good in the scalloped.... I can also easily leave out the nutmeg.

Thanks for the tips!

Alexa

Yes, sherry would be good. I should stock that.
If we shucked our own, they would never make it into the dish...
Used to get a crate every Superbowl when we lived close to the fish market.

One pint is usually enough if it is in addition to another dressing and all the other sides.
The only thing i make that is so rich. Two pints if the table is 8-12 people.

DonâÂÂt be changing the menu on usâ is what they always say about Thanksgiving . and donâÂÂt forget the âÂÂScalloped Cabbage!âÂÂ
I always make two Scalloped Cabbage casseroles one for the dinner and one for left overs. Left overs are excellent too. Easy and simple it is.

One head of cabbage cut into about 8 wedges, parboil till just tender, drain, arrange in a casserole dish. Pour whipping cream over cabbage wedges about 2 inches up, bake in 350 oven 45 minutes, then sprinkle with buttered cracker crumbs and brown probably another 15-20 minutes. Have no recipe, done this way for years. Originally came from my brother and sister-in-law, they used for family dinners.

What about the jello? The kids always want the holiday jello. ick. So i made one with fresh fruit flavors and layers. Not the sweet packages. Lemon and coconut and cranberry/veggie base.
It was so good, (i thought so), but not making into the Thanksgiving re-peat tradition.
It was good for days and had it as leftovers all week last year.

Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey sounds good!
We always have rutabegas, fresh green beans with bacon and onion, pork dressing, lots of gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. I prefer fresh cranberries made like Grainlady but Mr. Wonderful likes the jellied kind.
I make some kind of yeast rolls and always pumpkin pie with homegrown kabocha squash.
And always real butter and half and half for the potatoes and real butter for the rolls.