If mashed potatoes aren't on the table, then it's not Thanksgiving to me. I'm easy to please huh?

But in the last 10 years or so, we've started having Memphis Corn Pudding on the table for Thanksgiving and I have come to expect that on our table too!

Do you need the recipe?

Oh Shaun - I would love the recipe for the Corn Pudding! That sounds like it should be the new addition to my table this year

Alexa

Besides the turkey, there are two others that are traditional in our family. One is potato filling, which I posted about on the Potato Cookalong thread. The other is what we call tomato pudding.

Creamed onions and pumpkin pie used to be must-have dishes until we realized about five years ago that everyone who really liked them was dead and we voted them off the menu.

TOMATO PUDDING

2 (1 lb.) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
2 Tbsp. water
1 cup Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoned stuffing mix

In saucepan, cook tomatoes, onion, sugar, and 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by half - 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Melt other tablespoon of butter with water; stir in stuffing mix. Spread topping over tomatoes and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomatoes are heated and topping is golden.

Note: Dry bread cubes can be substituted for the stuffing mix. The tomato-onion mixture can be prepared ahead of time. Just dont add the topping until ready to bake.

Here ya go! It's simple and very very delicious.

Memphis Corn Pudding

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
1 can Whole Kernel Corn with juice
1 can Cream Corn
1 stick of melted butter
1 Cup sour cream
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients until blended. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned.

Thansk Shaun! That sounds great!

Alexa

If I do Thanksgiving with just my immediate family, I am limited by the fact that my dad is one of the pickiest eaters on the planet, and my brother is a close second. He's a little better with vegetables but he hates anything "mixed together." Mom likes cranberry sauce, so that is a must do, I make it fresh because it is DEAD EASY, and just use the recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray bag of cranberries. Can make ahead. Our family, due to the pickies, like just plain baked sweet potatoes. Dad usually needs bread, even though we have bread stuffing and potatoes. As a result, we often have wild rice instead of bread stuffing, although we go back and forth between years and between Christmas and New Years. At my house, duck is just as likely to show up on the table as turkey. Like Rachelellen, I try less bland dishes but only my mom and me like them, so I always end up accomodating my meat, starch and more starch dad. My brother insists on vegetables plain, and even salad with just olive oil and salt and pepper. So we usually have steamed broccoli or green beans, lettuce salad, and pumpkin and apple pies for dessert. Very dull IMHO. Occasionally we've done acorn squash instead of sweet potatoes. No mashed potatoes with all those other starches, plus my mom never made homeade mashed potatoes in her life so is not missed. Pre-dinner includes plain cheeses with plain crackers, fresh fruit and dried fruit and nuts. And yes, years ago mom would get "fancy" and open a tin of smoked oysters. Not sure why we don't anymore. She also used to make chex mix around the holidays. I don't really like it but maybe I should make some this year.

To me, this is BORING, but that's my family. At least we don't do green bean casserole, lol!

Enjoying this thread, Mike and everyone! Besides the requisites (turkey, stuffing, etc.) we have

-Glazed sweet potatoes and apples
-Some cranberry salad with celery in it (mom makes -- few takers, but needs to be there)
-Oreo Cookie Cake (yep! even with pies, it's become tradition with kids -- so rich it makes my teeth hurt)
-Celery and Olives (ho-hum, but someone else brings)

The only things we go less "traditional" or venture outside the old comfort zone are vegetables and rolls.

Thanks for sharing the recipes -- I see some winners!

Cathy in SWPA

Chestnut stuffing!

It goes something like-- a bunch of sauteed onions and sage, a stick of butter, pepperidge farm seasoned bread cubes, boiled, peeled chestnuts, and a cup of boiling water. Ish :-P

I also have a very traditional Thanksgiving table, I'd have a mutiny if I changed recipes, although I sometimes sneak in changes. For instance, my family loves the Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce in a can, nothing else will do, but I make Cranberry jezebel for Elery and I.

My menu always includes:

Turkey (although this year Elery will smoke it)
Stuffing (traditional bread/onion/sage stuff that my family loves and I abhor)
Mashed potatoes
Turkey Gravy
Green bean casserole (another that the kids love)
Homemade dinner rolls, probably Sol's Honey Rolls
Woodie's layered salad
Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows for the kids, plain baked for Elery and I
Pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust
Buckeye cake
Some "cutesy" dessert for the grandkids

We'll have coffee, milk, home pressed apple cider. David will drink his Mountain Dew and Elery and Mom will have wine.

Annie

orange glazed sweet potatoes/yams, chocolate cream pie and sweet potato pie these are must have in our house

I've been wondering what Cranberry Jezabel is - sounds right up my alley! I'm assuming it's just served on the side like regular cranberry sauce?

Dessert is a nice mix of about a half dozen different pies but the main meal is sadly uninspired. One year us cousins tried to mix it up a bit but the older generation revolted. I brought maple glazed carrots which everyone but me seemed to like. Or were they just being polite? I've been asked to bring beer ever since. I hope I won't upset the establishment by bringing Cranberry Jezabel.

Here's the rest....
Mrs. Averys Rolls

2C Scalded Milk, cooled to warm temperature
3T Shortening or Butter, Melted
½ C Sugar
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 pkgs yeast (or 1T bulk yeast)
1/3 warm water
4-5 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (about 105 degrees) with a teaspoon of the sugar, wait until it foams. While waiting for the yeast to foam, mix the milk, butter, remaining sugar and salt. After the yeast foams, add the yeast mixture to it, and the two beaten eggs to the mixture. Either by hand or in a stand mixer, blend in flour a cup at a time until the dough is soft and fairly sticky. Turn onto a floured board and knead just until the dough is no longer sticky, but is smooth and satiny.

Let rise until doubled, punch down, knead a little, then shape into rolls. Bake at 350 until golden. May brush with egg wash or butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Also good rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar. Dough is a good base dough for a variety of sweet breads like cinnamon rolls or brioche.

Scalloped Oysters
1 pint oysters
3/4 cup cracker crumbs(saltines)
3/4 cup stale bread crumbs
4 tablespoons oyster liquor ( cream to make up if there isn't enough)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons milk or cream
Salt
lemon juice
Pepper

Mix bread and cracker crumbs, and stir in butter. Put a thin layer in bottom of a buttered shallow baking-dish, cover with oysters, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon; add one-half half each oyster liquor and cream. Repeat, and cover top with remaining crumbs. Bake thirty minutes in hot oven. Never allow more than two layers of oysters for Scalloped Oysters; if three layers are used, the middle layer will be underdone, while others are properly cooked. A sprinkling of mace or grated nutmeg to each layer is considered by many an improvement. Sherry wine may be used in place of cream.

I agree with beachlily -- Sharon's braised red cabbage is a must-have at our thanksgiving table... Just in case people can't find the recipe, here it is...

BRAISED SWEET AND SOUR RED CABBAGE
Serves 4 - 6
1 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 large apple, cored and chopped
½ of red cabbage, quartered, cored and thinly shredded - (6 cups shredded)
3/4 cup apple juice + ¼ cup chicken stock or red wine
3 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flakes / splash of hot sauce
1. Heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat in a deep frying pan. Cook the onion and apple for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the cabbage and toss well.
Add the apple juice, vinegar, sugar and seasonings and stir.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the liquid reduces completely and the cabbage is tender. Check seasoning and serve.
Leftovers can be chilled for one day and reheated over a moderate heat.
Source: Adapted from Rick Gallop's GI Diet
Green-Light Cookbook

Tomato soup salad! It's a must have for us that were raised with it. Not to many others like it.

Geez, Annie, yours looks like mine. Maybe I'll just crash your dinner and save the cooking! LOL
The only things different:
We have the disgusting (to me) Pink Jello Salad instead of Woodie's layered one.
I've eliminated the GBC, replaced with just green beans.
No buckeye cake or "cutesy" dessert...at least unti I have grandkids!!

Otherwise, it's pretty much identical! 'Cept I LOVE that sage dressing!

Deanna

See, Deanna, somehow I knew that we'd be much the same, LOL.

I always keep some plain green beans for Elery, I and Mother, everyone else likes the casserole. Yes, with the canned soup and the french fried onions. Sigh.

Ah well, it's all about the family anyway. You could practice by making turkey cookies or something, for when you DO have grandchildren. (grin)

Annie

And do you roast some sweet potatoes separately too? I can't stand the sugary sweet sticky candied ones.
Much prefer olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Roasted.

I'm gradually moving some family members to 'my side'.
Deanna

Last year a traditional thanksgiving menu was voted in; that menu includes:
Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
Raspberry Schnapps Cranberry Sauce
Gravy made with chicken feet broth and turkey drippings (this was a huge hit last year)
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Fried Corn

Sour Cream Cucumbers. My mother made them every year.
Thinly sliced peeled cukes, salted then drained. Add sour cream, vinegar and black pepper to taste. Sometimes with paper thin sweet onion slices added. Nice on a cold turkey sandwich the next day.

I make a spiced orange cranberry mold.
I'm at work so will post when I get home.
It's requested by everyone in my family each year.

Linda

My sister's MIL's stuffing. Unbelievable.

Cranberry relish (the name doe not do it justice). It is an incredible mix of cranberries, walnuts, oranges, strawberries, and I can't remember what else. A friend of a friend makes it and we get one on a little pedestal dish each year.

In fact, I might try to make it myself this year!

Sue

Foodonastump,

I actually found the Jezebel cranberry sauce in the paper before I saw Annie's. Sometimes I serve it on the side at dinner; this year it's going to be an appetizer: poured over cream cheese, with crackers.

One of my must-haves is my mother's sausage stuffing.

SAUSAGE STUFFING
Makes enough to stuff a turkey & bake extra in a dish

2 lb sausage (I use Jimmy Dean regular)
2 onions, diced, divided use
2 Tbsp sage, divided use
1 box Mrs. Cubbisons bread dressing
1 ½ c. diced celery
¼ - 1/3 c. currants OR raisins
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2 eggs
2 c. milk OR chicken OR turkey stock/broth/bouillon
sliced mushrooms & sliced almonds, optional

In large frying pan, break sausage into bits & fry. Add 1 onion, diced & sauté until clear & barely brown. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sage & stir. Remove from heat.

In large bowl or pot, put 2 sacks of dressing, diced celery, diced onion, currants or raisins, 1 Tbsp sage, water chestnuts, & if desired, mushrooms & almonds.

In separate bowl, beat eggs, milk or broth & salt & pepper to froth. Pour over sausage & onion.
Add sausage & milk mixture to dressing mixture & toss.
Can cover & refrigerate at this point until ready to stuff turkey.
Stuff turkey chest & rear cavity. Put rest of stuffing in greased or buttered baking dish.
Bake at 325 350 degrees about 50 min.

Gravy made with chicken feet broth and turkey drippings

Cathy, girlfriend, only your CF friends would think that sounds yummy!!

I'm with Shaun. I need there to be mashed potatoes. They're my favorite food of all time. Other than that, we usually do a pretty basic Thanksgiving. I'm hosting for the first time this year so I'm going to try to put a few "new" things on the table. Mom's bringing the green bean casserole, I just can't bear to make it. I've hated it ever since I can remember, seems like I'm in good company! :)

Bri

Bri, good luck sneaking in "new foods". I usually make the traditional dishes and add a new one or two, sometimes they make the cut and sometimes they don't.

Deanna, I do baked sweet potatoes for Elery and I instead of the candied things, but I always use fresh sweet potatoes and buy extra and then the next day we can have some roasted. I use mixed herbs on mine but rosemary sounds good, I'll try that.

Yes, only on the CF would chicken feet gravy sound good, LOL.

Annie

My meal is basic -- turkey, dressing and cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and usually brussels sprouts and/or peas. I've begun adding or replacing one of the a green vegetables with fried okra, because it is so flavorful and seems so basic. I used Alton Brown's dry fried recipe, cut okra shaken in corn meal and fried. It's delicious. I've never understood the green bean casserole love.

We have the same thing year after year and you can't change the basic sides...add to yes but don't think about taking away the basics.

Turkey..sometime a ham too depending on who is here
Stuffing(bread)
Mashed Potatoes
GBC
Cream cheese corn
Sweet potatoes
Canned cranberry stuff that looks like jello...lol
Crunchy coleslaw
Gravy
Rolls

New things that some of us like.
Linda's jezabel
Shauns corn pudding
Spinach Mandaline
cornbread dressing(BIL)
Collard Greens(BIL)
A yummy Brussel Sprouts recipe I made years ago and can't find the recipe. From what I can remember they were sauted then put in a casserole dish covered in cream and topped with parm cheese and baked.

David

Joydee, WHAT is "tomato soup salad?" Is it like a gazpacho??

I thought it better not to ask.... LOL!
I figured it's that salad sometimes called "copper pennies"....with carrots and canned tomato soup....and "other stuff".
Really it's better than it sounds!
Linda C

Memere's Stuffing, Baked Acorn Squash with Maple Syrup and Butter, Pecan Rolls...and when Dad and Uncle T were alive, Blue Cheese Creamed Onions. Basically just pearl onions and white sauce with blue cheese added. They loved them. Of course they also loved the Sauterne wine Uncle T brought every year. Each Thanskgiving it was their job to clean the meat off the turkey after the meal. One year the wine got the better of them and they decided to toss the bones because they took up too much space in the refrigerator. Problem was in their wine soaked enthusiasm they tossed the meat and kept the bones. Needless to say my mother was none too pleased when she reached for some turkey meat the next day and came out with a hand full of bones. But she was glad to have the bones for soup. The men got demoted to dishes the following year.

Mama D's Italian stuffing. This was from a restaurant here in Minneapolis. Somehow I got the recipe - college roommate worked there. I've made it for close to 25 years. It would not be Thanksgiving in my house without it.

Our T-Day dinner is pretty much set in stone and over the years I have learned that if, by chance we go away on Thanksgiving, I might just as well plan on cooking a turkey dinner here at home on the weekend. Not that other's can't cook the same dinner but it just doesn't taste the same, so the craving will be there until it's satisfied. Besides, we love the leftovers!

Menu items 'set in stone'

Stuffed Turkey

Casserole of extra stuffing...the stuffing is a basic bread (hand torn) with celery, onions, butter, S+P and lot's of sage. I love all kinds of stuffing but on T-Day it has to be the basic!

Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Maple syrup

Mashed Potatoes and real turkey gravy

Fresh cranberry and orange relish

Jello Salad....don't laugh, I can't find a replacement that works

Corn Casserole

Broccoli or Brussels sprouts

Pumpkin Pie (additional pies if there are more people)

I've added other dishes to this menu some years but the basics are always the same.

Nancy

My family absolutely insists on all the traditional dishes. I do sneak in a few new things from time to time (usually things that appeal to me, of course), but they invariably ignore or just tolerate them, and swoop down on the traditional stuff. One son loves fruit in virtually any type of recipe -- his faves are pineapples and cherries -- and I have fun finding new recipes to try out on him each year. He makes Thanksgiving even more fun. :-)

dancingqueen, would you please post the recipe for Mama D's Italian stuffing? She's quite a lady.

I grew up with a rather traditional holiday food. Thanksgiving at home would be two kinds of meat, turkey of course and a beef roast was popular, sometimes ham and occasionally pork roast. Mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans or peas, dressing, relish tray, home made dinner rolls, lefse, often baked beans, pies, etc. After my mother died we switched off then a cousin started hosing a similar menu. I started staying home for the holidays and decided to switch themes and make something special so it's not the same thing every year. This year I'm thinking a more traditional/old fashioned fare, but might make ham the guest of honor since the prices are so good right now.

Wow! Too many new ones to try this Thanksgiving but I'll be trying some between now and the first of the year.

Caliloo: The NE Cranberry Rosemary combo sounds intriguing

Rachelellen: I had to laugh at black olives- love them year round but can remember one on all ten fingers of each of us kids on TD when we were little. Mom must have gone through several cans.

Beachlily: Daytona's not far from where I made my first self made TD dinner. I made the T & Stuffing at home and took it as a casserole (we like that more than the first day T&S)
and then fixed the rest of the meal on a stove outside at a camp between Melbourne and St. Cloud. Before that I always went to mom's with the family. Have been cooking TD dinner ever since.

Shaun: Mashed potatoes will be on the have to have list this year. Ive been fixing a ham with the turkey for about 12 years now and my new SIL said mashed taters is a given for him. I didnt fix them last year and he said it just wasnt TD for him. I've had something that sounds just like your corn pudding that somebody brought to a church dinner. It was really good.

Ruthanna: Tomato pudding is one of my dad's favorite dishes but with regular bread cubes and I dont fix it for TD dinner.

Cathy in pa: I've made an apple & Sw Pot casserole with pecans and a very light streusel topping for a couple of years but seems like I'm the only one that eats it, so I'm thinking of switching it out for sautéed Sw Pot with just a couple Tblsp of brown sugar after they've browned. I don't like them too sugary sweet. Whats in yours?

Jessicavanderhoff: I started to make Chestnut stuffing with roasted nuts until I saw the (sorry) worms coming out of them. Couldn't get past that. I'm sure yours is great though

Annie1992: Recipes for Layered salad, Buckeye cake and Sol's Honey rolls if you don't mind

sffog: Another given since about 3 years ago when one of the SIL came up for TD is French silk pie. Hubby's a chocoholic too. So TD has always had to have something choc.

Joydee12: What IS tomato soup salad???

Mustang: Traditional??? Ive got chickens but, well the tootsie gravy will have to wait for another time.(how do you clean those suckers ?!?) Roasted garlic while the Turkey is cooking for those Mashed Potatoes?

nowini: Cukes and S/C. one of mom's favorites. That and ugh :-" Waldorf Salad. She's about the only on that eats that. And she doesn't know how to make a small batch. Dad doesnt mind it the first week but after that. Well.

Moosemac: Creamed onions with toasted bread topping A little sherry and nutmeg in the cream sauce (although I hate cleaning the pearl onions) is a given here or it's not TD. That was the first recipe I got from mom the first year I cooked my own TD dinner. But definitely not with Blue Cheese. It's about the only cheese I won't eat.

Dancingqueen: I love anything Italian. Care to share the recipe?

Wizardnm: Cranberry relish is another given here. Do you put apples in with the crans and orange. I grind it all together with sugar to taste and then make lots to freeze so we have it year round. Used about 9 lbs of crans this year. The newest SIL decided he like it too.

I'm really enjoying everybodys input. Keep the ideas coming. And everyone have a blessed TD with family around the table whether it's just the two of you or lets see last count I think it's 14 here so far. And if there's just one by themselves out there, somebody invite them to share. It'll make the dinner that much better. Sounds like a lot of very special dinners about to happen :-)

@Moosemac...

ROFL! :D

Also LOL'ing at moosemac's story! Funny!!

I'm laughing too @Moosemac! Actually, I'm smiling as I read so many of these posts.

Glad you asked for follow-ups, Mike! Sorry, but I love your Waldorf Salad ... "And she doesn't know how to make a small batch" HA!

Here's the recipe, but you may be looking for a more roasted flavor. This is sweet, but the orange/lemon juice add a nice acidity. I also take into account the sweetness/tartness of the apple and may adjust sugar. Caveat: This recipe evokes fond memories of my mother-in-law and may have produced the positive family/tradition bias:)

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

2 Cans (1 lb each) sweet potatoes/yams, drained (I cut to make uniform)
2 Tart apples, pared, cored and sliced
1/2 C Brown sugar
1/4 C Butter (I've probably used margarine)
1 TBSP prepared mustard (my kids walk away at this point:)
1/2 C Orange Juice
2 TBSP Lemon Juice

Place yams & apples in buttered shallow 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Melt butter and stir in mustard, orange juice and lemon juice. Drizzle over casserole. Bake at 400 degrees for ~35 minutes basting frequently (I don't know how frequent I do this.) There it is!

I'm looking forward to hearing others' responses.

You, also, have a blessed Thanksgiving. Your sentiments are heartwarming.

Cathy in SWPA

Turkey
Ham
Dressing (home made)
Chicken and Noodles (home made)
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Green Beans
Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Cole Slaw
Apple Salad
Yeast Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Butterscotch Pie
Cheese Cake
Carrot Cake
Banana Bread
Baked Apples
Iced Tea
And whatever else I find time to fix and whatever the rest bring. This menu includes some things family members have asked me to fix. Everything is homemade. No mixes.

Sue

I haven't seen anyone with some of the things my family has had for years:

Appetisers
Pickled shrimp and red onions
assorted cheeses, salami, crackers

Turkey (brined!)
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Candied Yams
Stuffing
Mashed turnips (rutabegas really, with butter and cream)
"Mom's" Kale (Kale cooked in water with knockwurst and onions and then thickened into a porridge with handfuls of oatmeal!)
Heavenly onions (Spanish onions, sliced and sauteed, then put in a casserole with cream of celery soup mixed with soy sauce and half a pound of swiss cheese)
Brussel sprouts with bacon
Broccoli/cauliflower and olives-a sprinkle of pepper flakes

Pumpkin pie
Mince meat pie (drizzled with rum)
Roseanne's cheescake with sour cherries

LOL, Moosemac, I think the leftover turkey is my favorite part, I'd have been ticked too! I'm still laughing, though.

Mike (I don't really know your name and the title is long, LOL, so you get a nickname!), I'd be glad to post those recipes. Here is the one for Sol's Honey Rolls, posted by our own Solsthumper, she's impressive. She cooks, bakes, posts beautiful pictures, plus she's funny as heck! I usually go for more of the "whole grain" kind of bread, but on holidays, it's strictly white and a bit sweet, soft and fluffy. I don't proof the yeast so I don't use that little bit of sugar and I don't heat anything because the bread machine has a "preheat" cycle I dump all the wet stuff into the bread machine, add the dry stuff and push "dough". They come out perfectly yummy...

Honey Rolls

1 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter [1 stick]
2 teaspoos salt
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar*
2 pkges. dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water [110º-115ºF]
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 - 6 1/2 cups AP flour

Heat the milk, add butter and salt. Set aside while butter melts. Stir in the honey.

In another bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let it sit until yeast is completely dissolved, about 6-7 minutes.
Combine milk mixture with yeast mixture. And stir in the beaten eggs. Beat in 4 cups flour. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat both sides. Cover and allow dough to rise 1 hour. Punch dough down, and allow to rise another hour. Punch down again, and shape dough into rolls. Let it rise again 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in volume. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and bake rolls for 25 minutes or until a deep golden brown. For a very soft crust, brush rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Note: You could omit the sugar from this recipe altogether. I sometimes use about a teaspoon of the honey called for in the recipe to feed the yeast instead of the sugar.

This is a holiday standard. My "layers" are usually romaine, frozen peas, sliced celery, chopped hard boiled eggs, shredded cheddar, crumbled crisp bacon and Miracle Whip. Yeah, I know, but that's what the family likes. A few green onions sliced on the top, maybe...

DEEP DISH LAYERED SALAD
Woodie/Recipe Exchange

2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 1/2 heads iceburg lettuce - rinsed, dried and shredded
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Layer 1/2 of the lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl. Follow with a layer of celery, bell pepper, green onion, mushrooms, peas and egg. Top with remaining lettuce.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, brown sugar, garlic powder and curry powder. Spread evenly over top of salad. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 10 servings

Finally, the buckeye cake. My son in law just loves the stuff, it's like those "buckeye" candies with peanut butter in the middle and dipped into chocolate, or like a Reese's peanut butter cup. The original of this recipe calls for "choco bake" which I can never find, so I just sub melted baking chocolate. I've been known to make little "turkeys" out of halved peanut butter cups and piped icing, set the candy cut side down and use as the tail, then pipe a neck, head and feet....

Buckeye Cake

CAKE
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

PEANUT BUTTER LAYER
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar

GANACHE
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch-round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; grease.

FOR CAKE:

COMBINE eggs and sugar in large bowl. Stir in flour, melted butter, chocolate, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake; cool for an additional 10 minutes. Invert cake onto serving platter. Remove pan and parchment; cool completely.

FOR PEANUT BUTTER LAYER:
BEAT peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in medium mixer bowl until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Spread mixture on cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

FOR GANACHE:
HEAT cream in small saucepan to boiling; remove from heat. Add semi-sweet morsels; let stand 5 minutes. Stir; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until mixture is spreadable. Spread chocolate on top and sides of cake.

MELT peanut butter & milk chocolate morsels in resealable plastic bag on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 30 seconds. Knead bag to mix. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals until melted. Cut a small hole from corner of bag; squeeze to drizzle over cake. Store in refrigerator. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here. I think I'll have 8 at my table this year, but maybe 9 or 10....

Annie

Shaun,
I made your corn pudding last night. I actually got the recipe from the Corn pudding thread where Alexa had posted it. It was very good!! I added in some cayenne pepper because I like a kick. Thanks for the recipe, it's a keeper! It's a good one to have on the table for a buffet or pot luck.

As far as I know, no one here has made this recipe except me, even though I have posted it many times, but it is a huge family favorite and extremely easy to make. I came up with the idea of using grits instead of cornbread many years ago, and it is a real time saver. My SIL in Texas now makes it as well.

Grits Faux Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil or grape seed oil
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 tbsp soup base, mushroom, chicken, vegetable, or a combination
1/8 tsp cayenne (or dash of hot sauce)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1-2 tsp dried sage (according to your taste)
3/4 cup quick grits (be sure not to use "instant") can substitute polenta
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
2 cups dry bread, in small cubes

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, or until the onions begin to be translucent. The celery must stay crunchy. Add the water (or broth, if you have it), soup base, cayenne, and herbs, and stir to combine. Take the pan off heat, and add the quick grits slowly while stirring. Stir for one minute off heat, and return to low heat. Cover and cook five minutes more (for a total of six minutes), stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat the eggs with the 2 tbsp water, and then combine with the bread cubes. Transfer the bread to a 9x13 baking dish, add the cooked grits, and stir to combine.
Bake covered for about 10 minutes longer if the grits have been made ahead and have cooled. If you like it less moist, you can bake it uncovered.

Lars

Lowspark! Yay! Glad you liked it.

Embarrassing as it is , my cheater baked beans have to be on all my holiday tables besides of course all the other stuff that has to be on t the table. These are really good and so easy to make it's embarrassing!

Cheater Baked Beans

1 Can kidney beans, drained
1 Can lima beans, drained
2 Can Brown Beans (pork and beans)
1 1/2 Cup of chili sauce
2 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbl molasses
3 Slice bacon cut in half (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium baking dish, mix kidney beans,lima beans, brown beans, chili sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and molasses. Top with bacon. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until thick and bubbly.

Shaun,
You aren't going to believe this but last night I discovered that I left out a primary ingredient! The melted butter!!!

Last night DH opened the microwave to heat up something and with surprise he said, OH! There's already something in there! Turned out it was the stick of butter I'd melted to put into the pudding. I had COMPLETELY forgotten it until I looked in the MW to see what was in there!

The pudding still turned out great and I guess we were spared some calories and fat! LOL Anyway, now I'm debating whether to put it in or leave it out next time. I'm sure it will be a richer flavor with it, but it was really good without it too!!

Cynic and Mikes100

Here's the Mama D's Dressing Recipe

1/2 cup evoo
3 med onions chopped fine
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups celery (ok I hate celery so I only use the dried and only about 1/4 cup)
15 slices dry bread cut or torn into pieces
Several springs of fresh parsley
1 lb mild italian sausage
1 tsp fennel seed
3 eggs
3/4 cup fresh grated romano cheese
1/4 cup butter
Salt, pepper, oregano
Chicken or turkey broth

Brown sausage drain grease set aside. In small amount of the evoo in same pan cook chopped onions and garlic until transparent. Add celery parsley, fennel seed, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well then add bread. Add the remaining evoo to the mix. Beat the eggs together and add to mix blending well. Add romano cheese. melt the butter and add to the mix. If I am cooking inside the turkey I do not add the turkey broth but if I am making it in a pan I add broth - sorry but I just do it till it looks about right in consistency and is not too dry.

Oh my! hahaha!!! Well that's good to know you dont really need the butter!

Lars, I will try that recipe. A while ago, I went on one of those spells where I couldn't remember whether or not I had bought an ingredient last time I shopped...and after a few trips to the store ended up with enough grits to last us years. :P

Isn't it interesting the family traditions that just won't die? In my family, we never, ever have mashed potatoes! Ha! That would mean toooooo many carbs and it would just be wrong! LOL! We want to save room for more dressing.

I think I'll make the Cranberry Jezebel this year, but there will be canned cranberry sauce too for the "children" who are now in their 30's. We have to have Mom's dressing and gravy and sweet potatoes in some form. I have to have homemade rolls on my table - store bought are not permitted.

I think I'll make a congealed salad and a broccoli casserole this year --- just because I want them. Haven't decided on dessert yet. No one in our family eats them anyway....sigh....