My Family’s Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

Happy Sunday! I know I normally don’t pop in on the on this day, but I’ve received a bunch of requests for the specific recipes my family uses on Thanksgiving,  so I thought I’d put together a roundup up for you! Some dishes I’ve got direct links to, and others are more just tips and guidance, but I’ve tried to provide as much detail as possible. Here goes:

• The Turkey: Definitely something my mom does by memory, but her signature techniques include both covering the bird in butter and wedging small pats of butter under the skin, coating the bird liberally in salt and pepper, and covering the breasts in tin foil so they stay moist through the cooking process,  and removing the foil an hour or so before the bird’s done so the skin gets crispy.
• Stuffing: For as long as I can remember, we’ve been making the cornbread, sausage, and apple stuffing from The Silver Palate cookbook. A few modifications to the recipe: use fresh herbs (a quarter cup of each), add in diced celery and cook with the apple and onion, and leave out the pecans.
• Mashed Potatoes: Similar to the turkey, we just sort of wing it as we go- but our potatoes always includes and head of roasted garlic and cream cheese. That second addition comes from The Pioneer Woman- it’s a must!
• Sweet Potatoes: For years we made these Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple All-Spice Butter from Bon Appétit, which are delicious, but in the last few years we’ve mixed up what we’ve done with sweet potatoes. These year we’re making these Vanilla Bean Whipped Sweet Potatoes from Food & Wine.
• Cranberry Sauce: For years we’ve been making this Piquant Cranberry Sauce from Bon Appétit. It’s got great punch and can be made 3 days in advance. This is so good and easy!
• Corn Pudding: Every year our family friend Lisa brings the most comforting and delicious corn pudding. It’s one of myfavorite dishes on our table! I don’t have the exact recipe, but this one seems pretty similar.
• Creamed Onions: This is a very traditional dish in our house- something I’ve come to love simply for that reason. That’s another recipe that’s tucked inside an old cookbook, but this recipe looks pretty similar, minus the bread crumbs and baking at the end.
• Thanksgiving Salads: Gotta have some greens! I love a big salad at Thanksgiving to help cut through all the heaviness. This year I’m actually going to be making this Tuscan Kale Salad, but in previous years I’ve made this Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw with Mustard Dressing. This Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Pineapple, Avocado, and Sea Salt Roasted Cashew Salad would also be amazing! And if you don’t make these on Thanksgiving- definitely get them in this winter.

I’ll share dessert recipes tomorrow- including a new apple pie with a delicious twist that I’ll be making this year (catch a sneak peak here!). Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Potato Image Credit