I usually do this thread a little closer to Thanksgiving. This year we all know we might be having problems finding things, so I plan to shop for all the things I need that don’t have to be fresh this week. Anyhow, we hope you will contribute your family’s favorite recipes, and especially any new things you plan to try.
My family loves our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. My sons have all become excellent cooks, and my daughters in law are good cooks as well, so we share the cooking duties. One son will spatchcock and smoke the turkey. He is especially good at smoking meat, and we’ve had just about every kind of meat there is from his table, but all of us have loved the turkey best. Kind of strange for a bunch of red meat lovers, but it is so good. He brines it for a day or two, and then smokes it Thanksgiving morning.
We fill out the table with cornbread dressing, an array of fresh vegetables, breads, pies, and maybe a cake or two. My specialties are sweet potato casserole, homemade bread, and derby pie. Sometimes I bake a bourbon brown sugar glazed ham overnight.
Here are some links for the ham recipe we love best, and some recipes that are similar to how I make sweet potato casserole and derby pie. This ham recipe is the only one my guys want after we had it the first time. It is easy and luscious. I like Kirkland brand hams from Costco. They are cut flat and hold the glaze on well. Don’t skip the pineapple slices, they catch the glaze and keep it on top of the ham.
https://www.sweetteaandcornbread.net/2012/12/kentucky-bourbon-brown-sugar-ham.html?m=1
I can’t find a good recipe for my sweet potato casserole. I’m putting a link here, but I do not like the way all these recipes do the topping. They all have flour in it, and in my experience that messes up the topping. My topping is only brown sugar, pecans, and butter. This is a good guide for ingredient quantities, but leave that flour out!
Here’s a recipe for derby pie similar to what I make. This is a luscious, rich pie. It is tricky to know how long to cook it. If you cook it just the way I like it, the top crusts a bit and underneath a caramel like layer covers the chocolate. I do not mix in the chips, I put them on the bottom of the pie shell, so you have a layer of chocolate, the caramel like layer, and cookie crust similar top. If you cook the pie longer it has an almost chocolate chip cookie texture. Don’t forget the ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Not a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but you won’t regret it.
Link: https://www.thespruceeats.com/kentucky-derby-chocolate-walnut-pie-recipe-101352
Here are some links to Stella’s Thanksgiving posts. She has some really good recipes and tips over there.
Planning for Thanksgiving 2021
Desserts for the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday!
I’ve made sourdough bread for years. I almost always keep the starter bubbling on the counter throughout the fall and winter. A few years ago I really got into the health benefits of fermented food, and I learned to make my own kombucha and kefir, along with fermented pickles. I have tried to make sauerkraut several times, and I almost always get pink mold, which is not the kind you can scrape off. If any of you have any tips on what I’m doing wrong I’d sure appreciate it. I’m an experienced, good cook and this is a big failure on something simple to do and I’m baffled. I’ve googled it over and over and I cannot find my problem. Sorry for the temporary side track!
So, here’s a new recipe I’m going to try. This site is full of great recipes and tips for fermenting all kinds of foods, if you are interested. I love sourdough bread, and I love cranberries, so hopefully this will be a real treat.
November 19, 2021 https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2021/11/18/annual-thanksgiving-recipe-thread/
Comment: Wishing all fellow MilVetter’s a happy and joyous Thanksgiving