Monday, November 22, 2010

Calling all Cooks

So I was thinking about Thanksgiving today and they types of dishes we've traditionally made for family Thanksgiving dinners. Reading recent magazine issues and watching Food TV, I see that families have very different takes on Thanksgiving sides. Pretty much the turkey part is similar enough, but those sides can be completely foreign to me. Some sound delish while others sound vile.

So, I'm calling all cooks to post about your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes (with or without recipe), either traditional family ones or new ones you have added to the tradition. Post your contribution using the comment box below. Thanks!

7 comments:

  1. I have discovered mashed "fauxtatoes." It is steamed cauliflower and you mash it up the same as you would potatoes adding cream, milk, butter, etc. It tastes as good as mashed potatoes. I like it because I can't eat potatoes anymore. Another one that I used to love was rum glazed sweet potatoes. Brown sugar, butter and rum glazed onto them. Yum!

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  2. My mom made sure she made this for me every year. I'm even making it in Paris this year (got the wrong jello but expats can't be too picky):

    Cranberry Salad

    1 - 3 oz orange jello
    1 - 3 oz cherry jello
    Dissolve in 1 1/2 cup boiling water
    Fold in 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce, 8 oz crushed pineapple in own juice, 1 shake cinnamon, 1 cup chopped pecans

    Let set in refrigerator

    Mix small sour cream, 2 heaping teaspoons of mayo and frozen orange juice concentrate. (2 teaspoons) Spread over salad when set. Let set in refrigerator overnight before serving.

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  3. My Grandmother Margaret always made Cranberry Salad as well, but slightly different, I don't remember her putting in cranberry sauce, but I could be wrong. I can't imagine calling it cranberry salad if she didn't put any cranberry sauce in it. She used any kind of "red" jello, seedless red grapes cut in half, and chopped walnuts. She served it without a topping. It was yummy!

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  4. I make really good twice baked sweet potatoes.

    6 medium sweet potatoes - scrubbed (or 1 per every 2 guests)
    4 tbs brown sugar
    1/2 stick butter (use the real stuff)
    1 cup crushed pineapple
    1/4 cup maple syrup (use the real stuff)
    1/4 tsp ground cloves

    Place sweet potatoes on sheet tray and bake for 1 hour or until soft. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Split potatoes and remove the flesh to a medium sized bowl, reserving skins. Add brown sugar, butter, pineapple, syrup and cloves and mash with a fork or potato masher, removing most of the lumps. Add the filling back to the potato skins and place on a half sheet tray. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. YUMMY!

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  5. Wow, these recipes look good. We never had jello salad at Thanksgiving when I was a kid (at least that I remember), but I like it. I love cauliflower, and I usually like sweet potatoes just baked with butter, salt, and pepper, but when you make them into dessert, they can be delish too. I'm intrigued by the addition of pineapple.

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  6. That sweet potato dish sounds yummy!
    I don't have a Thanksgiving tradition dish 'cause my mom is German and we did not celebrate Thanksgiving. She usually made a yummy German dish, but it would vary from year to year.
    So I have no dish to post!

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  7. I despise "sweet" sweet potatoes/yams..but like them savory..I make a potato gratin of sorts ...salt/pepper layers of sliced onion/butter/ and sweet potato ( or potato) ...very yummy and not as cloying as candied !

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