What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
I know we were offering up ideas for sides a week or so ago, but now I'm just wondering about your favorite dish? What dish(es) to you look forward to the most? Is it grandma's stuffing, your Aunt Mabel's sweet potatoes, the turkey itself, a certain dessert, or just the cranberry sauce in a can?
And if you're up for sharing recipes, I'm sure we'd all love to see them and get some inspiration.
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62 Comments:
the turkey! although this year, my husband and i are already arguing over it. last year we had two turkeys: one roasted the old fashioned way, and one deep fried. this year he wants fried. it's not that i don't like it fried, but for thanksgiving i'm big into traditions, and i want it roasted. besides, one can't make gravy from fried drippings.
sigh. dilemma, dilemma.
french tart at 1:34PM on 10/14/08
sausage mushroom sourdough stuffing (NO CELERY) and gravy
Cary at 1:41PM on 10/14/08
The stuffing! It's just not the same if it's not cooked inside the Bird.
I'm also very fond of the leftovers the next day.
NanaJoie at 1:42PM on 10/14/08
celery sticks with cream cheese (this stems from my early youth-spreading it on was one of my first kitchen duties)
beyond that, i gotta say that it's just not thanksgiving without cranberry sauce in a can.
@ french tart-couldn't you do two turkeys again?
gastronomeg at 1:43PM on 10/14/08
The stuffing: oyster and onion. Over the decades, it's gotten richer since I first learned to make it from my mother, who got it from her mother. And it has to be moist - think bread pudding. My mother's disdain for dry stuffing was immense. Definitely not something you needed gravy on. Everything else can be skipped, just give me the family stuffing. Or dressing. (We used both words.
lemons at 1:46PM on 10/14/08
@gastronomeg, yeah we could. even though we end up with tons of leftovers, they always seem to find many homes to go to, so it's not a question of too much food (although it does make enormous quantities of food)... it's more a question of practicality and counterspace!
french tart at 1:48PM on 10/14/08
Sweet potato pie.
Sorry, I have no recipe to contribute. I never cook on Thanksgiving. My husband always cooks.
Cassaendra at 1:48PM on 10/14/08
My Aunt's Jewish Apple Cake. It is filled with sliced apples, plenty of sugar, and topped with a cream cheese frosting and it is HEAVENLY!!! I take seconds...thirds....okay, sometimes even small slivers after that. It's that good.
I also looove sweet potatoes, though I'm not crazy about it packed with tons of extras. Just gimme the potato, maybe a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled on top and it's perfect :)
luswim06 at 1:48PM on 10/14/08
@ french tart...hmmm-maybe you could compromise and do a traditional bird for thanksgiving and a fried one for xmas?
gastronomeg at 1:55PM on 10/14/08
@gastronomeg, xmas is already claimed by the standing rib roast :D
also, we recently (well - july 4th weekend) had a fried turkey.
but in the end, we'll probably end up with two turkeys, since our list of invitees is growing and growing.....
french tart at 2:03PM on 10/14/08
luswim, you don't happen to have a recipe for that cake, do you? Pretty please? ;)
sixsonnets at 2:08PM on 10/14/08
Believe it or not, for me it's the Campbells green bean casserole.
I can't get enought of that stuff.
Rookiecook at 2:10PM on 10/14/08
@ Cassaendra @luswim06 - sweet potatoes rule!
We just had thanksgiving in Canada! It was fantastic!
My memories encompass: Ukranian cabbage rolls, German Rote Kohle, Wild Mushroom Gravy, Steamed and buttered brussel sprouts, Garlic Mashed potatoes with sauteed onions and bacon, Pumpkin pie of course, and deep-fried turkey! Mmmm......
hungrychristel at 2:16PM on 10/14/08
For me it's not just one dish, but the perfect plate of food. At the very least I must have: turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potato, cranberry relish, collard greens--it's this combination of flavors that I look forward to every year. Knowing that we will also have mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, green beans, corn, and probably half dozen more dishes just makes me all warm and fuzzy.
wookie at 3:15PM on 10/14/08
We have a tradition of eating seafood for Thanksgiving (save the turkey & ham for Christmas). We love it! Hushpuppies, fried and steamed shrimp, scallops, homemade crabcakes, crab dip, etc.
jtown1 at 3:34PM on 10/14/08
My wifes uncle raises his own turkey's and we have one of those every Thankgiving. There is just no comparison to a store bought turkey. I also love my family's sausage and sage stuffing.
nhfoodie at 3:36PM on 10/14/08
Along with the traditional turkey dinner, my favorite must-have dish is mashed rutabagas. Cbbe and cook like potatoes in salted water until done. Drain, put back in pan and shake on hot burner to dry. Mash with butter, s&p. No liquids. After the meal, my favorite is the turkey, stuffing, & cranberry sauce sandwich w/mayo, s&p on the freshest bread or roll. TDF. Now, I'm so craving a turkey dinner!!!
PerkyMac at 3:51PM on 10/14/08
I always make my mom make extra extra stuffing, and I live off it for about 2 weeks after Thanksgiving. That, and pie. Pecan, pumpkin, the usual. I'm gonna try Gourmet (or was it Bon Appetit?)'s pecan-pumpkin pie this year - for when you just can't choose one.
God all that weight I lost for my high school reunion is going to come right back on, isn't it?
embolini9 at 4:14PM on 10/14/08
Mashed potatoes and gravy. I sneak into the kitchen in the late evening and reheat a bowl of just those. I have to work to get it before it's all gone, because my sons love gravy as much as I do. My dad makes the best gravy, but I'm gaining on him.
Hungry now.
Kiwords at 4:34PM on 10/14/08
@Kiwords~Care to share your gravy recipe??? Pretty Please???? There was a thread a while back and I for one had to admit to being a gravy failure. I adore mashed potatoes with gravy. Not just at Thanksgiving either! We don't serve traditional Thanksgiving fare at my house, but whatever we do decide to make, it always includes mashed potatoes!
izatryt at 4:51PM on 10/14/08
I'm not a turkey fan at all, but I found a brine for a deep fried turkey that I gave my father a couple of years ago and now that's the only way we eat it. I will miss it this year as I think I have to go to my inlaws for dry chalky turkey day. *sigh*
Southern_bella at 4:57PM on 10/14/08
Stuffing! My mom makes the bestest stuffing ever!!! Yes, it deserves that many superlatives. She sautees two kinds of sausage - usually a bratwurst and a red, spicy kind - with mirepoix, then adds dried cranberries, dates and apricots that have been soaked in pear brandy. Focaccia croutons, chicken stock, roasted chestnuts, herbs and a little more pear brandy and then it bakes until the top crisps. Absolutely heaven on a plate!
Her butternut squash and pecorino lasagna is pretty good too. And her veggie casserole. And my apple pie. And the turkey stuffed with sage and wrapped in pepper bacon then drizzled with vanilla pear marmalade.
You cannot ask me to choose! I will not choose!
bitchincamero at 4:58PM on 10/14/08
Aunt Mona's Poppyseed Rum Cake. One bottle of rum goes into the batter...another one gets poured on top after baking. And yes...I have been eating this since I was a small small child.
veggieout at 5:03PM on 10/14/08
we make a very large french meat stuffing. some for thanksgiving and the rest we make small meat pies. we just pop them in the freezer and its a nice meal whenever you want.
dearrie at 5:27PM on 10/14/08
Lemons- Care to share the recipe for the Oyster Dressing??
MamaT at 5:37PM on 10/14/08
Apple-cranberry stuffing made with fresh potato bread, yum yum yum. And yams with brown sugar and coconut milk.
buffy at 6:41PM on 10/14/08
thanksgiving is tricky for me... because it's always around my birthday (I was born on a Thanksgiving Thursday) and it has always been my favorite food holiday. Always.
Now that I am a vegetarian, I do somewhat miss the traditional fare of flavors, just because I was sooooo used to it and it reminded me of birthdays all my life. I used to love eating the leftovers the next days.
Now I've had to create new memories with new vegetarian recipes that won't make me miss what I used to eat when I was growing up. These are a few things I've made the last few years:
Butternut Squash Lasagna with a Basil Bechamel - thanks to Giada for that one
Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Sweet Potato Flan
Thanks for reminding me I need to plan what I'll be making THIS year...
Madelyn
KarmaFreeCooking
MadelynRodriguez at 6:48PM on 10/14/08
@MammaT...oh, gosh, it's one of those word of mouth things. Nothing is measured out. Let me try. All measurements are approximate, unless otherwise specified.
White bread, dry to fairly dry, broken into chunks,about a gallon and a half, or a dishpan full
1-2 large onions, chopped
(1 stalk celery, chopped, optional)
1/2 to 1 stick butter
Dried sage - start with about a tablespoon, crumbled between your palms
A large pinch of dried thyme, done the same way
1 pint oysters, snipped in half or so with scissors. Keep juice.
6 raw eggs
Lots of warm broth
salt and pepper as needed
Saute the chopped onions and optional celery in butter until it's clear. While that's cooking, pile the bread in a large bowl (or clean dishpan!), and add the sage, thyme, oysters and their liquid, and the raw eggs. Broth should be fairly warm, just below a simmer. Add the onions and their butter when it's ready.
Take a large (wooden?) spoon to stir things with, and add some of the broth, stirring as you do so. You can use a ladle, or have someone pour it in intermittently as you stir. Keep stirring and adding liquid. The bread will break up. That's okay. We like it really wet in our family, as I said; the eggs will help it solidify some as it bakes. I take it until it's almost soupy. Salt and pepper to taste. More sage? Quite possibly. Stir some more.
Some of this goes under the turkey skin. (Slip your hand in at the neck and carefully separate skin from the underlying muscle. You can get all the way back to the thigh. The center line will not, in my experience, separate.) Some goes in the bird, which should be ready to go in the oven. (This is the tastiest part.) And some gets baked in a separate casserole after the turkey comes out.
Historically, this was made with Wonder bread, giblet broth that was very weak and canned oysters, from that Depression-era cooking. I've made the broth richer, changed the oysters to fresh, and also often add mushrooms that have been chopped and sauteed like I did the onions, this at the suggestion of Mr. Meatloaf.
We cannot figure out how rural East Central Missouri ever discovered the pleasures of oysters early in the 20th century, though
lemons at 7:08PM on 10/14/08
My nana's cornbread dressing (a simple combination of homemade cornbread, crushed saltine crackers, chicken stock, chopped onions, sage, poultry seasoning, and a healthy dose of black pepper) is far and away my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I've been eating this since I was a toddler, and once I got older, I became Nana's official dressing taste-tester. Every year, I'd await the phone call from my nana telling me that the dressing was ready for my seal of approval. I'd run across the yard to her house next door and give the dressing my evaluation; sometimes it needed a little more sage, sometimes a bit more salt or black pepper. She'd tinker with it until I thought it was just right, then spoon it into a giant casserole dish to bake. I always took a great deal of pride in helping make a dish that was so important to our Thanksgiving meal. Sadly, Nana passed away 2 years ago, and since then, I've been proudly carrying on the tradition of making the dressing, since I was the "official" taste-tester for so many years.
My homemade macaroni and cheese (actually, I use rotini to better capture the sauce in the noodles) is also a must-have. I've also made orange-cranberry sauce lightly spiced with cinnamon the past several years, which has won over even those who traditionally eschew cranberry sauce.
As for desserts - pumpkin pie is required (mainly by my dad and me!), as is pecan pie (Mom and my brother's favorite, made with dark, never light, Karo syrup - it really makes such a difference!). I'm the baker in the family, so this is where I really have fun. I've done some variations on these two desserts in the past few years; I did pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust one year, and last year, I made a dark chocolate-bourbon-pecan pie that was a hit. I think that this year, though, I'll stick with the classics (though for whatever reason, my 11 year-old sister is begging for a pumpkin cheesecake, and I hate to disappoint, so... :)
PinkCupcake at 7:43PM on 10/14/08
Slow roasted turkey with a rich, deep gravy, gratin potatoes in creamy herbed boursin and topped with browned and crusty parmesan (we also have whipped for the purists in the crowd) , homemade cranberry & applesauce and last, but not least, warm pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce and whipped cream.....
Hey, PinkCupcake - I love your reminisce - I'm a grandmother of 3 and I hope I'll have given my grandchildren those same kinds of loving memories 'helping' me prepare their favorites.
Aunty at 9:12PM on 10/14/08
I just discovered a love of sandwiches consisting of white bread, mayo, cranberries, stuffing and leftover turkey. Messy but good.
I also enjoy anything made with cream of mushroom soup, green beans, broccoli, etc.
ag3208 at 9:17PM on 10/14/08
My chestnut stuffing is a family favorite and has been my specialty since I am about 14 years old- heavy on the sage and chestnuts- made with toasted hamburger buns which gives the stuffing an almost fluffy and moist texture.
and it's not Thanksgiving without the pecan pie.
And then... my dad's famous day after sandwich- turkey, stuffing, gravy, russian dressing, swiss cheese, cranberry sauce and cole slaw- it is superlative and anyone who has ever tried it craves it for life.
deefine at 9:33PM on 10/14/08
Definitely a stuffing kind of lady. I used to be of the cornbread persuasion (I still find it quite tasty) but I made this one last year and swore I would make it every following Thanksgiving. It was the first thing to go at a Thanksgiving for 15, so I'm not alone in my adoration.
I made it with half sourdough, half challah, cut into 1" cubes when fresh and placed in a paper bag for a day to get crunchy. Un-beatable.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ITALIAN-SAUSAGE-AND-BREAD-STUFFING-240559
urbanruralist at 10:01PM on 10/14/08
Lemons THANK YOU! My mamaw would make Oysted Dressing that sounds just like that and I never got the recipe. I plan on serving 3 types of dressing this year!
MamaT at 11:19PM on 10/14/08
Oyster dressing.
Everything else is just.....gravy.
moibec at 11:27PM on 10/14/08
I make italian sausage stuffing and its my favorite. It has been that way forever.
JerzeeTomato at 2:28AM on 10/15/08
I could no sooner pick a favorite child. The side dishes rarely vary but in recent years, I've added a few. I do a carrot souffle and a corn pudding but have always gravitated to the sweet potatoes, however they are prepared. Truth be told, I'm in the minority - The turkey is my favorite part of the meal.
therealchiffonade at 6:05AM on 10/15/08
Cornbread stuffing, butternut squash and corn gratin, carrot terrine, roasted baby mushroom, mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin bundt cake for dessert. We have all of the traditional stuff, but that's what makes it onto my plate. Oh, I almost forgot...a little bit of dark meat and spinach salad.
gammypie at 7:50AM on 10/15/08
The stuffing is my favorite. My mom used to make a huge batch in a yellow dish tub and set it outside the back door to cool before putting it in the turkey. I'm very intrigued by the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and can't wait to try it.
Rottenmom at 8:06AM on 10/15/08
Sweet potatoes roasted in the oven with butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Ahhhh my mouth is watering ... is it November yet?
poke87 at 8:26AM on 10/15/08
Sweet potatoes with a maple pecan praline topping.
holdthemayo at 9:09AM on 10/15/08
i always make roasted brussel sprouts but last year i did a roasted veggie medley, that went over better than anything else! the dressing or stuffing is good but I guess we're just a veggie household. I'll go stand in the corner now;-)
huneybumper at 9:55AM on 10/15/08
Mama T - where was grandma from, where was she raised, and did she come from oyster country?
lemons at 10:28AM on 10/15/08
@veggieout - that cake sounds divine - would you share the recipe?
@Madelyn - I'm a Thanksgiving baby too! I love having my birthday at that time of year. I generally don't like being the center of attention, so this way I get lots of family and friends around me on my birthday without having it be all about me :)
Thanks for sharing, everyone!
CookiePie at 11:51AM on 10/15/08
For me it is all about the gravy! I don't eat/make gravy very much so it is such a treat on Thanksgiving. Everything tastes better with gravy!
I love all of the other stuff -- turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberries, cloverleaf rolls.... but the gravy is what makes it special.
lakeloverhh at 11:51AM on 10/15/08
It's SO hard to pick just one dish, I honestly like how everything tastes together on the plate. No component would be the same without everything else. But, if I had to pick...I'd go with our tzimmes (a stew of prunes, sweet potatoes and short ribs). We rarely make it any other time of year.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 12:35PM on 10/15/08
At the risk of pissing off half of the south.... Cornbread "STUFFING" with hot sausage, cranberries, chestnuts (or walnuts or yes even pecans) and plenty of sage, onion and bell pepper moisten with chicken/giblet stock. NOW GIVE ME A FORK!
Pavlov at 8:22PM on 10/15/08
Turkey- especially wandering in as my dad is carving it and grabbing a bit of skin to munch on (he does it too, so he can't glare at me too much!). I'm fond of the mashed potatoes and gravy too. We used to always have rolls from a bakery called Muzios, but they closed down recently, so I guess we'll have boring bread this year. The majority of the side dishes vary from year to year, since we all bring different things. (one year my mom kept telling me to make brussels sprouts. turns out my brother AND my cousin also brought them.)
cmtigger at 8:41PM on 10/15/08
Besides the turkey (cooked over charcoal), I'd say green (string) beans with roasted walnuts and garlic in walnut oil, finished with sea salt. It's the perfect green side dish - pulls the whole meal together and tastes great no matter what other dish is crammed next to it on the plate. Some gravy gets on it, yum. Gets mixed in with some mashed or scalloped potatoes, no problem. Etc.
OliverRanch at 11:58AM on 10/16/08
homemade butter rolls and pumpkin cake. and stuffing, bien sur. what a carb fest.
cybercita at 12:01PM on 10/16/08
Stuffing, stuffing and more stuffing with lotsa hot gravy. And, though I hate to admit it, I'm a sucker for that stupid string bean casserole.
bessfour at 1:00PM on 10/16/08
@Perky: Bestill my heart!! That sandwich you speak of is my MUCH LOVED Bobbie! Us Delawareans love it! So good-and we can enjoy it all year round.:)
@Bitchincamero: That turkey sounds incredible! Mind sharing how you do it?? I may have to do that this year.
It isn't Thanksgiving without Mashed Potatoes (I don't like gravy on mashed potatoes-only a well of butter.:) ) and Broccoli Casserole. Oh yea, then there is Pumpkin Pie...If you ask my mom and dad I have to make my Stuffing and Sauteed Green Beans.
The older I have gotten the more I love Thanksgiving. I can't wait for it to get here!!!
Butrflygirly at 1:11PM on 10/16/08
Smoked Turkey...we get a really good one from our local Smokehouse...it tastes like Heaven! I really love to spread a little homemade cranberry sauce (nothing fancy, just plain old cranberries, sugar and water) over each slice as I eat it!
elderberry44 at 1:24PM on 10/16/08
I'm still relatively new to Thanksgiving (it's my 6th year here), but after having tasted my MIL's undercooked turkey 5 years ago, I took over Thanksgiving cooking (apparently, to everybody's relief).
So my favourite part of Thanksgiving is cooking:-), and my OH usually requests same favourites from year to year: mixed potato mash with roasted garlic (I mix Yukon and sweet potatoes, roast 2-3 heads of garlic, and lately, I also season the mash with cumin and smoked paprika - pure heaven!), stuffing made with sweet Italian sausage (I must make an extra tray of it), roasted brussels sprouts, teriyaki green beans with red peppers and cashew nuts and collard greens with bacon. These are the must haves (not including salads, desserts, the turkey, gravy and cranberry-orange sauce, of course), and I try to add something new every year, too.
brooke29 at 4:45PM on 10/16/08
Turkey and Durkee. Take some bread, slather on Durkee sauce, pickles, roast turkey, done.
seikel at 5:44PM on 10/16/08
i usually go to town on the ham. there's something special about a few slices of juicy ham when they share a huge plate with stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers, etc.
i always eat some turkey, and some years it's dry, some years it's moist, but it just doesn't hold up against the ham.
z911empire at 7:04PM on 10/22/08
Same as my answer when this query was posted last year...
Cooked-in-the-Bird celery-sage BREAD STUFFING
LoCo at 7:26PM on 10/22/08
..........and at the end of the day, it's every one that has been cleaned and put to bed for the night.
PerkyMac at 7:33PM on 10/22/08
a family tradition in my house has always been Scalloped corn made with creamed and whole kernel corn with crackers,milk, and eggs and a beautifully browned crust of crushed crackers and butter. It is the one dish that if a holiday is held at someone elses house I am asked to bring this. The other dish I look forward to at holiday time is my mothers egg nog pumpkin pie...yum!
misfit_angel_85 at 7:51PM on 10/22/08
The dressing!! My mother is British and her dressing is to die for - She buys a couple of loaves of bread, a week or so in advance, so they become stale - she slices the crusts off and grates the bread - she then adds raw bacon lardons, lemon zest and juice, onions, finely chopped, salt & lots of pepper, and her secret ingredient - dried summer savoury from Newfoundland - it always had to be Mt. Scio savoury (I believe it can be bought online) - it went right into the cavity and during cooking, the bacon keeps the dressing moist - it is different and delicious and guests would rave! She always made a sausage stuffing for the "other' end - YUM!
bareneed at 3:53PM on 10/30/08
omg...my faves are green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, and hawaiian sweet rolls with loads of real butter (best used to make mini turkey sandwiches the day after).
My most favorite dish to make and eat, I have been making since I was 17 yrs old, without fail...Grand Marnier Cranberry Relish. It was originally printed in the March 95 issue of Bon Appetit. It turned me from a jellied cranberry sauce lover to a relish maker...
mayoxqueen at 4:47PM on 10/30/08
Honestly, it just the simple turkey and giblet stuffing my Mom has made my whole life. Now we go to my big brother's house, and he brines and butters and futzes the meal TO DEATH. And it doesn't taste better than my Mom's basics.
But I love him for cooking for me! Best brother ever!
TheCheapChick at 1:24PM on 11/02/08