Here at MISSadventures, we are allll about the holidays. Give us good food, good company and holiday cheer any time! It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only days away. To celebrate its arrival we wanted to talk about our favorite part of this holiday: the food. Most people's favorites seem to be the basic staples: turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing. While delicious, it's the rare side dishes and desserts that we love about this meal. Here are our favorite Thanksgiving recipes: | |
Casseroles
Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Erin
Before you skip this over, you should know that it's different than the traditional casserole. Growing up, I was not a fan of the original flavor combination. Still not sure if it was the mushroom soup mixed with the fried onions, but I always bypassed this side if it was offered. My mom was never a fan, either, and on years where she hosted the meal, she would serve regular green beans.
And then a few years ago, my Thanksgiving-loving aunt came for the holiday, armed with a new take on this age-old recipe. I love it so much, I make it throughout the year. (I even have the recipe memorized!)
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Erin
Before you skip this over, you should know that it's different than the traditional casserole. Growing up, I was not a fan of the original flavor combination. Still not sure if it was the mushroom soup mixed with the fried onions, but I always bypassed this side if it was offered. My mom was never a fan, either, and on years where she hosted the meal, she would serve regular green beans.
And then a few years ago, my Thanksgiving-loving aunt came for the holiday, armed with a new take on this age-old recipe. I love it so much, I make it throughout the year. (I even have the recipe memorized!)
What you'll need: 2 Tbsp. butter/margarine 2 Tbsp. flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar Dash pepper 8 oz. sour cream 2 c. cheddar cheese 1/4 c. fried onions 3 cans of French-style green beans | Directions:
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*Note: You can probably substitute Greek yogurt or a lighter sour cream for this recipe, but I've found that light sour cream makes the casserole too watery. I also add more cheese and fried onions, because—IMO—you can never have enough.
Sweet Potato Casserole
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Erin
Everyone has their own version of a sweet potato casserole; whether the potatoes are mashed, cubed, topped with marshmallows or brown sugar. This particular recipe can be found in a cookbook produced by military wives from the same squadron as my parents. My mom tried the casserole many years ago and has been using it ever since. Our extended family loves it so much they all prepare their sweet potatoes this way on Thanksgiving.
The flavors perfectly complement each other. I usually eat it at the end of the meal as a mini dessert to hold me over until it's time for pie.
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Erin
Everyone has their own version of a sweet potato casserole; whether the potatoes are mashed, cubed, topped with marshmallows or brown sugar. This particular recipe can be found in a cookbook produced by military wives from the same squadron as my parents. My mom tried the casserole many years ago and has been using it ever since. Our extended family loves it so much they all prepare their sweet potatoes this way on Thanksgiving.
The flavors perfectly complement each other. I usually eat it at the end of the meal as a mini dessert to hold me over until it's time for pie.
What you'll need: Casserole: 3 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/3 c. milk 1/2 c. butter or margarine Topping: 1 c. firmly packed brown sugar 1/3 c. all-purpose flour 1/3 c. butter or margarine 1 c. finely chopped pecans | Directions:
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Grandma Jewell's Dressing
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Emily
There's something about homemade food that makes me feel so connected to my family. I never got the chance to meet my maternal grandmother, but every time we cook from one of her old recipe cards, I can imagine her making that meal when my mom was a little girl. This is one of those recipes, and it has more than just sentimental value, it's darn good dressing! It takes a lot more work than your typical store-bought dressing mixes, but trust me, it's worth it.
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Emily
There's something about homemade food that makes me feel so connected to my family. I never got the chance to meet my maternal grandmother, but every time we cook from one of her old recipe cards, I can imagine her making that meal when my mom was a little girl. This is one of those recipes, and it has more than just sentimental value, it's darn good dressing! It takes a lot more work than your typical store-bought dressing mixes, but trust me, it's worth it.
What You'll Need 2 cups self-rising corn meal 3/4 cup plain flour 1 egg 2 tbs corn oil 1 1/2 cup milk 1 tbs lemon juice 1 onion, finely chopped 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 2 tbs butter 1 tsp poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp sage 3 tbs parsley flakes 2 tbs McKay's chicken seasoning 4 boiled eggs, chopped 1 can cream of celery soup Milk (as needed) | Directions
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Dessert
Nana's World-Famous Apple Pie
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Emily
This is another family recipe that has become a Thanksgiving tradition. When I was about 10 years old, my Nana taught me how to make apple pies. At first the result wasn't that great, but I've improved over time, and I still love making (and eating) this dessert.
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Emily
This is another family recipe that has become a Thanksgiving tradition. When I was about 10 years old, my Nana taught me how to make apple pies. At first the result wasn't that great, but I've improved over time, and I still love making (and eating) this dessert.
What You'll Need Filling
Crust
| Directions Filling 1. Peel and core apples. Then cut vertically to create thin slices. 2. Splash apples with lemon juice to help them from browning. 3. Add sugar and spices and set aside. Crust 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Use two knives to cut Crisco into pea-sized (or smaller) pieces. 3. Add the cold water and mix until just combined (mixing too much will make the crust too tough). 4. Divide the crust into two equal-sized balls. Wrap the crust tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. 5. After the crust is chilled, cover a clean counter top with a thin layer of water (this helps the plastic wrap to stick), and cover the counter top with plastic wrap. 6. Coat a pie pan with nonstick spray. 7. Roll one of the dough balls out on the counter top with a rolling pin until it’s big enough to cover the pie pan with at least an inch to spare on all sides. Lift the crust off the counter by lifting the plastic wrap. Flip the crust over onto the pie pan, and press the crust into the pan. 8. Pour apple mixture into pie pan and top with small pieces of butter or margarine. 9. Roll out the other dough ball just like you did for the first one, and gently lay it on top of the pie. 10. Use a knife to cut the excess crust from the edge of the pie pan. Finish the crust edges using one of these awesome methods. 11. Cover edges of pie crust with tin foil to protect from burning. 12. Bake the pie at 425 for 50-60 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking. |
Graham Cracker Pie
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Erin
This isn't an official name for the pie. While home this past weekend, my family and I tried to come up with a better name for it, but nothing else seemed to fit. So Graham Cracker Pie it remains.
Growing up, we usually only had pie around the holidays. But my NeeNaw (grandma) would often make this when we'd visit. I remember the meringue always looked like toasted marshmallow sitting on top. It still does—no one makes meringue like my NeeNaw. It's my favorite pie and I'm not alone; this weekend, as my sister-in-law tried it for the first time, I heard her exclaim, "It's my favorite pie ever!"
It's an extremely simple pie compared to most. My mom and NeeNaw don't even have the recipe written down anywhere, that's how easy it is for them to make. When I asked how I should write the recipe for this post, my mom told me to take a look at the boxes of the main ingredients for the pie crust and filling, and that a recipe for meringue can be found in the back of almost any cookbook. Amounts may vary dependent on quantity and brand.
From the kitchen of Co-Blogger Erin
This isn't an official name for the pie. While home this past weekend, my family and I tried to come up with a better name for it, but nothing else seemed to fit. So Graham Cracker Pie it remains.
Growing up, we usually only had pie around the holidays. But my NeeNaw (grandma) would often make this when we'd visit. I remember the meringue always looked like toasted marshmallow sitting on top. It still does—no one makes meringue like my NeeNaw. It's my favorite pie and I'm not alone; this weekend, as my sister-in-law tried it for the first time, I heard her exclaim, "It's my favorite pie ever!"
It's an extremely simple pie compared to most. My mom and NeeNaw don't even have the recipe written down anywhere, that's how easy it is for them to make. When I asked how I should write the recipe for this post, my mom told me to take a look at the boxes of the main ingredients for the pie crust and filling, and that a recipe for meringue can be found in the back of almost any cookbook. Amounts may vary dependent on quantity and brand.
What you'll need: Pie Crust: (directions found here) A box of Graham Crackers 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted Pie filling: (found on back of Jell-O box) Cook-to-serve vanilla pudding mix 3 c. milk Meringue: (found on premeditatedleftovers.com. Can also be found in most cookbooks) 4 egg whites, room temperature 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. vanilla 1/4 c. superfine sugar | Directions: Pie Crust:
Meringue:
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