Least and Most Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes

[gmc2003]

I thought I posted this yesterday. I guess not it was still in drafts

So, I grew up eating frozen turkeys thawed on the countertop then stuffed and cooked overnight for 10-15 hours at 180°F. (Don't get Dave started on pasteurization). The white meat was dry as chalk. Gravy was the only path to it being edible.

Basically the same here. Defrost the day before on the counter. Then she'd fire up the oven early TGD and we'd be eating by 4 or 5. I also remember when we got our first microwave oven, The thing was HUGE. That year she tried to cook the TGD turkey in it. When she hit the start button all the lights in the kitchen dimmed and everyone freaked out. After an hour or so she stopped the microwave and finished it up in the oven. The turkey wasn't her best effort, but an important lesson was learned.

Chris

 

[gmc2003]

I actually read the thawing and cooking directions on the very first frozen turkey I ever oven-roasted. It was TG 1977. I was living with two roommates in a single-wide house trailer in South Texas. I got rub ideas from a Fannie Farmer cookbook. No stuffing. I was expecting dry but the result was moist and delicious. I told my mom but she didn't change her ways for many years.

Fanny Farmer, I remember their chocolates. We'd get a box every Christmas.

Chris

 

[noboundaries]

3 small containers heavy cream. It needs to be the heavy cream. The containers look like the little cartons you got milk in at school.
16oz chocolate bar. Any brand will work. Regular candy bar type.
Put cream in pot. Break up the chocolate and add to it.
Heat on low until chocolate is thoroughly melted. And it starts to low boil. Stir constantly.
Put in fridge covered it needs to set for 24 hours in fridge.
Take out and whip until stiff.
Then serve. We add whipped cream on top. You can also grate some chocolate on top.
Amazing stuff!

Read that to my wife. Her response: "Holy Cow. That's easy. Definitely gonna make that."

And I've got everything here at the house. Been experimenting with eggnog so I've got just the right amount of whipped cream.

 

[Steve H]

Read that to my wife. Her response: "Holy Cow. That's easy. Definitely gonna make that."

And I've got everything here at the house. Been experimenting with eggnog so I've got just the right amount of whipped cream.

Easy. But time consuming. Don't sway from the directions. The timing is important.

 

[Marknmd]

Lol! I'm a legend in my own mind!

 

[wimpy69]

Wife's nostalgia just brought up my Aunt's shredded carrots in lime Jello and -ummmm- Ambrosia.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Good Thread , but not this early in the morning.... now I want a turkey and stuffing Sandwich

Favorite = our stuffing , than turkey mashed and gravy ( than the sandwich with stuffing and turkey and lots of Mayo and pepper )

Don't really have any dislikes as we only cook what we like , but if I had to say , don't like cranberry jelly ( love them dried ) and Mona and her sisters like cold canned peas...and that is just wrong

David

David, canned peas are wrong, whether they're hot or cold.
Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

Wife's nostalgia just brought up my Aunt's shredded carrots in lime Jello and -ummmm- Ambrosia.

OMG!! I hate ANY vegetable in jelly. Mom loved to make and serve those.
Gary

 

[Brokenhandle]

Read that to my wife. Her response: "Holy Cow. That's easy. Definitely gonna make that."

And I've got everything here at the house. Been experimenting with eggnog so I've got just the right amount of whipped cream.

Eggnog ???? I'm interested in your experiments!

Ryan

 

[Bigtank]

Many faves probably dressing with gravy
Least pumpkin pie that's why I'm having Sweet Potato Pie

 

[GaryHibbert]

Least: Candied yams or sweet potatoes

Favorites: Wife's Acadian stuffing with ground veal and ground pork and ground turkey, mashed potatoes, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), You either love it or hate it--no in between. Home made cranberry sauce. Sweet potato pie with whipped cream.

Green been casserole?? Never tried it and judging from the majority of comments, probably wont.

Gary

 

[Bigtank]

Least: Candied yams or sweet potatoes

Favorites: Wife's Acadian stuffing with ground veal and ground pork and ground turkey, mashed potatoes, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), You either love it or hate it--no in between. Home made cranberry sauce. Sweet potato pie with whipped cream.

Green been casserole?? Never tried it and judging from the majority of comments, probably wont.

Gary

Green Bean casserole is good. Try the recipe on French's crispy onions

 

[noboundaries]

Eggnog ???? I'm interested in your experiments!

Ryan

Thanks, Ryan. Only two non-cooked blender recipes so far. Still tweaking. The cooked recipes will be next. It'll be a separate thread, and yes, I will post the recipes we like.

Ray

 

[noboundaries]

Sweet Potato Pie

I picked up a 7" commercial one yesterday at the grocery. It satisfied the urge until I can make my own, but it was too sweet with very little character (flat tasting).

My recipe is the combination of several I found online, adjustments to the ones I baked, and a mistake I made on one batch that actually worked and improved the result.

Probably gonna bake a couple this week.

 

[noboundaries]

Favorites: Wife's Acadian stuffing with ground veal and ground pork and ground turkey, mashed potatoes, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), You either love it or hate it--no in between.

Put me in the love it category. My imagination is drooling!

 

[clifish]

Green Bean casserole is good. Try the recipe on French's crispy onions

Every year then I finish off the container on salads after Thanksgiving,

 

[DRKsmoking]

Wife's Acadian stuffing

I have heard of this recipe before , Gary is your wife from this neck of the woods or it is just a recipe she uses.


David

 

[GaryHibbert]

I have heard of this recipe before , Gary is your wife from this neck of the woods or it is just a recipe she uses.


David

David, it's a family recipe. Her ancestors came to Canada from the Acadia area of France in the 1600s--1640 if memory serves me right. Some went to Quebec, most to the Maritimes. When the British held the Acadian Expulsion for all Acadians who refused to swear loyalty to the British Crown, a lot of her people were uprooted and sent to the USA--spread out all over. A lot of her Mom's family ended up in Winnipeg and Quebec, as well as the US. Linda's Grandmother went to Quebec, married a farmer, and apparently tried to populate the entire area--Linda's mom was one of 9 or 10 kids, all of whom survived. So they weren't kicked off their farms and shipped out by the British, as others were.
Miss Linda' stuffing serves double duty when placed in a pie shell, with a pastry topping and served with turkey gravy. It's really kick a$$ delicious.
Gary

 

[DRKsmoking]

married a farmer, and apparently tried to populate the entire area--Linda's mom was one of 9 or 10 kids

Yes Gary there were a lot of families shipped all over , there are still some large Acadian areas here in Nova Scotia, and tons of great foods also. Took me awhile to try rappie pie , but once I did I love it .

Lots in the Expulsion from Nova Scotia went to Louisiana area etc.

Terrible for how it was done and why,

David

 

[bakerman]

It's Thanksgiving so I try everything. Love all of it even the green bean casserole. The only thing I don't eat is the jello mold with fruit cocktail in it. I ate that stuff too much growing up. It's not that I don't like it , it's more about ratios on my plate.
For full disclosure if giblets are used in anything I do not eat that. Stuffing or gravy with giblets is nasty. Giblets are considered offal, I agree but spell it differently.
Last few years my family has gotten the dinner from the grocery store pre-made. Last year was good, Wegman's did a fine job. 2 years ago Harris Teeter and it was horrible. Ended up throwing 80% of the food away. This year we are trying Whole Foods. I will report back.
I used to really enjoy fixing Thanksgiving dinner, now it's way too much work. Plus our fridge is too small for everything. Additionally we don't have extended family for the meal anymore. Too much toxicity for a holiday meal. When my parents were still alive we did the entire family thing a couple of times. It was just for their benefit, I hated it.
Now it's serve yourself and watch football while you eat. No more stress, I prefer it to spending the balance of the day washing dishes. But that just me.