Easy Thanksgiving Recipes + How to Make Gravy
I thought I would share ideas on how to make some easy Thanksgiving recipes from scratch. Please share with us the family favorites that you like to make on Thanksgiving in the comments below, I love to hear them and pass them on to my readers. Several readers have requested tips on making homemade gravy. I made the gravy recipe in a printable form for you to use and share. I love gravy!!
Hopefully, you’ll make some recipes I’ve listed below for your Thanksgiving feast. I would love to hear the names of the favorites you fix every year. Of course, we typically all have a turkey roast or a ham during the holidays, but I want to hear about the Thanksgiving sides and the desserts. Let the holiday season begin! I love updating older posts so we learn new things each year. Roaster Pan for Turkey
I also want to hear if your family loves gravy or not. I have to say, I put gravy on my turkey, mashed potatoes, and the dressing. Here’s another question, do you call it stuffing or dressing? You know the yummy stuff we all like to make this time of year. I have always called it dressing.
Not sure if that’s right or wrong, but my mother-in-law made the best dressing in the world. So, my daughters grew up calling it dressing. My kids and grandkids love my gravy, so I’m sharing my recipe today. It’s easy to make and really yummy. Let’s get started.
Easy Thanksgiving Recipes + Gravy
1. Mark’s Family’s Turkey Dressing
As I mentioned, Mark’s mother was a great cook. She especially enjoyed having family over and fixed her favorite things for them. She was a gravy “specialist.” Both Mark and I like to put gravy over the meat, potatoes, and dressing. It makes everything so flavorful, and they tend to be more moist too.
- 1/2 cup oleo (I use butter – you can tell this is a really old recipe now)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cups chopped celery
- 3-4 14-ounce cans of chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 teaspoons RUBBED ground sage
- 6 cups dried bread cubes
- Giblets (chopped (optional), I never use them
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Gather all of your ingredients.
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Sauté the onion, celery, giblets, salt, pepper, and sage in a small skillet in the butter.
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Combine this mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. (I just added the bread cubes and broth to the saucepan).
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Add one-quart broth, add more liquid if the mixture is too dry. You don't want it soupy. I used 1-1/2 quarts, it will always depend on the kind of bread you use.
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Bake covered in a greased pan at (350°F) = (176°C) degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through. I have cooked this in my slow cooker on low as well.
There are so many ways to make dressing, and each family seems to have their favorite. Some families use the giblets from the turkey as part of their dressing. Others will purchase a “packaged” dressing and then add their favorite fresh herbs and spices like garlic and sage. I have friends who enjoy a special version of cornbread stuffing and others who make their own sausage stuffing. Don’t you just love this holiday as we gather with family, friends, and other guests to enjoy great food and conversation?
2. Lisa’s Apple Yams
Growing up I learned to love yams and sweet potatoes. I haven’t had them as often since getting married. Neither of them is Mark’s favorite. He’ll give them a try if they’re smothered with a really sweet sauce like you make with cinnamon, but I like them plain just as well. Mark would rather have mashed potatoes with any and all meals!
- 4 large sweet potatoes or yams (peeled and cooked until tender. Slice the sweet potatoes/yams the thickness you desire)
- 3-4 cooking apples (cored, peeled, and sliced)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- Nutmeg and Cinnamon to taste
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Gather all of your ingredients.
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Wash the sweet potatoes and cut the ends off.
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Place foil on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Place the sweet potatoes/yams on the foiled and greased cookie sheet. The cooking time will depend on what size of sweet potatoes/yams you purchase. I used rather large sweet potatoes, it took 1-1/2 hours to bake them.
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Remove the baked sweet potatoes/yams from the oven and allow to cool.
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After the sweet potatoes/yams have had a chance to cool, it is time to peel and slice them to your desired thickness.
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Next, throughly wash the apples. Using an apple peeler or other tool – peel, slice, and core the apples. Slice down the center of the peeled and cored apple to create apple slices that will be ready to be place in the casserole dish.
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Grease a 9×13 inch pan and layer the sweet potato/yams and apples.
**It is time to make the sweet potato sauce! See below for instructions.**
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Once the sauce has been poured over the sweet potatoes/yams and apples, it is time to bake.
Cover the sweet potato/yam mixture with foil and bake in the oven at (350°F) = (176°C) for 30 minutes. No marshmallows on this one. This recipe is fabulous! Enjoy!
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It is time to prepare the sauce that will be pored over the layered sweet potatoes/yams and apples in the greased 9×13 in pan.
In a medium to large pot, combine the water, brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch, stirring constantly.
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Add one cube (1/2 cup) of butter. Continue stirring constantly. Cook until it starts to thicken. Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice.
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Stir the brown sugar mixture constantly to keep from burning. Stir until the mixture is throughly mixed.
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Pour the sweet potato sauce over the sweet potatoes/yams and apples. Try to make sure each piece is covered with the sauce.
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Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg (I forgot to add these earlier).
3. My Sister’s Cranberry Pie
Like most of you, I’m sure, I grew up with cranberry sauce as a tasty part of every Thanksgiving meal. We’d spread the cranberry sauce all over the turkey meat and it seemed to give it a unique and special flavor. I hadn’t ever had a cranberry pie until my sister introduced this recipe to me. Give making it a try, I’m sure it will become one of your favorite holiday dessert treats.
- 4 cups chopped fresh cranberries
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 egg beaten for glaze
- pastry for 2 crust 9-inch pie (one for the bottom of the pie and one for the lattice top)
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Combine the cranberries, salt, sugar, and flour, and refrigerate the mixture for one or more hours
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Add the butter when you add the cranberry mixture into the pie crust.
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Make a lattice pie crust for the top of the pie. Brush the top of the pie crust lattice top with egg.
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Preheat oven to (450°F) = (232°C) degrees. Bake the pie for 10 minutes. Then lower the oven to (350°F) = (176°C) degrees and bake another 45 minutes. Serve pie in wedges with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
There are so many varieties of pie classics served during the holidays, particularly as part of a Thanksgiving dinner menu. We have always had the traditional pumpkin pie, but also have tried pecan and mince pies. Each one provides some unique and fun dessert options based on flavor and texture variations. Why not be bold this year as you put together your Thanksgiving menu that includes some different appetizers and desserts?
4. Linda’s No-Fail Dinner Rolls
One of my very first posts years ago was one where I introduced bread-making to my readers. I’ve made bread all my married life, and we’ve found bread to be one of the staples for every quality meal we enjoy together. I usually make a whole bunch of smaller loaves and then take some to neighbors who I know will appreciate the thought and the delicious flavor.
Some people seem to be afraid to give bread-making a try. I’ve had a few readers who’ve mentioned they used to be afraid to try making bread then they tried my recipe. It works, I promise. If you’ll try this no-fail dinner roll recipe those fears will disappear, and you’ll be making them for every special occasion.
- 4 Teaspoons SAF Instant Yeast
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 Cups Warm Milk
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
- 4 Teaspoons Dough Enhancer
- 2 Eggs
- 6-7 Cups White bread flour (Add 1/2 of the flour and then add more until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl)
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Place all of the ingredients in order into your mixing bowl. Be careful with the eggs not to add the warm milk too slowly or you will have scrambled eggs.
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Add half of the flour and keep adding the rest of the flour until the bread dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
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Cover with greased plastic and let rise the first time about an hour.
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Punch the dough down and mold it into small balls about 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches in diameter.
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Cover with greased plastic and let rise for about an hour or until double the size.
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Remove the plastic wrap and bake at (350°F) = (176°C) degrees for 15-20 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. Do not overbake. They should be golden brown.
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I spread a little butter on the tops after baking so the rolls are soft on top. If you like a crispier top you can skip this step.
Try to use fresh ingredients to get the best results for your bread and rolls. Having fresh yeast is very critical since it’s the yeast that prompts the dough to rise. I used to use all-purpose flour, but for many years now I have used bread flour for my bread making. It consistently provides a delicious bread that my family loves. Whether you like just butter or jams, jellies, or honey on top, you can’t go wrong with fresh bread and rolls right out of the oven.
5. Linda’s Gravy
Mark’s mom was a great teacher as she showed me the way she made her gravy for the 64 years Mark’s parents were married. Mark tells me she always had a treat of some kind ready for her kids when they got home from school. Cookies were her specialty, but she excelled at so many other meal options, including this gravy recipe. You need to be a little creative as you determine how much of some ingredients to use based on the size of the meat offering and how much of the drippings are available. Try it and I’m sure you’ll love it too.
- 1 cup Turkey, Chicken, or Beef Drippings
- 1-2 cups of Flour
- 1 quart Water or Milk (I use water more than milk)
- Salt & pepper
- Sugar
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I use the pan that the turkey, chicken, or beef was baked in with the "drippings" and bring the liquid to a boil. If you have very little juice or drippings, add some water. Now, I can't give you exact measurements because this depends on the size of a turkey, chicken, or roast you purchased and how many drippings are available. Over time, with experience, you'll learn.
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I take about 1-2 cups of flour put it in a quart jar with cold water and shake it like crazy.
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I slowly add this mixture to the hot boiling turkey, chicken, or beef drippings. Use a whisk and stir constantly.
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I have a quart pitcher with cold water to add to this pan as the gravy thickens. I add water until it's the consistency I prefer. Not too runny, but not too thick.
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I add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Yep, it's the sugar that brings out the best flavor. Of course, it's optional.
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If you have some lumps, no worries, bring out the hand mixer. The flavor is fabulous and so easy to make.
I’m sure some families view gravy as one of many Thanksgiving side dish options available. Boy, not our family! Gravy is such an essential part of this special holiday meal every year, it’s one of the reasons we love Thanksgiving meals.
6. Allison’s Creamed Corn Recipe
Allison is my oldest daughter and one who has learned to love cooking. After moving from home, she started dabbling with various recipes and found cooking was a pleasant way to unwind. Although she works a lot of hours these days, making it harder for her to find time for meal prep, she still loves to heat up the kitchen as she makes fun meals for family and friends.
This creamed corn recipe can be a meal option you set to cook in your slow cooker while running errands. It takes no time to prepare but a few hours to cook. If you like corn, you’ll enjoy this creamed version of a veggie staple.
- 2 pounds frozen white super sweet corn
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
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Combine the ingredients in a large slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.
There are lots of options as you try to incorporate some veggies into your meals. At this time of year, we’ll see green bean casserole, various squash entries like butternut squash or pumpkin soup, or one of my favorites, brussels sprouts. Try to be creative and experiment with things your family could grow to love. A salad isn’t necessarily a meal option we think a lot about at Thanksgiving time. There are some exciting and delicious choices available if you do some salad recipe research and include items like spinach as the base. We’re told that fruits and vegetables are a vital part of meal planning to ensure we stay healthy, do your part and fix meals that make healthy eating a reality.
Final Word
Do you love the holidays as much as I do? The leaves are starting to turn colors right now, and the weather is getting colder. What a great time of year to spend quality time in the kitchen trying out new recipes for that traditional Thanksgiving meal, a night of dinner and games with friends, or a casual evening with loved ones.
Be sure to take proper care of those leftovers after dinner. Don’t let the food sit on your kitchen counter at room temperature too long before putting things in the freezer or refrigerator containers. We love to have turkey sandwiches for days after the guests have all gone home! There’s nothing as tasty as a turkey breast sandwich on my dinner rolls for lunch the next day.
Let me know if you have some easy Thanksgiving recipes you make yearly so I can share your ideas with my readers. Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world.
Copyright pictures: Thanksgiving: AdobeStock_58186058 by Cobra photo, Sweet Potato Casserole AdobeStock_434326684 by Angelika Heine, Roasted Turkey AdobeStock_182614277 by Fahrwasser, Turkey on Platter Depositphotos_267835890_S by NewAfrica, Turkey on Platter Depositphotos_619715422_S by Bhofack2
Great Recipes Linda! Paul and I are going camping to test out all our emergency supplies this week, and we will be making a few Thanksgiving dishes ahead of time and warming them up while camping, but we will be using the sun oven and Wonder Bags to cook some of the other treats! Love your book! Hugs, Deb
Hi Debbie, that sounds so fun to go test out your emergency supplies by camping! I love it! Linda
Hi! I love your site first of all. I am wondering for the rolls can I use self rising flour? I had to get some for another recipe. I usually use yeast etc when I make bread during the week but now have a package of self rising and wondering if I can use? Thank you so much and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi, Kristen. Self rising flour includes baking powder and salt. You can use it in quick breads and the like and just not add the baking powder and salt in the recipe. Yeast breads are different and you won’t get the results you are looking for if you replace the yeast and flour with self rising flour. I’ve made Linda’s bread and rolls, as her recipes read, many times and they are wonderful. I highly recommend you try them, even if you have to get more flour. Save the self rising flour for something else. BTW, her recipes call for instant yeast, which makes the rising time very short. Hope that helps, Mare
Hi Mare, thanks for the advice. I only buy bread flour or grind my hard white wheat. You rock! Happy Thanksgiving! Linda
Hi Kristin, I would think you could use that self-rising flour. I buy bread flour for everything I use. As long as it’s less than a year old the flour should be okay. I always stress fresh flour, yeast, etc. Happy Thanksgiving to us as well! Linda
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for the advice. Thank you too Mare. I appreciate both of your help. I will be trying them no matter what! LOL. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!
Hi, Linda! Yes, ma’am, pass the gravy, this ol’ girl needs lots of it… on everything! As for the dressing or stuffing, in our house it was always stuffing. You stuff the turkey with it, right? Actually, I don’t stuff my birds and haven’t for years, since I either smoke or deep fry my turkeys. I usually make it in a crock pot, so I guess it’s technically dressing, but I still call it stuffing.
Your dressing and gravy recipes are almost identical to what my family has been making for at least four generations. The only differences are we add chopped hard boiled eggs to our stuffing and we don’t use any sugar in our gravy.
I make a cranapple pie every year that everyone loves. It’s very similar to the cranberry pie recipe you posted, but the fruit is a combination of cranberries and apples. For the crust, instead of the lattice top, I make the pie dough and roll it out in a very wide circle. I center it over in the pie tin, put the fruit mixture over the pie crust, then kind of pleat the rest of the crust over the top, leaving a 1 1/2 to 2 inch opening in the center of the top. We always have pumpkin and mince pies, as well.
I’m going to have to try the apple yams. That sounds great. I usually make caramel (homemade) candied yams topped with chopped pecans. Of course, you have to have mashed potatoes, as well.
Other traditional family sides are parker house rolls, green beans with onions and bacon, homemade cranberry sauce, and frozen fruit salad or ambrosia. We also have a small array of finger foods: deviled eggs, celery stuffed with Old English sharp cheddar spread, olives, sweet and dill pickles, radishes, and green onions.
If I don’t talk to you again before Thursday, I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Hugs, Mare
Hi Mare, oh man I have got to try my cranberry pie that way. I might add apples to it as well! My family has a lot of finger foods while we get the feast ready. I love the ones you are describing! Let the munching begin! Happy Thanksgiving! Hugs, Linda
Mare, I forgot to say I’m glad you love gravy as much as me! Linda
Since my family LOVES gravy, I get 3-4 turkey wings ahead of time, roast them with a few carrots, a few ribs of celery, an onion (no peeling necessary) until nice and brown, and make 2 quarts of rich broth ahead of time. Add that to your roux made from the drippings from the roast bird and you have a LOT of great gravy.
I do something similar, Kathy. I save all of the turkey (and chicken) bones and freeze them until I have enough to make a big batch of broth. I roast the bones with vegies, as you do, then make broth. At that point, I strain the broth and either pressure can it, or store it in the freezer. That way I have it on hand for gravy, soup, or whatever else I want to use it with.
Hi Mare, oh how I wish we were neighbors we would learn so much from each other!! Now I need to try and roast the bones with veggies and make broth. Great comment!! Linda
Hi Kathy, oh my gosh, I never thought of buying just turkey wings to make broth!! I LOVE this idea! It’s one of those, why didn’t I think of that! Thank you! I love gravy, great comment!! Linda
Hi Linda, love your tips and advice. I’m a Southern gal and we call it dressing. I add chopped hard boiled eggs also. I don’t add sugar to the gravy though. I have a question, what is dough enhancer?
Have a blessed day
Hi Zandra, oh my gosh, I love it! I have never heard of adding hard boiled eggs to dressing! My mother didn’t add sugar to her gravy either. Dough enhancer for rolls or bread is always optional. It makes the bread fluffy and light. Linda
Hi Linda, lol. My Dad chopped the eggs and added to the dressing before baking. Adds another dimension of flavor. Thank you for answering. Where do I purchase dough enhancer. I would love to make my own rolls this Thanksgiving instead of the pre made variety. You’re a treasure trove of info
Zandra ~
I purchase my dough enhancer at Winco. They have it in the bulk section along with the yeast and spices.
Thanks, Leanne! Linda
Hi, Zandra, I buy mine off Amazon. If you have a Winco, that’s awesome! I don’t have one here. If you make my no-fail recipe you will see how easy it is to make dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls and so much more. This is the brand I buy: NutriMill Dough Enhancer 16oz Bag made by Nutrimill. I store what I use in the frig for the month and the rest goes in the freezer. Linda
Hi Linda, thank you so much!! I’ll have to get it from Amazon. Love reading all these tradtions for Thanksgiving dinners. Mine was Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes&gravy, potato salad and deviled eggs. My Dad was an excellent cook. Much love and blessings.
Hi Zandra, potato salad is a new one for Thanksgiving! I love deviled eggs, I remember my mom making those for Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners! Thank you for sharing your traditional dishes for Thanksgiving, I love hearing them! Linda
I love all things Thanksgiving. There are a number of favorite foods that I grew up with: Turkey and dressing. Sorry Linda, but my mother made the BEST dressing! It is basically the same recipe that you posted but there was something about Mom’s dressing that is better than all the rest (perhaps the love that was put into it?)! Then, the mashed potatoes with lots of butter and gravy. We always had veggies that we put up during the summer – not always the same but it might be peas in a butter sauce (I do not know how my mother made her butter sauce – tears) or candied carrots, or bacony green beans or creamed corn – whatever we had lots of. We also had a tray of pickles of 2-3 varieties that we put up during the summer. We always had lots of pies: apple, cherry, pumpkin, mincemeat (mom made her own mincemeat – I didn’t care for it though). Lots of homemade bread/rolls as well.
Basically, Thanksgiving was the bounty of our own farm. We didn’t raise turkey’s but everything else was homegrown! When I was married and living far away, I tried to emulate the bounty and I did put up a lot of things.
Now, the torch has passed to my daughter and son-in-law to host the day. They serve the basics but everyone brings something.
I’ve been trying out a couple of things differently: I always take the cranberry sauce – love making homemade! I also try to come up with a low carb dessert (I know, I know! but my daughter’s father-in-law is diabetic and she has a niece who has celiac) and have been successful on occasion!
My favorite low carb dessert is a Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse! I found it on Pinterest and it is yummy! It is by Sugarfreemom.com
Anyway – as the torch was passed to the next generation, I find myself reminiscing about past holiday gatherings. I could tell stories!!
OH my gosh, Leanne, my you and I grew up eating the very same side dishes! My mom made her own Mincemeat pie (I didn’t care for it). LOL! We always had pickles as well! Oh, I can hardly wait for the holidays!! Great comment! Linda
Linda,
When we have Thanksgiving we always have a cranberry salad. We actually call it our Christmas salad but here is the recipe: 2 cups raw cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup
chopped pecans, 1 1/2 cup water and 1 3oz. package cherry Jello. Add water to cranberries in a pan,
simmer COVERED for 10 minutes. Add sugar and Jello. Remove from heat and cool. Add pineapple and nuts. cover and chill.
We have another salad recipe we use, it’s kind of simple and the ingredients might sound odd together but this is a good salad. Pineapple salad: 1 regular size can chunk Pineapple, drained,
1/4 pound of Velvetta cheese, cubed, 1 cup small marshmallows. Put in a bowl.
In a sauce pan make a sauce of ; 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 1 egg and juice
from the pineapple.
Cook till thick. Pour over cheese, marshmallow and pineapple mixture while still hot. Mix
well and cover and chill.
Hope you enjoy these.
Hi, June, I LOVE these salad recipes! I’m going to copy and paste them and make them! I’ve been meaning to tell you, a few months ago or maybe even a year, I mentioned I didn’t have the red velvet cooked frosting and you shared yours with me. Guess what??? I was going through my mom’s old recipe box and it’s the SAME recipe you shared with me! It was a cartwheel moment for me! That means I was ecstatic!! What are the chances it would have the exact same measurements?? Hugs! Linda
On my! I have been looking for easy recipes! I just LOVE me some gravy lol. Any idea how to cook a turkey breast? I only like white meat and a household of only 2. Thanks! You are awesome!
Hi Jo Ann, oh my gosh I love hearing someone loves gravy as much as I do!! As far as your turkey breast, I would look at the wrapper it comes in. It usually gives instructions on how to cook it. I love hearing you like only white meat1!! I wish I could talk Mark into buying just the turkey breasts. He always wants the wishbone. But get this, the wishbone will sit on the kitchen counter for weeks and he doesn’t even make a wish and break it!! Thanks for stopping by! Linda
Linda,
I have one more recipe that we always have on our table at Thanksgiving. Not everyone is
a fan and some might say YUCK!!!! but it is good.
Scalloped Oysters
2 cans of Oysters, not drained
1 can of Milnot
3 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup cracker crumbs
pepper to taste
Pour into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 till set.
Linda, where can I email you so I can give you my recipe for Stollen or Fruit cake which ever one it
was that you wanted. I finally found it and it is almost Christmas time again.
Hi June, oh my gosh, my husband would love this recipe with oysters!! Thank you! I would love both the Stollen and Fruit Cake recipes. Please send it to: foodstoragemoms@yahoo.com I thank you from the bottom of my heart!! I can hardly wait to get them!! Hugs, Linda
Linda, I have a very old and loved Jello recipe that tastes wonderful for the holidays. I got this recipe when I was first married 45 years ago and have never seen the recipe again. I so appreciate your posts and want to share it with everyone.
CINNAMON APPLE JELLO SALAD
In a large glass bowl add 1 cup boiling water to a 3 oz. pkg. cherry Jello and 1/4 cup cinnamon red hot candies. Stir until the Jello and candies are dissolved. (I usually put the bowl in the microwave for a minute on high to get the candies to finish dissolving but a few small remnants of the candy always remain).) Chill until the Jello is almost set and not watery (about 2-3 hours). It is important that it hasn’t set up tight so it will whip.
Whip the thickened Jello on low speed with an electric hand mixer for a minute. Gradually beat in 1 cup chilled evaporated milk. It is important that the evaporated milk is cold so I put it in the refrigerator the day before. Then mix on high speed until the mixture is light and double in volume. Fold in 1 1/2 cups diced eating apples (Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Honey Crisp, etc), 1 cup miniature marshmallows, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Chill until firm, about 3-4 hours.
Hi Kay, oh my gosh, I need to make this recipe!! I have everything but the red hots, I just added it to my grocery list. I will try and make this and put your name on it!! I love this recipe! Linda
Good Morning, Linda. The “stuffing/dressing” I’m used to is good ole Southern cornbread dressing that my mom made. I’ve eaten bread dressing, but it’s just not the same as what I grew up with. Guess it all depends on where you were raised. Mamma added added the neck meat off the turkey to the dressing. For the gravy, she never added sugar, but she did add cut up the giblets and a sliced boiled egg to the gravy. I don’t eat turkey, so I don’t have a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. My meal just depends on what I”m hungry for. When you’re only cooking for yourself and your dog, doesn’t make much sense to cook a huge dinner that leftovers wouldn’t fit in my frig or freezer. There’s only been one time that I can actually say I ate turkey and liked it. That was years ago when my daddy shot a wild turkey then cooked it over his grill in his back yard. Even as a kid I didn’t like turkey. Matter of fact, I don’t care for chicken either. I grew up eating a lot of wild game, maybe that’s why, lol. You and your family have a Very Happy and Safe Thanksgiving.
Hi Pam, I remember my mom adding the chopped cooked giblets to the gravy but not sliced hard-boiled eggs! I love cornbread stuffing/dressing, my family prefers Stove Top dressing, LOL! I love Mark’s mom’s dressing recipe and I make a small batch. It’s funny you say you don’t care for turkey, I could skip the meat altogether, LOL! I remember one year, I was crazy busy at work, and I said to my husband let’s just get a small turkey breast. He said but we need the wishbone! LOL! It sat on the counter for days, no one made a wish with it! Life is all about funny memories! Happy Thanksgiving to you, my friend! Linda
Linda,
I consider gravy to be an essential food group. Most everything tastes better with gravy.
I’m going to make your rolls for Thanksgiving this year.
And that Creamed Corn recipe is a must try.
Hi Ray, oh I love hearing you love gravy as much as I do! Life is good with a great meal with friends and family! Linda
Linda,
You should promote your Pinterest site here too, letting your readers know they can Pin your fantastic articles. Forgive me if I missed it.
Hi Ray, you are so nice!! You always make my day! I have a pin on each post so people can “Pin” it if they have Pinterest. Thank you, my friend! Linda
Linda, another great food for thought article! Stuffing or dressing…Well that depends. Both are the same ingredients but…
If it is inside the bird it is stuffing. Dressing is made on the stove top! Both are great with gravy on them.
Stay safe and God Bless…
Hi Bill, thank you for the 5 stars, my friend! Oh my gosh, you are so right! My mother always cooked hers in the bird, hence stuffing. Then, I heard the word “dressing”, LOL! Great comment! They are the same ingredients and both are great with gravy! Stay safe, stay well! Linda
We always have Dressing made the way my mother from North Alabama made it. She used mainly crumbled cornbread and left over white bread torn in pieces which she would store for a week in the frig, if need be. She boiled a small whole chicken or breasts with skin and bones to make the broth. Bits of chicken were added along with sauted onions and celery, salt, pepper and lots of sage. The big difference to your recipe was that we add about 6 to 8 beaten eggs. This makes the scrap bread into a new more uniform food. Make sure to use enough broth to keep it moist while baking. The rest of the broth and chicken became chicken and dumplins. Now I’m hungry!
Hi MtGrammy, oh my gosh, adding eggs sounds interesting! I love cornbread dressing! My mother used to make chicken and dumplings! The holidays are so fun!! Linda
OOH Yummy. Everything sounds so good. This year we are going to get together for Thanksgiving for the first time in 2 years, yeah. My SIL, who usually hosts, is having surgery the Tuesday( as she told me, Thanks doc) before Thanksgiving so we are going to host. I always do my great grandmothers STUFFING with the turkey. It has apples, raisins, onion, celery and butter in it, from what my Dad’s mom said it was her mom’s recipe. We’ve been doing it that way all my life and the family has come to expect it. However, I am going to tackle pumpkin pie from scratch(wish me luck,LOL), got a free pumpkin from my local natural food store and need to do something with it before it goes bad.
Hi Kathy, oh my gosh, that sounds so fun to make a pumpkin pie literally from a pumpkin and not the can of pumpkin!! That dressing of yours sounds awesome! Oh, the memories we have and the recipes we want each year are the best ones ever! Happy Thanksgiving! Linda
I know. It will be an experience but I’ll let y’all know how it turns out. Although, I’ll be cheating a bit with a premade crust. Have one in the freezer that I need to use.
Hi Kathy, I buy premade pie crust as well. OR I buy a pumpkin pie at Costco!! LOL! Life is good however we make or buy a pie! Linda
Yes that pie was so delicious. Where I worked in a small 15 person office, the manager would do a small turkey or ham for each of the employees for Thanksgiving and he always got the Costco pumpkin pie to go along with it for us. It was ALWAYS appreciated. The pie was always a hit but it’s too big for the hubs and I now. 🙁
Hi Kathy, I agree the Costco pie is too large for Mark and me!! I can only get it when someone is coming over for dinner! LOL! Wow, that is so nice to have the manager give a turkey or ham and a pie! Life is so good when you feel appreciated! Love it! Linda
Linda:
Love the recipes but I agree with your husband about the Sweet Potatoes and Yams. Not because I don’t like them I actually love them but they don’t like me. My dad would tell me try them you’ll like them and my mother when I was about 4-5 told me to try them so he would shut up. Well I loved them and ate the biggest one that my mom made (that was supposed to be dads). From that moment Thanksgiving dinner was over. I went into anaphylactic shock. My mom carried me out to the car and my dad drove us to the hospital. Last words I heard were mom telling dad From now on if she says she does not like it you shut up. I learned from my doctor a couple years ago that children will inherently know somehow that something will hurt them even if they had never tasted it. Now my son loves them and I make them for him but I wrap part of the sweet potato in foil before slicing it and putting brown sugar and butter int it. I do not even touch them. He’s lucky I love him so much because just being around them can cause me problems.
I like my husbands aunts dressing which I make each year. Fantastic dressing and I don’t like cornbread which is in the dressing. It’s late here in New Mexico I will send the recipe to you later like on Sunday since I am going shopping today.
Hi Jackie, thank you for the 5 stars, my friend!! Oh my gosh, that had to have been scary to go into anaphylactic shock!!! Your sone love thems the way I live them with butter and brown sugar! Yum!! I would love your aunt’s dressing!!! Thank you for sharing! Linda
HI Linda, Have so enjoyed reading your Thanksgiving post. Brings back a lot of memories. I had vowed, after last year, that I would never cook a Thanksgiving dinner again. I’m now 83 and I think it is time to retire from it. However, now that we are back in Oregon, My son and granddaughter from California will be coming to visit and of course, I have my daughter and her family with my Great Grandkids here. So, I’ll do at least part of it again. Next week, I will actually make about one dozen pie crusts and freeze them (in the pans). So, all I have to do on Thanksgiving week is fill and bake them. Plus, We will have pumpkin, apple and peach pies. I will have enough frozen crusts for Christmas dinner. I will also make my dinner rolls (my special recipe) and partially bake them and into the freezer they will go. I then place them back into the muffin tins and finish baking them then wrap in foil until dinner time.
Sutffing or dressing, I used to stuff my turkeys my now make dressing separately. Many years ago, I started making a combination of bread and cornbread dressing. I chop my onions and celery and freeze them until “the day”. I always add chopped pecans, chopped apple and some golden raisins to my dressing. This dressing is certainly different but very delicious.
I started making a “fluffy cranberry salad” many years ago and the family prefers it to regular cranberry salad. It calls for 2 cans of whole cranberry sauce, • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows (from 1 [10-oz.] pkg.)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped OR cool whip
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved•
• Step 1Transfer cranberries to a large bowl, and stir in sugar and marshmallows. Cover and chill overnight.
• Step 2 Beat cream cheese with a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps, about 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add 1 cup heavy cream, and continue beating until mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup cream, and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Step 3Fold cream mixture into cranberry mixture, and stir in salt, pecans, and grapes. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 3 days.
This is a really great salad AND it keeps for many days AFTER the dinner.
And of course, There will be a “relish”; celery stuffed with pineapple cream cheese; baby carrots, radishes, 2 kinds of pickles, two kinds of olives; a tray of deviled eggs. Side dishes of Creamed Corn, Glazed Carrots, Green Beans (that I canned last summer) with bacon, Mashed Potatoes, Parsnips(I’m the only one that will eat these, but they are so good).
Candied Yams, and a fruit salad that has fresh fruits and a special cooked dressing that my hubby’s mom used to make. I’ve made it every year for well over 40 years. My grandson always asks me if I’m going to make that special fruit salad. It is always the first thing that he eats when he sits down.
I think Thanks giving is my favorite time of year. I look forward to making the special things that everyone loves.
I guess I will be making everything except the turkey and deviled eggs& my daughter will do those. I may hand over some of the sides to her as well.
ARE YOU HUNGRY YET?? I AM.
Linda, I pray that you and your family stay well and safe. Please also, enjoy a truly happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Hi Suzanne, oh my your recipes sound so good!! I’m not sure I told you, Mark and I moved back to northern Utah closer to our kids and grandkids. It was a hard decision for Mark but not for me. So now when there are holidays we will have someone to celebrate with! Mark misses his golf, but with how things are going in the world, I felt strongly to make a change. It happened very quickly. Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving dishes, life will be good for both of us this year! And yes, I am hungry after reading about those yummy side dishes! Love it! Stay safe, stay well, Hugs! Linda
Hi Linda,
We don’t have Thanksgiving here in Australia but I do have a simple recipe you might like to try. I’ve been making it for years and it’s always popular. You need a large can of pears in syrup, a packet of gingernut biscuits (cookies), and 300ml of heavy cream (about a half pint). Simply crush the biscuits, drain and thinly slice the pears, and whip the cream. Then layer them in a straight-sided bowl – biscuits, pears, whipped cream, and repeat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Tastes great even if you eat it right away but even better if made the day before and refrigerated. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We all have so much to be thankful for, American or not.
Hi Pat, oh my gosh, this sounds delicious! I have got to make this! Thank you for sharing the recipe! Linda
Linda, as an old Texas girl that ate her Mom’s Southern cornbread DRESSING growing up, I had no idea what stuffing was until I married my military husband and I met people that did not have the privilege of growing up south of Kansas. Then I learned what stuffing was. Many of those poor souls got to eat some of my cornbread dressing and they became believers of how good cornbread dressing is.
Hi Frances, oh I love cornbread dressing or stuffing!!! YUMMY! I’m so glad you were able to show others how to make cornbread dressing! I love stories like this, thanks for sharing. Linda
Linda:
Did I ever send you the recipe for Aunt Nell’s Dressing? Let me know. I also make my cornbread different than you do. I take and use white cornmeal and yellow cornmeal in mine. My husband has problems with flour I don’t think it is the gluten but I am not sure. It is the processed white flour he has a problem with. I started making cornbread this way when he was having stomach problems. Changing the flour to white cornmeal helped. It does not make any difference to the cornbread.
Hi Jackie, thank you for the 5 stars! No, I do not have that recipe, I would love it. I will make it for sure! Linda
Gonna have to try some of the recipes, they all sound yummy. As my grandmother once told me, stuffing goes in the bird, dressing is baked separately. I still use the recipe my great grandmother from Ireland used every year to stuff my bird.
Cubed bread, chopped up onions, celery, apples,must be red delicious, don’t ask me why it’s just what she used and raisins (yes raisins), mixed in a large bowl. Then sprinkle poultry seasoning(or sage, thyme, rosemary mixture) on the bread mixture to taste. Take one stick of butter, melted, and mix it in the bread mixture then add some water (or broth if you prefer) to make moist not sopping wet, just so it sticks together. Put(stuff) it in the bird and cook bird to the proper temperature for “stuffed” birds. I used one of those turkey bags to cook my turkey in. Any left over stuffing that didn’t fit in the bird can be baked in 350 degree oven for about 45-60 minutes. I’ve been doing it this way for over 50 years and just eyeball the ingredients.Never got any measurements by the way, great grandma and my Dad’s mother never wrote things down neither did my father with his mother and grandmothers recipes. So I’ve been trying to recreate them, still haven’t nailed down my grandmothers sea shell salad, I’m close but with Dad gone it’s just us kids(my sisters and I along with our cousins) trying to recreate it by taste. SO IF there is any “family” recipes anyone is thinking about keeping, get them now before they are lost forever.I wish I had been smart back then to write stuff down.
HI Kathy, I totally agree we need to get all the recipes NOW before our friends and family pass on. Now, you have me thinking about my grandmother’s sea shell salad…I can almost taste it. I love reading how you make your dressing or stuffing. It sounds so yummy!! I want to try a Red Delicious Apple in mine!! I can’t wait for Thanksgiving. Linda
What’s in your grandmothers seashell salad. So far we have determined that Grandma put chopped up red and green peppers, celery, onions, cheddar cheese cubed small and maybe shredded carrots in the tiny sea shell pasta mixed with we think Miracle Whip but there was something else she added to the “sauce” but we can’t figure it out. We just keep trying but I KNOW one of these days we’ll figure it out LOL
HI Kathy, now I need to ask my relatives to see if they know. I think my grandmother would use mayonnaise but I love Miracle Whip, so that would be my choice. Oh, my goodness, it sounds so yummy! Linda
Linda:
The foods we eat for EVERY Holiday are:
Turkey, Dressing, Potato Salad, Sour Beans, Baked Beans. Home made biscuits for the dressing, Mushroom Gravy, Salad, Corn, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Assorted Greens, Killed Lettuce, Blueberry, Cherry, Blackberry, Razzleberry, Chocolate Pies. Banana Pudding, Chocolate Pudding and other desserts. My daughter and my daughter in love come over about a week and a half before the holidays to help me make everything I forgot the chocolate cake, dump cake, pineapple upside down cake and a couple other cakes. If I didn’t have the help of my daughter and daughter in love it would kill me.
HI Jackie, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! Wow, I’m coming to your house for Thanksgiving! Just kidding, but wow, you do a lot of recipes?! I’m so impressed what you make. I love your ideas! What is killed lettuce? We buy one pumpkin pie from Costco, that’s it. My mouth is drooling over all the pies you make. YUMMY! Linda
It’s only my husband and me so we get Chinese take-out the day before Thanksgiving, then heat it up on Thanksgiving. As far as gravy goes – I’ve always thought that’s why it’s available in cans or a jar at the grocery store – you can make it???
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
HI Barb, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! WHAT, YOU GET CHINESE takeout???? Why didn’t I think of this, best idea ever! I love honey walnut shrimp and so many other dishes! I love this! Happy Thanksgiving!! Linda
Linda,
Pat likes gravy. I don’t. I always felt like gravy was used to cover up poor quality food. LOL! Of course, she has to have gluten-free gravy. As far as Thanksgiving, our daughter and SIL are coming here. I plan on mesquite smoking four chickens. Pat will make gluten-free dressing. The four chickens will give us enough for the holiday weekend. Amy will be bringing sweet potato casserole. Mashed potatoes can be prepared in a hurry if we need them.
Hi Harry, oh the gravy, LOL! My sister in Austin never makes gravy, she once asked me why I needed gravy!! LOL! How fun to have your daughter and SIL come to share the holiday! It’s all about the family getting together, gravy or no gravy! LOL! Now, every time I make gravy I’m going to think of your comment, best one ever! Linda
Hi Linda, Your recipes all look great, and so do the contributions of others. At Thanksgiving, I make a deep dish pumpkin pie with honey as the sweetener(maple syrup is also good) and a deep dish cranberry apple pie for dessert, I’m considering a third pie, probably a shoofly pie, too. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only times of year I actually make pies, with it cold enough on the porch in Rubbermaid Pie takers they stay fresh, for quite a long time, although we do eat the pumpkin pie first.
I make my dressing in the crockpot and I’ve discovered that bread stuffing, becomes a glutinous mess, that way. Instead I make a brown and wild rice dressing with breakfast sausage, adding celery, onions, sometimes mushrooms, shredded carrots, kale, chopped Granny Smith Apples (we prefer their tart flavor) chopped walnuts, and Craisins. Plus Turkey Broth for moisture. The dressing comes out nicely light and fluffy, after cooking all day on Low.
I cannot abide that jelly cranberry sauce. Whole berry is ok in a pinch. I usually make from scratch, enough Cranberry Orange Relish sweetened with a minimal amount of honey.(we like it somewhat tart). So I can serve it with the Christmas Ham.
I start with a 20-24lb turkey. After the Dept of Agriculture started warning that it was no longer safe to stuff my turkey (difficult to reach the cooked temperature. of 165°, and be safe, without overcooking the bird, resulting in potential food borne illness).These days, I stand the bird upright to sprinkle the cavity with bell’s seasoning, pepper and Mrs Dash. Then set it back down on it’s keel. I use 1 bunch of poultry herbs, a stalk of celery, a carrot, a chopped onion, and a lemon cut into wedges (mixed together) into the cavity and close it with a heel of bread. Then rub EV olive oil all over the birds skin, sprinkle well with Bell’s Seasoning (similar to poultry seasoning) and smoked paprika, then into a Wei vented over bag. I have an oven pan topped with a draining tray. I foil the bottom pan and oil the draining tray in case of a defective bag. The bag keeps the turkey moist and flavorful without needing to baste constantly. Because the bag is vented the turkey browns well.
For sides, I bake a halved acorn squash, with honey or maple syrup. It can be served with a mound of stuffing on top. We have baked or mashed potatoes,(made with yogurt) and garlic. A sweet potato, Granny Smith apple, and unsweetened Granny Smith applesauce, layered casserole. No sweetener is added just cinnamon and allspice (or pie spice mix). Whole Wheat Rolls, Creamed Onions, gravy of course, a steamed green vegetable (Brussels sprouts or Broccoli), and baked honeyed carrots round things out.
It sounds like a lot, for 2 but it supplies meals for 7-10 days, we don’t mind that. Plus some can go into the freezer. This doesn’t count my turkey and rice soup.
I do to try to minimize the amounts of sweetened dishes, and use far less fat than recipes call for. We don’t add salt to anything, either, just some from the saltier vegetables, like celery. It is a time to feast, but within limits for us.
Hi MaryAnn, oh my gosh, you have some yummy ideas for your turkey and ham side dishes!! I have never made creamed onions, and I love making my own cranberry sauce. I love making several different dishes because we can feast on them for a few days and even pack up some separate meals to freeze! Your pies sound so good!! Happy Thanksgiving my sweet, friend! Linda
Hi MaryAnn, thank you for the 5 stars, I forgot to tell you! You’re the best! Linda
Love reading through the post and comments!!
This year, I believe we will be having home raised turkey for Thanksgiving!!
To end the Stuffing/Dressing debate (at least in my opinion!!): my mother always made a ton of Stuffing/Dressing – way way more than would fit in a turkey. So, we basically had both stuffing and dressing!! What went into the bird was called stuffing and what was left in the bowl went into a baking dish and basted with turkey juices for leftovers!!
The thing that I don’t often see is how to deal with all the leftovers! Growing up, mom would get the biggest bird that would fit in our oven! Sometimes we were a group of as many as 25 people at our Thanksgiving dinner table. Mom always made sure there was not only enough to feed that group but also enough to send home with visitors AND have at least a weeks’ worth of leftovers! We had turkey sandwiches, turkey a la king, turkey/dressing/gravy casserole – basically, whatever we decided on a given day after Thanksgiving based on what was still leftover. My favorite was the casserole: layers of mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, gravy then when served with sides of leftover veggies, rolls and pie!!
Someone mentioned freezing pie crusts before Thanksgiving. During fruit harvesting, we put up a lot of apples for pies. BUT the way we did it was to put a bag in each pie plate, fill the bag with sliced apples, a bit of flour and sugar, dot with butter then freeze in the pie plate. Once frozen, we started over by taking the frozen pie shaped apple filling out of the pie plate and filling again. We generally had 2-3 dozen of these apple pie filling bags in the freezer. Then a day or so before Thanksgiving, mom made her pie crusts and plopped an apple filling in the crust, topped, then baked. She tried this with other fillings, but they didn’t work as well as the apples did. OH, and if someone called saying they were going to drop by (we lived 30-40 minutes out of town), mom would have an apple pie coming out of the oven when they arrived or soon after!!! Guests thought mom was the best hostess!!!
Hi Leanne, thank you for the 5 stars, my sweet friend! Oh my gosh, a home raised fresh turkey sounds fabulous! You are living the life my friend! I can almost smell the pies in the oven baking! Your debate on stuffing versus dressing is true in my eyes. My MIL made the best dressing and it was always baked in the oven or now, the crockpot. Now, some of the grandkids prefer StoveTop, so its too much dressing for to make for Mark and me. I really don’t like the taste of turkey but i love the mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, and homemade cranberry sauce. Your mom was a great example to you to show love to those who dropped by at the last minute. You are now that example to your daughter. Good job, mama!! Happy Thanksgiving, Linda
My mother loved to entertain and welcomed all who stopped by our house. She and dad also opened their home for New Years Eve parties: bring your own drinks and an appetizer, dance to live music (friends brought their guitars and drums to jam). She always wondered if anyone would show up!! Sometimes the people who stayed all night even got a hot breakfast in the mornings!! My daughter takes after my mom. I, however, did not get that particular gene!!
Hi Leanne, oh my gosh, she sounds like a wonderful person! Mark and I used to entertain the neighborhood I miss those days. Now our house is too little! Life has changed for us by moving here. Every neighborhood needs a mom like yours! I love this, Linda