Thanksgiving Favorites

 A Compilation of my go to Thanksgiving recipes. 

1. Turkey - See the post Turkey Tips

2. Sides

     A. Country Style Green Beans 

1. Clean green beans and break off the ends.  Put them in a stock pot with; 

chopped red onion, bacon bits, 1-2 Tbsp bacon grease, and 1tsp salt

2. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (1/2 a cup or so) and boil until soft (20-30 or more mins)

3. Drain water and add more salt to taste

**Another great reason to never throw away bacon grease (just put it on a cup or jar and store in the fridge for various uses)

    B. Cheesy Green Beans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree

2. In a saucepan combine 1 Tbsp flour and 2 Tbsp butter over medium heat until smooth to create a rue. 

3. Add 1 cup milk and ½ tsp of salt, stir to combine

4. Add 6 oz. of finely chopped Velveeta cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce has become thick and creamy. 

5. Add ¼ tsp chili powder and stir

6. Cook 1 large bag of French cut frozen green beans according to the package instructions and place in a glass baking dish

7. Pour on ½ of the cheese sauce and stir to combine

**You can either make double beans for freeze the extra sauce and have more later**

8. Sprinkle with French fried onions and top with foil

9. Bake for 15 min, remove foil and bake for an additional 15 min. 

    C. Sweet Potato Casserole

Casserole Ingredients 

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes or yams

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/4 melted butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Topping Ingredients 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine all the casserole ingredients and pour into a greased baking dish 

2. Mix topping ingredients together in a separate bowl and sprinkle over top of casserole 

3. Bake at 350 for 40 min. 

    D. Tabouli

    This is a light and refreshing salad that taps into my Gibson roots. It was a favorite at our Thanksgivings growing up. 

Ingredients

1. cup cracked wheat (also called bulgar wheat or wheat couscous)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup diced onion (soak onion in ice water for 15 min to reduce sharp onion aftertaste)

2 cups diced tomatoes (I use cherry or grape tomatoes for better flavor in the fall)

1 diced cucumber

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Direction

1. Soak cracked wheat in 1 cup warm water for 1 hour (it will absorb the water and become a fluffy texture) 

2. Add other ingredients and toss

3. Chill overnight (might need to add a bit more lemon juice and oil before serving if too dry)

***For this all important meal I'm a bit of a semi homemade fan.  I use boxed stuffing and Rhodes frozen rolls to help save time and make life a little easier. ;0) 

3. Desserts

    A. Pecan Pie

Ingredients

1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp Brown sugar

2 Tbsp melted butter 

1 tsp vanilla

6 ounces pecan halves

1 pie crust (see here for pie crust recipe) 

Directions

1. Beat eggs in a bowl,  Add all other ingredients except pecans.  Mix until well combine

2. Roll our pie shell in the bottom of pie pan.  Place pecan halves in concentric circles to cover the bottom of the shell.  

3. Carefully pour filling over pecans

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

    B. Pumpkin Pie

  Ingredients 

1 can pumpkin

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 pie shell (see here for pie crust recipe) 

Directions

1. Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl.  

2. Roll out pie crust and place in bottom of pie plate

3. Pour filling into shell 

4. Add some fun fall leave pie crust cut outs for a beautiful decorative touch.  (place a pie shield over the crust to prevent burning while baking) 

5. Bake at 425 for 15 min, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 30-40 min, until pie is set. 

Serve with whipped cream 

Hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving.