Thanksgiving Dinner

Following are wonderful recipes to make your Thanksgiving southern and yummy. Of course we would add a butt portion ham (not spiral nor shank portion). Yummy yeast rolls and butter should be added, too. I cheat and buy the frozen little 'balls'. Prepare per the instructions. Delish! Most certainly we add lots of yummy sweets, too. I will add recipes for some of them in a later post.

I hope at least one of these can find their way to your Thanksgiving table. Mom's dressing is simply the VERY best. Everyone who has ever had it will agree. Of course she or Popsie makes Giblet Gravy, too. Why ruin the dressing with gravy? We always have Cranberry Sauce, too. Kent and Redonia's favorite is deviled eggs. I don't fix them that's Mom's job!!!! We always celebrate Thanksgiving with the Smiths. Mom saves dressing for us and puts back 1 dozen eggs for Kent and Redonia. Yes we are spoiled!!!! Oh she saves me Italian Creme Cake, too. Thank you, Mother. Admist shopping or decorating the day after Thanksgiving we always find time to eat lunch or dinner with Mom.


Mom's World’s Best Dressing
1 stick margarine
3/4 cup of water
1 large bunch celery
1 large or 2 small bunches green onions with blades
3 or 4 tbsp chicken bouillon instant powder
1 pound box saltine crackers
Boil large chicken & debone
Chicken broth
Cornbread (recipe follows) or 4 pkgs Cornkit Cornbread Mix prepare as directed bake in 9x13 pan (shhhh don’t tell Mom!)
Black Pepper

Crumble cornbread & crackers. Very finely chop celery & onions (use food processor if possible). Combine water, margarine, celery and onions and sauté until tender. Add celery & onion mixture to crumbled bread then add bouillon powder. Mix with broth until good texture. Mix all ingredients well using potato masher. (Don’t make too soupy) Add a lot of black pepper but NO SALT. Mix in chicken. Do NOT ADD sage!!! Bake uncovered in roasting pan for 45 min @ 425 degrees ovens may vary cook until firm and golden brown. Serves 20

Corn Bread for Dressing
4 cups Corn Meal Mix OR 3 cups self-rising meal and 1 cup self-rising flour
8 extra large eggs
Whole milk

Mix all ingredients. Remember cornbread mixture should be slightly thicker than pancake batter. Pour into oiled 9 x 13 pan bake till golden brown @ 450 degrees



Hash brown Casserole
1 Bag Ore Ida potato Shreds hash browns
1 Tablespoon minced onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
3 tablespoons margarine
½ lb grated Colby or Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Mix potatoes, onion, celery and mushroom soups, and 1/2 of the cheese. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with spray oil. Spread mixture into dish. Sprinkle other 1/2 of cheese evenly over top. Dot margarine evenly on top of the cheese. Bake at 350*F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cheese starts to brown at peaks. Serves 6


Green Bean Bundles
8 slices bacon
2 (16-ounce) cans whole green beans, drained
6 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the bacon slices into halves. Wrap each half around 6 to 8 green beans and secure with a wooden pick. Place in a baking dish. Melt margarine in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat until the brown sugar dissolves. Pour over the green bean bundles. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer or until the bacon is brown. These are yummy! Most guests will eat 2 bundles. Serves 5


Candied Yams
2 large cans Trappey’s Sugary Sweet Yams
½ melted butter or margarine
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup of chopped pecans
Marshmallows (Opt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with Pam. Drain yams, cut in half and place in casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients except marshmallows. Pour over yams. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and top with marshmallows, if desired. Return to oven to melt marshmallows. Remove once slightly brown peaks form. Serves 6 - 8


Southern Iced Sweet Tea
1 family size Lipton Tea Bag
1 1/3 cups of sugar
Water
Sliced lemons (optional)

Bring tea bag and 3 cups of water to boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep (sit) for about 5 minutes. Pour tea into 2 qt pitcher. Add sugar. Finish filling pitcher with water. Mix well. Serve over glasses filled with ice. Garnish each glass with lemon if desired. Southerners feel iced sweet tea should always be sweetened before iced or served otherwise it is hard to dissolve the sugar or sweeten adequately.