Thanksgiving Turkey

The final bird lacks that picture perfect evenly browned skin, but since we don't eat the skin and carve it before bringing it to the table anyway, we don't mind. It tastes juicy and delicious.

1 bottle Tony Chachere's Injectables, Creole Style Butter Marinade (syringe included)
1 Reynolds Oven Bag, turkey size
1 tbsp. flour
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion,chopped
1 12-24 pound turkey

Inject marinade into bird following directions on bottle. Put flour in bag and shake. Add vegetables then turkey. Secure end with included tie. Put in roasting tin. Remember to pierce holes in top of turkey bag, following instructions that came with the bag. Bake according to size chart, also included with the turkey bag instructions.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is an authentic Southern recipe from a friend in Alabama. Since tasting it ten years ago this is the one I have made each year since for Thanksgiving.

4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup flaked coconut (optional, but I use it)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine the sweet potoatoes, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, orange rind, coconut and 1/2 cup butter. Beat until smooth. Spoon into a greased 2 quart shallow casserole. Combine brown sugar, flour, 1/3 cup butter and pecans; sprinkle over the top of casserole and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Yields 10-12 servings.

Candied Yams

Recipe from the back of the can. Sometimes they are the best.

1-29 oz. can yams, drained and mashed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cup cream
16 regular sized marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. Blend yams with sugar, salt, spices, butter and cream. Cut 6 marshmallows in half and mix with yams. Turn into greased baking dish. Top with remaining marshmallows. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until mixture is puffy and lightly browned on top. Serves 6.

Ron's Cherry Cheesecake

Crust:

Mix together:

1 1/2 pkgs. graham crackers, crushed fine
3/4 cube melted butter
3 Tbsp. sugar

Bake crusts at 350 for 10-15 min till lightly toasted.

Filling:

Whip slightly:
1 pint whipping cream

Add:
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. sugar

Blend in:
1 2/3 blocks cream cheese, softened

Pour into graham cracker crusts and top each pie with a can of cherry pie filling

Stuffing

Both Parental Versions

Each year Mom and Dad rotate making the Thanksgiving stuffing. Why? Because of the addition of giblets! Try both recipes and see which one you like best.

Mom's version:

4 boxes Rice-a-Roni

4 Kellogs croutons

1 can water chestnuts

Celery

Mushrooms, sliced

Apple

1 lb. walnuts (optional)

Prepare Rice-a-Roni. Set aside. Brown water chestnuts. Mix all of the ingredients together, stuff turkey or bake in a dish and serve hot.

Dad's version:

This actually is a fantastic recipe, as long as Dad doesn't get too carried away with the giblets!

4 boxes Rice-a-Roni

2 bags stuffing croutons

2 cans sliced water chestnuts

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 cans mushrooms

1 can black olives, chopped

Chicken broth

Anything else you'd like (oysters, giblets, anchovies, giblets, bamboo shoots, nuts, spices, watercress, giblets, and you might even try a few giblets)

Put the croutons in a separate bowl for each bag. Cook the Rice-a-Roni as per directions on the box. Dump half of each of the other ingredients in each bowl and mix with little chicken broth. Too much will make it soggy. Remember that the juices of the turkey etc will soften it up even more. Then salt the inside of the turkey and stuff. Bake turkey with a foil tent over it. Remove the tent for the last half-hour.

Cranberry Sauce

Easy to make and once tasted you won't ever go back to canned sauce.

Heat to boiling:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Add:
1 bag rinsed fresh or frozen whole cranberries.

Return to a boil then turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Let cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm or cold with turkey and rolls.

Variation: Add 1-2 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam to sauce.

Pumpkin Pie

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell (or 2 small shells)

Mix sugar, salt and spices in a small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually add evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake in a preheated 425º oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and bake 40-50 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Diana's French Apple Pie

In a bowl mix:

6 or more peeled and sliced cooking apples (Granny Smith or Golden Delicious are good)

½ cup sugar

In a cast iron pot mix:

1 cube butter (melted or chopped up)

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

Cinnamon

Cloves

Toss in apple mixture

Pie crust:

1 cup flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup lard

Pinch of salt

4-5 Tablespoons ice water

Mix and roll out piecrust. Put piecrust over apple mixture in a cast iron pot. Bake at 350° for one hour or until pie bubbles for 10 minutes. Let it cool then serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Holiday Yams

 

This recipe is a Thanksgiving and Christmas staple.

 

4 yams/sweet potatoes cooked, peeled and mashed

1 cup chopped dates

1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoon corn starch

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mapeline

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon orange peel

2 cups apricots halves

1 cup apricot juice

Cook slowly on stove till thickens. Stir. Once thickened add:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Pour all into a long, greased glass pan and bake at 350º till it bubbles.

 

"I ate a whole pan of these yams over a few weeks and within a couple of weeks after eating I found myself pregnant with twins. I found out later that yams are suppose to work like a fertility pill. I pass this tip to all that want twins and want to get pregnant. This tip has helped more than me have twins." ~Diana

 

12 Hour Dinner Rolls

Dissolve:
1 T yeast in 1 T sugar in 2 T warm water

1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk, scalded
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
4 cups flour

Put butter in scalded milk. Cool to warm. Add eggs to yeast mixture; then sugar, salt and milk with butter. Mix thoroughly. Add flour and stir. Dough will be a little sticky. If too sticky, add a little more flour. Cover and let rise 5-6 hours. Divide in two. Roll in circle real thin as size for a pie crust. Cut in 16 pieces as you would cut a pie. Roll from large end. Place on a greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 2-4 hours. Bake at 375 for about 5-7 minutes. Makes 32 rolls.