our thanksgiving menu

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. First, the obvious, getting to spend time with our family is priceless. It’s almost as if time stands still and we are able to just be, for a little while, together. Second, my main task is to eat. Like, a lot!

We always have a Thanksgiving breakfast with my step-mom’s family and then we host Thanksgiving dinner at our house. I love the history of all the family meals that have been shared in our dining room. If you didn’t know, the farmhouse we live in has been in the family for over 200 years! The dining room is where the original house began and each family has added different rooms on to the house. When we remodeled, a little over three years ago, the dining room is the only room we didn’t touch. Really. We didn’t change a thing, and it’s perfect. We have a 14-foot table that we surround with family and loved ones and it’s just the best.

The Thanksgiving meal is a group effort. I admire Isaac’s Granny because when she lived here, four years ago was her last Thanksgiving here, she made everything all by herself. I truly do not know how she did it. But she has taught me a lot and I’m so thankful she’s able to pass on her traditions to us and get to enjoy them with us.

On to the food! Below you will find our menu, and it’s basically the same every year. When a menu has been perfected by Martha, you don’t even dare messing around and changing any of it. Believe me, we’ve learned the hard way. But I agree, why change something that’s already perfect? Especially when it comes to food.

Now is where it gets interesting…

Most of the recipes I have are family recipes that Martha has perfected throughout the years. She, graciously, shared them with me and I’m so thankful she did. Besides the turkey and cornbread stuffing, they are all her recipes. Saying this, please know, the recipes are exactly how you probably envision a grandmother’s recipes to be. A little bit of this, a pinch of that…

I’ve watched her make certain things just so I could write down exactly what she was adding and her technique. We have tried our best to match her recipes, but we’ve learned that even though she may do it a certain way one time, it doesn’t mean she’s necessarily going to do it that way the next time. These recipes are about as exact as they’re going to get!

So please enjoy and have fun incorporating them into your family’s dishes.

If I must recommend one to try first, go for the Mac-N-Cheese. It’s pretty simple, but oh so good! That’s the one I was able to break down specific amounts of ingredients for.

Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage & Smoked Bacon

Since Isaac does the turkey, he gets to choose the recipe. This recipe is a lot of work, but it is so tasty y’all! Find the recipe here.

Cornbread Stuffing

This is also a recipe Isaac and I love! We still have Martha bring her sausage stuffing every year, but this cornbread stuffing is my favorite. Yum! Find the recipe here.

Sausage Dressing

This is Martha’s specialty. When I asked her for the recipe she said she didn’t really know, that she just makes it! She wrote it down for me the best she could, but I’m going to spare you until she can give me more accurate instructions instead of telling me to save my homemade biscuits over the month and throw them all in a bowl about “this” big. Haha!

Green Beans

Well, the green beans we will eat this year were grown in our backyard and canned in our kitchen. There’s nothing quite like them. I did learn a great tip from a friend though. You can buy green beans from the store and make them quite tasty by searing two pieces of bacon in the pot before pouring your green beans in. Then add chicken broth in the pot until the green beans are covered. Add salt and pepper and simmer for as long as you can. You can even do this in a slow cooker for about four hours on high. This method adds so much flavor!

Corn

We canned four bushels of Incredible corn this summer, that’s what will be on our table for Thanksgiving. If you’re using store bought corn just add lots of butter and cook it down quite a bit. 

Mashed Potatoes

For Thanksgiving, I peel and slice a five pound bag of Idaho potatoes to boil. Once tender I drain the water and throw the potatoes into my KitchenAid mixer bowl. Add a stick of butter to the potatoes, along with salt and pepper. Mix the potatoes with the paddle attachment until potatoes are mashed. My tip is to use lowfat buttermilk as your liquid. How much you add will depend upon your potatoes, but start by adding 1/2 cup and then add more until it is the consistency you like. Just stick your finger in them to get a good taste and then add seasoning as needed. After I’ve put my mashed potatoes in the serving dish, I like to add a big dollop of butter, it’s just the southern thing to do.

Mac-N-Cheese

If you have been following me for very long then you know my love for this recipe. I got it from Martha and tweaked it a bit because I like it pretty creamy and not as rich. You can find the recipe here.

Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Everyone needs two types of potatoes at Thanksgiving, right? Below is a simple, yet tasty, side dish that compliments any Thanksgiving meal.

Bake 6-8 sweet potatoes in the oven with skin on. When tender, remove from oven and let cool. Peel and slice thin. Put a stick of butter pats on bottom of a 9×13 dish. Layer sweet potato slices, homemade apple pie filling, sprinkle apple pie spice & cinnamon. Keep layering until sweet potatoes are on top. Dot with 1/2 stick butter and cinnamon sprinkle. Bake at 400 degree until bubbly.

*We can apples every fall. For this recipe you would use a quart of canned apples. We add brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until we’re satisfied with the taste. It’s basically homemade applesauce. I’m going to assume you can use apple pie filling, it’s just going to have a different texture and taste.

Peas with Pearl Onions

1 can Le Sueur Peas

Season with butter, salt and pepper. If the peas you buy do not come with onions you can buy the pearl onions and add to the dish.

Cranberry Salad

1 package fresh cranberries

1 whole orange with peel and seeds removed

2 sweet apples (Winesap is a great choice) cored

1 packet Knox gelatin

1 C  pineapple juice

2 C sugar

1/2 C chopped pecans

Blend cranberries and orange in blender until chopped. Add apples and process until chunky. Pour mixture into large bowl. In a small bowl mix gelatin and warm pineapple juice. Mix in sugar until dissolved. Add liquid to fruit mixture and stir in pecans. Pour into serving dish and refrigerate. Should be made a day in advance. Serve chilled.

The rolls and the pies, oh my!

The rolls are a whole other blog post. Let’s try those another time. Sister Schubert can help you out with this one. 

I’m still working on perfecting a “Martha” pie crust, but I’ll share the recipes with you.

Martha’s Pie Crust

3 C all-purpose flour

1/2 t salt

1 C Crisco shortening

ice cold water (about 8 tablespoons)

Mix flour and salt together. Using a pastry blender, mix in shortening until you have pea sized crumbles. Slowly add in 6-8 T ice water until dough begins to form. Form dough into a ball and divide in two. Roll dough out to desired size and form into pan.

Makes two small pie crusts.

*My biggest tip for this one? Just come watch us on pie day. It’s an art form!

Pecan Pie Filling

1 C sugar

3 eggs (lightly beaten)

1/4 C maple syrup

3/4 C dark corn syrup

3 T melted butter

1 T vanilla

1 1/2 C chopped pecans

Mix first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour in to pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 minutes, or until the edges of the filling are set.

Buttermilk Pie

2 C sugar

2 T self-rising flour

1/2 C melted butter

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

2 C whole buttermilk

2 T lemon juice

dash of salt

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Pour in to pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until browned on top.

Pumpkin Pie

2 C pumpkin puree

1 C heavy cream

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C coconut sugar

1 t nutmeg

6 eggs (lightly beaten)

3 t cinnamon

1/4 t cloves

1/2 t ginger

1/4 t salt

1 T vanilla

Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Bake at 450 degree for 10 minutes, then at 325 degree for 40 minutes or until the edges of filling are set.

Hosting a Thanksgiving meal takes a lot of preparation. Be sure to check out my preparation timeline below to make hosting as easy as possible!