Our Family’s Thanksgiving Recipes

Today I am sharing our family’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes that have been passed down to me through the generations, some of them are Southern Baptist favorites and others are more unconventional. The first one I am sharing with you is my personal favorite, this is my grandmother’s recipe, she makes it every year and it is always delicious.

Brown Sugar & Spice Sweet Potato Casserole: 5-6 sweet potatoes, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup cane sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 stick butter, 2-3 eggs, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Boil sweet potatoes whole for 30 minutes, remove skins. Mash the sweet potatoes in a large baking dish and stir in milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. In a small bowl, mix together cane sugar, flour, and additional cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Next up, the turkey!

Ingredients: 1 16-20 pound fresh turkey, 1 tbsp. garlic, 1 tbsp. basil, 1 tbsp. rosemary, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. cumin, 1 tbsp. no salt seasoning, 12 tbsp. melted butter, 1 whole onion, 4 whole carrots, 4 pieces of celery, 1 bell pepper. Halve all of your vegetables. Remove turkey from bag, stuff the cavity with the veggies. Mix together spices and softened butter, rub the butter mixture over the surface of the turkey until coated. Place the bird in a oven safe bag and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, place turkey (still in oven bag) in a roasting pan. Cook at 425 degrees for one hour, reduce heat to 345 degrees and bake for an additional 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Carve turkey and serve while warm.

Cornbread Dressing has long been a traditional Thanksgiving food for our family, the original recipe was created by great-grandmother, this is Queenbee’s favorite and a southern baptist classic.

Southern Cornbread Dressing: 1 pan of cornbread (crumbled), 2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing, 2 cups vegetable broth, 4 cups chicken broth, 3 eggs, 1/2 yellow onion (diced), 4 stalks celery (diced), 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. basil, 2 tsp. parsley flakes, 1 tsp. no salt seasoning. Combine all ingredients in a large casserole pan, mix well. Add more broth if needed. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Many like to have Broccoli & WIld Rice Casserole as a Thanksgiving side, but we have always preferred Broccoli & Cheese Casserole.

Classic Broccoli & Cheese Casserole: 1 medium head of broccoli, 1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup crushed Club crackers, 1 cup grated cheddar cheese. Steam broccoli for 20 minutes, combine with soup in a baking dish, stir well. Top with cracker crumbs and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

We can’t forget dessert! This is one of my mom’s classic recipes, no one makes it better than her!

Chocolate Pudding Pie with Meringue Topping: 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp. flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 4 tbsp. cocoa, 1 1/2 cups milk, 4 tbsp. butter, 3 egg yolks, 3 egg whites. The Pie Filling: Melt butter in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, bake your prepared pie crust at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit. Combine all remaining ingredients in the saucepan. Whisk until combined, be careful not to burn. Remove from heat and pour into prepared pie crust. Set aside and top with chocolate chips (optional). The Meringue: Place egg whites and and two tablespoons of sugar into the bowl of a mixer and let sit on the stove while you make the pie. Using the whisk attachment, mix on high for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Spread the meringue evenly over the pie filling and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown.

As you can see, we got a little carried away with the meringue:)