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thanksgiving recipes, part 3
When it comes to measurements in recipes, I’m usually precise. I have this thing about food ~ I like for it to taste good. 
I have pretty much taught myself how to cook; when I was a kid (actually, make that before I was married) no one told me that cooking would some day actually be an important skill. I took 1 home ec class in high school ~ and I only took it because I wanted “an easy, goof off class” for my last period during the last semester of my senior year. So basically I wasn’t in that class to learn, and nothing that was taught stuck with me.
Despite my natural tendency to be particular about things, I do have a few recipes that call for a dash of this or a pinch of that, and use terms like “about” and “around” when referring to measurements. These recipes are from my dad, and they are the traditional recipes I have loved since I was a kid.
I’m sorry that I can’t be more precise with the measurements in the following recipes ~ I’ll do the best I can, but really these are the kind of recipes you just have to try for yourself. Adjust for personal tastes as you go along.
The first recipe is for my famous turkey dressing. I took the basic recipe my dad gave me and built on it (ok, let’s be honest: I think I improved on Dad’s recipes, but don’t tell him that!). It took me a few years to get this one just right, but now everyone (including my father) thinks it’s the best dressing they’ve ever tasted.
Sloppy Turkey Dressing
1 pan homemade cornbread (do not use sweet cornbread ~ if you usually make your cornbread sweet, leave out at least half the amount of sugar you usually use. I only use about 1 Tbs. of sugar in my cornbread recipe.)
2/3 – 1 loaf stale Wonderbread
1/2 – 1 stick of butter, softened
1 tsp. rubbed sage or a dash of poultry seasoning
2 eggs
4 – 5 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
8 – 12 C. chicken broth
Bake the pan of cornbread the day before; also spread loaf of Wonderbread out on cooling racks and allow to dry out (you’ll have to turn them over a couple of times so they dry on both sides).
Thanksgiving morning, in a large bowl crumble the cornbread into bite-size chunks and tear (break) the bread into chunks. Add remaining ingredients except chicken broth. Mix well. Add chicken broth, a few cups at a time, until dressing is a bit sloppy and the cornbread chunks begin to break down. Don’t add too much broth because the dressing will absorb some of the turkey drippings while it cooks.
After placing turkey in roasting pan, spoon dressing into pan around turkey. Bake/roast until turkey is fully cooked.
After removing turkey from roaster, spoon dressing into large baking dish. If the dressing is too moist, bake uncovered at 400 degrees until it has dried out enough. If the dressing is too dry, add more chicken broth and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
The perfect state of dressing sloppiness is up to your personal dressing preferences. I like mine a little moister than Roger likes his, but we’ve been able to come to a happy medium with this recipe.
The second recipe is an old southern favorite. As with dressing recipes, it has many variations. This is our tried and true favorite:
Sweet Potato Casserole
3 to 4 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled, rinsed and cut into chunks
water
salt
1/2 stick butter, softened
brown sugar
cinnamon
milk
mini marshmallows
chopped pecan or walnuts, optional
Place sweet potatoes into large stock pot. Cover with water. Add a dash of salt; boil sweet potatoes until tender (they’ll fall apart when you stick a fork into them).
Drain sweet potatoes in colander. Place drained sweet potatoes into large mixing bowl. Add softened butter and cinnamon (a hearty dash should do it); begin mixing with electric mixer on low. Slowly add 2 or 3 handfuls of brown sugar, increasing mixer’s speed slowly as needed. Alternate handfuls of brown sugar and splashes of milk; only add enough milk to smooth out the sweet potato mixture (you don’t want lumpy, chunky sweet potato casserole ~ it needs to be smooth like mashed potatoes). After a few handfuls of brown sugar and splashes of milk, stop mixer and do a taste test. Continue adding brown sugar if needed (mixing well between additions), until the sweet potato mixture is to your liking. Add a little more cinnamon too, if desired.
Pour/spoon sweet potato mixture into baking dish. Top with nuts and mini marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees until marshmallows have melted and begin to brown. Serve hot; goes best with turkey and dressing.
If I make enough sweet potato casserole, my kids will snack on it for days. They absolutely love it.
Happy cooking!
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YUM! I could eat turkey and dressing all over again!
I’m with you on being as precise as possible. My mom drives me crazy because she is always “adjusting” recipes…then she wonders why they never turn out right. My sister and I made the dressing this year. Too many times my mom has adjusted it a little too much. Anyway, our dressing is very similar to yours! It’s so yummy isn’t it??
Oh, and HOW ‘BOUT THEM HOGS??? That game was more than I could have hoped for. I’m still basking in the win!
LOL That game was incredible ~ I thought it would never end! I’m glad the Hogs won ~ this place (the whole state) goes nuts when things like that happen.