We are officially on the count down to Thanksgiving! It is one of my favorite holidays of the year and this year feels a little different and extra special with a college kiddo coming home. Kimberly and I thought we would share some of our traditional holiday recipes this week! We have a handful that are nonnegotiable for our family and my kids bank on them showing up every year. If you are on the hunt for a new recipe maybe one of these will fit the bill for you! I will also throw in our favorite Autumn Harvest Salad which can be found on last weeks meal plan. Here are my family recipes organized by category.

Appetizer

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1/3 cup whole almonds, roasted at 325 for 10 minutes, then cooled

1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 T roughly chopped shallot

1 T olive oil

Put the cooled nuts in the food processor & finely chop. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. Serve with garlic or everything bagel chips!

Side Dish:

My mom has made this sweet potato casserole recipe as long as I’ve been alive. She received it from a good from of hers many years ago. Is it a side dish or a dessert? Thats debatable but either way, this one is just the way we like it!

Side Dish

Cranberry Relish: I am fully aware this one draws a lot of thoughts and feelings. Canned, cooked, raw…if you love what you love then scroll on past but if you are still hunting for the recipe you love, maybe try this one. We love it as it brings a super fresh element to the meal. We love it with our favorite Good Culture cottage cheese!

1 bag of fresh cranberries, washed

1 orange, peeled and seeded, cut into pieces

1 cup sugar

Put cranberries & orange into the food processor and chop. Add sugar and toss. Sometimes I add the sugar a bit at a time, tasting as I go to get it to the right sweetness. If I can use less, I always do.

Granny’s Refrigerator Rolls: This one has been made by our family for several generations. I’ve seen various versions of this online over the years but we always stick with this. I could make them blind if I had to! Think crescent yeast roll. If you make them big enough they make a yummy post-thanksgiving sandwich as well. If you need more detailed instructions, I highly recommend this similar one from That Bread Lady

1 pkg of yeast

3 Tbs warm water

1/2 cup shortening (I know, I know…its once a year so I roll with it)

1 tsp salt

1 cup boiling water

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups flour

Softened butter

Place shortening & salt in boiling water. Remove from heat, let stand until lukewarm. Beat eggs in bowl of a stand mixer. Add sugar & beat until light and fluffy. mix 3 tablespoons of warm water with the yeast until is dissolves. After eggs and sugar are beaten, add water & shortening mixture as well as the yeast to the egg mixture. Stir in 2 cups flour. Add remaining flour slowly. Put in greased bowl over night in the fridge. The next day, divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll into a circle about 1/4″ thick. Spread with softened butter. Cut into 8 pie shaped pieces. Roll up starting at the wide edge to create a crescent shape. Let rise 3 hours. Place on greased or parchment lined pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes until golden in color.

Dessert

Mom’s Pecan Pie – I could give or take a pumpkin pie, but a sliver of this is what I aways look forward to with a cup of coffee. I’ve had other pecan pies but to me, this one is just perfect. Mom makes her own pie crust but if thats not your jam, grab a store bought one. I’m team sanity.

1/2 cup butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 eggs slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1.5 cups pecans – chopped

Cook 1st three ingredients in a medium saucepan over low until butter melts, **do not boil**. Cool slightly. Stir in eggs, mix well adding in vanilla. Pour in partially baked pie shell. (mom suggests baking the pie shell for about 3-5 minutes before pouring in the filling…and she notes that you should not polke holes in your crust!). Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. It will be a little soft in the middle. I also typically use the pie crust shields for the first 25-30 of baking so the edges don’t get too brown.

Happy cooking if that is on your agenda! Happy eating either way…

XO

Sarah