I thought I would share some ideas on how to make some easy Thanksgiving recipes from scratch. Please share the family favorites that you like to make on Thanksgiving, I love to hear. Several readers have requested tips on making homemade gravy. I made it in a printable form. I love gravy!!
You may make some of the ones I’ve listed, plus some I have never tried. It would be too cumbersome to share recipes, but I would love to hear the name of the favorites you fix every year. Of course, we typically all have a turkey or a ham, but it’s the side dishes and the desserts I want to hear about. Let the holiday begin.
I also want to hear if your family loves gravy or not. I have to say, I put gravy on my turkey, mashed potatoes, and the dressing. Now, here’s another question, do you call it stuffing or dressing? You know the yummy stuff we all like to make this time of year. I have always called it dressing.
Not sure that is right or wrong, but my mother-in-law made the best dressing in the world. So, my daughters grew up calling it dressing. My kids and grandkids love my gravy so I am sharing my recipe today. It’s easy to make and really yummy. So let’s get started.
Easy Thanksgiving Recipes
Mark’s Family Turkey Dressing
Loosli Family Thanksgiving Turkey Dressing
- 1 cup oleo (I use butter you can tell this is a really old recipe now)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1-1/2 cups chopped celery
- 2 or 3-14 ounce cans chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoons RUBBED ground sage
- 12 cups dried bread cubes
- Giblets (chopped (optional), I never use them)
- Saute the onion, celery, giblets, salt, pepper, and sage in a small skillet. Combine this mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add more liquid if the mixture is too dry. Bake covered in a greased pan at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until heated through. I have cooked this in my slow cooker on low as well.
Lisa’s Apple Yams
- 4 large yams (peeled and cooked until tender. Slice the yams’ the thickness you desire)
- 4 cooking apples (peeled and sliced)
- Yummy Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan and layer the yams and apples in the pan.
- In a medium saucepan combine the water, brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch, stirring constantly. Add one cube (1/2 cup) of butter. Continue stirring constantly. Cook until it starts to thicken. Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon over the apples and yams.
- Pour the sauce over all of it.
- Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. No marshmallows on this one. This recipe is fabulous!
My Sister’s Cranberry Pie
- 4 cups chopped fresh cranberries
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 egg (beaten for glaze)
- pastry for 2 crust 9-inch pie (one for the bottom of the pie and one for the lattice top)
- Combine the cranberries, salt, sugar, flour and refrigerate the mixture one or more hours. Add the butter when you add the cranberry mixture into the pie crust. Make a lattice pie crust for the top of the pie. Brush the top of pie crust lattice top with egg.
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake the pie 10 minutes. Then lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes. Serve pie in wedges with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Linda’s No-Fail Dinner Rolls
- 4 Teaspoons SAF Instant Yeast
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 Cups Warm Milk
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
- 4 Teaspoons Dough Enhancer
- 2 Eggs
- 6-7 Cups White bread flour (Add 1/2 of the flour and then add more until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl)
- Place all of the ingredients in order into your mixing bowl. Be careful with the eggs not to add the warm milk too slowly or you will have scrambled eggs. Add half of the flour and keep adding the rest of the flour until the bread dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Cover with greased plastic and let rise the first time about an hour. Punch the dough down and mold into small balls about 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches in diameter. Cover with greased plastic and let rise one more time about an hour or until double the size. Remove the plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. Do not overbake. They should be golden brown. I spread a little butter on the tops after baking so the rolls are soft on top. If you like a crispier top you can skip this step.
Linda’s Homemade Gravy
- Turkey Drippings
- Flour
- Water
- Salt & pepper
- Sugar
- I use the pan the turkey was baked in with the “drippings” and bring the liquid to a boil. If you have very little juice or drippings add some water. Now I can’t give you exact measurements because this depends on the size of turkey you purchased. I take about 1-2 cups of flour and put it in a quart jar with cold water and shake it like crazy. I slowly add this mixture to the hot boiling turkey drippings. Use a whisk and stir constantly. I have a quart pitcher with cold water to add to this pan as the gravy thickens. I add water until it’s the consistency I prefer. Not too runny, but not too thick. I add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Yep, it’s the sugar that brings out the flavor. Of course, it’s optional. Now, if you have some lumps no worry, bring out the hand mixer. The flavor is fabulous and so easy to make.
Do you love the holidays as much as I do? The leaves are starting to turn colors right now and the weather is getting colder. Let me know if you have some easy Thanksgiving recipes you make every year. Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world.
