Each year my family, like many other families, gather on Thanksgiving and share a wonderful feast. Before this feast we all walk or run the Turkey Trot, an annual road race that brings thousands of people, to burn some calories before packing in the food. This is our tradition as a family and I would like to share with you some of the recipes we use for our traditional Thanksgiving meal. 

Each year we tweak a few things. For example this year we are cooking the whole bird instead of just the breast as we have done in the past. I am also making my own whipped cream and ice cream to go with the pumpkin pie from scratch. We do stick to the recipes that we really enjoy, like my mom found a great stuffing recipe a few years ago that she now makes every year. I hope you enjoy this collection of recipes and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Turkey

Of course we must start with the turkey first. We bought a pre-brined Butterball turkey that we will put butter and spices under the skin  and bake in an oven bag at 325 degrees until it is 165 degrees inside the turkey. This chart helps with baking times and this post from Pillsbury goes over the steps on brining and seasoning your turkey very similar to the way that we will use for ours.

Dressing

My mom found this recipe in the newspaper a few years ago and we love it. It takes time to prepare, but it is way better than the stuffing you get from the box! It uses corn bread, french bread, and ciabatta breads for different textures and flavors. This recipe from Pioneer Women is pretty much identical to the one we use. 

Mashed Potatoes

Again my mom got this recipe from the local newspaper and it is very similar to this Pioneer Woman’s recipe. I think they must have taken these recipes from her recipe book The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays.

Green Bean Casserole

You can’t go wrong with a green bean casserole and it is easy to make, especially if you use the French’s recipe using their crispy fried onions. 

Brussels Sprouts

We always try to have at least 2 kinds of vegetables. The second vegetable besides the green beans is usually brussels sprouts or asparagus. This year we are going with the sprouts. We usually prepare them in a cast iron skillet by searing them like this recipe from The NY Times Cooking page. 

Sweet Potato Rolls

I always have a back up of crescent rolls just in case these don’t turn out, but I love how soft the potatoes make these rolls! The recipe that I use is from Wanna Be A Country Cleaver.

Pumpkin Pie

Last but not least is the pumpkin pie! I use Libby’s recipe every year and it turns out amazing. I use pumpkin pie spice recipe instead of the one with the separate spices. This year I am making my own ice cream and whipped cream to top it. If you want to make some dog friendly pumpkin pie I posted a recipe last year so check it out here!