Thanksgiving Meal Ideas From a Southern Cook

Thankgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love to cook (my waistline shows it) but I don't want to spend all day doing it away from the family. There are, however, things that are requested every year; ones that are guaranteed to make waistlines stretch and pants unbutton.

There must always be some sort of salad at Thanksgiving. Macaroni salad is popular, or even coleslaw. The coleslaw is easiest. You can buy the cabbage, etc, pre- made and then get a bottle of "cole-slaw dressing" to pour over it. Then all you have to do is tweak it for taste. That is as simple as it gets.

Another big hit is "dump salad". Sure it doesn't SOUND appetizing....Dump salad is simply a carton of cottage cheese, a package of jello, any flavor, but I think strawberry is best, a carton of Cool Whip, and a can of drained crushed pineapple. Mix it all together and VOILA!!!!

My family LOVES (and trust me, I mean LOVES) hash brown casserole. I must make it every year. We have dinner at my mother's and I am not allowed in the house without it. I make a lot, and I use 2 bags of shredded hash browns, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 2 cartons of sour cream. I mix that all together. Now comes the variation part...you can add a little cheddar cheese and onion INTO the casserole if you like. I do cheese, no onion, because some of my family won't eat it. THEN, I crush corn flakes into fine pieces. I spread 2 packages of shredded cheddar mixed with the cornflake crumbs over the casserole in a big dish and bake until it is hot and bubbly. This can easily be made smaller.

Deviled eggs is another family favorite, although I made them so often I got tired of making them. Boil eggs- however many you want- to a hard boil. I cook mine about 8 minutes after boiling. Peel them, slice them in half and scoop out the yolks into a bowl. Set whites aside. Mix the yolks with mayonnaise, a bit of mustard, salt, pepper and sweet relish. Spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg white halves. You can be really fancy here and pipe them back in with a pastry bag, but my family didn't appreciate such a gesture, so I don't bother.

Broccoli casserole is always appreciated. Drain frozen broccoli. Add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and a touch of mayonnaise until creamy- it's not an exact science and can be tweaked to taste. You can leave the mayo out, but I think it adds a bit of a twang we like. Crush Ritz crakers, mix with some sharp cheddar cheese and spread over the top in a casserole dish. Bake until hot and bubbly. YUM...

Some people love creamed carrots. I am not one of those people, but to each his own. They are simple to make. Peel and slice a pound of carrots. Cook them in a saucepan with a small amount of water until they are tender. Drain them and set them aside. In a skillet, saute about two tablespoons of onion in two tablespoons of butter. Add two tablespoons of flour, salt and pepper to taste, and a tablespoon of sugar. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups of milk, whisking to make smooth. Let boil until it gets thick, then pour over the carrots.

You can never get enough mashed potatoes. They are simple to make, but tend to intimidate some people. Peel, slice and boil as many potatoes as you need for your family. I slice mine somewhat thin so they cook faster. Drain them once they are tender and put them back in the pot. Add butter. A lot of butter. At least a stick. Add salt and pepper to taste and begin to mix with an electric mixer. Add milk a little at a time until the potatoes are the consistency you would like. Some people like theirs thicker than others. You can also, instead of milk, add evaporated milk. I think this makes them light and fluffy, but my family insists they taste different and nixed the idea.

There are certain things you can just tweak to make better. Canned green beans are one of those things. Drain them, cook them in chicken broth instead and add salt and a tablespoon or two of bacon grease. Yes, I said bacon grease. It makes them so delicious, no one will turn them down. Similarly, you can tweak corn a little by adding butter to the pot, along with salt and pepper.

Desserts are a big part of Thanksgiving. They can be extremely simple, such as place and bake cookies or brownies, or you can even buy a frozen pie and bake. Those are all fine. You can, however, whip up a dessert or two with not much effort.

There is a dessert my family loves. We have it for Thanksgiving an Christmas every year. We mix 1/2 cup of flour, 1 stick of melted butter and 1/2 cup of pecans until stiff. Press in the bottom of a 13x9 pan and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Cool it completely before continuing. For the next layer, mix 1 package of softened cream cheese with one cup of cool whip and one cup of powedered sugar. Mix it well and spread it over the crust. For the next layer, mix two packages of lemon instant pudding (you can substitute chocolate if you don't care for lemon) with three cups of milk. Let sit for 5 minutes, then spread over the cream cheese layer. For the final layer, spread Cool Whip over the top and sprinkle with more pecans. This is so incredible delicious.

My mom bakes the best chocolate chess pie, and I am the lucky recipient of her recipe. What a lucky reader you are!!! It's not hard at all. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a heavy saucepan. Add three tablespoons of cocoa, and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Mix very well.
Carefully add two eggs. Stir the mixture, but don't beat it. Add 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and one teaspoon of vanilla. Pour into an unbaked 9 inch pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake for 20-25 minutes. No one will be able to turn this down.

A great Thanksgiving meal does not have to take a huge effort. Find ways to shorten your cooking time and take the time to enjoy the holiday with your family! Happy Thanksgiving!