Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes from The Creekside Cook
plus favorites from other food bloggers!

I have to admit that Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I love Christmas too, but Thanksgiving has become even more special as the years go by. We live in Upstate NY, as you probably know, which is considered part of New England, but for Thanksgiving, we travel to my sister and brother-in-laws, in Massachusetts, which just seems appropriate for the holiday, since it was prime pilgrim territory after all.

I love everything about going there, from the familiar 6 hour drive, the gathering with family and cooking great food with people I love, to some of our more odd traditions, like playing poker for hours on end and going out to dinner on Friday night, despite the huge amount of leftovers back at the house. [we do take care of a lot of those on Saturday night!]

For the last few years, our older daughter Ellyn and her family have been able to be there too, so now we have the added fun of grandkids, even if they aren’t very good poker players yet.

There are now usually a couple of jaunts out to a favorite fishing spot, and we maintain our gender stereotypes by the guys all going target shooting while the womenfolk venture out for a bit of shopping on Black Friday. [There are some awesome kitchen stores that I never get to visit any other time!] Plus, we have high hopes that before too long, our younger daughter and son in law plus their soon baby-to-be will be joining us as well.

And, after years of sticking with about the same menu Louise and I remember from our childhood, we have begun to mix things up just a bit, establishing some new family favorites, while still sticking with the basics, like an enormous turkey and plenty of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Below, are some of the dishes that might just be showing up on our Thanksgiving table this year, and I hope these ideas will have you plan your meal. And make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post, where you will find some favorites from other food bloggers too.

You could start things off with this fast Creamy Tomato Bacon Soup

My go-to bread when I need a delicious and fail proof yeast bread – makes great rolls too! Anadama Bread

My take on Green Bean Casserole – fresh, and no cream of yuck: Green Beans with Crispy Leeks

Something different when it comes to mashed potatoes: Brussels Sprouts Colcannon

Not into mashed potatoes at all? My infamously delicious Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes may be just the substitute you have been looking for!

Invited to someone’s house and want to bring a side that no one else will duplicate? Broccoli Bacon Slaw can be made ahead of time and everyone loves it.

And, speaking of bacon… Brussels Sprouts with Peppered Bacon!

We are definitely going for this Cornbread Stuffing with a Kick that I did for The Great American Spice Company this fall. If you are deep frying a turkey, this should be your stuffing this year!

We love a nice spiced quick bread with our dinner and this Sweet Potato Quick Bread is perfect.

It is not too late to make some home pickles for the table – these Bread and Butter Pickles are ready to eat in just a couple days, and if you bring these with you to someone’s house, you are guaranteed to be asked back again!.

Warm Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad would actually make a very fine main dish for any vegan or vegetarian guests – very hearty and satisfying!

Finally – One of Larry’s absolute favorite desserts – Bourbon Pecan Pie.

Then, I asked some of my food blogger friends to tell me about their very favorite Thanksgiving recipes from their own blogs, and the list below is the result. I found many of these to be so mouth-watering that I may just change up the menu I have in mindthis year, to accommodate some of these fabulous dishes. Enjoy!Starters
Swirls of Flavor – Phyllo Wrapped Brandied Cranberry Baked Brie

Side Dishes
Simple Bites – Butternut Squash Gratin
Gourmand in the Kitchen – Celery Root and Cauliflower Purée with Garlicky Greens
What Jew Wanna Eat – Mushroom Challah Dressing
Texanerin – Honey Sweetened Orange Cranberry Sauce
Nel’s Nook – World’s Best Turkey Stuffing
The Law Student’s Wife – Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Whiskey Pecans
Savvy Eats – Ginger Glazed Carrots
Dizzy, Busy & Hungry – Broccoli and Snow Pea Salad with Apple Butter Dressing
Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks – Rosemary Mashed Potatoes & Sausage and Sage Stuffing
Cupcakes & Kale Chips – Apple, Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Stuffing
Pineapple & Coconut – Best Ever Slow Cooker Cranberry Chutney
Chocolate Moosey – Homemade Gravy (Without Meat Drippings)
Snappy Gourmet – Cardamom Apple-Pearsauce
Poet in the Pantry – Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes
Seasonal & Savory – Green Beans with Sherried Mushrooms and Fried Shallots

Breads
Farm Fresh Feasts – Multigrain Cereal Buns
Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Pull-Apart Buttery Dinner Rolls

Desserts
Jenni Field’s Pastry Chef Online – Pumpkin Caramel Latte Flan
Because I Like Chocolate – Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding
Dinners Dishes and Desserts – Pumpkin Pie
Spoonful of Flavor – Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crisp
I Heart Eating – Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Finally, please accept my warm wishes for you and yours to have a lovely holiday!