Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Tired of the same old boring cranberry sauce and cornbread dressing? In my family, we look forward to the variations we've made over the years on traditional Thanksgiving recipes. If you want to change things up a bit, feel free to try out any or all of these family recipes.

Sausage Sage Dressing

Tired of cornbread dressing? Try this bread based sausage dressing for an alternative.

1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 sticks butter
2 lbs sage sausage
salt
pepper
2 tsp sage
1 loaf bread, cubed
water, as needed

In a large skillet, melt the two sticks of butter and saute the onion and celery until they begin to become tender. Crumble the sausage into the skillet. Add salt, pepper, and sage, and cook until the sausage is browned. In a large mixing bowl, combine sausage mixture with cubed bread. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. The mixture should be sticking together well. If not, add small amounts of water and continue to stir until it becomes sticky. Spray a LARGE baking dish with non-stick spray and spread dressing into the dish, pressing it down to make it compact. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350-375 for about 30-35 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on top.

Chile Rellenos Casserole

For a change with a bit of a Tex-Mex flair, your family will love this non-traditional casserole.

2 lbs Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
4 4.5 oz cans green chiles, diced and drained
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
salt
pepper

Spray a large baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread a layer of chiles across the bottom of the dish, then cover with a layer of cheese. Continue to alternate layers of chiles and cheese until it is all in the dish. Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture over the chile/cheese in the dish. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

If desired, you can use a combination of 50% Monterrey Jack cheese and 50% Sharp Cheddar cheese as a variation. Green chiles are fairly mild, but you can certainly adjust the amount of chiles down if you feel it is necessary. Some enjoy this with 1/2 tsp of dry mustard mixed in with the milk and eggs mixture.

Cranberry Candied Yams

These are not your mothers candied yams. A delightful twist on the traditional yam, complete with the bite of cranberries.

4 large cans yams, drained
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry oats
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
12 oz fresh cranberries, frozen
1 medium bag small marshmallows

In a very large, deep baking dish, pour in the yams. In a separate bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Cut the butter in until well combined. Add the pecans and cranberries to the yams, then sprinkle the brown sugar/butter mixture over the top. Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes. Carefully pour marshmallows over the top and bake for few more minutes, until the marshmallows just begin to brown.

The best part about all of these dishes is that they cook at the same temperature and in approximately the same time. Begin to prepare these after you've put your turkey into the oven. You should be able to completely prepare each of them before your turkey is done. When you take your turkey from the oven, pop these in. By the time your turkey has been allowed to rest, your sides should be just about finished! It makes for a perfectly timed meal. A traditional green bean casserole also bakes in this time frame, so it would be an excellent addition. While they are all in the oven, you can be preparing mashed potatoes and gravy, a salad, or something else of that nature to round out your Thanksgiving feast.