Thanksgiving 2023 Family Recipes

 This year i decided to compile a couple of holiday posts for Thanksgiving and will do again for Christmas, that include all the recipes. All of the food is traditional and mostly loved by all...but every year we have to search several places for the recipes so this is for my future reference and for my kids when they cook for their own families as much as for any of you who would like to use them!

DISCLAIMER: We said screw the turkey this year. It's too much trouble for a family of four with moderate appetites. I feel like we toss more than we eat every year so this time we eliminated it.

We did make a lovely double-glazed brown sugar spiral ham though.

We purchased a pre-cooked ham that came with the glaze. Not gonna lie. These directions came from the packaging:

1. Remove all packaging and cover tightly with foil

2. Warm ham at 325 degrees f for 10-12 min per pound

3. Take ham out of oven and turn it up to broil

4. Remove the foil and carefully turn ham on its side, fanning out the slices

5. Baste ham liberally with juices from pan and sprinkle glaze powder liberally over the         entire surface of the ham and in between the slices

6. Place ham back in oven uncovered and broil until glaze is bubbly and melted to a golden bronze color. 

7. DO NOT OVERCOOK! This takes less than 5 minutes to broil correctly.

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Next we have all of the sides that we prepped and cooked together as we managed to coordinate 350 degrees for 30 minutes on ALL THREE DISHES. Because not everyone has multiple ovens. But some day!💕

My BadAss Green Bean Casserole

(couldn't even get a picture before it was carved into😂)

 

Ingredients:

1. 2 cans green beans, drained
2. 1 can cream of chicken soup ( i detest mushrooms and until i discovered this substitute for cream of mushroom soup i never enjoyed this dish. But you do you.)
3. 1 dash garlic powder
4. 1 cup milk
5. 1 bag french fried onions
6. 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

 

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees f
2. In medium size bowl stir soup and milk until smooth
3. Mix in green beans, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and half the bag of  french fried onions
4. Pour into a 9" square baking pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes
5. Top with remaining onions and bake for 5 more minutes uncovered.      

 

Marcelo's Sweet Potato Pie

1. 6 medium to large peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2. Two large eggs, beaten
3. 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4. 1/2 cup milk
5. 1/3 cup softened butter
6. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
7. 3/4 cup chopped pecans
8. 2 cups marshmallows 
   
    
   
   

   Pecan Topping:

9. ½ cup packed brown sugar

10. ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

11. 3 tablespoons butter, softened

12. ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C).

1.Prepare sweet potatoes: Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. 

 

 

2. Mash drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Add eggs; mix until well combined. Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish

3.Make topping: Mix brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and looks like peas; don't overmix. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture. 

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 min

350 degrees f for 30 minutes
 

Southern Mac and Cheese Casserole

 

1. 4 tbsp salted butter, melted
2. 3 tbsp flour
3. 3 1/2 cups half and half
4. 2 tsp old bay seasoning
5. 1 tsp black pepper
6. 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
   
7. 2 cups Mozzarella, shredded 
8. elbow macaroni
   

Crunchy Breadcrumb Topping

1. 1/2 cup Italian Panko Breadcrumbs
2. 2 tbsp salted butter, melted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Once the water is boiling, add in the 3 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni pasta, and cook until it's nice and firm, but not overly cooked.
  3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• While the pasta is cooking, toss 4 tbsp of salted butter into a large saucepan and melt over medium heat.
  
  
• Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour.
  
  
• Whisk the flour with the butter until well-combined, making sure that there aren't any lumps.
• Next, pour the half & half into the saucepan and whisk until smooth.
  3 1/2 cups half & half
• Let the flour, butter, and half & half mixture simmer until it starts to thicken, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Add in 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and mix until well incorporated. 
  
  
• Sprinkle the seasoning salt & black pepper in the cheese sauce and stir.
  2 tsp seasoning salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Place the cooked & drained elbow macaroni pasta into a large bowl, then add in the cheese sauce. For best results, mix the sauce into the noodles in batches.
• Fold the macaroni and cheese sauce until everything is well incorporated.
• Prepare a 9×13 casserole dish or baking dish with butter or baking spray.
• Combine the remaining shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup) with the shredded mozzarella cheese in a separate bowl.
  1 cup mozzarella cheese, 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• Add a layer of macaroni and cheese at the bottom of the baking dish, then top with a heavy layer of the shredded cheese mixture. Repeat
• In a separate small bowl, mix two tablespoons of melted butter with the panko breadcrumbs. Stir until the butter is soaked into the breadcrumbs.
  1/2 cup Italian panko bread crumbs, 2 tbsp salted butter
• Top the creamy macaroni and cheese casserole with the buttery panko bread crumbs.
• Bake in the oven, uncovered, on 350 F for about 25-30 minutes.
  
• Serve & enjoy the best ever southern baked macaroni and cheese casserole!!
  
  This was the best part: After the ham was cooked, all the sides cook together for 30 minutes at 350 degrees f
  

  
  
   

  

  
  

  

  
   Of course the dessert was the hardest. It took an entire hour😂