My Thanksgiving Day Classics: Recipes

For this issue, I wanted to share some of my family’s Thanksgiving Day classics that can always be found somewhere on the table during the holidays.

Mashed Potatoes

So, this isn’t my grandma’s actual recipe, since she doesn’t actually have any written measurements for it (hers is to taste), so I found a similar one online to make it easier.

6 potatoes

1 cup evaporated milk

½ stick of butter

Salt and pepper

1.     Peel and boil potatoes until tender (about 15 minutes); drain.

2.     Place potatoes back into the pot and add the evaporated milk and butter.

3.     Mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

4.     Season to taste.

These potatoes mean so much to me, not to be dramatic, but really. Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods and that is mainly because of how my grandma makes them. I’ve had homemade mashed potatoes plenty of times before, but nothing compares to her recipe. My love of mashed potatoes has designated me as the official taste tester when I come over to my grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. It’s a good job and it pays well.

***

No-Fail Pie Dough

3 cups flour

1 ¼ cup shortener

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

5 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vinegar

1.     Mix flour, shortener, and salt into a bowl until combined.

2.     In a separate bowl, mix eggs, water, and vinegar.

3.     Combine the wet into the dry and roll until the desired texture is achieved.

Ew, vinegar in pie dough. It may sound gross, but there is actually a reason for it. Not only does it improve the texture of the crust, making it more flaky and tender, but it also stops gluten from forming, since vinegar is an acid, and makes the dough taste less bready. Eventually, I started getting into pie making myself. However, to the disappointment of my grandma, I’d just use store bought pie dough and then make my own filling. But this pie crust is the best I’ve ever tasted, and I really recommend trying it out.

***

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Top Layer:

2 boxes of strawberry-flavored gelatin

2 cups boiling water

4 cups of frozen sweetened strawberries

Middle Layer:

1 container of Cool Whip

1 package of cream cheese

Bottom Layer:

2 cups of crushed pretzels

¾ cup of melted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1.     Make the gelatin according to the box, mix in strawberries and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2.     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3.     In a bowl, mix the crust ingredients together and pack them onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 10 minutes.

4.     In a separate bowl, mix together the Cool Whip and cream cheese until well combined and spread over the crust and refrigerate.

5.     Pour the partially set gelatin into the pan and refrigerate for 5-6 hours or until fully set.

6.     Cut into squares and enjoy!

This strawberry dessert was my great grandma’s, but now my aunt makes it, mostly for New Year’s, but sometimes it makes a guest appearance at Thanksgiving. When we were younger, my sister and I loved this dessert, but after a couple of years, I suddenly realized that I thought cream cheese was disgusting and refused it for many years. However, I came back around to it and enjoyed the holiday memories that come with it.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and have a peaceful Thanksgiving break!