Posted on 11/14/2025 1:20:05 PM PST by Jamestown1630
Nobody seems to have begun a Thanksgiving food/cooking thread, so I thought I would.
I've never eaten okra, but have always wanted to try. This time of year, I can probably only get frozen here; does anyone have a recipe they like for frozen okra?
I made this for company a couple of weeks ago & made the salted caramel sauce myself (also a Sally’s recipe).
It actually wasn’t that hard to make & people loved it.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/caramel-apple-cheesecake-pie/
I am having a Libby’s pumpkin pie filling pie - my SIL’s dad loved it & I just found out the elderly cousin coming for Thanksgiving Dinner does as well so Libby’s it will be.
Not sure what other dessert I’ll have, but I love pecan pie & leaning toward Nagi’s Maple Pecan Bars. They look great & I don’t have to deal with cutting a pie:
https://www.recipetineats.com/maple-pecan-pie-bars/
Jamie Oliver did a fun Christmas special video years ago, in which me made several kinds of compound butters to season vegetables:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hmSqTqyZlPA&pp=ygUeamFtaWUgb2xpdmVyIGNocmlzdG1hcyBzcGVjaWFs
I just watched the whole video (& made notes on his 4 compound butters). Fun to watch ... now I’m ready for cooking!! :-)
I have a soft spot for Alton Brown. My youngest had a digestive issue brought on by overuse of antibiotics when he was a child. He had a very sensitive stomach. Once we understood the real issue, it took a few years of a probiotic “therapy” to get him back to “normal” gut health.
Needless to say, he took an interest in cooking shows one year when I homeschooled him through his illness. Alton Brown was one of his very favorite people!
He is still in the food service industry. He is an accomplished chef. Keeps me on my toes! Whoda thunk he would finally heal and outgrow those horrible food problems of his youth? Maybe Alton Brown knew? Anyway, he helped my son get over really horrible food issues, to the point that he always wanted to follow in Brown’s footsteps. How great is that?
I have to try Nagi’s Maple Pecan Pie bars!! Thank you! Those look amazing and I know we will already have too many pies with apple and pumpkin pies for 4 adults for Thanksgiving. (Small but momentous time with our daughter this year!) I expect these will make wonderful snacks when we need extra “energy”!
I went through a spell where I liked a lot of Alton Brown’s recipes. I’m looking forward to trying his compound butter recipe.
Hi cuz, nice to see you. Love your recipe, ours is similar but it has to have lots of roasted garlic cloves added.
Dry brining, this article is what started it. We saw people did turkeys too. We have dry brined since then. Biggest tip is to have a big enough sealed ziploc. Herbs can vary, don’t use too much salt. Basically the salt brings the juices out of the bird and by turning it every day in the fridge the juices go back in. If you start with a fresh bird even better. You almost don’t need teeth. The flesh just breaks apart, it really changes the structure of the meat, so tender.
https://www.latimes.com/la-fo-saltedturkey-story.html
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
The Midwestern Mystery of Snickers Salad at Thanksgiving
What is Snickers Salad?
Snickers Salad recipes usually consist of five ingredients, making it an easy recipe to whip up for any meal.
Start out with milk and vanilla pudding mix that you whisk together before adding a carton of whipped topping. Then the obviously most important ingredient is Snickers bars, and you’ll want to cut them up into bite-sized pieces. You’ll also want to chop up some Granny Smith apples, with around four apples going into the Snickers Salad mix. And that’s it!
The ingredients for Snickers Salad aren’t set in stone and can be as soft as a carton of whipped dessert topping, so feel free to experiment with different options. You can substitute the Granny Smith apples with red ones or change out the vanilla pudding for cheesecake-flavored pudding, butterscotch pudding, or a white chocolate version.
Your Snickers Salad doesn’t even have to use Snickers. If you prefer, try it with Milky Ways, Twix, or Kit Kat bars to give some caramel, extra crunch, or take the peanuts out altogether.
Is it a Dinner or a Dessert?
Sure, candy bars, apples, and whipped cream in a bowl is probably stretching the definition of “salad,” and there can be some debate about whether it should be served during your Thanksgiving dinner or as a dessert treat along with your pumpkin pie.
Yes, Snickers Salad probably does fall into the category of a dessert treat, even with the apples. That doesn’t mean that you can only serve it after dinner, so feel free to mix up your Thanksgiving sides by adding this to your table next to your stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/holidays/thanksgiving/midwestern-snickers-salad
Diana here: My Mom makes this from time to time, usually at Easter. It. Is. To. Die. For. Unless you’re diabetic or are looking to lose a few pounds, LOL!
I think I would do it with a Milky Way.
I think Mom adds extra peanuts to hers though none of us are allergic, so it works. ;)
Not. Gonna. Do. It. I have enough ‘on my plate’ for Thanksgiving, as it is. Just wanted to add a little, ‘Midwest Culture’ to this thread. ;)
And don’t even get me STARTED on ‘Cannibal Sandwiches...’
Cannibal sandwiches .... OK, so I had to look it up & for those who also don’t know what this is, here ‘ya go:
“Cannibal sandwiches, a traditional raw beef appetizer, remain a controversial yet enduring holiday custom in Wisconsin, particularly in the Milwaukee area, despite ongoing public health warnings about the risks of consuming raw ground beef.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has reiterated its caution against the dish, citing a history of salmonella outbreaks linked to its consumption, with eight documented cases since 1986.
The sandwich, also known as “tiger meat” or “wildcat,” consists of raw, lean ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper, served on a single slice of rye bread and topped with raw onions.
It has deep roots in German immigrant cuisine, evolving from the German dish “mett” or “hackepeter,” which traditionally uses raw pork; Wisconsin’s version substituted beef, likely due to the state’s strong cattle industry.”
Well, now I certainly do want to know what a ‘Cannibal Sandwich’ is...
Called a “Hunky” sandwich by my Mom.. Grandpa would occasionally have one...
I understand why they’re called cannibal sandwiches! Not sure I can go there.
I’m with you, 1630! Add peanuts separately if desired, but use Milky Way as the base.
“probably stretching the definition of ‘salad,’”
Like Watergate Salad which usually is my contribution to potlucks. It is SO not a salad!
I just discovered something I hadn’t known.
I’m a fan of a marshmallow - topped sweet potato ‘souffle’ at holiday time; but in years when it’s just me and my husband, I’m the only one who likes it. I never know what to do with all the leftover marshmallows.
Today I learned that they can be frozen without losing much at all of their taste and texture; and I imagine dishes topped with them can be frozen too:
https://canyoufreezethis.com/freeze-marshmallows/
10 Unexpected Uses For Canned Cranberry Sauce
Meatball Glaze
Add to BBQ Sauce
Bake into an Apple Crisp
Creamy Cranberry Puff dessert
Add to a Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Swirl into Pound Cake Batter
Whisk into a Salad Dressing
Add it to a Breakfast Parfait (Granola, Yogurt, Cranberry Sauce)
Add it to Pancake Batter
Use it in a Fruit Smoothie
Recipes at link:
https://www.tastingtable.com/2010994/canned-cranberry-uses/
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