I can’t believe that tomorrow will be Thanksgiving! This year has flown by. I love so many things about Thanksgiving. Getting together with family and friends, reflecting on the past year, and all that we have to be thankful for, cooking and baking in the kitchen, and hosting everyone at our house.
This year we are hosting family, and some of our closest friends in Atlanta, and I cannot wait. We have a traditional southern menu planned, complete with my Great Grandmother Shell’s dressing. Some of you may be wondering what that is – in the South we call stuffing, dressing. I personally like it better than the traditional stuffing recipes. Justin’s mother’s family is from the Northeast, so we’ll have his Grandmother’s Stuffing as well.
We’ll be cooking & baking up a storm tonight! I love preparing these dishes because they bring back so many fond memories for me as a child, and spending the holidays with my grandmothers. I’m sharing two of my favorite recipes below, which have been a part of my family’s Thanksgiving menu for ages. Broccoli Casserole and Macaroni and Cheese. Both are very simple to make too! They are listed below.
I also love baking, and finding fun new recipes for each holiday. This year I decided to make an Apple-Spice Bundt Cake with Carmel Frosting from the Southern Living Magazine. They have the BEST cake recipes, and every year I earmark new ones to try. The hardest part is not wanting to dig in the night before.
I’ve included the cake recipe as well (below). It certainly has a lot of steps, and isn’t the easiest thing I’ve made, but I must say, I’m proud of myself.
Growing up, my family loved cooking and baking. From my Great Grandmothers to Grandmothers and my Mom. It was something I grew up around, and always loved to do as well. So, I feel like I’m carrying on a part of them all when I get going in the kitchen to prepare our Thanksgiving feast. I’m thankful for the opportunity, and for our family and friends who will be joining us this year.
Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones!
xx,
Lauren
Photos by KVC Photography.
Recipes:
Southern Living’s Apple-Spice Bundt Cake
Family Recipes for Thanksgiving:
Dressing (my Great Grandmother Shell’s):
1/2 Cup Water
4 pongs (large round servings to bake) of cornbread (recipe below) – you mix the baked cornbread into dressing mix
6 biscuits
Parsley
Salt & pepper
2 cups of celery
2 cups of white onions
3 eggs
32 oz container of Chicken Broth
Grease baking dish with butter. Cook at 400 degrees until golden brown.
** It’s better to have more cornbread than biscuits **
Cornbread:
3 cups of Self Rising Corn Meal
1 Cup Crisco
1 3/4 cup Buttermilk
Grease Pan, Bake at 40 until golden brown (approximately 16 mins). Makes 4 pongs. Pat with buttermilk on top before cooking.
Macaroni & Cheese:
1 small box of Macaroni noodles
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt & Pepper
2 8 oz bags of mild or sharp cheese
1 stick of butter
Boil noodles, rinse and drain. Spray baking dish with Pam (or other baking spray). Beat eggs and add 1/2 cup of milk, salt and pepper. Mix together. Pour over cooked noodles. Add 3/4 bag of cheese and stir around noodles. Then add the rest of the cheese on top, including the whole second bag. Add about 8 dabs of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. After 20 minutes check to make sure the cheese is melting and sides are bubbling.
Broccoli Casserole:
2 packages frozen broccoli spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box Velveeta Mexican cheese spread
2 cups of cooked white rice (you cook 1 cup to make 2 cups cooked)
Heat frozen broccoli in the microwave for 6 minutes each package and chop. Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees until bubbles and browns slightly (approximately 20-25 minutes).
I typically prep the casseroles & dressing 1-2 days before Thanksgiving, refrigerate, and then bake the day of before serving!
My dress & boots area part of the Tuckernuck Cyber Week Sale. Both are 20% off. Shop below.
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