Our Family’s Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition: The Recipes!
Hey loves! Today I’m partnering with TYLENOL to celebrate how different families come together during the holidays. This year we’re staying local and celebrating as a trio. I’m so excited for a relaxing holiday with my husband and toddler!
When it comes to our Thanksgiving traditions, things are pretty food-centric! We love to eat and adore enjoy cooking together as a family. It’s a team effort for sure with our little chickpea perched inside her learning tower at the counter, helping wash, sort, and pour ingredients to make each dish special.
It’s seriously our FAVORITE holiday and I’m so grateful our Marine is here to celebrate with us this year!
Our Family’s Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition and Recipes
Here are a few of the recipes that have become traditional thanksgiving fare for my family. I couldn’t imagine the big day without these tasty eats on the table! Some we’ve made for ages now and some are new favorites that we look forward to diving into for years to come. Enjoy!
1. Classic Stuffed Mushrooms
These sassy stuffed mushrooms were one of the very first recipes I learned how to make thanks to my momma! They were her go-to Thanksgiving appetizer of choice and my siblings and I were (and still are!) OBSESSED to say the least.
I remember helping her stuff them as a kiddo while my younger siblings eagerly crowded around, waiting to faceplant into the tray the second we pulled them from the oven. No matter how many we made there never seemed to be enough, and they were always gone in an instant, even if it meant burning our mouths on them the second the plate hit the counter.
I’m pretty sure none of us even liked mushrooms, but stuffed mushrooms were always and forever in a class of their own. Tender mushroom caps over-stuffed with a garlicky buttery breadcrumb topping and baked until golden brown… whether my mom made a 14 or 40, they were always devoured in an instant, with at least one kiddo begging for more. Me. It was usually me. To this day I still can’t get enough of these garlicky mushrooms!
2. Crock-pot Cranberry Sauce
Paul and I both grew up on store-bought cranberry sauces. My family’s favorite was always that jar of jellied cranberry sauce that came out with a large squish and a plop and resembled a jello mold more than a fruit. My mom used to have to buy two cans since we not only ate so much of it, but also begged and bartered over who would get the coveted end slice from the can. It was a big deal!
When Paul and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together as newlyweds, I decided we needed our own tradition. Cranberry sauce. REAL deal cranberry sauce.
Some years I whip it up on the stove, other years it goes straight in the slow cooker, and this year I’m actually thinking about trying it in the pressure cooker Paul bought me for my birthday. No matter what prep method we use, it’s always the same recipe and honestly? It tastes a million times better than the canned stuff! Love it so!
We even have an arsenal of recipes we make with the leftover sauce, so I always make extra with them in mind! Favorites include my cranberry cheesecake streusel bars, cranberry goat cheese log, and cranberry croissant sandwiches made with a whipped cinnamon walnut cream cheese spiked with cranberry sauce. Delicious!
3. Slow Cooker Creamy Red Potato and Cauliflower Mash
For us, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without some ultra-creamy mashed potatoes! Some of my fondest food memories as a kiddo centered around stolen spoonfuls of mashed potatoes before dinner was served. I was even so bold as to swipe a finger through a hot pot of potatoes from time to time and stand by my opinion that the pay off was 110% worth the burnt finger! It became a running joke between my mom and I and I can’t eat a bowl of mashed potatoes without thinking of her!
Last year Paul and I decided to kick things up a notch and swirled some creamy cauliflower into our mashed potatoes. HOLY COW IT WAS AMAZING! Making them in the crock-pot saved us precious stove space so we could whip up all our dishes at the same time without any waiting in between. It was glorious!
4. Hot Corn
Ohmygosh guys, HOT CORN! Paul grew up eating this spicy side dish every year at Thanksgiving with his family.
Since we’ve been married I’ve made it for him every holiday and love how much he lights up when I pull it from the oven. He’s like a bird with a french fry and takes the absolute biggest serving ever with full intention of going back for more. It makes my heart happy. I, of course, want some to make it onto my own plate so I often find myself doubling or tripling the recipe. The leftovers are phenomenal and we always look forward to them the next few days, rationing them best we can!
5. Pumpkin Muffins
The easiest way to get our uber active 3 year old to join us for a meal is to whip up a batch of these pumpkin muffins. Girlfriend is all about the muffins and will drop anything and everything to help me make a tray of her favorites. She insists on being involved in every step and is the ultimate kitchen assistant!
Luckily for us, they make a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. I love mine spread with cinnamon sugar butter or dunked in the hot corn and cranberry sauce… oh man they’re good!
I can’t wait to make a big batch of pumpkin muffins with my little pumpkin next week! It’s going to be a blast measuring and munching and setting up our tree as a family! I started our early-tree tradition during my husband’s first deployment and we’ve kept it going ever since. I look forward to it every year!
Big thanks to Tylenol for sponsoring this post and helping me share how my family celebrates togetherness during the holidays.
I have received information about #HowWeFamily from the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is sponsored post. These tasty traditional recipes are a huge part of #HowWeFamily on Thanksgiving. Do you have any favorite family recipes or traditions during the holidays? Share yours using #HowWeFamily on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Hot Corn! I want that all to myself. I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
Ooh! Loving the crock pot cranberry sauce!
oh my!!! That hot corn sounds and looks amazing! I want it now!!
Thanks Angie! It’s SO GOOD!
I love seeing what other people’s traditions are, and all of these dishes look amazing!
Thank you Dee!
I’m always looking for neat variations on traditional Thanksgiving dishes! Thanks for sharing!
We don’t do Thanksgiving in Trinidad but that jar of cranberry sauce is a huge deal on Christmas morning. We buy 3 – 4 at a time cuz there are so many of us and we love using the leftovers in sandwiches till well into the new year. So many good holiday memories!
That photo of your daughter (and of her and your Marine) are so precious! And ermahgerd that HOT CORN! Gimme. Please.
OMG I am loving these dishes! And as a Canadian, I’ve never heard of hot corn before!! It looks a bit like Mexican corn, which I find absolutely to die for! Ugh I wish it was Canadian Thanksgiving again – seriously, you have my mouth watering for one more Thanksgiving feast!
I feel like we both need to celebrate a few extra Thanksgivings this year – just for the family and FOOD! 🙂 Thanks Taylor!
Lots of delicious recipes here! Checking out those stuffed mushrooms now! Wishing you a happy thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving Vicky! xoxo
How very generous of you to share your family’s recipes! Beautiful post.
Thank you! Happy Holidays!
Those stuffed mushrooms look like they are amazing and so many other good treats too! Have a great holiday!
Thank you Cindy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love this post! The mushrooms and pumpkins look so delicious!
Rachael xx.
http://theteacozykitchen.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks Rachael!