Thanksgiving Recipes for Your Files

This year, my husband made many dishes, but these were the best two:

Lalli Family Turkey Stuffing (via Sonya Yencer, including her notes)

My Reader’s Digest on why this is so good: The cornbread and the sausage. Cornmeal gives it a nice non-soggy texture, and who doesn’t like sausage?

Just so you know, this makes a ton. I usually half the recipe at least. I guess use the whole recipe if you REALLY like serious leftovers or are feeding ALOT of people. But, dang, is it good and totally worth the work. I have stuffed the bird and done it separately with good results.

Makes enough to stuff a 24-pound bird plus extra to bake in a casserole 

Adapted from the cookbook “Stuffings” by Carole Lalli. If using homemade cornbread, toast it right before using or it will be a bit mushy.

2 pounds unseasoned bulk sausage meat
12 cup unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
3 inner ribs celery, leaves included, diced
Kernels from 4 ears of corn
4 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
12 or so cups broken-up day-old corn bread
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup (or less) chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

In large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage meat, stirring to break up, 5-7 minutes. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Pour off fat from skillet, but do not clean pan. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, shallot and celery; saute, stirring, 8-10 minutes until soft but not browned. Add corn, sage and thyme leaves and cook 1 minute. Set aside to cool about 10 minutes.

Place bread in large bowl; add ingredients from skillet along with parsley. Carefully combine into rough mixture. Add just enough chicken broth to hold together loosely. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Use as turkey stuffing, or drizzle with half-cup broth and bake in lightly buttered shallow baking dish, loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes in a pre-heated, 350-degree oven.

Epicurious Sweet and Tart Cranberry Sauce

This recipe is awesome. It’s the orange peel and parsley that make it go beyond your run-of-the-mill cranberry sauce. It’s amazing, really!