I do the basic cooking, and my mother and sisters bring the rest. I cook the turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, and baked beans (for my Daddy!)My mother and sisters bring potato salad, cranberry sauce, broccoli casserole, sweet potato souffle', pecan pie, some kind of cakes (one sister owns a bakery), six cup salad, and green beans
My baked beans are a little different:
1 huge can Bush's baked beans
1/2 onion finely chopped
3/4 c Cane Patch syrup or molasses
1/2 bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 c catsup
1/2 c mustard
Mix all the above and cover the top with strips of bacon. Bake at 375 until lightly brown and bubbly. Daddy makes himself sick eating these every year and the first thing he always asks is if I'm going to do the beans.
Six cup salad:
1 cup mandarin orange slices, drained
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
Mix all together and chill several hours before serving.
Dressing:
1/2 cornbread and 1/2 homemade biscuits all crumbled together. ( I use a huge iron skillet to make the cornbread)
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 sticks celery finely chopped
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
3 eggs
Enough broth from a boiled chicken and the drippings from the turkey to thoroughly wet all the above. (very wet!) Mix well, bake at 375 until lightly browned on top
Giblet gravy:
neckbones and nasties (liver, heart, etc.) from the turkey before cooking
boil the neckbones and nasties with enough water to cover well. set aside
Take a stick of butter and melt in skillet. Add flour like you're making gravy and stir constantly over medium heat. Pour the broth from the nasties over the flour mixture and stir well. Strip the meat off the neckbones, chop the nasties along with a boiled egg and add to the gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over dressing.
Well, that's the part I cook
along with homemade sourdough bread!