Jolene Eats Here: Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Brad's sister and mother have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Here are the recipes of the dishes we will soon feast upon. They're almost all Brad's family recipes. Enjoy!

Granny Kunnes Corn Bread Dressing

1 small onion, cut up
1 cup celery chopped
1/4 cup margarine, butter or chicken fat
1 T parsley (dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp poultry season
1/2 tsp thyme
3 slices white bread (toasted) and broken into cubes
2 cups corn bread crumbs
2 cups chicken stock
2 eggs beaten

Saute onions and celery in margarine/butter until limp. In a large bowl, put all the ingredients and mix well. Pour into an oblong pyrex dish, greased and bake about 40 minutes at 350 F

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

1 c water
1 c sugar
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 firm pear diced
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 package fresh or frozen cranberries
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
several pieces crystalized ginger

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly; boil 5 minutes. Add pear and lemon rind; return mixture to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in cranberries. Reduce heat and simmer without stirring for 3-5 min until cranberries pop. Remove from heat, cool, cover and chill. Chill sauce for up to 2 days. Stir in lemon juice just before serving.

New Orleans Sweet Potato Casserole

8 or 10 med size sweet potatoes
1 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 T sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
few dashes nutmeg
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 T orange juice
marshmellows

Wash and boil sweet potatoes in large pot until tender (30 minutes). Heat milk with vanilla, butter, sugar until butter melts. Don't boil. Remove from stove and add remaining ingredients. Peel cooled sweet potatoes and put in a large bowl. Mash. Use hands or mixer. Add the liquid and mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish (a big one) and add marshmellows. If freezing, cook without marshmellows. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until marshmellows are hot and melted.

Squash Casserole

6 lbs yellow squash (small)
1 onion, sliced
1-2 cans chicken broth
2 T butter
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese
6 saltines crumbled
1 handful low fat cheese-its, crumbled
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
few drops Tobasco
2 egg whites and 1 whole egg
Extra cheese its for topping

Cut squash and partially cover with broth. Bring to boil until squash is tender. Drain very well. Get all the liquid out. Saute onions in olive oil, lighlty browned. Beat eggs and add all ingredients in large bowl. Make sure squash is drained. Do not add extra cheese its yet. Pour into greased casserole dish--2-3 qts. If freezing, bake at 325 till firm for about 30 minutes. Must cool completely before freezing. If getting ready to serve, bake 325 for 45 minutes till golden brown. Add extra cheeses before baking.

Green Beans Slow Cooked with Bacon and Onions (Food Network recipe)

2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
4-6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 lbs fresh green beans
2 qts chicken stock or water (this might be too much--adjust according to your pot)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and bacon and cook till browned. Add onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the green beans and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook green beans until they are soft but not mushy, about 30-45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Southern Pecan Pie

Beat 3 eggs and add 1/2 c sugar, 1 c dark Karo syrup, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 stick margarine melted, 1 tsp vanilla. Pour in a 9" pie shell uncooked. Sprinkle 1 1/4 cup nuts over filling. Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes.