I promised the kids that this Thanksgiving I’d make sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. I haven’t made them that way in years, because my husband’s not so crazy about them. They were my absolute favorite when I was little, and I thought the kids should get to experience them. Hopefully hubby won’t mind scraping off marshmallow goo just this once.
That got me thinking about memorable Thanksgiving dishes. I’ll bet everyone has a standout from their past. Mine is from a Thanksgiving years ago when I was still single. I drove up to San Jose with a friend of mine to visit my brother, and we were all invited to some friends of my brother’s for Thanksgiving dinner.
It wasn’t until we were on route to our hosts’ house on Thanksgiving Day that my brother remembered we were supposed to bring a dessert. Of course by then everything was closed. We stopped into a convenience store, but I really didn’t think Ding Dongs were going to make a very good offering.
I looked around for something to work with. I found a graham cracker pie crust – off to a good start – but what to fill it with? Donettes? Gummy worms? Cheese in a can?
We found a six-pack of those little chocolate puddings and a tub of Cool Whip – success! We peeled back the lids and emptied each individual pudding cup into the pie shell, and then smothered it with Cool Whip. Instant convenience store chocolate cream pie!
The crazy thing was, it was a hit. And not just with the kids. It wasn’t traditional or elegant, but you can’t underestimate the power of chocolate and phony cream. Hmm…maybe Ding Dongs would have worked after all.
So how ‘bout it? Got any memorable Thanksgiving dishes you’d like to share? Serve ‘em up, with all the gooey details.
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16 comments:
Oh, I love your pie story! Perfect! And to think you made it from a convenience store is classic!
I love sweet potatoes and grew up eating the kind with the marshmallows on top. Then my MIL came along and she did the kind where you mash them up, wrap the mixture around a marshmallow and then roll it in corn flakes. I liked those too, but I was looking and looking for a sweet potato recipe that was a little different. After years of looking around, I finally found one!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cranberry-Sweet-Potato-Bake/Detail.aspx
I made this last Thanksgiving and I loved it. Not everyone in my family is crazy for sweet potatoes, but they liked it. I liked it so much I made it again at Christmas. It's almost like a dessert or cobbler with the granola mixed in. Yum!
mmmmmmm . . . that sounds good. Kind of sounds like a poor mans french silk pie! Either way, sounds yummy!
Christy
That's a great story about your quick stop pie!
As for me, I used to actually LOVE that famous green bean casserole everyone makes fun of--the one with the onion thingies on top. I haven't had that in years!
Then my mom went through a phase where she made all these so called salads with cool whip and jello and fruit.
My favorite thanksgiving treat has to be sweet potato souffle, topped with brown sugar, coconut and pecans. Yum! I can't wait!
Now to stop drooling...
I make a marlboro pie its an apple pudding pie with lots of burbon its great
I had this stuffing recipe which used to take four hours to make. I gave it up once I had kids. It was yummy but so much work.
But, you know, just thinking about it makes me want to make it :)
Rena - That does sound yummy - I can never get enough of cranberries.
Christy - Ooh, French silk pie...do we care that there was no chocolate or French cuisine at the first Thanksgiving?
Becky - Believe it or not I've never had that green bean casserole! I'll bet I'd like it, though.
Sweet potato souffle sounds yummy too!
Suzie - Okay, I am intrigued...
PJ - Maybe the kids will help! You might want to start a day or two ahead... ;)
My MIL hosted Thanksgiving for years - finally one year my Sister-in-law and I told her, "You know, you're really supposed to have a turkey for Thanksgiving - or at least a ham." She had no idea. Moving here from Denmark, she just thought it was supposed to be a fancy, big, dinner.
So turkey was a great change of pace the next year.
Lobster. Sometimes, in the islands, lobster (along with all the other traditional Thanksgiving eats) would be on the menu. And Bish's Famous Pumpkin Pie :)
Last year I decided to make my very first Thanksgiving dinner...it was suppose to be Hubs, son, MIL & FIL, and my parents and me...only 7 people, so I said I would do it all...it ended up being 13 people and I can't cook!!!
Thank goodness I had Hazel, turkey with little pop up thingy that tells me it is done, breadmaker to make the rolls, Sara Lee who makes great pies, Stove Top Stuffing that even I can make and a good can opener to open the rest of the dinner...grin...
Hmmm...come to think of it, no one has asked me if I'm making dinner this year...maybe it wasn't as good as I thought...grin...
That is the funniest story …
and so clever to come up with an instant pie..
My hubby makes this wonderful stuffing that everyone loves. But, we are quite
boring when it comes to sweet potatoes, we just bake ours, as you would
a bake potatoes skins and all….
Louise
Kim - I love that story! My mom told similar tales of her early Thanksgivings with the in-laws.
Bish - Ooh, lobster...that is one traditional dish I've always hoped to include one of these years!
Brenda - One year my oven was broken and I was ready to do a crock pot turkey...then my mom helped us buy a new stove. Sounds like a no-fuss way to go, though :)
Louise - I love sweet potatoes that way! I also recently learned you can eat them raw - they are yummy cut in matchsticks and tossed in a salad.
I think I'd like that pudding pie!
I always like the common green bean casserole! My mom has always made a shrimp dip that is really good...But of course, the desserts are my favorite!
I am stupid for those sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. Yum!
Clever way to solve the dessert dilemma.
Oh, that pie story is hilarious!
I never liked the sweet potatoes + marshmallow thing, not because I didn't like the marshmallows (love em) but because I couldn't stand sweet potatoes.
I actually don't have a stand out food--none of it really sticks in my mind. But the thing that made me know Thanksgiving was special was always when my mom broke out the best china to eat with. I remember the plates with their gilded silver edging more than any of the actual food...
That story is fabulous.
One year, I made apple and sausage stuffing, and it took HOURS to do, and I burnt myself AND cut myself in the process. Of course everyone loved it, but I'm not doing it again. My poor hands can't handle it.
Kelly - Me too, I've gotta get that pudding pie recipe!
Green Girl - Yup, totally looking forward to the marshmallows this year...
Beth - Oh, I loved the fancy china and the stemware - I wasn't crazy about being recruited to polish the silver, though!
Carrie - Ouch! At least they appreciated it, anyway :)
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