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thanksgiving food

The Best! Southern Cornbread Dressing

November 16, 2023 by Becky Spoon

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Southern Cornbread Dressing

This is the best Southern Cornbread Dressing! In my opinion, the best part of the Thanksgiving meal is the dressing, and in Texas we make cornbread dressing! Most of us in Texas don’t stuff our turkey either. You know by the time the stuffing is done, the turkey would be over cooked! Cornbread Dressing really is that perfect side dish, topped with the Southern giblet gravy. 

I subscribe to Food and Wine monthly and here’s their take on Dressing vs Stuffing: https://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/food/stuffing-or-dressing.

The Best! Southern Cornbread Dressing

Most families have a favorite dressing or stuffing recipe. My recipe has been passed down from generation to generation. My earliest recollection of this recipe was my Great Grandmother. My Great Grandmother, my Grandmother, my Mother and all my sisters make this same recipe and we have taught our children how to make this recipe. That will never change.

This recipe is simple. However, there are things you have to do. First is that you have to make your cornbread a few days in advance. You do this because you want it to be a little stale or dried out. I either make the cornbread 2 or three days in advance and leave it on the kitchen counter to dry out or I make it a week before, freeze it, then take it out at least 2 days before actually making the dressing so it can dry out at room temperature.

Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

Serve this cornbread dressing with my beautiful Roast Turkey. Here’s the link: https://the2spoons.com/beautiful-dry-brined-spiced-roast-turkey/.

Here’s how to make this delicious dish.

Here’s the recipe!! Make traditions this Thanksgiving!

Southern Cornbread Dressing

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Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

For The Southern Cornbread

  • 1 cup Yellow cornmeal I use stoneground but regular works
  • 1 Cup All purpose flour
  • 4 Tsp Baking powder
  • 1/8 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • Grinding or pinch of black peppers.
  • 1 Cup Plus more if needed Buttermilk
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp Canola oil or vegetable oil 2 for the skillet and 1 for the batter

For the Dressing

  • 1 Recipe Southern Cornbread, made ahead of time and frozen or at least 2 days in advance at left at room temperature, broken into pieces so it can dry out.
  • 2 pieces dry or stale white bread
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 1 stick butter (8 tbsp)
  • 1 + poultry seasoning
  • 2-3 sage leaves, rolled and cut into thin slices like you would basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-4 cups chicken broth

Instructions
 

For the Cornbread

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat an iron skillet with 2 tablespoons oil in the oven until hot.
  • While the skillet is heating, add all the dry ingredients to a bowl. Make a well and add the oil, eggs and buttermilk. Stir until combined adding more milk if needed.
  • Pour the batter into the hot skillet and cook for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
  • Note: If using this for dressing make ahead and freeze or make ahead at least two days before and leave at room temperature, broken into pieces or in cubes so it can dry out.

For the Dressing

  • If you have not allowed your bread to dry or become stale, heat the oven to 200 and cook the bread until lightly toasted and completed dried out.
  • Turn the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl or pan add he cornbread and break up with your hands, not to fine, leaving some larger pieces. Tear and crumble the bread and combine.
  • Heat a saucepan with chicken broth. In a large skillet melt the butter and add the onions, celery and the green onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent being careful not to burn. When done, pour into the cornbread mixture.
  • Add the poultry seasoning, fresh sage and a little salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth starting with two cups and continue to add until you reach your desired consistency. If you are using pan drippings add a ladle and check for salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper if needed along with the poultry seasoning. I'm careful with salt because your drippings have salt along with the cornbread and the broth, so I just check and add as needed. Pour the dressing into a buttered casserole dish.
  • Place into oven and bake until golden brown checking after about 30 minutes. Cook time will be between 30 and 45 minutes. If you like scrape the browns sides and stir back into the dressing, as this just adds more flavor.
  • Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!
Keyword cornbread, dressing, southern Cornbread Dressing, thanksgiving, thanksgiving food
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Filed Under: Side dish Tagged With: cornbread, cornbread dressing, dressing, side dish, Southern cornbread dressng, thanksgiving, thanksgiving food

a most beautiful dry brined spiced roast turkey.

October 27, 2023 by Becky Spoon

Dry Brined Spiced Roast TurkeyJump to Recipe
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

Roast Turkey is a must at Thanksgiving and this Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey really is beautiful. This recipe was on the cover of the November, 2019 Bon Appetit magazine and I wanted to try it. Happy I did! It turned out wonderful! Not only is this turkey dry brined for two days, but it is cut into pieces before roasting.

I’ve always wanted to try the cutting of the turkey into pieces before roasting. My son is an excellent trained chef and he always cuts his turkey into pieces before roasting. Not only does it cut down on the cook time, but you get a much more evenly roasted turkey.

Beautiful Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

The spice rub has black and pink peppercorns, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and light brown sugar. If you aren’t familiar with pink peppercorns, here’s a link: https://www.amazon.com/pink-peppercorns.

Viva Doria Brazilian Pink Peppercorn, Steam Sterilized Whole Pink Pepper, 8 Oz

There’s different brands and you may be able to find the pink peppercorns at your local grocery store.

There is a glaze with brown sugar, fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, bay leaves, and or thyme, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce and sherry or red wine vinegar.

Dry Brined Roast Turkey

Beautiful Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

If you want to stick to the more traditional Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey, here is a link for that from my blog: https://the2spoons.com/thanksgiving-roasted-turkey/. I love them both!

Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey

Spiced and Glazed Roast Turkey

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Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

For the Turkey and Dry Rub Brine

  • 1 12-14 lb Turkey, neck and giblets removed
  • 6 tbsp natural oil like vegetable or canola for rubbing the turkey
  • 2 tbsp whole black peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp pink peppercorns (if you have, otherwise, substitute for more black)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp Morton Kosher Salt
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

For the Glaze

  • small handful of hardy herbs like sage, rosemary, bay leaves and/or thyme)
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 2×1" strips orange zest
  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Place turkey, breast side up, on a cutting board and pat dry. Grip a wing and pull it outward so you can see where it attaches to the body. Using a sharp boning or chef’s knife, cut though the joint to separate the wing from the breast (if you hit bone, you’re in the wrong spot; pull the wing out farther to help you get into the place where the joint meets the socket). Remove wing; repeat on the other side.
  • Cut through skin connecting 1 leg to carcass. Pull leg back until the ball joint pops out of its socket; cut through the joint to separate leg. Repeat on the other side.
  • Now for the breast: Position the turkey breast side down with the opening facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of backbone until you get all the way through the neck end, then turn the turkey 180° and cut through the other side to remove the backbone (save it for making stock).
  • Very finely grind black and pink peppercorns in a spice mill or mortar and pestle; transfer to a medium bowl. Add salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and use your fingers to mix together.
  • Place turkey pieces, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle salt mixture liberally all over turkey, patting to adhere. You may not need all of it, but it’s good to have extra since some will end up on the baking sheet. Chill bird, uncovered, at least 24 hours and up to 2 days.
  • Remove turkey from wire rack and rinse baking sheet and rack if needed (turkey will most likely release some liquid). Line baking sheet with 3 layers of foil to make cleanup easy and set rack back inside. Arrange turkey pieces on rack, skin side up, and let sit at room temperature 2–3 hours to help decrease the cooking time.
  • Meanwhile, cook herbs, garlic, orange zest, soy sauce, vinegar, and remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and glaze thickens slightly (it should just barely coat a spoon), 10–12 minutes. Remove glaze from heat.
  • Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Rub turkey with oil and pour 1 cup water into baking sheet. Roast turkey, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is mostly golden brown, 20–25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300° and continue to roast turkey, brushing with glaze every 20 minutes and adding more water by ½-cupfuls as needed to maintain some liquid in baking sheet, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 150°, and 170° when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs, 50–70 minutes longer (total cooking time will be 1–1½ hours). Skin should be deep golden brown and shiny. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; tent loosely with foil. Let rest 30–60 minutes before carving.
Keyword roasted turkey, thanksgiving, turkey

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Filed Under: Poultry Tagged With: dry brine roast turkey, roast turkey, spiced roast turkey, thanksgiving food, turkey

You’ll love this Delicious Sweet Potato Casserole!

November 18, 2021 by Becky Spoon

Sweet Potato CasseroleJump to Recipe


Who doesn’t love a sweet potato casserole for the holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving?

This is my sisters recipe and my Mom loved it.  We always had a sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving, sometimes with marshmallows, sometimes candied but this one topped with a brown sugar mixture and pecans make it extra special.  Thank you for the recipe sister Jackie!

Simply Delicious Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe has the following ingredients:

  • sweet potatoes
  • sugar
  • butter
  • eggs
  • vanilla
  • cup milk

For the topping:

  • butter
  • light brown sugar
  • flour
  • pecans

How can you go wrong with such delicious ingredients? I added some pomegranate to the top for color.

Serve this as a side dish to this beautiful Turkey!

Beautiful Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey



Simply Delicious Sweet Potato Casserole

Here’s the recipe for this delicious casserole! Follow “the 2 spoons” for so many more delicious recipes!

Sweet Potato Casserole

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups sweet potatoes boiled and mashed up about 5 large sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup milk

For the Topping

  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.  
    Mix cooked and mashed sweet potatoes with next five ingredients , the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk.  Put mixture in a buttered 9×13 casserole dish.  
    Mix the melted butter, light brown sugar, flour and pecans and sprinkle on the top.  
    Bake for about 25 minutes.  Casserole will be puffed and begin to brown on top!  Delicious! 
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Filed Under: Vegetables, Side dish Tagged With: delicious, easy, hanksgiving, holidays, sidedish, thanksgiving food, vegetables

delicious buttery mashed potatoes!!

November 14, 2021 by Becky Spoon

Buttery Mashed PotatoesJump to Recipe
Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Honestly? How can you have Turkey and dressing and gravy without mashed potatoes? Our favorite way for Thanksgiving is just simple and loaded with butter.  Yes, there is a lot of butter, but this is Thanksgiving and a special occasion calls for special side dishes.  These are so delicious and so easy. 

Everyone ask, what potatoes should I use? The answer is the Russet Potato. They are starchy, not waxy, they are dry and mealy, perfect for mashing. A great alternative is Yukon Gold Potato.

Another question is, what’s the best way to mash them? I use a potato ricer. You can also use a hand masher or a food mill if you have one. This is the kind I have: https://amzn.to/2YMBAmb. They are the best!

Delicious Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Buttery Mashed Potatoes

Here’s another mashed potato recipe I love! It has fried shallots on top! Yes! So delicious and a great presentation. Popular – Creamy and Buttery Mashed Potatoes with Fried Shallots

Mashed Potatoes
Creamy and Buttery Mashed Potatoes with Fried Shallots

Serve these with my perfect Turkey and Dressing!https://the2spoons.com/the-best-southern-cornbread-dressing/ and https://the2spoons.com/beautiful-dry-brined-spiced-roast-turkey/. Best dressing and turkey recipe!

Hope you like this recipe!

Buttery Mashed Potatoes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 4 or 5 lbs Russet potatoes
  • 1-2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced
  • 1/2 to 2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
  • 2 tbsp melted butter for pouring over the finished mashed potatoes
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Dice potatoes and cook  in a pan of salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes, checking near the end with a fork for doneness.  Try to have uniform pieces to allow even cooking.  When done drain well in a colander.  Rice the potatoes back into the pan, put them through a food mill or mash your favorite way. Add the butter and salt and pepper and stir.  Check one more time for the seasoning.  
    Add the potatoes to a serving bowl, pour the melted butter and add chopped parsley.  

Notes

If you are not serving the mashed potatoes soon, you can keep them warm over a pan of simmering water. Add the parsley at the last minute along with the final melted butter if you do this.
Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
Dry Brined Spiced Roast Turkey
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Filed Under: Vegetables, Side dish Tagged With: buttery mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes, side dish, thanksgiving, thanksgiving food

Giblet Gravy

November 19, 2018 by Becky Spoon

Giblet Gravy is another of those recipes that is a family tradition.  Most of us in Texas not only put giblets in the gravy buy we add sliced boiled eggs.  Of course you can leave these two things out and have a delicious gravy, just omit the part about cooking the giblets and the final adding the hard boiled eggs!! You will love it and you have to have gravy for the dressing, mashed potatoes, turkey?
This recipe is based on 6-8 servings but it is easily doubled.  The prep time is after you have your giblets cooked, so I'll add the instructions on cooking your giblets and boiled eggs first.  
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

For the Giblets

  • 1 package giblets (hearts and gizzards) plus the neck and heart and gizzard from your turkey
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1/2 onion, quartered
  • 1 carrot
  • 6-8 cups water
  • 1-2 cubes bullion (I like Knorr)
  • 1 bay leaf

Hard boiled gs

  • 4 eggs
  • water to cover

For the Gravy

  • Giblets that have been sliced, with the cartlidged removed
  • 4-6 cups chicken stock left from the giblets or store bought is fine
  • 1/4 cup pan drippings or vegetable oil
  • 4 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp dressing
  • 4 eggs cooled and sliced

Instructions
 

For the Giblets

  • Add the giblets to a stock pan and add 6-8 cups water.  Add a stalk of celery, the onions, carrot, the bullion cubes and bay leaf.  An alternative to the bullion cubes would be to cook the giblets in stock, but if you are like me I always seems to run out of stock for my gravy and dressing, so I like to make this additional stock that you can strain and use in your gravy.  
    Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer to medium heat and cook until the giblets are tender.  An Alternative is to do this in your Instant Pot and set it for 30 minutes. 
    Once your giblets are tender, strain the broth and pick out your cooked giblets from the vegetables, discarding your vegetables.  Slice the gizzards  removing the cartridge part...just keep the meat part, shred the meat off the neck, slice the heart and set aside.  Save the broth to be used in making your gravy.  

Boiled eggs

  • I know we can all boil eggs, but I'll go ahead and give you the instructions of how I do them.  Place the eggs in a pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat just a little.  Once they start to boil, start timing 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat at this time and submerge in ice water to stop the cooking and to insure you have a lovely yellow yolk.  Tap the ends on the counter and roll your egg for easy pealing.  An alternative given to me by a friend is to put your eggs in an Instant Pot with one cup water and set the timer for 4 minutes.  When the timer goes off...release the steam and remove to the ice water....follow above instructons from here.  

For the Gravy

  • Add the 1/4 cup pan drippinngs from your turkey or vegetable oil to a pan and heat to medium heat.  Add the flour, using a whisk stir and cook for about a minute.  Still whisking, add your stock, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until thickened.  Be careful as the gravy will easily boil over, so reduce the heat as soon as it starts to boil.  (At this point your gravy is ready to serve if you do not want to add the giblets and eggs) 
    Go ahead and add your giblets and keep the gravy warm until ready to serve.  When ready to serve add your dressing and lightly stir to combine, then add your boiled eggs, just stir to combine.  

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Filed Under: Stocks, Broths, Gravies Tagged With: delicious, dinner, gravy, sidedish, southern, thanksgiving food

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