Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food Thanksgiving on the Farm Update your Thanksgiving menu with luscious, farm-fresh dishes from this Georgia family. By Southern Living Editors Updated on January 19, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos When it comes to planning side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, we abandon all thoughts of restraint. Creamy casseroles bubble beneath blankets of melted cheese and buttered breadcrumbs. Deliciously sticky marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes are served alongside bowls of savory mashed potatoes, and rice with giblet gravy. Fresh greens steeped in pot liquor, piping hot pans of cornbread dressing, and slender pole beans – these are the foods we love best this time of year. Photo: Beth Dreiling / Styling by Buffy Hargett / Food Styling by Pam Lolley and James Schend When planning side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner, we abandon all thoughts of restraint. Creamy casseroles bubble beneath blankets of melted cheese and buttered breadcrumbs. We serve deliciously sticky marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes alongside bowls of savory mashed potatoes and rice with giblet gravy, fresh greens steeped in pot liquor, piping hot pans of cornbread dressing, and slender pole beans. These are the foods we love best this time of year. Wish you could serve something new and delicious this Thanksgiving? Kitty and Walter Forbes of Fort Valley, Georgia, shared some favorite family recipes with us, and we think you'll absolutely love their dressed-up yet doable selections. We added a fun touch by including nuts from Savage Creek Farms, the family pecan farm, in several of these dishes. Each recipe is worth raving, from melt-in-your-mouth savory shortbreads (terrific with a glass of Chardonnay or sweet, seedless grapes) to a delicious Roast Turkey with Sage. Just when you think you can't improve a classic like mac and cheese, this family managed to do so by adding sweet caramelized onions and, of course, pecans. Here are some of the best recipes to try this Thanksgiving. 01 of 08 Muscadine Sauce Grape juice, jelly, preserves, and desserts are traditional uses for flavorful muscadines. Tina Cornett / Styling: Trinda Gage Recipe: Muscadine Sauce Combine sweet muscadine grapes with even more sugar, and balance this sauce by adding vinegar, ground cinnamon, allspice, and cloves for flavoring. Remember not to overcook this sauce, or you won't be able to remove it from its jar. Serve muscadine sauce alongside your dinner or as an appetizer. 02 of 08 Roast Turkey With Sage and Thyme Greg DuPree Recipe: Roast Turkey With Sage and Thyme You can't have the perfect Thanksgiving dinner without a perfectly roasted turkey. Add sage, thyme, and pears or apples to simmer in the oven, making this an excellent way to prepare your main course. Garnish with your choice of parsley, pecans, muscadines, or pears. 03 of 08 Caramelized Onion Macaroni and Cheese Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Caramelized Onion Macaroni and Cheese Asiago and Vermont Cheddar cheeses blend in this rich, tangy classic side dish. Macaroni and cheese hardly need any improvements, but try customizing your pasta with caramelized onions, bacon, or even pecans. This new and improved side dish, seasoned to perfection, is something you'll want to make every Thanksgiving. 04 of 08 Miss Kitty's Chili Sauce Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Miss Kitty's Chili Sauce You only need 11 ingredients to make this spicy chili sauce, which is excellent for topping everything from turkey to potatoes. Combine jalapeño and bell peppers along with onions and crushed tomatoes for a chili sauce your family and friends will love. 05 of 08 Pecan-Cornmeal Shortbreads Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Pecan-Cornmeal Shortbreads Cornmeal and pecans add a nutty flavoring to this shortbread recipe, while red pepper adds a touch of spice. Serve as an appetizer alongside one of your homemade sauces or with cheese. 06 of 08 Honey-Lemon Butter Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Honey-Lemon Butter It only takes four simple ingredients to make this delicious spread that works for morning waffles or dinner-time rolls. Combine softened butter, honey, grated lemon, and chopped toasted pecans for sweet and nutty butter. 07 of 08 Bourbon Whipped Cream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Bourbon Whipped Cream Simple, yet a perfect topping for all your Thanksgiving pies. Add sugar and bourbon to heavy whipping cream, and you have a flavorful addition to any dessert. 08 of 08 Sweet Potato Cobbler Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell Recipe: Sweet Potato Cobbler Give your traditional sweet potato casserole a break this Thanksgiving and opt for this Sweet Potato Cobbler instead. It still has all your favorite sweet potato dish staples, including brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Try the streusel topping for a sweet topping, or use pecans and marshmallows for a more traditional recipe. "Thanksgiving on the Farm" is from the November 2004 issue of Southern Living. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit