Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Recipes We Dug to the Bottom of the Recipe Box to Find These Little-Known Thanksgiving Recipes By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Associate Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories.She grew up in Mobile, Alabama, which she insists is home to the country's first Mardi Gras (not New Orleans) and now lives in Birmingham with her husband and rescue pup Rocky, whose name is unrelated to The University of Tennessee (Roll Tide). Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 22, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox When it comes to holiday cooking, there's no place more trusted for discovering hidden gems than Grandma's recipe tin. With the help of Southern authors, historians, chefs, and our Test Kitchen pros, we've unearthed some of the most storied Thanksgiving recipes our region has to offer. Including sliced sweet potato pie from Alabama and stuffed mirlitons from Louisiana, these old-fashioned Thanksgiving finds deserve some love this year. Even first-time Thanksgiving hosts can whip up easy, vintage recipes like Egg Custard Pie and Cranberry Fluff Salad (remember that one?). Don't worry: We didn't forget the candied yams and yeast rolls! With Sea Island Crab Fried Rice adapted from Sallie Ann Robinson's first cookbook, Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way, and a vegetable mash inspired by Southern chef Vivian Howard, these old-fashioned Thanksgiving recipes will give you a taste of culinary history. We have a feeling these comforting, old-school recipes will become tradition at your Thanksgiving table. 01 of 35 Egg Custard Pie Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Egg Custard Pie This old-fashioned, depression-era pie deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table. Simple enough for novice bakers, this vintage pie will be a treat the grandkids can help prepare. 02 of 35 Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries West Virginia is the only state located entirely within the Appalachian Mountains, where winter squash varieties like the Candy Roaster grow. If you've never had this sweet, creamy squash, let this year be the time you try it. 03 of 35 Cranberry Fluff Salad Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Recipe: Cranberry Fluff Salad If you took a poll of Southern grandmothers, we're willing to bet that 100 percent of them have a recipe for fluff salad in their collection. Though there are plenty of takes on fluff salad, this version was made for the holidays. Add an homage to Grandma to your table with this retro recipe. 04 of 35 Old-Fashioned Turkey Gravy Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-Fashioned Turkey Gravy Thanksgiving turkey and gravy traditionalists, this is the condiment recipe you need on your table. Simple and easy to make, this gravy is oh-so-comforting. 05 of 35 Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets This recipe, inspired by Alabama native and author Eugene Walter's take on collards, includes "sippets," or tidbits of stale bread that are fried with cloves of garlic. You'll love this quick greens recipe that doesn't need to simmer on the stovetop for hours. 06 of 35 Sliced Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Sliced Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream Though you might think of sweet potato pie as the creamy, custard-style version, many in Alabama know it as having a sliced sweet potato filling. "As an accomplished research scientist and educator at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in the early 20th century, George Washington Carver featured a recipe for Sliced Potato Pie in an agricultural bulletin about sweet potatoes, which encouraged African-American farmers to cultivate the root vegetable as a cash crop and nutritional powerhouse," writes Nancie McDermott. "Every bite of this dessert tastes like autumn and reminds us what a generous genius Carver was." 07 of 35 Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon This take on classic baked mac and cheese is familiar enough for traditionalists but has just enough pizzaz to surprise everyone at your Thanksgiving table. Our Test Kitchen recommends Tennessee's own Benton's bacon. 08 of 35 Overnight Yeast Rolls Southern Living Recipe: Overnight Yeast Rolls Every Southern baker needs a classic yeast rolls recipe on hand. Since you prep this recipe the day before, it's perfect for the busy holiday season. 09 of 35 Mashed Potatoes And Rutabaga With Collards Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Mashed Potatoes and Rutabaga With Collards Chef and cookbook author Vivian Howard includes rutabagas among the Eastern North Carolina ingredients featured in her book Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South. In this recipe, we pair "bagars" with Yukon Gold potatoes and collards for creamy texture. 10 of 35 Transparent Pie with Whipped Crème Fraîche and Sugared Cranberries Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Transparent Pie with Whipped Crème Fraîche and Sugared Cranberries Reminiscent of other Depression-era pies like buttermilk, chess, or egg pie, Transparent Pie hails from the Bluegrass State. For our recipe, we kept the filling simple and classic but added two special toppings that are perfect for a festive Thanksgiving spread— Sugared Cranberries and Whipped Crème Fraîche. 11 of 35 Sea Island Crab Fried Rice Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sea Island Crab Fried Rice We adapted this signature Gullah Geechee dish from cookbook author Sallie Ann Robinson's first cookbook, Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way. It takes just 30 minutes to make, especially if you start with leftover rice, which our Test Kitchen recommends anyway. 12 of 35 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole If you're looking for a recipe that tastes like Grandma's table, this Old-School Squash Casserole fits the bill. Some tips from our Test Kitchen for the best consistency? It's important to get as much liquid out of the squash during the initial cooking process as possible to prevent a watery casserole. When sautéing, stir the squash often to release steam and prevent browning. Don't overcook it, which will cause the casserole to be mushy – remember the squash still has to be baked. Gently fold the squash into the egg-cheese mixture to avoid mashing and breaking it into small pieces. Straining the squash helps to remove excess water that leaches out of the cooked squash, and it cools the squash before it is added to the casserole. 13 of 35 Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie Inspired by an early iteration of Texas Pecan Pie, which had an egg custard filling instead of today's corn syrup-based version, this creation combines the best of both. Pecan pie purists might be converted once they try a bite of this layered delight. 14 of 35 Fried Arkansas Black Apples Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Fried Arkansas Black Apples Though many modern fried apple recipes call for "firm and tart" types, like Granny Smiths, we're partial to the deep sweetness of Arkansas black apples. Plus, they add a gorgeous hue to your sideboard. 15 of 35 Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream Around half of the country's peanut crop comes from South Georgia, and this peanut-filled pie is an ode to the region. A crunchy, cookie-like peanut butter crust is filled with a creamy, peanut butter-and-sorghum mixture and topped with salty cocktail peanuts for added texture. As if that wasn't enough, we went ahead and upped the whipped cream game by adding brown sugar, bourbon, and vanilla extract. 16 of 35 Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo This spiced-up version of classic cornbread dressing is inspired by James Beard Award-winning chef and Texan Hugo Ortega. Green bell pepper, cilantro, Mexican chorizo, and chopped jalapeno add zing to your go-to cornbread dressing recipe. 17 of 35 Buttermilk Spoon Bread Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Buttermilk Spoon Bread Spoon bread has been gracing Southern tables since the late 18th century. "It's satisfying like cornbread, it's comforting like custard, and it creates anticipation and delight like an airy soufflé," writes Nancie McDermott. 18 of 35 Old-School Green Bean Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole This home-style recipe skips the cream of mushroom soup and starts with everything from scratch. To help you out on the busy holiday, prepare the dish as instructed but wait to add the toppings and bake until you're ready to serve. 19 of 35 Fluffy Corn Pudding Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Fluffy Corn Pudding Inspired by Kentucky's Beaumont Inn's recipe for corn pudding, this one has the best texture of any corn pudding we've ever made. With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, this is an easy side dish to whip up the morning of Thanksgiving. 20 of 35 Grated Sweet Potato Pudding with Pecans Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Grated Sweet Potato Pudding with Pecans Also known as a sweet potato pone, this is the old-fashioned grated pudding that you just might say goodbye to your sweet potato casserole for. Creamy, sweet pudding is topped with crunchy, chopped pecans, creating a flavorful and textured dish with a short ingredient list. 21 of 35 Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce As if apple pie wasn't delicious enough on its own, we topped this version with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce that's spiked with apple brandy. Your family will love the unique taste and color the Arkansas Black Apples give this Thanksgiving go-to, but if you can't find them in your area, Granny Smiths will work just fine. 22 of 35 Onion Soufflé Abigail Wilt Recipe: Onion Soufflé This old-school onion soufflé recipe came to us back in 1979 from Mrs. James S. Tiffany of Dallas, Texas. This fluffy side dish gets just the right amount of sweetness from a touch of sugar. Chopped pecans add a welcome crunch. 23 of 35 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez Recipe: Molded Cranberry Salad In the '60s, no gathering was complete without a jiggly congealed salad on the menu. This cranberry masterpiece was a mainstay for Thanksgiving. You only need five ingredients to take your family down memory lane with this recipe. 24 of 35 Cushaw Pie with Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cushaw Pie with Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce Unfortunately, the cushaw, a delicate squash found in the Southern and Southwestern parts of the country, is at risk of going extinct. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a cushaw, roast and puree it to make this distinctive dessert. (Or you can substitute plain canned pumpkin puree for the filling.) Either way, top each slice with our smooth and rich Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce and a few candied pecans. 25 of 35 Cornmeal Angel Biscuits Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Cornmeal Angel Biscuits Like a cross between a buttermilk biscuit and a Parker House Roll, these light and buttery biscuits will be a new mainstay on your Thanksgiving menu. The dough can be made up to one week in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. 26 of 35 Persimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Persimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel Persimmons are a fall treat that the folks of North Carolina are lucky enough to harvest. This sweet, slightly spiced pie is topped with a dreamy pecan streusel for intrigue and texture. 27 of 35 Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons Beloved in Louisiana, mirlitons are pale green, pear-shaped squash that have roots in ancient Mayan and Aztec foodways. They risked being wiped out in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but thanks to passionate residents like Renee Lapeyrolerie, mirlitons have been revitalized in the area. 28 of 35 Scalloped Oysters Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Scalloped Oysters Modern scalloped oysters likely have roots in oyster pie, a traditional Virginia dish that dates back to the 1700s, according to Bernie Herman, a renowned folklorist and professor of Southern studies at UNC Chapel Hill. You need just a few ingredients to put together this buttery, classic casserole. 29 of 35 Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding As Grandma always said, the proof is in the pudding. This classic take on a true Southern favorite will bring joy to any plate for the holidays. "Some like it warm. Others prefer it as I do: nice and cold," says cookbook author and recipe developer Rebecca Lang. "The hardest part is waiting for it to fully chill." 30 of 35 Classic Candied Yams Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Candied Yams Candied yams are even more old-school than that sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top that your aunt always brings to Thanksgiving. One of the best parts about this side dish is that it only has 20 minutes of hands-on time, and you can assemble the dish up to 3 days in advance. Make the recipe through step 3, store it covered in the refrigerator, then bake it Thanksgiving Day. 31 of 35 Over the Moon Chocolate Pie Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Over the Moon Chocolate Pie Inspired by Chattanooga, Tennessee's own MoonPies, we created this indulgent dessert with a graham cracker crust, a rich chocolate filling (with a touch of the state's famous whiskey), and a fluffy marshmallow meringue. 32 of 35 Aunt Grace's Best Cornbread Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Aunt Grace's Best Cornbread Dressing Every Southern cook needs a recipe for classic cornbread dressing, and this one with many varieties of bread you probably already have in your kitchen is about as classic and homey as it gets. Writer Valerie Luesse shared the recipe from her aunt with us a few years back, and it is one we come to time and time again. 33 of 35 Sorghum Custard Pie With Cornmeal Crust Johnny Autry; Food Styling: Keia Mastrianni; Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Sorghum Custard Pie With Cornmeal Crust Sorghum is a star in the mountainous regions of the South, and this pie puts the ingredient center stage. This recipe comes from writer and baker Keia Mastrianni who is based in North Carolina. "Sorghum syrup is the currency of the mountains, and this product bears the signature of the land from which it came as well as the hand of its maker," said Mastrianni, who founded the small batch bakery Milk Glass Pie. "This pie tries to capture the essence of sorghum with its notes of grass and cane in a delicate custard filling." 34 of 35 Mary Ada's Smith Island Cake Photographer: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Mary Ada's Smith Island Cake The official state dessert of Maryland has a history that is as rich as the cake itself. Our recipe hails from Mary Ada Marshall, a resident of Smith Island, who was gracious enough to share her recipe. 35 of 35 Creamed Greens Casserole Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Creamed Greens Casserole Cheesy and full of the good-for-you greens our grandmother used to beg us to eat, this side is a long-time staple in Southern homes. Collards are best after the first frost of the year, which usually occurs around Thanksgiving in most Southern states. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit