We Dug to the Bottom of the Recipe Box to Find These Little-Known Thanksgiving Recipes
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 Caramel Tart inspired by legendary chef Edna Lewis's caramel pie, 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.
Egg Custard Pie
Recipe: Egg Custard Pie
This old-fashioned 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.
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Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries
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.
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Cranberry Fluff Salad
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.
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Old-Fashioned Turkey Gravy
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.
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Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets
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.
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Sliced Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream
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."
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Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon
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.
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Overnight Yeast Rolls
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.
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Simple Mashed Rutabagas and Potatoes
Recipe: Simple Mashed Rutabagas and Potatoes
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 for creamy texture.
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Transparent Pie with Whipped Crème Fraîche and Sugared Cranberries
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, Kentucky. 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.
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Sea Island Crab Fried Rice
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.
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Old-School Squash Casserole
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.
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Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie
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.
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Fried Arkansas Black Apples
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.
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Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream
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.
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Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo
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.
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Buttermilk Spoon Bread
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.
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Old-School Green Bean Casserole
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.
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Fluffy Corn Pudding
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.
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Grated Sweet Potato Pudding with Pecans
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.
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Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce
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.
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Onion Soufflé
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.
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Molded Cranberry Salad
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.
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Cushaw Pie with Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce
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.
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Cornmeal Angel Biscuits
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.
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Persimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel
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.
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Shrimp-Stuffed Mirlitons
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.
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Scalloped Oysters
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.
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Caramel Tart with Brandy Whipped Cream
Recipe: Caramel Tart with Brandy Whipped Cream
Renowned chef, cookbook author, and lifelong champion of the food of the South Edna Lewis's recipe for Caramel Pie inspired our Test Kitchen to create this tart. Of her pie, she wrote: "This is a very haunting dessert, so rich and sweet one could easily overindulge. It's great after a heavy meal, to be served as tiny tarts or in very slender wedges." We topped our "slender wedges" of tart with a dollop of whipped cream spiked with a little brandy.
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Classic Candied Yams
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.
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Over the Moon Chocolate Pie
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.
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Southern Cornbread Dressing
Recipe: Southern Cornbread Dressing
Every Southern cook needs a recipe for classic cornbread dressing, and this one is as traditional as it gets.
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Grapefruit Chess Pie
Recipe: Grapefruit Chess Pie
If Thanksgiving signals winter's arrival, it also lets us know that citrus season is here. What better way to show off fresh grapefruit than with an updated classic chess pie? This recipe, adapted from Matt and Ted Lee's cookbook The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, features a festive autumn touch—a leaf-covered pie crust.