Thanksgiving to me means jello salad and sweet potato, well, anything. Of course, we always have the bird to ooo and awe over, but really, it’s the jello salad. Did I mention the jello salad? While I am pretty sure my Grandma’s Cherry Cola Jello Salad recipe did not make its debut at the first Thanksgiving, the thought has kind of made me wonder…where the heck did the idea of traditional Thanksgiving dinner foods make come from?
Real Simple has a Thanksgiving timeline that outlines the staples: turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and of course, the green bean casserole. According to their article, the only food that we consider traditional Thanksgiving fare likely served at the “first” Thanksgiving would have been wild turkey–and it wouldn’t have taken center stage, like the bird does now. It would have been served with “oysters, venison, duck, and eel.” Those Plymoth Rock pilgrims pretty much invented “eat local.” 🙂 Green bean casserole is the baby of the bunch, officially hitting the scene around 1955.
I guess those deep-seeded traditions that we all hold so fondly aren’t really all that old. Could you imagine the look on the pilgrim’s faces if they sat down to a standard American Thanksgiving today? I guess “traditions” change with each generation more than I ever really stopped to consider.
What is your family’s favorite “traditional” Thanksgiving menu item?
Long live jello salad!
~Mavis
Lana says
I was putting together my menu and realized that Jello salad frequently gets thrown out here so I skipped it. Now they will be asking where it is.
Susan says
Have to have mashed rutabagas and bread stuffing.
Laura Z says
I usually put out a “relish tray” filled with good olives, pickled peppers, cucumbers, beets, and pickled okra. We always have stuffing — usually cornbread, but not always. Also, homemade cranberry sauce and turkey w/ homemade gravy. I didn’t grow up eating green bean casserole or jello salads, so those definitely don’t seem like Thanksgiving to me, but we almost always have sweet potato casserole with a candied pecan topping. I usually make fresh green beans, collard greens, winter squash of some sort, and sometimes I’ll make asparagus, even though it is totally out of season. (Bad, I know.) Oh, and pie! Sweet potato, pecan, apple, pumpkin, or chess are some of my favorite ones to serve. We usually mix it up a bit.
Delores says
Sweet Potato Crunch! I got the recipe from a Taste of Home magazine years ago (14?) and we have had it every year since! It is way better than any sweet potato pie!
Megan says
What a great reminder!! It would be really encouraging for someone facing their first Thanksgiving after having to change their diet for health reasons. I did my first gluten free (actually almost carb free for just me…) Thanksgiving last year… It wasn’t too hard because I’m not a huge traditionalist thankfully! Maybe this year I’ll move in the more “historical” direction!
Stacy says
Nothing too unusual, no passed down family recipes, but, the one thing I always have is a frozen Wicks Sugar Cream Pie….they are fabulous!! I limit myself to one slice on one day of the year (because there is nothing healthy about them!)
No one else will eat it so normally it gets taken to work or passed on to someone elses party.
I know people think homemade/family recipe/heirloom things are expected, but Wicks S/C Pie will always be MY T-Giving treat!!
Stacy
Mavis says
I might just have to have myself a slice and see for myself!
Connie says
Our family favorite is my Momma’s old fashioned Cornbread Dressing. When I was a young ‘un (starting at about 6 yrs old), Momma would sit me down with her big ol’ blue enamel roasting pan full of freshly made cornbread and my job was to break it all up with my hands. “Playing” with her cornbread while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a memory I absolutely cherish! Thanks Momma. <3
mandy says
I get to make the turkey this year 🙂 So, I’m going to make one like my grandma always has. She always claimed she had the drunkest bird in town. We put onion soup mix or seasonings over bird, then melted butter, then white wine. Cook it low n slow and keep basting him till he’s falling apart.
A new creation that has become a tradition is a rice, celery, green olive, and shrimp mixed with a bit of mayo to hold things together and lemon pepper spice, paprika. Then you put a russian dressing on it. This is my fave.
Mavis says
That turkey prep sounds like it would be amazing!!