First, I want to tell you what we always have at my house to go with the dressing. Turkey, of course, but not baked in the traditional way. I always call our local barbecue stand-Whitt's, if you're ever near Hartselle, Alabama-and order a barbecued turkey. I pick it up on Wednesday and keep it in the refrigerator until time to heat it the next day. Served with Alabama white sauce...lip-smackin' good!
How about a big bowl of mashed potatoes? Put lots of butter when you whip them, then add a little extra pat on top, just for show. If I'm feeling creative, I might sprinkle a little parsley on top before serving, but my family won't stand for much variation from the norm, not on this oh-so-traditional day! A bowl of giblet gravy adds the perfect topping for the potatoes.
We have to have green beans, frozen from the garden last summer, although nobody really likes to eat them. They just like HAVING them, if you know what I mean. Corn, of course, is mandatory, dating back to the Pilgrims' experience with the Indians, and homemade yeast rolls.
At least, everybody THINKS the rolls are homemade. I discovered those frozen lumps of dough you can buy at the grocery store a few years back, and so far have not been found out. Please don't tell my secret, OK?
We have to have sweet potatoes, cooked, mashed, and made into a casserole topped with brown sugar and pecans. My mother usually fixes that. Jackie, my sister-in-law, can be counted on for macaroni and cheese-definitely not out of a box. She's a great cook.
Dessert is two pecan pies and a sweet potato pie, made by my mother. I make a red velvet cake, if I'm in the mood. They're a lot of trouble, but less trouble than facing my sons empty-handed.
Top it off with sweet iced tea and hot coffee, and we're all ready to sprawl out in the den for an afternoon of football.
Oh, you're still waiting for the recipe for cornbread dressing, huh? Well, there's not really a recipe, but I'll try to re-create how I make it. Start by saving your leftover cornbread in the freezer for a few weeks. If you don't have enough (I usually don't), just make a 9 x 13 pan of cornbread the day before. Actually, I often make two pans of cornbread, because this dressing is better served as leftovers. It also freezes well.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Martine G. Bates's Southeastern U.S. topic, please visit the Discussions page.