Everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving recipes they look forward to during the holiday gathering every year, unique to each family and passed down perhaps through multiple generations. I have asked our Columbia Metropolitan team to share a few favorite recipes that they look forward to with their families each Thanksgiving.

We have desserts covered in the article A Sweet Finish, so enjoy these tried-and-true favorites for your sides and mains this year, along with your own old faithfuls!

Apps & Sides

Jerusalem Artichoke Pickle
Hunter Hemphill, Production & Operations Associate

This recipe is from Caroline Susan Scott Gibbes (Mrs. Robert Wilson Gibbes, Jr.), who was my great, great, great-grandmother. She lived in Columbia at the corner of Sumter and Hampton Streets, where she raised my great-grandmother, Caroline Nathalie Hunter Fant. My grandfather used to make this artichoke pickle by the case and donate it to the annual Trinity Bazaar, where it always sold out immediately! Because this recipe originated in the late 1800s, it yields a lot, as it was given out to family, friends, church members, and neighbors during the holidays. This recipe makes at least 24 pints.

1 peck (2 gallons) Jerusalem artichokes
1 large green cabbage, finely chopped
1 dozen medium yellow onions, peeled, medium chopped
2 cups table salt
4 quarts apple cider vinegar
5 pounds light brown sugar
3 tablespoons mustard seed
1 (2 ounce) jar of turmeric
3 tablespoons dry yellow mustard
8 ounces prepared yellow mustard
2 bunches celery, medium chopped
2 large green bell peppers, medium chopped
2 large red bell peppers, medium chopped

Scrub artichokes to make them white, using a nylon fingernail brush. Coarsely grind artichokes. Place artichokes, cabbage, and onions in a gallon of water. Add 2 cups of table salt. Let sit overnight and then squeeze out all the liquid. Leave outside in a cool place.

Boil the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, turmeric, dry mustard, and yellow mustard until clear. This should take about 10 minutes. Add artichokes, cabbage, onions, celery, and peppers. Cook until hot. Pour into sterilized Mason jars.

A note from my grandfather: Scrubbing the artichokes is the worst part! If you want, scrub a half gallon each day and place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you do the whole peck. Make the pickle in an extra large Agate pot to keep it from turning black, which it would do in an aluminum pot.

Cranberry Salad
Mary Green Brush, Editorial Contributor

This recipe has been a family favorite for many years and was originally served by my late sister-in-law, Ann Heise Carrigan. She always made two batches because young children often do not like nuts. Eventually, family members noticed that my youngest niece, Emmie Carrigan Newberry, an adult by that time, had one batch without nuts to herself with plenty left to take home, while the rest of the family shared an equal size batch with no leftovers. Today Emmie is the maker of the cranberry salad. Her daughter, Rachael, as a child called the salad “pink cake.” Taste it and you will see why.

2 packages cherry Jell-O
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup boiling water
2 cups sour cream
½ cup nuts (can be omitted)

Dissolve Jell-O and cranberry sauce in hot water. Stir until smooth or with only a few lumps.  Chill in the refrigerator until slightly thickened. Keep an eye out, and don’t let it fully set. Remove from the refrigerator and add 2 cups of sour cream and the nuts. Allow to set fully in the refrigerator until time to serve, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve on individual salad plates on top of lettuce leaf, if desired.

Crunchy Green Beans with Almonds
Mary Green Brush, Editorial Contributor

This recipe provides a tasty, healthy addition to an often casserole-laden menu.

1 pound fresh green beans
½ cup slivered almonds

Snap ends from fresh beans, snap beans in half. Wash beans and cover with water in a microwave proof container. If time permits, chill an hour or two to enhance crunchiness. They can also be cooked on the stove in a steamer basket. If cooking in the microwave, cover the beans, almonds, and water in the container with plastic wrap, leaving a corner to vent. Microwave 5 minutes and check for tenderness. If cooking on stovetop, allow the beans to steam about 5 minutes before checking. Stop cooking when beans are crunchy but chewable. Remove from heat, drain, and serve.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Henry Clay, Publisher

Growing up in Louisiana, my sisters and I received a steady diet of Cajun and Creole cooking. I love this food as well as the culture it derives from and wanted my daughters to get some exposure to this cuisine, even though we live 800 miles away from Cajun Country. The dish they probably enjoy the most is a twice-baked sweet potato recipe I adapted from John Folse’s book The Encyclopedia Of Cajun & Creole Cuisine called ‟Ya Ya Yams.” It’s delicious and a great side for the Thanksgiving meal.

Note: The original recipe also called for butter and brown sugar, but we have found that between the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, the coconut, and the cane syrup, it is plenty rich without that extra heaviness. You could also top each potato with little marshmallows, but we have never tried it.

4 sweet potatoes
1 egg
3 tablespoons cane syrup
Handful shaved coconut, to taste
Handful chopped pecans, to taste

Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes on a sheet pan. When done, cut potatoes in half, scoop out the meat of potatoes, and place in mixing bowl. Leave empty half skins intact and on the pan.

In mixing bowl put one raw egg, cane syrup (2-3 tablespoons), coconut shavings, and pecan bits and mix thoroughly. Put contents of mixing bowl in potato skins and garnish with more coconut shavings and pecans. Bake potatoes about 15 minutes more at 350 F.

Macaroni and Cheese Soufflé
Hunter Hemphill, Production & Operations Associate

No Thanksgiving meal in my family is ever complete without macaroni and cheese — full of flavor and cheese but light enough that it is really more like a soufflé than a traditional macaroni and cheese casserole. This recipe is from my great-grandmother, Christie Powers Zimmerman, author of Receipts and Recollections, a book written when she was 85 years old and filled with “recollections” of her 95 year-long life in Columbia and “receipts” that she perfected along the way! In her words, measuring correctly is, of course, a good idea, but tasting frequently in the preparation process is the only way to guarantee a personal touch that marks a good cook. The secret to perfecting this recipe, for us, is cooking it slowly in a 325 F oven until it puffs up perfectly to the touch, just like a French soufflé!

1 pound New York State extra sharp cheddar cheese, cut into very small cubes, not grated
¼ to ½ pound New York State extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Scant cup of elbow macaroni (a little less than 8 ounces)
6 extra large eggs
2 cups whole milk
3 teaspoons salt
Paprika, to taste
2 quarts boiling water

In a medium saucepan, add 2 teaspoons salt to 2 quarts boiling water. Add macaroni and stir. Lower heat and simmer slowly uncovered. When macaroni is tender but not mushy — check by tasting — drain off hot water. Pour cold water over macaroni. Stir and drain well. Set aside.

Grease casserole dish with butter. Casserole dish should be 3 to 4 inches deep. Put a thin layer of cooked macaroni on the bottom; then a layer of cubed cheese; then one more layer of macaroni.

Beat eggs until smooth. Add milk and beat with eggs. Add one teaspoon salt while beating. Pour this over contents of casserole. Liquid should barely cover top layer of macaroni. A little more milk may be poured over if necessary.

Spread grated cheese over the top and sprinkle with paprika. Cook at 325 F uncovered on lower rack of oven for about 30 to 40 minutes. Move to top rack if cheese has not browned on top. Enjoy!

Allen’s Cheese Straws
Suzie Kiser, Editorial Associate

This recipe comes from my father, Dr. Allen Parrott Jeter, who always found an excuse to make his beloved cheese straws. Even on a day like Thanksgiving where no appetizer is needed, we always had them!

1 pound grated cheese, either New York State or extra sharp cheddar
1 cup Crisco, or butter, at room temperature
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Knead dough well, then place in the refrigerator and leave for 1 day. Roll thin, and cut in strips or press. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

Pineapple Casserole
Cathy Bagley, Digital Communications

For many years we have enjoyed a large extended family gathering for Thanksgiving with more than 40 people, including aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends. This is always a favorite!

2 cans (20 oz.) of pineapple chunks
⅔ cup sugar
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups sharp cheese, grated
¼ box ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain pineapple chunks and place in a medium casserole dish. Combine sugar and flour, then sprinkle over pineapple. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over pineapple. Sprinkle cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Melt butter and pour over entire mixture. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Mains

She-She’s Sour Cream Lasagna
Shawn Coward, Director of Advertising

This is a great dish to have on hand during the holidays for an easy meal to feed a crowd. We use this frequently for gatherings for our large, extended family. My grandson, Taylor, and I now make this together for our blended, large family gatherings. It is also an easy dish to learn for young chefs. It tastes just as good when reheated, and we usually double the recipe. It is also easy to prepare ahead to pop in the oven after a day on the beach.

Add fresh bread and olive oil for the adults, Texas Toast if there are children around, and make two boxes as this bread goes fast! Add in a fresh salad or even two bagged salads if time is short. This easy meal is always a hit! On a side note, She-She is my “grandmother” name.

1 large package of extra wide egg noodles
1 16-ounce container sour cream
1 package mozzarella cheese
1 package parmesan cheese
1 onion of your choice
1 bell pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce, or you can use your own homemade sauce
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
Fresh garlic
Red pepper flakes
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

Cook egg noodles and set to the side. Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic in olive oil and set to the side. Brown meat and add back the onion, pepper, and garlic. Mix well with spaghetti sauce and add seasonings.

In a separate bowl, mix sour cream and both cheeses (reserving some for topping). You may need to add some milk if too thick.

Grease a 9 by 11 pan with olive oil, then layer cooked noodles, sour cream mixture, and meat mixture. Layer twice. Top with cheeses. Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Frances’ Shrimp & Rice Casserole
Suzie Kiser, Editorial Associate

This dish is perfect for a crowd and is traditionally eaten the night before Thanksgiving to break up the monotony of a week filled with ‟bird.”

4 cups peeled and cleaned shrimp
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 tablespoons green pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 package half wild and half long grain rice (Uncle Ben’s)
12½ teaspoons Worcestershire
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup cheddar cheese

Saute onions and peppers. Pour into bowl. Cook shrimp in the remaining saute. Add all other ingredients and shrimp into the bowl and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole pan. Cook at 375 F for 35 minutes and serve hot.

Haha’s Venison Ham Roast
Margaret Clay, Editor & Associate Publisher

I load up my plate with this over turkey every year! My great-uncle, Heyward Gignilliat, ‟Haha,” brought this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and in my mind, it is simply not a holiday meal without it.

Venison ham
1 gallon Burgundy wine
2 packs Lipton powdered French Onion Soup
Mushrooms
Parsley
Chives
Bay leaves

Marinate the venison ham in the Burgundy wine for 24 hours in a roasting bag. Then add the remaining ingredients and cook 20 minutes per pound at 325 – 350 F, depending on your oven. This should yield a nice, medium-rare, pink meat.
Side note from an amateur: Don’t forget to puncture the roasting bag before putting in the oven!

Sausage Grits Casserole
Muffie Vardell Wells, Associate Editor

The Wellses enjoy this easy breakfast recipe when we all gather. It was originally shared with me by my sister-in-law, Angie Mealing. It is easy, delicious, and a meal all in one dish … a winner for all holidays!

1 pound HOT sausage — cooked, crumbled, and drained
3 cups cooked grits
1½ cups whole milk
3 eggs, well-beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
10 ounces grated cheddar cheese (I like Cracker Barrel white cheddar)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake 1 hour at 350 F.

Slow Cooked Wild Duck
Emily Clay, Publisher

Cooking wild ducks can be tricky because they can quickly become too dry. Slow cooking them in a clay casserole pot is the perfect solution for succulent ducks with the delicious dark meat falling off the bones! I prefer roasting them in clay pots, which have been popular since ancient Roman times, as they become seasoned and thus better with use. When Henry and I were newlyweds, I learned ever so much about cooking from my sister-in-law, Ginny Peterson, and this recipe is a product of her wonderful instruction.

4 wild ducks, picked and cleaned
2 onions, diced
1 large carrot, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 apples, sliced
2 cups red wine
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning
1 clay casserole pot, unsealed

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Soak both the top and bottom of the unsealed clay pot for 30 minutes in water. Rinse ducks well then season inside and out with salt, pepper, and Cavender’s. Stuff the duck cavities with onions and apples before placing breast down in the clay pot. Pour the wine and water around the edges of the ducks.

Douse the tops of the birds with Worcestershire sauce, then give a generous sprinkling of Cavender’s. Smother the ducks with the minced garlic, the diced carrot, as well as the rest of the onions and apples, until you can barely see any of the birds. Cover and roast for 3 or 3½ hours. Serve with rice because the gravy will be the best you’ve ever had!