Thanksgiving 2014

I've gotten several questions this year asking what we serve at Thanksgiving and asking for the recipes.  Ours is not a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but it does have a few traditional dishes.  And it's very good.  At least we think so! 

2014 Thanksgiving Menu

Chicken (As a family, we do NOT like turkey.  So as a family we decided we wanted a heavy hen for
   dinner.  My mom roasted it and it was very good, of course.)
Hog Maw (This is our preferred holiday meat.  I made this.)
Gravy (Of course my mom made this using some of the pan juices from the chicken.)
Mashed Potatoes (My son requested these and I made these.)
Green Bean Casserole (My son requested this and I made it.)
Sweet Potato Casserole (My son requested this and I made it.)
Collard Greens (I love these and so does my mom.  My son and dad do too, but not as much.  I made
   these.)
Steamed Pole Beans (My mom thought perhaps we needed a "normal" vegetable on the table.  I made
   these.)
Fried Cabbage (I had cabbage leftover from the maw so decided to fry it up.)
Cranberry Sauce (My mom requested this and I made it.)
Cole Slaw (My dad requested this and my mom made it.  Her's is perfect and I can't duplicate it.)
Deviled Eggs and Hard Boiled Eggs (I wanted the deviled eggs.  My mom made them because I can't
   duplicate her perfect deviled eggs.)
Stuffing and Dressing (My mom made this.)
Cornbread (My mom made this.)
Biscuits (My mom made these.)
Pineapple Upside Down Cake (This is my son's favorite so my mom made it.)
Homemade Pink Lemonade (My mom made this.)

And this was only for four people.  Needless to say we have a ton of leftovers.  We've eaten some of the leftovers today, but I fear I'll be eating leftovers for the rest of my life!  And then comes Christmas.  My son has already requested a ham so I'm on the quest for the perfect ham now.

In the coming days I'll post recipes for the individual dishes.  As I post the recipes I'll come back here and add a link directly to the recipe.  I won't post recipes for my mom's dishes (I don't know them).

Chili

This is a recipe I developed on my own over the last few years.  Often I put more of the seasoning in my chili than what I've listed below, but my son and I like our chili a little more flavorful than most.  So for the sake of my readers, I've toned the recipe down to accommodate the more sensitive palate.

1 lb hamburger
1 lb ground sausage
1 large red onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 (27 oz) can Bush’s Chili Beans in mild sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon garlic powder or substitute minced garlic to taste (I usually use minced garlic)
3 tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons ground cumin

Put onion, green pepper, hamburger and sausage in large skillet and cook until meat is done and onion and green pepper are soft. Onions will be translucent. While you are cooking the meat, combine the rest of the ingredients in a Dutch oven or similarly large pot and warm over medium-low heat. When meat has finished cooking, drain well and then add to Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium-high and heat until bubbly. Turn heat back to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.  If you are in a hurry you can skip the simmering step and simply serve immediately, but you won't have the same flavor as when you let it simmer.

I usually serve this chili with sour cream, shredded cheese and warm cornbread.

Serves 6-8