Thanksgiving in the South
November 1, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Austin
• 0 Comments
Thanksgiving in the South
Thanksgiving may be an American tradition that started in the North, but Southern cooks have used their own food traditions to turn Thanksgiving into a quintessential Southern holiday. Everyone from home cooks to graduates of culinary schools in Texas has made delicious contributions to Southern Thanksgiving traditions.
While a Southern Thanksgiving dinner won’t be unrecognizable compared to a New England dinner, it will have some distinctly Southern touches that would not appear on a Thanksgiving plate in Boston. Macaroni and cheese is a perfect example. Northerners may think of it as a kid’s food, but people from North Carolina to Alabama are crazy for their mac & cheese and will often serve it alongside the Thanksgiving turkey.
Pickles are another point of departure. In the South, they pickle everything, and you’ll most likely find some of them on your plate at Thanksgiving. Favorites include beets, cauliflower, oysters, and cabbage.
It All Started in the South
While many dishes are unique to Southern Thanksgiving dinners, there are many Thanksgiving food traditions that began in the South and have become favorites across the entire country, including sweet potato casserole, pecan pie, and ambrosia salad. Many culinary schools in Texas teach how to take these home cooked treats and turn them into delicious restaurant fare.
Other famously Southern dishes that may appear north of the Mason-Dixon line include green beans with ham, angel biscuits, deviled eggs, and collard greens.
A complete Southern Thanksgiving menu might include:
- Roast Turkey
- Pan Gravy
- Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
- Black Eyed Peas with Ham
- Deviled Eggs
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Mashed Potatoes with Greens
- Coconut Layer Cake
- Pecan Pie
You may not be from the South or a graduate of one of the fine culinary schools in Texas, but you can’t deny the great tastes found in that menu. Shall we save a seat for you?
Recipe for Ambrosia Salad
If you grew up in the North, your grandmother may have brought this to the family reunion every summer. If you grew up in the South, your grandmother made this for Thanksgiving every year.
Ingredients:
- 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 (8 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained
- 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
- 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained (optional)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Prepartion:
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Pour into a 2.5 quart casserole dish and refrigerate at least two hours before serving
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