What's your can't miss Thanksgiving day dish?

Nov 19, 2014
2 min read

I just came across this great article in the New York Times "The United States of Thanksgiving" that highlights a dish from each state for Thanksgiving.

I have always been intrigued with the various beloved dishes that each family not only enjoy's gobbling up with their family and friends but also enjoy's preparing with one another.

Or greedily alone, because they don't want their loved ones to just jump into that kitchen all haphazardly thinking that they are "helping" and screw up any hard work that results in this dish you have waited to enjoy all year long. Either way, I feel you.

Growing up in Utah, I was raised in a Jehovah Witness household and I knew from a very young age that that, was just not going to work for me. They do not believe in celebrating any holidays. None whatsoever. As this girl will celebrate at the drop of a hat, for any reason at all, be it a friends birthday or the opening of a letter, I always knew this would not be a part of the rest of my life. And it's not. Let's get it straight, I am not insulting the Jehovah Witness faith, it just does not work for me. I like to party like its 1999, still.

Wait, I think Prince is now a Jehovah Witness, anyhoo...

So growing up in a Jehovah Witness family, I don't have any of my own family's recipes that were passed down for me to enjoy during the holidays. I did however have the great fortune to live with a family that took me in as if I was one of their own when I was 17 years old and I have an absolute treasure trove of recipes that I proudly carry on. I also worked as a live-in nanny for a few families and one of my favorite things was to discover each family's "dish", every family has one and they really vary from across the nation. Utah, you really love your Jell-o.

One of my favorite family recipes is actually known as funeral potaoes and was even featured in The New York Times. While this dish is mostly known for showing up at funerals, it proudly makes its appearance at Thanksgiving and or Christmas.