Unique family dishes

[Callie]

I'm getting ready to spend my first thanksgiving without family tomorrow, and am instead going to a coworkers home. To make it feel a bit like home, I'm taking a few family dishes.

Thought we could all share unique family recipes that we just love!

These are all from my great aunt, who sadly cannot cook any longer.

The first is a dip. You put a package of cream cheese at the bottom of a wide shallow dish (we have a special dip it was ALWAYS made it), on top of that goes a can of no bean chili, and top it off with shredded cheese and microwave. Super simple and SO good!

The other is some crazy jello.
Boil 5 cups of water, and 1/2 cup of Tapioca pearls for 20 mins.
Then add two Packages of Jello, any flavor, and 1 cup of sugar.
Let stand over night.
Then mix in 12 oz of cool whip, bananas, can of fruit cocktail drained, and a bag of mini marshmallows.

 

[Christine]

Our family has always had a "carrots and turnips" dish that is basically a rough mash of the two after cooking. It's super easy but with lots of butter it's very good.

 

[anniemae]

We used to have these baby pearl onions in a cheese sauce with bread crumbs on top, broiled in the oven to brown the crumbs. Loved these.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I put bacon on top of my sweet potatoes instead of marshmallows...does that count?

 

[Turn the Page]

My family has what we call Eagle Brand salad.

Basically, you take the label off a can of Eagle Brand condensed milk, put it in a pot of boiling water and boil it for about 8 hours. Boiling it turns it into caramel. Side note: make sure to keep plenty of water in the pot. My mom tried to do it over night one year and the pot ran dry which made the cans explode. I'm told it sounded like a shot gun blast in the middle of the night. There was caramel on the ceiling.

Anyway, when it's cooled off you cut both ends off the can and push one lid down through the other side so you're left with a cylinder of caramel. Slice that up and put a slice on each plate, a ring of pineapple on top of that, cottage cheese and sometimes, to make it festive, a maraschino cherry.

Sounds disgusting but it is soooo good.

 

[lovesmurfs]

My dad makes mashed rutabaga. Not sure I've ever tried it.

Growing up we had scalloped oysters, which I loved (except for the oysters themselves....just liked the flavor). Made it for Thanksgiving as an adult several times -- everybody but me turned their noses up at it.

Think I'll make it for Christmas.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Nobody in the family has the recipe but I loved my Grandmother's creamed onions. She has been gone for many, many years.

I need to find a recipe for them and start experimenting one year to see if I can come close.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My family has what we call Eagle Brand salad.

Basically, you take the label off a can of Eagle Brand condensed milk, put it in a pot of boiling water and boil it for about 8 hours. Boiling it turns it into caramel. Side note: make sure to keep plenty of water in the pot. My mom tried to do it over night one year and the pot ran dry which made the cans explode. I'm told it sounded like a shot gun blast in the middle of the night. There was caramel on the ceiling.

Anyway, when it's cooled off you cut both ends off the can and push one lid down through the other side so you're left with a cylinder of caramel. Slice that up and put a slice on each plate, a ring of pineapple on top of that, cottage cheese and sometimes, to make it festive, a maraschino cherry.

Sounds disgusting but it is soooo good.

The caramel on the ceiling made me giggle. Sounds like something that would happen at my parents house.

One year my Mom made homemade pickles intending to have them on Thanksgiving day. She opened the jar and they smelled awful so she stuck them outside on the porch intending to throw them out. A few hours later a skunk came by and ate them - I wasn't sure what was worse - the smell of the skunk or the smell of those pickles! Ah country living.......

 

[Luvchefmic]

Nobody in the family has the recipe but I loved my Grandmother's creamed onions. She has been gone for many, many years.

I need to find a recipe for them and start experimenting one year to see if I can come close.

Oh YES this !! , my Nana made them too...please share it when you find it. When I see them in the supermarket freezer, not even close, I miss her so much.



The pickles and the skunk is hysterical !! The caramel on the ceiling sounds like an I Love Lucy episode

Great memories. Happy Thanksgiving all

 

[jdb in AZ]

My family has what we call Eagle Brand salad.

Basically, you take the label off a can of Eagle Brand condensed milk, put it in a pot of boiling water and boil it for about 8 hours. Boiling it turns it into caramel. Side note: make sure to keep plenty of water in the pot. My mom tried to do it over night one year and the pot ran dry which made the cans explode. I'm told it sounded like a shot gun blast in the middle of the night. There was caramel on the ceiling.

Anyway, when it's cooled off you cut both ends off the can and push one lid down through the other side so you're left with a cylinder of caramel. Slice that up and put a slice on each plate, a ring of pineapple on top of that, cottage cheese and sometimes, to make it festive, a maraschino cherry.

Sounds disgusting but it is soooo good.

If you boil the condensed milk in a crockpot you won't have to worry about it boiling dry. It would probably take twice as long, even on high power, but the water doesn't evaporate as quickly. I make a Dulce de Leche trifle with two cans of caramelized condensed milk -- sinfully delicious.

 

[ORMom2Four]

Oh YES this !! , my Nana made them too...please share it when you find it. When I see them in the supermarket freezer, not even close, I miss her so much.



The pickles and the skunk is hysterical !! The caramel on the ceiling sounds like an I Love Lucy episode

Great memories. Happy Thanksgiving all

My grandmother made creamed onions too! She would have been in her mid 80's now. I wonder if that generation always had creamed onions at Thanksgiving?

My mom makes them now, I will ask her how to make them and post it on this thread. One year I made them, and I just remember there was a technique, not really a recipe.

 

[Jennasis]

My dad makes this amazing dish of shredded carrots mixed with butter, garlic, onion and bacon. Wow. Its' so good and I don't even like carrots!

 

[czycropper]

Our most unique family dish is that we have lamb instead of turkey! No one in my family really like turkey so I stopped cooking it about 7 years ago.

 

[Luvchefmic]

My grandmother made creamed onions too! She would have been in her mid 80's now. I wonder if that generation always had creamed onions at Thanksgiving?

My mom makes them now, I will ask her how to make them and post it on this thread. One year I made them, and I just remember there was a technique, not really a recipe.

Oh the generations that cooked with love and unlimited calories My Nana passed away in the 1982 and she was in her 70s but I'll bet it's the same. Looking forward to when you post Thanks!

 

[justjulie]

so I don't miss the creamed onions recipe!

 

[KNJWDW]

My mom makes the creamed onions, too! I have also made them, never as good as hers though. Sometimes she also adds peas to the recipe.

 

[jdb in AZ]

One of these recipes might be what you're looking for, thanks to Julia Child, and Google.

http://dineandcook.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/old-culinary-traditions-creamed-onions/

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I was just reminded of one that I always thought was unique, but now I'm thinking it may be a generational thing.

My grandparents always had a tray of olives and pickles out on the table with the regular meal, not an appetizer. When I moved to NY I noticed that DH's grandmother does it too!

No one else at their house has heard or seen anyone else do it though.

 

[emma'smom]

We totally do this. Maybe it's a NY thing? Pickles, olives, and relish tray...all part of dinner (except all the kids sneak the olives to put on their fingers ahead of time).

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

We totally do this. Maybe it's a NY thing? Pickles, olives, and relish tray...all part of dinner (except all the kids sneak the olives to put on their fingers ahead of time).

Naturally.

My grandparents are from Chicago though. Maybe a northern regional thing? (DH's Gma is originally from my father north.)