Thanksgiving Food Blogger Recipe Hall of Fame
I want to call out THE food blogger recipes that have made my Thanksgivings for the past several years stand out. These are the dishes my family and guests insist on having every year – the dishes a crowd of 50 or more cheered for when they were placed out on the buffet and devoured leaving few, if any left overs. These are also the recipes my family has chosen to keep on our pared down menu this year as we down size to a family-only Thanksgiving with 10 people.
Every year I scanned food blogs to find the perfect recipes. I tried many, but they did not stand the test of time – these have:
Pistachio date balls
These are special. Easy to make as long as you have a food processor, and easy to eat. People who don’t know that they like dates fall in love with them. I found this recipe several years ago when Sacha Martin was blogging a recipe a week from EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. She went on to publish her memoir, Life From Scratch, which I also highly recommend.
So many of Sacha’s recipe’s from A Global Table Adventure have made it into our regular rotation. She is a blogger hero of mine and one of the reasons I started dreaming of my own blog. Thank you Sacha for being you, and thank you for giving us Pistachio Data Balls!
Jalapeno Popper Dip
This is serious Jalapenos everyone! I make multiple batches of this recipe I got from Brown Eyed Baker and it is never ever enough. I serve hot appetizers around mid day every Thanksgiving to hold off the hungries until the main meal is served. Late morning people start following me around asking when the popper dip will be ready – seriously folks, this dip is good! It isn’t for the week of heart though – be prepared for some burn.
Make sure you wear gloves when you prep the 16 or so peppers in this dip. If you forget or are foolhardy like I have been – don’t touch your eyes. Just don’t. But because you probably will, and it will hurt, try coating your hands with some Dawn dishwashing soap – I mean slather your hand in Dawn like it is the best hand lotion you have ever encountered. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes then rinse off. That should remove a lot of the hot oil. Keep repeating this until the burn goes away – but it still could be a day or so. Be warned.
Apple Slab Pie
I have another call out to Brown Eyed Baker for her Apple Slab Pie. This year, downsizing to a dinner of family only we collectively voted to keep only ONE pie on the menu. Only ONE. In previously years I baked 7-9 pies, all on Thanksgiving morning (I think I am going to sleep in this year!). Pumpkin pie didn’t win; pecan pie didn’t win; traditional apple pie didn’t win. Apple Slab Pie won out unanimously.
Why? Because it is easy to make, a person can cut just the right sized slice, it is never messy, and if there happens to be any left overs (not common), it saves well. This is also a recipe I take to pot lucks, picnics, or just make when we feel like a giant poptart.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake
This is desert perfection PERFECTION! and it is a trifecta, a hat trick, a three time win for Brown Eyed Baker. I did not plan it that way, it’s how the voting went. I follow and use recipes from many food bloggers, but these were the winners folks.
This cheesecake is not a quick bake. It optimally takes two or even three days. But the good news is you can (and should) finish it at least a day before serving so it cuts down on Thanksgiving Day cooking.
When this cheese cake comes out there is a rush to grab a piece before it is gone. Some years I make two or I save one back for the family to eat the day AFTER Thanksgiving. It really is that good.
Happy eating
Enjoy these recipes – and come back for more. I ill be posting some of our other family favorites; the recipes passed down through my family. Some will only be available through my newsletter so be sure to subscribe. But for now applaud Sasha and Michelle for their belief in good food and their openness to sharing the love with us!