Six Thanksgiving tips and recipes to bring us together
November 23, 2021
You may not see eye-to-eye with your family on all of today’s hot topics, but there’s one thing we can agree on this time of year—Thanksgiving food. It just doesn’t get any better than gathering with loved ones and eating. And then eating some more.
Maybe you have secret family recipes passed down for generations. Or perhaps you keep it simple by ordering out. Want to mix it up this year? Here are a few favorite recipes and tips (from HPUMC members and staff) that everyone will enjoy.
Because the only difference that should really matter at your Thanksgiving table is whether you have one scoop of mashed potatoes or seven.
Sue Otstott Irish
HPUMC Member
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it’s a day of family and food, and I have SO much to be thankful for. Favorite recipe: My mom’s oyster dressing with giblet gravy. I host a big family and my brothers always look forward to it. Favorite hacks: I cook and freeze as much as I can ahead of time. Also, I cook rolls first and keep them warm in a cooler, so I have more room for other things.
Alex Yocum-Beeman
HPUMC Creative Director
Growing up in Arizona, Mexican food and its flavors were always a staple, even during the holidays. So for Thanksgiving, we added a little extra “kick” to our pumpkin pies.
Brenda Hargett
HPUMC Executive Director, Operations and CFO
The story goes: It was Thanksgiving time and my older brother, who was 3 or 4 at the time, really wanted to dig into the orange jello with mandarin oranges that my mom had just made in a fancy jello mold that was the rage in the 1960s. He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t have it yet. My mom kept telling him it was for our company that was coming to eat Thanksgiving dinner with our family.
His little ears just heard that it was “Company,” and later kept asking for when he could have the “Company.” So, to this day, we always have “Company” on our Thanksgiving table, even if we don’t have guests coming to feast with us.
Kevin Crain
HPUMC Copywriter
Part of my family is vegan. When we have Thanksgiving with them, we enjoy this layered dish as an alternative to turkey. It’s light and healthy, so you don’t feel super-stuffed after eating it!
Anne Marie Goodwin
HPUMC Generosity Assistant
Cranberry sauce is SO easy and way better than from a can (just say NO to canned sauce!). I love this recipe that has a bunch of orange citrus zing.
