Our favorite Thanksgiving food traditions

Thanksgiving is the best holiday, ’cause it’s all about food. I mean, it’s also about being thankful, and about our country’s complicated history, but: turkey! stuffing! PUMPKIN PIE!

Here are some favorite food-related traditions and recipes from the Lee & Low staff:

Keilin, Marketing/Publicity Intern:

One food-related Thanksgiving tradition that my family does is something AFTER the actual meal. My family takes all the turkey meat to save for sandwiches, but we also save the turkey bones! We use them to make a Chinese rice porridge called “jook.” Usually, jook is made with chicken and pork bones, but for the next week or so, my family gets to enjoy turkey jook! It has a different (albeit subtle) taste, and it’s something I look forward to every year!

Jessica, Associate Editor:

Every year, my mother makes her signature stuffing from gizzards, walnuts, raisins, and eggs. My brother and I refused to eat it when we were younger because it looked strange and had gizzards. Then a few years ago, as “adults”, we dared each other to try it. It was delicious! We couldn’t believe we missed out on it all those years.

Samantha, Editorial Assistant:

The food I always look forward to most on Thanksgiving is my mom’s potato souffle. She started making this instead of regular mashed potatoes when I was in high school, and now I request it every year. A few years ago, my family went out to Ohio for Thanksgiving, and I was left at home. A friend and I made Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves, and I was very careful about following my mom’s recipe to the letter. Unfortunately, the recipe didn’t include a note about proper handling of the souffle dish. After scooping my first serving of souffle, I picked it up towards the top of the dish, and the thing shattered. Pieces of glass fell into the potatoes. I stood there for a minute, wondering if I could salvage any of the souffle. I figured I could just pick out the glass. Luckily, clearer heads prevailed and I didn’t try to eat glass-filled potatoes, but I was bummed that I only got one scoop that year (I normally have several).

Potato Souffle recipe

-5 pounds of potatoes
-1 stick of butter
-1 8 oz package cream cheese
-5 eggs
-salt

Boil the potatoes with about 2 teaspoons salt until tender. Drain.
Add butter and cream cheese and mash or whip with an electric mixer. Taste for seasoning. (You can add pepper)
Beat in the eggs.
Pour into a 2 quart souffle dish.
Bake 30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. If it is not puffed and brown on the top, bake a little more.