What's on the table? Randolph County residents talk recipes and special family memories
Many families on Thanksgiving get together for good memories, conversation and favorite dishes. According to many surveys, the most popular side dishes in North Carolina are macaroni and cheese and biscuits. Randolph County residents also have dishes they make every year that leave them in a food coma afterward.
The Courier-Tribune created a poll to ask residents about their favorite dishes and why the holidays are important to them. Here are those responses.
Midge Noble - Tofurkey Roast
On Thanksgiving, my wife and her mom make great stuffing to put inside of the turkey. She always makes it with sausage and celery. When I became vegan, she found a sausage substitute so I was excited to eat it. I don't eat this food often so when she makes separate batches of food such as stuffing, I eat it with my roast.
We also make mashed potatoes with vegan butter so that I can eat mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. I also love the roasted root vegetable recipe that Oprah put in her magazine. That is the best thing because I have an herb garden that I use in this recipe and it has become a staple in our family.
As for dessert, I make my pie crust with fake butter and I’ll make apple pie, cherry pie and chocolate pecan pie. The chocolate pecan pie is so good, and I am still trying to find ways to make it vegan.
Our Thanksgiving Day starts with sitting and watching a football game while drinking some wine or beer. We also talk for a bit and play with our dogs. Then we get started preparing and cooking. I’d have to peel the butternut squash and sweet potatoes while gathering with various people at our house. We also have a lot of dogs, so we will take them for a walk and people would come out and watch because it was like a parade.
When it’s time for dinner, everybody’s running around, trying to get the bread done and making the gravy. We then sit down and talk about what we’re grateful for, have a prayer and then we’ll dig in.
I love Thanksgiving and it’s my absolute favorite holiday because it has not been corrupted with money. You don’t have to buy somebody something. You don’t have to do all these things to get ready for it. You just buy the food that everyone loves, sit around and talk and have gratitude together.
However, with COVID, there have been fewer people and laughter. My wife and I are vaccinated and got our booster shots, but some of our family members haven’t, so we have to decide whether to have family or risk getting sick. Since he's closer, my mom will probably go to my brother's house, but I still love the holidays.
Jonathan Thill - Tollhouse Pie
We love Tollhouse pie and make it every year. It's sweet from the Tollhouse chocolate chips and salty from the chopped nuts and is even more amazing after a big Thanksgiving meal. My wife started making it for family gatherings just after we got married, and one year she asked me to help.
The recipe called for two cups of chocolate chips, and when I grabbed a measuring cup, I didn’t realize that it was a two-cup measuring cup, not the one cup version. Needless to say, our Tollhouse pie that year had twice the amount of chocolate and turned out to be almost a solid brick of reconstituted chocolate chips. Did we still eat it? Yes.
Thanksgiving is an amazing time when you get to enjoy the company of family and friends. Food is great, but honestly, just an added bonus to the opportunity to slow down and shift our focus away from the grind toward the people and relationships in our lives.
The holiday can be tough during years of loss or isolation, so it’s important to extend our grace and gratitude to everyone we see this holiday season. Thanksgiving is a season to celebrate our family and neighbors, and for us, that starts with making sure everyone feels welcome to come as they are without the anxiety of feeling judged.
Martha Lewis - Oyster Roast
We do the typical Thanksgiving meal, but we did an oyster roast when I lived on the coast. That was always a fun time with friends gathered. Then, moving back home, we would all come together and have a fantastic meal before my parents passed. The dinner included turkey, ham, green beans, sweet tea, biscuits, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy.
Celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday however you choose but remember to be thankful for whatever you call your life because there really are things to be grateful for. Although, I admit that sometimes one must search very hard to find something of value.
Life can be very trying. When your child is hungry, your body is wracked with pain, or you have no idea where you and your family will find a place to sleep, it's hard to find something for which you can be thankful. No matter how small, find something to be grateful for because in giving thanks, you will be lightening your load, even if for only a moment.
Outside of family recipes, many groceries stores such as Food Lion and Lowes Foods offer Thanksgiving foods on sale with ideas for meals.
At Food Lion, items such as turkey, potatoes, pasta, roast, vegetables and cake mix are on sale. Lowes Foods food sales include ham, turkey breast, stuffing, beans and vegetables.
For individuals who might want inspiration for this year’s Thanksgiving, Food Lion has some new recipes to try. Recipes include slow cooker turkey roast, butternut squash mac and cheese, and mini cornbread puddings.
After a successful Thanksgiving dinner, do not forget to spruce up your leftover with ideas such as leftover turkey sliders, leftover turkey noodle casserole, cranberry pancakes and pumpkin and ice cream sandwiches.
Petruce Jean-Charles is a Government Watchdog Reporter. They are interested in what's going on in the community and are open to tips on people, businesses and issues. Contact Petruce at pjeancharles@gannett.com and follow @PetruceKetsia on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Courier-Tribune: Randolph County residents share Thanksgiving dishes, family gatherings
