Thanksgiving preparations at the Eicher homestead

Thanksgiving Day is coming upon us. A great day to spend with family! My sister Emma and I take turns hosting Thanksgiving dinner for our families and sisters Verena and Susan. This year sister Liz and Levi and daughter Suzanne have plans to join us since they will be in the area that day.

We had a surprise visit from Joe’s sister Esther and David and their son David Tyrel, age 4. It was so good to see them again and have a visit with them. David Tyrel is really growing up fast. They live in the Sugarcreek, Ohio, area.

This week I am sharing many recipes for your Thanksgiving celebrations.

This turkey casserole is a great way to use up leftover turkey.

 

Turkey Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups turkey, diced (or chicken)
1 cup shell macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 small onion, diced

Mix mayonnaise and soup together. Add remaining ingredients and place in a buttered casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Another recipe I’ll share is the pumpkin roll we always have for Thanksgiving.

 

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine eggs, pumpkin, and sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend together well. Pour into a 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet that has been greased. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle clean towel with powdered sugar. Flop out the pumpkin cake into the towel when it comes out of oven. Roll up like a jellyroll; let cool completely before filling.

 

Filling:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix filling ingredients together until smooth. Unroll cooled cake, then spread with filling and roll up again without towel and refrigerate.

I use this dressing recipe to have with the turkey. It’s a simple, easy dish to add to your menu.

 

Dressing

4 eggs
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery or celery leaves
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cups hot water (use potato water, if you have some)
2 tablespoons chicken-flavored soup base
10 slices bread, crumbled

Dissolve soup base in hot water, then add rest of ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole dish or cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I never think we can go without pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day either. Whipped topping or ice cream finishes it off. This recipe is for a 9-inch regular pie plate (not deep dish). If you use a deep-dish plate you will probably need to double the recipe.

 

Pumpkin Pie

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon flour
Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients except cinnamon. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees until set. Makes 1 pie.

And to finish off a good meal there is nothing better than some dinner rolls warm from the oven. Mix these up after your turkey and dressing are in the oven and bake them last so they are warm to serve with the Thanksgiving meal.

 

60-Minute Dinner Rolls

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
4 cups flour

 

Add yeast and sugar to warm milk and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Stir well and let stand in warm place approximately 20 minutes until double in size. Form into 24 egg-sized rolls. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

I wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving. Let us give thanks for all the blessings we receive from our Father in Heaven. May God be with each of you. Let us pray for unity in our nation. Peace to all and God’s blessings!

 

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Her newest cookbook, Amish Family Recipes, is available now from the publisher, Herald Press, 800-245-7894. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email  [email protected] and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.

2 thoughts on “Thanksgiving preparations at the Eicher homestead”

  1. I have followed ALL your articles and recipes for years. It was always special because my Grammie, Mom and I shared them together. We loved Amish cooking and culture and took many “day” trips to Amish Acres, das Essenhaus in and around Shipshawana and Middlebury Indiana. I lost my original recipe for pumpkin roll that I made for them at holidays. So happy to have you and your recipes back!

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