Thanksgiving is a time when families gather together to give thanks for their bounty, to eat a great meal together

and in many families to watch college football.

For many schools throughout the country the Thanksgiving Weekend means Rivalry Week.  Many are intrastate rivalries.  Many are for that state’s bragging rights.

A few come to mind:

The Iron Bowl-Alabama vs. Auburn

Clemson vs. South Carolina

 Florida vs. Florida State

with both bands playing together in the pregame show

 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech

Michigan vs. Ohio State

The Egg Bowl-Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

UCLA vs. USC

And this year, COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S MOST PLAYED RIVALRY GAME:  LAFAYETTE VS. LEHIGH,

celebrating the 150th Rivalry Game at Yankee Stadium, Saturday, November 22.

Many of us have season tickets and wouldn’t dare miss these rivalry games.  With more games being nationally televised, especially with the emergence of the SEC Network, others stay at home, visiting with family, and choosing to “Homegate” instead of “Tailgate”.

Tailgate Party

n.
a festive, pre-game social event celebrated on or near stadium grounds featuring creative recipes, grilling competitions, colorful linens, themed decorations, fun and friendship

Homegate Party

n.

a festive, pre-game party celebrated in the home, in front of a television,  featuring creative recipes, team colored linens, themed decorations, fun and friendship

When thinking of rivalries, I started thinking about family traditions at Thanksgiving and what different families serve with the traditional turkey.

I think most people serve sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, maybe that traditional broccoli casserole, some form of cranberries, either whole berry or the canned cranberry sauce (sliced right out of the can).  Throughout the South many families serve a congealed salad.  (Next post will include the recipe for these sweet potato stuffed oranges.)

The one dish that causes the most discussion is “The Dressing”.  Do you stuff the bird?  Do you use day old bread, sitting out to dry before cubing?  Or do you use Pepperidge Farms Stuffing?

Do you make cornbread dressing and even better do you add oysters?

In honor of the college rivalry games, I thought we would do a rivalry thing with Thanksgiving dressings.

In our family we have a stuffing based on an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe.  My father was originally from Pennsylvania and insisted my mom, who was from south Georgia and used to cornbread stuffing, make this every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It became our favorite and eventually the cornbread dressing disappeared from our holiday table.

What makes this different than most dressings?  It has the mashed potatoes in the dressing, making it moister than most.

 The secret is ricing the boiled potatoes through a ricer.

UHLMA’S POTATO STUFFING

Serving Size: 12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 pounds potatoes
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 1 cup celery chopped
• 8 white or whole wheat bread slices or 1 small package Pepperidge Farm Stuffing
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Instructions

1. Boil potatoes with skin on.
2. While potatoes are cooking, stir fry butter, onions, and celery.
3. When potatoes are done, drain, peel and mash. (I use a ricer to get smooth potatoes).
4. Stir cooked onions and celery into warm potatoes.
5. Add dried bread crumbs or cubes or (Pepperidge Farms stuffing mix), salt, pepper, beaten eggs, and poultry seasoning.
6. Bake in 350-degree oven for 30-45 minutes until crusty on top.
7. Freezes well.

Bread Crumb Instructions

1. Place 8 slices bread directly on rack in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Cube or process in a food processor.

Notes

Warning: This will become your go to stuffing!

By Uhlma Lovett via KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

Mom and Dad had three girls, all married.  All three husbands have adopted this recipe as their family stuffing!  Not one husband ever wanted to go back to their old stuffing. 

I have challenged you to a rivalry match.

 THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE THANKSGIVING STUFFINGS.

Email me with your favorite recipe:  kathy@kathymillertime.com

Come celebrate with me.  I’ll save you a seat at the table.