Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It reminds me of wonderful times with my mom, dad, and brother, gathered around our little table enjoying a huge meal that my mom had lovingly cooked. Of course, special family recipes were used to prepare many of the traditional dishes included in every Thanksgiving meal.
Our First Thanksgiving
When I married Dane, he had special family recipes, as well. I remember arguing our first Thanksgiving over which direction you were supposed to cut the hard boiled eggs to make deviled eggs. I was adamant that my mom cut them this way, and he was certain that him mom cut them the opposite direction. I’m not sure who won that argument…
But I do know that I won the fight about the mashed potatoes. My Grammy made the BEST mashed potatoes in the world, and her secret was to put a dollop of Hellman’s mayonnaise in them. (Not Miracle Whip, not low-fat mayo… It has to be Hellman’s.) He thought that sounded weird. I didn’t care. I wanted my Grammy’s mashed potatoes.
The discussion he won involved stuffed mushrooms. According to my hubby, you have to make stuffed mushrooms for Thanksgiving. Mind you, I don’t like mushrooms. Well, at least I didn’t think I did until I tried the Lytle Family Stuffed Mushrooms. They are amazing, so I want to share them with you…
Lytle Family Stuffed Mushrooms
- 2 pkgs. fresh mushroom caps (We prefer to use organic.)
- 1 lb Colby Jack cheese, grated
- 8 oz. cream cheese (Get the full fat good stuff!)
- 12 slices bacon (You can also use Bacon Bits to make it easier.)
- 1 tsp. garlic salt (Although Dane & I believe the more garlic, the better!)
- Dash of cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy!)
- Parsley (optional)
First, stem the mushroom caps. If you want to get fancy, you can glaze them with a butter-garlic mixture and cook them for about 15 minutes (face-down) before stuffing them.
Next, either cook the bacon, allow it to cool, and crumble it or, for ease, open the jar of bacon bits. ?
Then, soften the cream cheese in the microwave (approximately 45 seconds to one minute). Add the bacon and grated Colby Jack cheese and mix well.
To complete the stuffing, add the garlic salt and cayenne pepper (optional) and mix one last time.
Now, it’s time to stuff the mushroom caps. Dane and I believe the more stuffing the better, so ours are always overflowing with yummy goodness! ?
Finally, broil the stuffed mushrooms for approximately 10 minutes (give or take). The cheese should be golden brown on top when they are done.
If you like, top the cooked stuffed mushrooms with a little parsley to make them look fancy, and serve them up immediately. They are best straight from the oven, but we reheat them as leftovers often. They aren’t as pretty when warmed up in the microwave, but they still taste just as good!
Lytle Family Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe on Not So Mommy…
Lytle Family Stuffed Mushrooms on Not So Mommy…
Make Thanksgiving Your Own
I hope you’ll give our family recipe a try this year. But what I hope even more is that you’ll make Thanksgiving your own. Personally, I think it’s the perfect holiday to be childless. Cook whatever you want, pour yourself a glass of wine (or make a Pumpkin Martini), and enjoy a leisurely meal and great conversation with your hubby.
Do what makes you happy this holiday season. Find your joy!
Do you have a special family recipe that you cook every Thanksgiving? Tell us about it in the comments!
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Featured Photo Credit: Tohm Brigitte on StockSnap.io
1 comment
I think I may have been wrong about the cutting direction on deviled eggs. It seems the other way is much more predominant. LOL! Who knew? Your Thanksgiving article brought back many wonderful family memories.??