Thanksgiving Recipes Sure to Please: Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Pie and Mac and Cheese (VIDEO)
It is that time of the year again and families will be getting together to catch up on old times, give thanks and chow down. For those stuck with the burden, or the pleasure, of cooking duty, here are three handy recipe instructions for making green bean casserole, sweet potato pie and macaroni and cheese.
Alton Brown, host of "Good Eats" on the Food Network has received nearly 400 positive reviews for his "Best Ever Green Bean Casserole" recipe. Preparation time is a little over an hour and the green bean casserole yields 4-6 servings.
One viewer who tried Alton's version of green bean casserole said: "This is my go to 'green bean casserole' dish for the holidays. I love the fact that it's FRESH and not a bunch of canned goo and the taste is so rich and comforting!"
Another viewer found the green bean casserole preparation a hassle, but still a joy: "This recipe is a hassle, but TOTALLY worth it!!! I am a newbie when it comes to cooking, and I was a little hesitant to try this recipe, but I am so glad I did."
The same commenter also had some words of advice: "Two pieces of advice before you begin: 1 watch the video, it helps, and 2 don't slice the onions as thinly as Alton does. I think the super thin onions are why many people have commented that they burned."
Another dish popular at Thanksgiving is sweet potato pie, and Paula Deen has a unique version she calls "Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie."
The recipe, which yields 6-8 servings, takes a little over two hours to prepare. Based on the nearly 200 positive reviews, it appears the time spent preparing the sweet potato pie is very much worth effort.
The responses from those who attempted Deen's "Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie," were made by many viewers who had never tried whipping up such a dessert before.
"I made Paula's Sweet Potato Pie last year for Thanksgiving dessert, my entire family loved it! My Mother in law went home with the recipe and will be making it this year," wrote on very happy viewer.
Another viewer not only loved Deen's recipe, but found that it still worked out great even with a few minor tweaks:
"With a few minor changes this pie was FABULOUS! Based on other reviews I changed up a few things, I used condensed milk instead of regular, I substituted 1/2 a cup brown sugar for 1/2 a cup of regular sugar and also added and extra 1/4 cup of pure sugar. I added nutmeg to taste about 1 tablespoon. The pie was amazing and did not need any type of topping!"
Another big hit that is sure to please is mac 'n' cheese.
Pat and Gina Neely of "Down Home with the Neelys" on the Food Network have their own unique spin on the ever popular Macaroni and Cheese, which includes bacon and potato chips.
This particular dish takes a little over an hour to prepare and serves about 6 people.
The recipe has received about 200 reviews, most of which are positive.
One commenter wrote: "The best Mac and cheese ever! I am an aspiring chef and will certainly make this apart of my family meals as often as I am able to make this. My children are very picky as I am as well. They gobbled this dish up and wanted more thereafter. ... You can't go wrong with this meal."
Another viewer wrote: "This is the best mac and cheese ever, I recommend following the recipe. The flavors are very well balanced and it has a bit of a kick, unlike regular mac and cheese."
For those looking for other Thanksgiving recipes for the family, the Food Network has a special Thanksgiving section.
USA.gov also has lengthy list of diverse recipes that reflect "the great diversity of our country." Some featured recipes also include Mamie Eisenhower's "Million Dollar Fudge" and Mrs. Truman's "Mac & Cheese."