One of my absolute favorite holidays is Thanksgiving! That’s mainly due to the endless carbs and yummy desserts. It’s also a time to reflect on traditions, family time, good food, and gratitude.
In the Cowart household, Thanksgiving has always been about comfort food, laugher, board games, a little retail therapy, and lots of hugs! It’s a comforting time for us knowing that we have so much to be thankful for. Afterall, we have each other 
Naturally, the Thanksgiving menu was a hot topic in our office the last couple of weeks. From favorite dishes, celebrity chefs and traditions.
We learned that Dede + Alexis loves to eat (if someone else is cooking) and the rest of us has a fondness for comfort food. What’s on the menu for the Cowart family tomorrow: Smoked turkey, ham, dressing, maple glazed yams, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, collard greens, green bean casserole, brussels sprouts, and desserts from our friends at Bakers Cottage Cakes. I’m not sure about you but the dinner time changes every year at our house and it’s always based on when the mac-n-cheese comes out the oven 
.
Although I love cookbooks for inspiration, I’ve never been one to stick to a certain recipe and often merge ingredients from a couple of options to mix things up a bit! The only recipe I don’t experience with is the brine for the turkey – I’ve perfected it over the years. Most of my cooking inspiration comes from Barefoot Contessa, Pioneer Woman, and Chrissy Teigen – It’s the perfect blend of sophisticated comfort foods with a little twist.
While we’re on the topic of “comfort” foods, one tradition we hope to carry on for years to come is the after dinner naps! That Turkey coma is something serious and always leads to us piling up on the sofa (with ‘bad’ holiday movies in the background) to take a quick one-hour nap before we pull out the sweet potato pies.
Check out some of the Thanksgiving traditions and favorite recipes from the team.
Love, Tamuel + The Cowart Family
Kimberly
What is your favorite thanksgiving dish and why – Creamy mac & cheese. I know, I know… so basic. But it’s delicious and reminds me of my cousin and I eating too much when we were kids 😜
Is there a Thanksgiving tradition you hope to carry on for years to come – Watching the Macy’s Parade while putting up the Christmas tree Thanksgiving morning.
What are you most thankful for in 2020 – Oh, gosh, where to start!? So many things, but the one that comes to mind first is my friend group. Living away from family can be hard, and they invited me to quarantine with them for three weeks this past spring. It was such a blessing to not be stuck at home alone for almost a month!
Celebrity chefs you channel when cooking – I actually don’t follow any. I just make it up as I go!
Any favorite recipes you care to share – Cherry cobbler: boxed vanilla cake mix combined with 1.5 sticks of melted butter. Crumble on top of cherry pie filling and bake ’til bubbly. Top with vanilla ice cream.
Maddie
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish and why –Dressing hands down! It’s the most complicated to make so we only have it around the holidays.
Is there a Thanksgiving tradition you hope to carry on for years to come – Every year the week before Thanksgiving I help my mom and other coaches’ wives cook a huge meal for my dad’s basketball team. Typically, they travel out of state for a Thanksgiving tournament and don’t get to go home, so I love seeing everyone come together as a family and try new things.
What are you most thankful for in 2020 – My health and extra time at home with my dog Sophie!
Celebrity chefs you channel when cooking – Does Chrissy Teigan count? That’s as far as my “celebrity chef” knowledge goes.
Any favorite recipes you care to share – Dressing (family recipe from my Great Grandmother Niblett)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, deboned
- 10 eggs, 4 boiled and chopped and 6 raw
- Bell pepper
- Mushrooms
- Sweet onion
- Celery
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
- 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
- 1 pan of cornbread, crumbled
- 6 slices of bread, toasted and cubed
- Chicken Broth…up to 32 oz container
- salt/pepper can add sage/thyme (I don’t)
Directions
- Sauté sliced celery, mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper in 1 stick of butter. Add to bowl when they are soft.
- Debone whole chicken in a big bowl.
- Boil 4 eggs, chop, and add to bowl.
- Make cornbread and crumble in bowl.
- Toast bread and pull apart…add to bowl
- Add both cans of soup to bowl.
- Melt one stick of butter and add to bowl.
- Add chicken broth to make a little soupy.
- Add spices (salt/pepper/etc.)
- Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 90 minutes or until set.
Amaris
What is your favorite thanksgiving dish and why – My favorite thanksgiving dish is my Mom’s cornbread dressing. It was always the highlight of our time in the kitchen together. I’d bake the cornbread the night before and wake up bright and early on Thanksgiving day to help her prepare all the fixings. Cutting up onions and laughing through onion induced tears. The best part was being the taste tester right before it went into the oven. It’s my fondest Thanksgiving memory. Though she never shared the recipe, it’s etched in my heart and made with love every single year for our family and by request for her closest friends.
Is there a Thanksgiving tradition you hope to carry on for years to come – I’m not sure setting a menu with the family is a tradition, but, every year me and my siblings create the Thanksgiving menu together on what each person will make. We always joke that it’ll take 3 days before we get my youngest brothers dishes because he is always late (fashionably, of course). We’ve learned to not give him the important things. Dessert only! Even when we’ve all moved to new places, It’s my hope that we’ll always come together as a family on Thanksgiving day with our children.
What are you most thankful for in 2020 – Whew! 2020 was a hell of a year!!! But I am so thankful for the time it’s given to really put things into prospective. It’s taught me that time is priceless and to cherish every single moment like it’s the last. To be present in all things and to value your friends and family. Oh, and to never take things for granted. Who knew toilet paper would be so scarce?! Ha!
Celebrity chefs you channel when cooking – Does my Grandma count as a celebrity chef?!
Any favorite recipes you care to share – I’m the worst at sticking to recipes. Most of my favorite dishes are a hodgepodge of different recipes I’ve tried, tweaked and added my own flair to. Added more butter, a dash more of this or that. How do you measure wrist shakes of certain seasonings?! Three shakes of this, a pinch and a half of that… ok ok fine, here’s the one recipe I can kind of share with measurements
My Peach Cobbler Recipe – Best served over two or three large scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. Tillamook Vanilla Bean is my fav
Ingredients
Batter:
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
Filling:
- 2 16oz cans of sliced peaches in syrup or fresh peaches peeled, pitted and sliced
- 1 cup of sugar
- Pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon of Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Melt ½ stick of butter in a 13×9 glass pan
- In a separate bowl, combine your batter ingredients (should be the consistency of pancake batter)
- Pour your peaches into a large pot with the juice of one can.
- Add your sugar and spices to taste
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly
- Pour your batter over the melted butter
- Spoon your peaches on top of the batter (DO NOT MIX)
- Pour juice over the peaches ( not all of it or you’ll have a true mess in our oven)
- Place in your oven at 355 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown
Akili
What is your favorite thanksgiving dish and why – Macaroni and cheese! I only make it on the holidays and it’s the perfect main or side dish.
Is there a Thanksgiving tradition you hope to carry on for years to come – Nope
What are you most thankful for in 2020 – My family and friends! Being forced to slow down in 2020 strengthened my relationships and reinforced who’s important in my life.
Celebrity chefs you channel when cooking – I channel Chrissy Teigen. Like her I’m not a real chef but I can whip up a tasty meal!
Any favorite recipes you care to share – Million Dollar Chicken. This always comes out perfectly roasted and the creme fraiche sauce is incredible! https://carnaldish.com/recipes/million-dollar-chicken/
Alexis
What is your favorite thanksgiving dish and why – Leftover Turkey sandwiches with pickles and cranberry on rye bread..mmm mmm good! WHY? The food always tastes better the day after.
Is there a Thanksgiving tradition you hope to carry on for years to come –Thanksgiving Family Football game!
What are you most thankful for in 2020 – How much we have learned and leaned on one another. I think 2020 brought out self-awareness of our own mental health and encouraged us to check in on those surrounding us. 
Celebrity chefs you channel when cooking – Shopaholics, always buying way too much food. The Grocery store is my happy place!
Any favorite recipes you care to share – Store bought cranberries is my jam, just open up the can and pour it in the bowl, clearly I’m not a cook.
In conclusion, we hope all of you have the very best time celebrating (virtually) with family and friends 🙂
