Every Thanksgiving my sister’s family and my family would get together for a fun 4-day holiday weekend sleepover. My sister and I loved getting all the food ready, but realized that we could and should make the cooking a family affair. So, on Thanksgiving Eve we announced that each person had to pick 1 recipe to make. This meant that they needed to read the recipe, understand it, time it, prep it, cook it and serve!
Our family thought we were nuts, but we were on to something! Our kids learned valuable life skills and made lasting memories!
Here are some of the menu items our kids took over on Thanksgiving:
- Guacamole & chips
- Onion dip & potato chips
- Pigs in a blanket
- Cheese, apple & fruit board
- Cranberry Sauce & Jelly
- Rolls
- String Beans with ginger & garlic
- Yam/Apple Casserole
- Glazed Carrot Casserole
- Mashed Potatoes
- Stuffing
- Death by Chocolate
Granny’s Yams & Apple Casserole Recipe
Below is our one of our beloved recipes that is very kid friendly!
Ingredients:
- 4 large yams (not sweet potatoes) ~ 4 lbs
- 4 granny smith apples
- 1 stick butter + extra to line the casserole dish
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions:
- Wash & boil yams for 20 mins
While yams boil:
- Butter 9 x 13 casserole dish
- Wash, core & slice apples 1/4 inch thick
- Drain, cool, peel & slice boiled yams lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
- Layer yams & apples in casserole dish (like one does when making lasagna)
- In small saucepan: melt 1 stick butter with spices & salt
- Drizzle over layered yam/apple in casserole dish
- Cover with foil & bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes
Kathy Heraghty
Director of Destination Science
