Category: Side Dishes

There’s nothing like a church potluck to inspire me to thumb through my collection of favorite recipes, many of which were specialties of my Mom Beulah and my Mother-in-law Jane. When the date for our 2019 church Thanksgiving dinner was announced, I immediately went to these two tried-and-true potluck favorites. The Corn Casserole came from Jane’s recipe collection. The Sweet and Sour Carrots are from my Mom Beulah by way of my cousin Barb Valier. Barb attends the church where I grew up, Nine Mile Baptist Church in Tamaroa, Illinois, and this was a very popular dish at all the many church potlucks there in the 1970s. Guess that makes it a true recipe classic. Both recipes are equally yummy and I hope you’ll give them a try.

Sweet and Sour Carrots

• 1 pound carrots, sliced
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 8-ounce can chunk pineapple, drained
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

Cook carrots until fork tender; add green pepper and cook three minutes. Cook 1/2 cup pineapple juice, sugar, and salt. Add vinegar and cornstarch and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Drain carrots and green pepper. Pour sauce over vegetables and stir to coat.

Jane’s Corn Pudding

• 16-ounce can cream style corn
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine cream style corn and beaten eggs. Stir in milk and salt. Melt butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch casserole dish; tilt to coat bottom and sides of dish well. Add corn mixture to casserole. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Family Favorite Side Dishes

Each year in November, our church hosts a Thanksgiving dinner for our church family and guests. The talented members of our Recreation Committee roast five turkeys; peel, cook and mash lots and lots of potatoes; and make enough dressing and graving to feed a small army. It really is quite a feast, an event we all look forward to each year. Members are asked to share desserts, salads or side dishes to complete the meal.

This year Dusty and I chose to prepare one recipe from each of our mother’s recipe file to share at the FBCP Thanksgiving meal. The recipes we chose were Sweet and Sour Carrots and Baked Corn Pudding. You might consider adding one or both of these delicious side dishes to your own Thanksgiving feast!

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Sweet and Sour Carrots

1 pound carrots

1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped

8-ounce can chuck pineapple, drained (reserve juice)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Cook carrots until tender, drain. Add green pepper and cook an additional 3 minutes. Cook 1/2 cup pineapple juice, sugar, salt; add vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Drain vegetables and pour sauce over; stir to coat. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Baked Corn Pudding

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (14 3/4 ounces) cream-style corn

In a large bowl, combine sugar and flour. Whisk in eggs, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Stir in the corn and cream-style corn. Pour into a greased 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degree for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 10 servings.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!