2 Popular Thanksgiving Dishes from 2 Famed Places

Halloween isn’t over, but anticipating Thanksgiving is already making our mouths water. And let’s face it, it’s the sides we crave, not the turkey. Here are two popular side dishes from two famous places.

We’re already thinking we’ll add Ozark Mountain Succotash to the menu this year. Here’s a recipe courtesy of Silver Dollar City, where Ozark Mountain Succotash makes a popular meal. We ran this recipe in our October 2015 issue, and we’re still thinking about this succotash.

You can leave out the chicken, and add turkey to the leftovers the next day, if you like.

Ozark Mountain Succotash

Ingredients:

4 ounces onions
4 ounces green peppers
Vegetable oil
8 ounces diced fajita chicken
8 ounces frozen whole kernel corn
8 ounces squash
1 pound lightly breaded okra
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Sauté onions and peppers with butter-flavored vegetable oil. Remove from skillet.

Sauté fajita chicken in same skillet with oil. Remove from skillet.

Sauté corn and squash in same skillet. Remove.

Fry okra in the skillet until golden brown. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When okra is done, add all ingredients to the skillet and heat to the desired temperature.

Pickled Leek Stuffing

Claverach Farm is a 300-acre farm just 20 miles southwest of St. Louis, in Eureka that has been in Sam Hilmer’s family for more than 100 years. The farm has a 120-year old barn, and Sam Hilmer has renovated and restored it for hosting farm-to-table and other events on the farm. He grows his own produce and buys meat and dairy products within 60 miles of the farm.

Quick-Pickled Leeks (needed for the stuffing recipe below)

Ingredients:

4 leeks
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 cup water
3 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Slice off the roots and dark green tips of the leeks. Slice the leeks lengthwise in half, and run under water to remove any dirt. Slice the leeks crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a pot, bring the vinegar, water, thyme, bay leaves, lemon juice and zest, and salt to a boil. Add the leeks, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.

Pickled Leek Stuffing

Claverach Farm adapted this from The Preservation Kitchen by Paul Virant.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
12 cups day-old country bread, cubed
8 cups turkey stock
1 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Quick-pickled leeks (recipe above)
2 cups grated Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Butter a large Dutch oven or two smaller casserole dishes. In a large, wide pot over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup of the butter. Add the celery, carrot, and onion, and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, cook another minute, and then add the bread. Mix until the bread is coated in the butter. Pour in the stock, and add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and fold in the eggs. Spoon the dressing into the Dutch oven.

Drain the pickled leeks. Melt the remaining ¼ cup butter in a large sauté pan. Sweat the leeks in the butter until softened. Spread the leeks over the dressing. Scatter the Gruyère over the top, cover with foil, and refrigerate at least one
hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake, covered, until the sides are bubbling and the dressing is hot in the center, about 45 minutes.

Serves 10 – 15