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10 Thanksgiving Recipes You May Not Have Tried

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“Good Things to Eat,” Western Kansas World (WaKeeney, KS), Monthly Magazine Section. November 27, 1915.

Newspapers frequently publish recipes, including old favorites, winners of competitions, or new twists on classic meals. In Chronicling America you can find plenty of traditional, or not so traditional, recipes for this coming holiday. Take a look at some of these old recipes from our online newspapers. Are you brave enough to try them this Thanksgiving?

“‘Gobble-Gobble!’ Says the Turk, Then They Stab Him with a Dirk.” The West Virginian (Fairmont, WV), November 23, 1915. 

Mince Meat

Have you tried mince meat? While this meat and fruit concoction may not have shown up around your Thanksgiving table, it used to be a regular dish around the table in the early 1900s.

Turkey

The traditional centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table can be prepared in many ways. Here is one take on how to prepare your bird from 1915.

Vegetable Turkey

Before the vegetarian lifestyle became popular, in the early 1900s many people had their Thanksgiving meals without turkey because of the high cost of meat. Take a look at this vegetarian menu and recipe for a “Vegetable Turkey.”

Cranberry Jelly

Another classic for the table is a nice cranberry sauce, or in this case, cranberry jelly. How are you preparing your cranberry this year?

“Cranberry Salad.” Evening Star (Washington, DC), November 24, 1931.

Cranberry Salad

Or if you are looking for an alternative way to prepare your cranberries, consider this delightful gelatin salad that can be served on lettuce with mayo.

Thanksgiving Pudding

Everything is better with more butter, right? This pudding with raisins might be just the right dish for you.

“Pumpkin ‘Pieless’ Thanksgiving”

If you are tired of the same pumpkin pie every year, find recipes for cherry pudding, plum pudding, marshmallow cake, and several other dishes in this special section from the Mexico Weekly Ledger (Mexico, Mo.) from 1913.

“New Recipes for Pies”

If pie is what you want though, here are recipes for pumpkin pecan pie, apple cherry pie, orange cream pie, and more.

“New Recipes for Pies,” Evening Star (Washington, DC), November 19, 1942.

Oyster Stuffing

Oyster stuffing, roast duck, and many other recipes that actually do sound appealing to me can be found from this Kansas newspaper.

“Recipe Roundup”

To round out your meal, take a look at Hawaiian fruit pie, filled Christmas cookies, or one of the other delicious looking recipes in this helpful roundup.

Winter Bonus!

And as a bonus, have you ever wondered the best way to plate kidneys and peas, or boiled tongue? Take a look at these “Appetizing Ways of Serving Winter Foods” for your upcoming meals.

“Appetizing Ways of Serving Winter Food,” The Pensacola Journal (Pensacola, FL), February 8, 1910.

Have you been to a Thanksgiving meal with a menu item that you can’t forget? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Comments

  1. My worst Thanksgiving meal memory has to do with “Lake Effect Snow” for which Buffalo is famous, pickled tongue & kosher vegetarian baked beans. As the snow came down, my college roommate boiled the tongue…

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