Thanksgiving Special
Great Cooks Rise for Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving rolls around, we decided to compile a menu for the annual feast. These recipes are hand picked from the cookbook, Great Cooks Rise…with the May River tide, published by The Church of the Cross, Bluffton South Carolina. We all have our favorites and having said that, you can choose your own, all you have to do is get the cookbook…

Fried Turkey
1-2 sticks butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce, _ teaspoon salt, 1 13-16 pound turkey, thawed, and 3-31/2 gallons peanut oil.
  Melt butter, add seasonings and mix well. Use an injector for mixture into the turkey, breast and legs. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight if possible. To fry turkey, first fill cooker with water and insert turkey. Level of water should be just below the top, 2-3 inches. Take out turkey and mark water level without the turkey. This is your oil mark. Discard water. Dry pot and turkey as water is volatile in hot oil. Fill cooker with oil to mark. Use a deep fat thermometer and heat oil to 325*. Fry turkey for 3-31/2 minutes per Pound or until turkey floats to the top. Temp. will drop when turkey is first put into oil. Monitor and maintain 325*. This should be done outdoors with a propane cooker designed for this process. Many stores sell turkey frying kits which include pot and a rack to make handling turkey easier. You will need a 26 quart cooker for an average size turkey. Do not leave hot oil unattended; wear gloves for handling hot turkey in and out of oil.

Green Bean Bundles
2-14-1/2 ounce Bluelake whole green beans, bacon, Bottled French dressing.
  Pre-heat oven to 325*. Wrap bacon around bundles of green beans(5-6) and secure with toothpicks. Place in 13x9 inch greased baking dish. Pour French dressing over the bundles, cover and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bacon is done. Yield: 8-10 servings. You can make as many bundles as needed.

Sweet Potato Casserole
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, 1-1/4 cups crushed pretzels, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, 1-8 oz. package cream cheese, 4 medium large sweet potatoes, cooked/peeled, 1 egg, _ teaspoon cinnamon, _ teaspoon nutmeg.
  Pre-heat oven to 350*. Melt 1 stick butter in bottom of 8x8 glass baking dish. Cover bottom of dish with crushed pretzels. Beat together 1 cup sugar and cream cheese and spread over pretzels. Mash sweet potatoes, egg and 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Bake covered 20 minutes. Yield: 4-6 servings. People who don’t like sweet potatoes will like this.

Cranberry Fluff
2 cups raw cranberries, 2 cups tiny marshmallows, _ cup sugar, 2 cups diced tart apple, peel on, _ cup seedless green grapes, _ cup pecan or walnut pieces, _ cup teaspoon salt, 1 cup heavy whipped cream.

Grind cranberries in food processor. Combine cranberries, marshmallows and sugar. Cover and chill overnight. Add apples, grapes, nuts and salt. Fold in whipped cream. Chill. Turn into a glass serving bowl and serve. Yield: 8-10 servings

Happy Thanksgiving!
To purchase a copy of the cookbook please write to:
Great Cooks Rise
...with the May river tide
PO Box 288
Bluffton, SC 29910