Marsha's Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Herbed oatmeal pan bread.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. It's a time to celebrate legendary memories and to spend time with those who mean the most to us. Sometimes that is family; other times it is friends. And either one of them are, as Martha Stewart is wont to say, A Good Thing.

Here are a couple of dishes without which my own family's Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete. And the memories that go along with them are a legend in and of themselves. If you're looking for something to add to your own Thanksgiving tradition, feel free to try these two special recipes:

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Brown 1 pound of bulk sausage. Make an 8x8" pan of  your favorite corn bread and let it set out overnight. (Or two packages of cornbread/corn muffin mix. This should yield 8-10 c. of cornbread crumbs/cubes)

Mix sausage and corn bread cubes together with one stick of butter, 1 c. chopped celery, 3 c. onions, 2 ts. poultry seasoning or a mixture of sage and thyme to taste, 2 to 3 c. chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste.

Put in casserole and bake at 350^oF for 30 minutes. This makes a great side dish. If you wish to use it to stuff your turkey, make sure the cornbread dries out for at least a couple of days.

Herbed Oatmeal Pan Bread

Pour 1 ½ c. boiling water over 1 c. old fashioned oats in a medium sized bowl; cool to 110-115^oF.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 T. yeast, ½ c. warm water (110-115 ^oF). Add ¼ c. sugar, 3 T. softened butter, 2 ts. salt, 1 egg, cooled oats and about 2 c. flour, beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (total amount should be 4-4 ¾ c. flour). Knead. Let rise until doubled; punch down and press evenly into a 9 x 13” pan.

With a very sharp knife, cut diagonal lines 1 ½ inches apart, completely through the dough. Repeat in opposite direction, creating a diamond pattern.

Cover and let rise again till doubled. Redefine pattern, poking with knife tip.

Brush with 2 T melted butter; bake 15 minutes at 375 ^oF. Remove from oven; brush with 2 T melted butter.

Combine 2 T. parmesan cheese, 1 ½ ts. Italian seasoning, ½ ts. garlic. Sprinkle topping over bread and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until done.

Marsha's family enjoying Thanksgiving dinner

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.