Category Archives: Recipe

Joyce’s Thanksgiving Ambrosia

Every Thanksgiving, in loving memory of my uncle’s mother, Joyce, I make this old-fashioned American side dish. It’s easy to make and can be made ahead of time, which is a plus. But the real reason to make it is because its sweetness, cool temperature, and mint-green color really add some variety to an otherwise savory and salt plate, especially if you aren’t a big fan of cranberry.

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet of pistachio jello pudding mix
  • 1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple
  • 1 tub of cool whip
  • 1 package of sliced almonds
  • 2 cups of mini marshmallows 
  • 1 jar of Maraschino cherries (for garnish)

Directions:

  1. Combine your wet ingredients into the pistachio jello pudding mix
  2. Transfer to serving dish
  3. Refrigerate overnight
  4. Before serving, decorate the top of your pistachio pudding with cherries for a fun pop of color

Hill Family Party Potatoes

My older sister married into the most wonderful family, so I am thrilled to add this Hill family classic into the Wright Family Digital Cookbook. It’s an old-fashioned American dish, but one that we had never heard of before. Now I look forward to enjoying them alongside my new brothers and sisters in law every year at Sibsgiving (sibling Thanksgiving.)

Ingredients:

  • 36 oz of frozen hash browns
  • 2 cups of sour cream
  • 2 cups a grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 stick of butter (melted)
  • 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup 
  • 2 teaspoons of minced yellow onion
  • 1 cup of Corn Flakes
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Start by fully thawing your hash browns
  2. Preheat your oven to 350°F
  3. Crush up the corn flakes and toast them in the oven while it’s preheating for about 10 minutes or until fragrant
  4. Coat your 9×13″ baking dish with butter
  5. In a large bowl combine the: sour cream, cheese, butter, soup, onion, and the potatoes
    • Make sure to add the potatoes last
  6. Pour your mixture into your baking dish, and sprinkles the corn flakes on top
  7. Bake for one hour

Moules Frites Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds of mussels (or 1 pound per person)
  • 1 yellow onion (or 4 shallots, or 2 shallots and 2 garlic cloves), chopped
  • 2 tablespoon of thyme, chopped 
  • 3 tablespoon of parsley, chopped 
  • 1 cup of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling)
  • 4 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream (or creme fraiche)
  • Optional: lemon, vinegar, garlic, celery 
  • Serve with: french fries

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven for the french fries, and pop them in as soon as it’s ready
  2. In a dutch oven, brown your onions and thyme with some butter
  3. Add the wine, and bring to a boil
  4. Add the mussels, and cover the pot
  5. Cook until the mussels start to open (~3 – 5 minutes) 
  6. Taste your broth and add fresh lemon, vinegar, and/or salt to taste
  7. Add heavy cream, top with parsley
  8. Discard any unopened mussels then serve

Fun Fact: freezing potatoes converts some of their starch into resistant starch, which is a type of fiber that is better for digestion because it is harder to break down which means that you get less of a blood sugar spike and feel full faster (rice, bread, and pasta can also undergo starch retrogradation)