Mayor Andrew Ginther
“Pecan pie is my favorite Thanksgiving dish,” (Mayor Ginther says it just like President Carter: pe-CAN).
Jack Hanna – Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
“It definitely has to be turkey and stuffing – I can’t pick one or the other. I look forward to that winning combination all year long!”
Grant Cassidy – Lindey’s
“My mother always made a delish cranberry relish. It’s a cranberry casserole dish – always really delicious with apples and cinnamon in it. The name doesn’t sound great, but it’s so good.”
Jeni Britton Bauer – Jeni’s Ice Creamery
"My grandmother’s cranberry fluff. My love is for this dish is real. My grandmother would make a double batch every Thanksgiving because I would eat half the batch. It’s like a cloud of cranberry sauce. I still make it every year and eat it until I can’t have another bite."
Nick Foligno – Columbus Blue Jackets
“Green bean casserole.”
Cam Atkinson – Columbus Blue Jackets
“Turkey and gravy with mashed potatoes.”
Edwaard Liang – BalletMet Artistic Director
“Sausage stuffing. If we’re hosting, we provide turkey. If we’re guests, we spring salad or bacon Brussel sprouts. Our family’s special Thanksgiving recipe is our stuffing.”
Nannette Maciejunes – Columbus Museum of Art
“Sweet potatoes with marshmallows,… lot’s of marshmallows.”
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows
3 cans drained sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tsp. salt
15 large marshmallows
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 12x8 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place sweet potatoes in baking dish. Combine brown sugar and salt in small bowl. Pour melted butter over sweet potatoes and sprinkle with brown sugar/salt.
- Baking for 25-30 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned.
Nina West
“My favorite thing to have at Thanksgiving (other than turkey, of course) is sweet potato casserole. I usually make a recipe I got from the food network that has served my family gatherings well. (There are never any leftovers!)
Sweet potato casserole
Filling:
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering the baking dish
3 to 4 large sweet potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and cubed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs
Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 Tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
- For the sweet potatoes: Add 1 3/4 pounds peeled and cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Mash the sweet potatoes.
- For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a two-quart baking dish.
- Whisk together the butter, mashed sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- For the topping: Combine flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a bowl until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in pecans. Spread mixture over top of sweet potatoes in an even layer. Bake until mostly set in the center and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes.
Dr. Frederic Bertley – COSI President and Chief Executive Officer
“As a card-carrying Canadian, I have envied the pleasure of celebrating two Thanksgivings! In Canada, where Thanksgiving hits the calendar first, there is absolutely no debate whatsoever on which dish is my favorite. It’s the same as everyone else’s favorite dish - my mama’s stuffing! This signature amalgamation of bread, butter, seasoning, (and some Barbadian trade secrets) has catalyzed marriage proposals, sealed complicated business deals, ended wars, and precipitated in unparalleled levels of “itis” (if you don’t know this word, it is worth looking up)! In short, the world is a far better place because of my mother’s signature stuffing.
In the U.S., my favorite Thanksgiving treat is a little less dramatic, but no less appreciated. I go for the turkey wing. Well cooked, bronzed and even a little crispy. I have always been a wingman! So, readers, don’t invite me over for Thanksgiving dinner if the wings are spoken for - otherwise you will need my mama’s stuffing to calm spirits and stop the ensuing calamity!”
Rossen Milanov – Columbus Symphony Music Director
“Stuffing with sage and white raisins.”
Tom Katzenmeyer – President and CEO, Greater Columbus Arts Council
“Pecan pie made with Georgia Pecans and served with Jeni’s honey vanilla bean ice cream.”
Angel Harris – Executive Director Dress For Success
“Corn casserole.”