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Not too long ago, we wrote an article showing how to can brandied apples. We also have since made a pie out of those apples and it was incredible! Use fruits that you have canned from your garden or orchard. These will make delicious and nutritious pies to enjoy for dessert during your Thanksgiving dinner! Check out our WaY Out There channel on YouTube and follow our homesteading life.

For a perfect pie crust, my daughter begrudgingly agreed to share her pie crust recipe with you all. It truly is the closest recipe I’ve tasted that comes to grandma’s pies.
Perfect Pie Crust

makes 2 single or 1 double crust

21/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

7 tablespoons cold water (spooned one at a time)

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir until incorporated.

Add the diced butter and mix until ingredients combine to resemble coarse crumbs. The mixture should be dry and powdery.

Add tablespoons of cold water, one at a time until dough crumbs become moist and formable.

Transfer dough to a clean surface and roll dough into a small bowl. Divide dough in half and flatten it into two rounded circles.

Refrigerate one hour before baking.

Simple Meat Stew

Cornbread

We love cornbread at Thanksgiving and typically use it for our cornbread dressing or simply have a pan of it made in the cast iron pan for extra crispy edges. As a southern girl, cornbread is the ultimate comfort food and it’s made with simple, wholesome pantry ingredients. This is our favorite cornbread recipe!

Mashed Potatoes

Potatoes are so dang cheap, it’s always a good idea to have these guys ready for a quick mash. We grow and store potatoes but eat them sparingly. So Thanksgiving is the perfect time to bring out one of my all-time favorite comfort foods! (I now make this dairy-free, however, if you can, use real butter and milk!) It’s pretty easy to peel several potatoes, cut them up, and boil them until fork tender. (You can easily spear one piece with a fork.) Then mash with milk and butter. Add more milk and butter to make this the consistency you desire. Add some salt and pepper if you want, and that’s it!
Roasted Vegetables

This one is simple, too. Just grab whatever veggies you have in your fridge, cut them up into bite-sized pieces, put them in a roasting pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Stir them around to coat with the oil and put in an oven about 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your veggies. We have done this with potatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, kohlrabi, rutabaga, garlic, and green beans. It turns out great every single time! Veggies like potatoes may take longer than others to roast, so be aware of that if you add them. But this is a great way to use up what you have and create something nutritious for your Thanksgiving table!
Make-Ahead Apple Chutney

You could easily use your canned brandied apples to make an apple chutney as well! Here’s what you’ll need:

You will need

One jar (about 2 lbs) of your brandied or canned apples (or pick two fresh apples)

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about a cup),

3/4 cup golden raisins (optional)

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds, any color is fine,

1.5 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4–1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

grated zest, and juice of 1 lemon (optional)