Thanksgiving visitors have sides, will travel

Turkey trivia is appropriate this week, courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension Service.

--88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. That's 45 million birds and 675 million pounds in one day.

--South Carolina is among the top 10 turkey-producing states.

--Giblets are the heart, liver and gizzard of a poultry carcass. Although often packaged with them, the neck is not a giblet. Oh, and giblet should be pronounced with a soft "g," as in jib-let.

I do eat turkey, but the commercially produced kind. We do see wild turkeys fairly often in my neck of Johns Island woods. They are beautiful, interesting birds to watch. I wouldn't mind at all if the turkey was the national bird, as Ben Franklin once proposed.

So back-to-back holidays are upon us again. A reader requested recipes for side dishes that can be made ahead and cooked upon arrival. She is traveling (seven hours) and can transport the food in a cooler.

Linda Johnson of Mount Pleasant offers general advice: "I have frozen stuffing/dressing made with Pepperidge Farm seasoned breadcrumbs and cornbread; then baked later with good results. Frozen mashed potatoes reheat beautifully in the microwave oven. Sweet potatoes ready for the oven also freeze well. If they are frozen when placed in the cooler they would probably still be frozen after the seven-hour trip."

Clara Clayton of Charleston writes, "This casserole travels well. It can be prepared in advance and frozen and will thaw while traveling to your destination and then can be baked after arrival."

Broccoli Casserole

1 large bag of frozen broccoli florets or 2 or 3 packages frozen broccoli

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons minced onion (optional)

2 beaten eggs

Crushed Ritz crackers for topping (optional)

Prepare broccoli according to directions, then drain.

Mix together the soup, cheese, mayonnaise, onion if using, and eggs. Fold drained broccoli into this mixture. Put in casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Can be frozen at this point. Thaw before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with crushed Ritz crackers for last 20 minutes, if desired.

I also checked some of Nathalie Dupree's cookbooks, as she is a big proponent of cooking ahead for holiday meals. Here are two of her recipes from "Comfortable Entertaining." The first one freezes well and will need time to defrost, so seven hours on ice in a cooler probably would work. The second one can be made ahead, kept chilled and reheated at the destination.

Ginger-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4

3 pounds sweet potatoes

6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon peel (no white attached)

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1- to 1 1/2-quart ovenproof serving dish or spray with nonstick spray. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Stick them with a knife several times each to allow the steam to escape. Put them on the baking sheet and bake them until soft, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on size.

Peel the potatoes as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Beat them with the flat beater in an electric mixer, put them through a ricer or mash them. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add 4 tablespoons of the brown sugar and the salt, coriander, cinnamon, ginger and lemon peel. Mix well. Beat in the orange juice.

Place the potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and dot it with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 30 minutes until heated through.

Or, after you put it together and before baking, cover it tightly with foil and freeze. When ready to use, defrost the casserole and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds and Lemon

Serves 8 to 10

2 pounds large Brussels sprouts

2 cups chicken stock or water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Grated peel (no white attached) of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Sugar

Cut the stems from the Brussels sprouts and halve each one lengthwise.

Heat the stock, add the sprouts, and cook until the sprouts are bright green and barely crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain well.

When ready to serve, heat the olive oil, add the garlic, and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, lemon peel and poppy seeds. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar and toss for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and serve. The Brussels sprouts can be made ahead several days and reheated, but don't overcook them.

Adele Fralix of St. George asked for recipes using Egg Beaters -- egg whites minus the yolks, which makes them cholesterol and fat-free.

Judith Binion of North Charleston passed along a whole booklet of recipes from the former manufacturer, Nabisco. ConAgra now owns the brand. Here are two of those recipes:

Vegetable Souffle in Pepper Cups

6 servings

1 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

2 teaspoons margarine

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup skim milk

1 (8-ounce) carton Egg Beaters

3 large red, green or yellow peppers, halved

In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook broccoli, carrot, onion, pepper and basil in margarine until tender. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat; set aside.

In medium bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat Egg Beaters until foamy, about 3 minutes. Gently fold into broccoli mixture; spoon into pepper halves. Place in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Lemon Bars

Makes 32 bars

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup Egg Beaters

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Confectioner's sugar, optional

Combine 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar; cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture onto bottom of a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Blend Egg Beaters, lemon juice, lemon peel and remaining flour and sugar; pour over pastry crust. Bake 15 minutes more or until set. Cool slightly; sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired. Cool completely; cut into 2x1-inch bars.

Who's got the recipe?

--Anne Royall asks for holiday recipes that are wheat-free and gluten-free. "I have Celiac disease and this time of year is very difficult for those of us with food allergies."

--A James Island reader requests a recipe for butterbean soup.

--Henny Hall of Edisto Island is looking for an old recipe for a Bloody Mary mixture. Ingredients included 2 quarts of tomato or V8 juice, peppers, onions, celery and seasonings, which sat together overnight in the refrigerator before straining.

Looking for a recipe or have one to share? Reach Teresa Taylor at 937-4886, food@postandcourier.com or The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.