The Thanksgiving holiday usually means turkey and all the trimmings. With so many recipes online, it can be difficult to find a unique dish everyone will love. This year, we’re offering a delicious recipe idea featuring a Southeast Missouri staple – potatoes.

POTATO CHEESE PUFFS

Servings: 4

•  4 large boiled potatoes
•  ¼ cup cream
• 2 eggs, separated. Beat yolks, and reserve whites to be beaten stiff.
• ¾ cup grated American cheese
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 ½ teaspoons onion juice or minced garlic
• Heat oven to 400 degrees F, and grease a cookie sheet.
• Drain and mash potatoes until they become smooth. Add all other ingredients except egg whites, and whip until mixture is fluffy. Fold in beaten egg whites. Divide mixture into eight balls, and place on cookie sheet. Bake until lightly browned – about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

            (Recipe from Southeast Missouri native Mary Sue Vogelsanger’s “Cookin’ & Talkin’,” Concord Printing Services, 2007.)

Dining out

If you’d rather not spend Thanksgiving in the kitchen or you get hungry later in the day, take your family and friends out. Here is a list of local restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving day:

• Applebee’s
• Cracker Barrel
  
• Farmer’s Pick
• Farraday’s
• Golden Corral
• Hotshots
• Huddle House
• Keller’s
• Marco’s Pizza
• Ruby Tuesdays
• Sandy’s Place
• The Library

For a complete list of all the delicious eateries in town – from all-American to fine dining – click here.