Cringey Family Thanksgiving Recipes That Somehow Stood The Test Of Time

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Meeeeesh
Nov 25, 2020 8:00 AM EST

Twitter user Maya Kosoff asked her followers to share the strangest family Thanksgiving recipes they were forced to consume growing up. 

Spoiler: most of them are just downright disgusting. That is, unless you like jello, cool whip, seafood, and mayo all in one dish- in which case, please get back in your time machine and go back to the 1950s immediately because we don't need that sh*t anymore. Barf.

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  • 01
    Adaptation - maya kosoff @mekosoff Nov 23 i cannot wait to hear about the recipes you're all excited too make for thanksgiving but i am also here to hear about the weird inexplicable retro family recipes that end up on your thanksgiving table per tradition or nostalgia or whatever. 1.1K t 843 7.3K maya kosoff @mekosoff ours is a wild creation called seafoam salad. i thought this was a normal thing every family made and served for thanksgiving next to the turkey and the stuffing until i was 18 Se
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  • 02
    Text - Sheila Scarborough @SheilaS Replying to @SheilaS and @mekosoff Here is a copy of the recipe she used, clipped out of a newspaper or magazine. Wish I knew what year: As Late as 1872, a Neo York Gity Theatre Audienee Paid Admission in Eggs and Vegetables to See the Play "Her Sorrow. SEA FOAM SALAD AN UNUSUAL TREAT FOR THE BRIDGE GAME EAT one cup pear juice. Pour on one package lime gelatin. While hot pour into two packages cream cheese, which have been mashed with two tablespoons cream," wr
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  • 03
    Text - Michel @michelmcbride Replying to @mekosoff Oh my god it's almost the "coca-cola salad" which I made and was a disaster. How is jello and cream cheese a thing! COCA-COLA SALAD 1 package orange jello 1 small package cream cheese 1 large Coca-Cola (10 oz.) 2 cup nuts Let cheese come to room temperature. Dust jello into cream cheese. Heat Coca-Cola to boiling point and pour over mixture. Mix, add nuts and put in mold. Leave out for 1-2 hours before putting in refrigerator. Salad separates in
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  • 04
    Food - HOMODEMON @jaymesPRS Replying to @mekosoff Boyfriend made this for my family's Thanksgiving last year. It's a bologna cake with ranch cream cheese icing. It was pretty good. 10:11 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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    Food - 3rdGeneration GermanAMERICAN @Rev_Dr_Robert Replying to @mekosoff This has nothing on @jakatak4's Party Cheese Salad: Lemon Jello, crushed pineapple, walnuts, cream cheese, Cool Whip, green bell peppers pimentos, and shredded American cheese. Looks like some sort of ungodly frittata.
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  • 06
    Text - Pugmother CCALM AND @Pugmothersue HAVE PUG Replying to @mekosoff Served at a family potluck, give you "Snicker Salad": Chop up some apples Chop up some Snicker bars Mix, in a large bowl, with Cool Whip Keep refrigerated until ready to serve Suprisingly tasty but don't let the kiddies OD on it! 11:43 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPad
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  • 07
    Kitchen appliance - Casey @caseyns Replying to @mekosoff In recent years my aunts decided that since everyone likes snacking on chips and cheese that they'd get an actual nacho cheese dispenser.... it will sit alongside the traditional spread 6:45 nacho cheese dispenser a cheese sauce Amazon.com Visit KegWorks Hot Fudge or Nacho Cheese Topping Dispenser with Pum... (1) 5 Images may be subject to copyright. Learn More Related images
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  • 08
    Text - Kay McGuire, sentient void @benafflecksmoke Replying to @mekosoff In our house it's am unholy creation called "Cinnamon Salad", and it's only has three ingredients: red hots, red jello, applesauce. My grandmother used to make this as a cranberry sauce alternative 7:43 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 09
    Text - My grandmother, who had zero cooking skills, used to make this every holiday. While I miss her presence at the table, I'm definitely happy we don't have to pretend to enjoy this abomination anymore MAGIC TOMATO SOUP CAKE 1 c sugar 1 tsp ea. clove, cinnamon, nutmeg 1 can (10 oz) tomato soup 2 c sifted cake flour tsp salt 1 tsp soda 2 tbs butter or marg. Cream butter, sugar well. Sift flour; measure; resift 3 times with spices, salt. Alternately add dry ingredients with soup-soda mixture. P
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  • 10
    Tire - MAGIC TOMATO SOUP CAKE 2 tbs butter or marg. 1 c sugar 1 tsp ea. clove, cinnamon, nutmeg 1 can (10 oz) tomato soup 2 c sifted cake flour tsp salt 1 tsp soda Cream butter, sugar well. Sift flour; measure; resift 3 times with spices, salt. Alternately add dry ingredients with soup-soda mixture. Pour into greased loaf pan. (Size important; about 814x 4%x 2. Bake (50 to 60 mins. 350° oven). And await praises. THE CREAMY CHOCOLATE FROSTING- 1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese, 3 tbs milk, 3 c sifted co
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  • 11
    Food - Marie Chestnut @mobunny Replying to @mekosoff That awful lime green jello "salad" with crushed pineapple, cottage cheese and walnuts... every single year. None of us kids ever ate it.
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  • 12
    Text - Yeetmeat @ViciousVRod Replying to @BelleAndBanjo and @mekosoff I think a lot of people here are talking about watergate salad! It uses coolwhip and not cream cheese, and pistachio jello pudding instead of lime jello. Nuts, pineapple, pineapple juice, marshmallows and a cherry on top are the other ingredients. We called it green fluff! 9:40 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 13
    Text - Velvet Hydrangea @VelvetHydran... .1d Replying to @mekosoff and @70s_party Ours was "barf salad:" lemon lime jello, crushed pineapple, cottage cheese, & mayo or sour cream. Maybe both. Thankfully, we haven't had it in years. t252 1,066 89 Gina Stark @SuuperG 1d I'm literally sitting here in public laughing out loud, shoulders heaving, at the fact that you call a family dish "barf salad" Reminds me of a sort of caramel creation our mom made in a saucepan that we affectionately called "bleg
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  • 14
    Text - CynicalTherapist @CynicalTherapi1 Replying to @mekosoff The only thing l got when my Norwegian grandmother died was her allergies and her satanic cookbook. In that everything is from hell in it THE JOY OF COOKING JOY LOOKING A Compilation of Raliable Recipes with an Ooousional Culinary Chal Jena SKombauer By IRMA S. ROMBAUER Place on top of the cone: A maraschino cherry Decorate the sides of the cone with: Diamond-shaped pieces of green pepper Serve the salad with: French dressing Add to
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  • 15
    Text - Nick D @ndimichino Replying to @mekosoff Sweet potato casserole c.1965 /large can bs So2 Sueet Patahs / C Sugar 2.beaten e9 / Shck multed buter /c. milk th teas nutmeg /½ feas Salt 1s teas Cinnamon Drain sweet pota fars mash uih fork. hix in the remaining ingredients t in 12 quart tasserale dish Cover Bale H00 for 30 min Topping: 34 c.crushed con akes 3l4 stck of butter c brown sugar Spaad to pping nuate 10 Unceveradi 7:02 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 16
    Food - Cam @Camowit Replying to @mekosoff What's with all of these "salads" dn My grandmother always makes "grape salad"
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  • 17
    Text - Мусah @daisycupcake811 Replying to @mekosoff My grandma makes "Rabbit salad" for holidays. Its Orange jello with shredded carrots and crushed pineapple mixed into it. Theres also a mayonaise marshmallow dressing you can add on top of it. She makes a giant bowl of it and only my grandpa eats it 9:35 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 18
    Text - Pam @raubritterrose Replying to @mekosoff was looking for this recipe in the family cookbook, considered the VEGETABLE side dish and still served for generations (and yes that would be a box of frozen broccoli) then. .. GREEN RICE 3 c. oil 2 c. cooked rice 1 medium onion, chopped 1 c. milk 1 (10 oz.) pkg. broccoli 1 lb. American cheese, shredded Garlic salt to taste 2 eggs, slightly beaten Mix all together and bake at 325° for 1 hour. 10:18 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 19
    Text - Pam @raubritterrose Replying to @raubritterrose and @mekosoff ..then I found this Vegetable Jello concoction which never made it to the kids table! My gag reflexes in full force! VEGETABLE SALAD 1 small pkg. lemon jello 2 c. boiling water 3 Tbsp. vinegar 3 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. chopped onion 1 c. chopped cabbage 2 c. chopped carrots /2 c. chopped celery Mix jello and water. Let cool; add the rest of ingredients. Let set and serve 10:19 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 20
    Text - Allyson @allycami Replying to @mekosoff Ours is Paradise Salad...an all time favorite...it can of course be made in a jello mold or delightfully free form... .Cushiy's CEuahA c non jclle IC. Lottige chaae latuee leevee lamallan hoalns Jelle ing .iy Witer-Allerwthe th ig Ht Whig Peniegy lo Ceraina)Lt Tnne on let ve
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  • 21
    Text - Vicki Ringer @vickiringer Replying to @mekosoff You sent me down memory lane so l grabbed my grandmother's recipe box which has its own congealed salad slot. Jello really was the savior of Southern cooks, right along with cream of mushroom soup. This recipe on top made me gag: Jellied Cabbage Salad. Nannie's handwriting SALAD Here's uhat's cookinCRagE SHELSEL Sau GeLarin L:ME CHEESE CREAM Recipe fiom the hitchen of oyee CRUSHED Pin EappLE DRAINE CHo PPED CHOPPEO ¢ELERY 1-602. PeeKA9E LIME
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  • 22
    Salad - Kisha Taylor @tarkishat Replying to @mekosoff Apple salad. My Mom made it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's pretty good though. Apples, celery, raisins, Mayo and walnuts or pecans 12:00
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  • 23
    Text - OY TRE JOURNEY Loulou @Maryloufl Replying to @HillckHill and @mekosoff Stuffed celery with cream cheese and chopped green olives is actually a thing. Lol 10:31 PM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 24
    Food - I'm Betty Blackwell @mjprestarri Replying to @mekosoff This reminds me of the Pear "salad" my mom used to make growing up. We never had a cherry on top but it was served on a bed of lettuce (iceberg obviously) Pеаr Salad A Southern Tradition
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  • 25
    Dish - Lia @lia_anita94 Replying to @mekosoff We make something very similar but with cranberries - we call it pink fluff. Our family has been making it since the 1950s and yeah it looks and sounds gross but tbh I love it (cc @oliver_reid) Cranbery Galsti S enaiaged geintin 4 c.cuer ots Ciiohet pciapplr lunen TVenm 4 t. Salt can cunkeny Sauee watu ta litin Peut eup in ulig 8:34 PM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 26
    Text - @DafuqRUwearing Replying to @mekosoff Here's my grandma Lula Belle's original recipe for pineapple pie. This one isn't weird and it tastes delicious! use whip cream instead of meringue because I always screw that up Pemeapale Criam Pee cufo sugar 2eup 3 laur Teasporn salt 5 large Can Pet milk large canned eruehed Peneapapla cup watir teaspoon amilla in a large saucepan mi 3laur, ugan salt add eggo yalka and ane whale egg mi real grod, then addmik- Peneapppla Uaniela mir teucs and all, ade
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    Text - Clown Shoes (me) @ClownShoesPpl HAPPY F Replying to @mekosoff My stepdad is from the Midwest (where, it seems, all these recipes come from) and he introduced my family to oyster dressing. Make several layers of: Ritz crackers Raw oysters Chunks of margarine Pour heavy cream or half & half over top Bake It's as amazing as it sounds 10:46 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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    Text - Lauren Leyva @laurenofleyva Replying to @mekosoff Every year my aunt brings her spam salad which is just a block of Spam mixed with a block of cream cheese with pineapple chunks all over it, served with ritz. 6:54 PM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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    Dish - Amy @Steelers_Girl74 Replying to @mekosoff My mother always made a mock apple pie with no apples but Ritz crackers.... 11:15 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 30
    Text - Kate @ChiefBelief Replying to @mekosoff My mother made a hot drink, ruby consomme, which is basically beef broth, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce. I thought everyone served it husband nearly gagged on it but my (it's really good, he hates tomato) the first time he'd came to Tgiving. 5:15 PM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPad
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  • 31
    Text - Josh C. Bauer @joshcbauer Replying to @mekosoff Snicker Salad. Whipped cream, apples, bananas, Snickers. I mentioned it offhandedly and my friends got so personally offended by it we had an argument for like 20 minutes. This was like a year ago and l'm still forbidden from bringing it up
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  • 32
    Text - Gary @memOryb0x Replying to @mekosoff Pineapple & cheese casserole. A lot of my friends and family hate it, but thankfully it keeps making appearances at our Thanksgiving. I love it! 9:28 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 33
    Text - ImpeachmentlsHere @fknhippie 1d Replying to @mekosoff "YUM" 1 angel food cake 2pkts vanilla pudding 2cans cherry pie filling Miracle whip Break angel food cake into chunks mix with vanilla pudding Layer this mix alternately with the cherry pie filling so layer cake pudding mix layer of cherries Cover top layer with miracle whip YUM t1 3 @Gramm... 12h GrammatixChik You had me until Miracle Whip. PRESS
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  • 34
    Text - Obi-Wine Kenobi @ObiWine_Kenobi Replying to @mekosoff s your family from the Midwest? We always had something like that. Also two batches of stuffing always, one done correctly and one polluted by raisins. And kielbasa. 8:07 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 35
    Text - Isaac Butler OCT @parabasis Replying to @mekosoff and @labuzamovies My dad always made this thing called a Pea Timbale which is like a steamed puréed pea soufflé until we prevailed him to-and I cannot emphasize upon this enough-stop. 6:58 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPad
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  • 36
    Text - bliccy @bliccy Replying to @mekosoff Block of cream cheese on a plate. Top with a jar of cocktail sauce and a healthy portion of bay shrimp. Dip with Ritz. I just eat the shrimp and cocktail sauce with a water cracker. 8:06 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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    Dish - Echimo Pie @Echo9M Replying to @mekosoff Umm. Suet Pudding. It's worse than it sounds. X Tefal Visit Steamed Suet Pudding 2 hr, 50 min Yield: Number of People7 Ingredients 175g self raising flour Pinch of salt 75g shredded beef or vegetable suet 50g caster sugar 1 medium size ega. beaten
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  • 38
    Text - Ellen DeCandia @ellendecandia Replying to @mekosoff I have repeatedly been exposed to "Tunies": canned tuna mixed with margarine and a shelf-stable jar cheese, then baked on an English muffin. One year they were burned. A burned English muffin is its own kind of violence, but a burned Tunie? Forever seared in my sinuses. 8:01 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 39
    Text - Lisa @lisa1213 Replying to @mekosoff If of you know about glorified rice, any you are already shuddering. Instant rice, cool whip, sugar, sometimes pineapple and maraschino cherries. Sometimes crushed pecans on top to dress it We nicely call it the pink dn stuff. Orig from Michigan and no, I won't eat it. 9:43 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 40
    Text - Lisa StewartS @holachola -0 Replying to @mekosoff My ex husband's aunt made a black cherry jello with cherries inside. I didn't realize her secret twist was to pit the cherries and replace with walnuts. The first time I bit into one, I thought| shattered my molars. No one warned me. They thought it was normal, a thing. 9:41 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 41
    Text - Wolf in the snow @WaxDragonflies Replying to @mekosoff Tradition- canned asparagus,cream cheese, and ham slices. You spread the cream cheese on a ham slice then put an asparagus spear in the middle and roll it. Then eat. Sounds horrifying but it's kinda delish My mom gives w recipes w stories attached 1-2 lb sliced deli ham 1-2 can (11 oz) whole asparagus 1-2 pkgs cream cheese Procedure Let cream cheese get to room temp. Then spread cream cheese onto each ham slice then place one piece of
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  • 42
    Text - Dog. Beer. Rinse. Repeat @Andy_Langston Replying to @mekosoff God knows why my grandmother from Alabama insisted on creoled eggs. Sliced boiled eggs smothered in Campbell's tomato soup topped with bacon. 8:09 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 43
    Text - Dog. Beer. Rinse. Repeat @Andy_Langston Replying to @Andy_Langston and @mekosoff Please sign the attached waiver before Cooking at your own risk. My uncle compiled many of her recipes before she died. I learned to love Southern cooking growing up in Alabama from the many great women in my family. ading 1 1Heading 2 THeading 3 1Heading 4 1 Heading 5 1Heading 6 1 Heading 7 1Heading 8 THeac Styles powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over croutons and cheese. Bake uncovered at 325 degr
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  • 44
    Text - Alexis Reed @flecksOFlex Replying to @mekosoff My future in-laws made creamed pearl onions and had 0 mac and cheese. It was the saddest Thanksgiving ever for me. I called my family and had them describe to me what they were eating. 10:35 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for Android
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  • 45
    Text - Eva Parker @OG5Eva Replying to @mekosoff My aunt makes her fruit cakes by taking several boxes of graham crackers, tossing them in a (clean) Hefty garbage bag, and driving over the bag repeatedly with her car to crush. That's actually our longest standing tradition. 12:39 PM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPad 17 Retweets 263 Likes Whenlslt2Late @Whenlslt2Late 1d Replying to @OG5 Eva and @mekosoff I laughed so hard....no food processor? Use car tires.
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  • 46
    Text - kyle @postgradkilla Replying to @mekosoff 7 layer salad. Lettuce, water chestnuts, green pepper, peas, bacon, mayo, shredded cheese 7:48 AM 11/23/19 from Houston, TX Twitter for iPhone
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  • 47
    Happy_Alaskan @ShesFromAlaska Replying to @mekosoff Being an Alaskan Native means: we eat different food than most "Americans" For instance: Seal Oil During Thanksgiving, we put this seal oil on everything. A little dab will do yah! Packed with omega-3s, it's also a mild laxative, so we can splurge on Thanksgiving dinner WDE MOUTH
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  • 48
    Text - Nora McManus @Nora_McManus Replying to @mekosoff Sausage loaf: like meatloaf, only instead of beef, breadcrumbs, parsley, it's Italian sausage, Parmesan, spinach. Good but HEAVY One Thanksgiving my dad, bro-in-law & bf ate the whole thing watching football, then just picked at dinner. Mom got so annoyed, she "lost" the recipe 10:02 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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  • 49
    Text - sarah kelly @thesarahkelly Replying to @mekosoff My ex's grandmother, who was a debutant and not much of a cook, always made "cheese peas." It's like green beans, peas, and that Olde English cheese from a jar. 6:50 AM 11/23/19 Twitter for iPhone
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