Thankful for a Made in USA Thanksgiving

Halloween is over and Christmas is starting to creep onto our televisions and into our grocery stores, but don’t be confused by the pumpkin to peppermint transition. It’s Thanksgiving!  We are thankful for a Made in USA Thanksgiving.  And there’s no better way to celebrate this patriotic holiday than to complete your famous Thanksgiving dinner with American-made products.

Thankful for a Made in USA Thanksgiving: Pots and Pans

Thanksgiving festivities all begin in the kitchen and there are a number of high quality and American made pots and pans to make a famous turkey in. For example, Regal Ware’s Cast Aluminum Roasting Pan or the All-Clad-All-American  Copper Core Bocuse D’Or 6-Piece Cookware Set.

Williams-Sonoma offers a variety of American-made cookware that can contribute to your epic Thanksgiving dinner such as pastry brushes, stainless steel roasters, and even a barbeque for those of you who like to grill your massive bird.

You can find American-made and manufactured utensils and cutting boards to help you man handle that turkey at Epicurean. Not only are all of Epicurean’s products Made in America, but the company also offers a line of Eco Plastic products that utilizes 100 percent post-consumer recycled milk jugs.

Thankful for a Made in USA Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving Staples

For those who prefer to buy food straight from the shelves, there are a few American-made and ready to eat treats available. The AFL-CIO has put together a list of Made in America options that are union-made.  These include crowd pleasers like Ocean Spray Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce, Pillsbury crescent rolls, and Butterball Turkey.

Thankful for a Made in USA Thanksgiving: Decorations

The house smells like cinnamon and pumpkin pie, but is it the result of your cooking? If working in the kitchen isn’t your strong suit, the Lakeshore Candle Company has you covered. This Michigan-based company offers a variety of fall scents to make your house smell like that apple pie you just bought from the grocery store.

Meanwhile, these American-made decorations from Williams-Sonoma can make your house look as festive as it smells.

Thankful for a Made in USA Thanksgiving: Recipes

Try some of these festive recipes. They’ll impress your family and friends so much that when it comes time to say what their thankful for, it’ll be your your pie.

Turtle Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pecan halves and pieces
• 1 frozen pie crust
• ½ cup of whipping cream
• ½ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter
• 28 caramels
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons of Nutella
• 1 tablespoon of dark corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted. Cool completely and then increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
2. Unroll softened pie crusts and place in pie pan. Press into the bottom of the pan and into fluted edges. Fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3. Microwave chocolate morsels, Nutella, and ¼ cup of cream in a microwave safe bowl at 30-second intervals or until melted and smooth.
4. Beat ¼ cup of sugar, 1 egg, and corn syrup.  Then add in the melted chocolate mixture. Mix until blended well.
5. Place a layer of pecans on the bottom of the pie crust and pour in the chocolate mixture.
6. Microwave caramels, butter, and remaining ¼ cup of cream in a large microwaveable bowl for 30-second intervals until melted and smooth.
7. Whisk together 2 eggs, vanilla, and salt until blended and combine with caramel mixture. Stir in remaining pecans and spoon over chocolate mixture in prepared crust.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to one hour until center is almost set. If edges of pie crust start to brown, cover with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning. Cool completely on a wire rack for about two hours and then serve.

Other Thanksgiving favorites include Classic Pumpkin Pie and a unique, but delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake.

To make yours really festive, use homemade pumpkin puree by baking that pumpkin you never carved.

All recipes have been tried, tested, and approved by the staff here at AAM. It was hard work, but we managed to eat every last crumb! For this, we give thanks.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Editor’s note: This post is by no means exhaustive — let AAM know if there’s something they should add to the list by sending them an email at info@aamfg.org or a message on Twitter at @KeepitMadeinUSA.