Name: Louisiana Shrimp Rice Dressing
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 1/4 hr
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups water; 2 teaspoons salt; 2 cups long-grain white rice; 2 medium onions, chopped; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice; 1 cup water; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens (from 1 bunch)

Our resident Louisianan, associate food editor Alexis Touchet, remembers this dressing from her childhood—and it's the one that still graces her family's Thanksgiving meal, year after year. This dressing is not considered a stuffing for the turkey, but a dish that "dresses up" the table.

Cooks' note:

Rice and tomato sauce, without shrimp and scallions, can be made 3 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled separately in airtight containers. Reheat rice in a colander or large sieve set over a pot of boiling water, covered with a dampened paper towel. Reheat sauce in pot before proceeding.

Recipe notes

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This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

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XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.

Luscious Banana Pudding

Layer homemade custard, ripe bananas, and vanilla wafers under clouds of whipped cream for this iconic dessert.