Beyond the Bird

Choose sides with well-seasoned pros

Todd Marchant,Ducks Center

SAUSAGE-AND-TOMATO KNIFFLES

A hearty additionto the turkey-day spread--or, Marchant says, good anytime. His mother made thedish for her three sons when Todd was growing up near Buffalo. "Now I makeit for my kids [Lillian, 8, Ashley, 6, and Timothy, 5]. They eat it up."This Thanksgiving, Marchant (left) and his wife, Caroline, are hosting severalof his single teammates--and not expecting help with the feast. "Bringanything?" says Marchant of his fellow Ducks. "Are youkidding?"

Ingredients
Two 28-ounce cans of peeled whole tomatoes; 16--20 two-inch-thick pieces ofknockwurst; salt; pepper.
Kniffles
Three cups flour; three eggs; one cup water.

How to makeit
Put tomatoes in large stockpot. Peel and cut knockwurst and add to pot; put onlow heat. Fill a separate pot with water and boil. Mix flour and eggs in abowl, then slowly add the cup of water. Put a tablespoon in the boiling waterfor a minute, then use the hot spoon to scoop kniffle mix into boiling water.After kniffles float, drain and place in the pot with knockwurst and tomatoes.Add salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, medium heat. Serves 4--6

Jared Lorenzen,Giants QB

PINK JELLOSURPRISE

The 6'4",285-pound backup (above) attends a repast with scores of relatives in FortThomas, Ky. Some favor an unusual dessert. "We call it pink mush," saysLorenzen, 25. "One side of the family has 10 kids, and they eat it. I triedit only once when I was, like, eight. But they eat the living daylights out ofit."

Ingredients
Large box strawberry Jello; one cup boiling water; 1/2 cup cold water; onepackage soft cream cheese; one bag frozen strawberries.

How to makeit
Prepare Jello per box instructions. Put in fridge to thicken. Put Jello, creamcheese and frozen strawberries in a blender. Put back in refrigerator untilfirm. Eat.

Mark Clayton,Ravens receiver

SWEET POTATOESOVER CORN MUFFINS

"I could eatit as a meal by itself," says Clayton, who helps cook all the Thanksgivingtrappings--mac-'n'-cheese, greens, the great bird itself--during his family'sannual chowdown. When he was a child, Clayton, his mother and his two siblingsbriefly lived in a homeless shelter in Oklahoma City, which led to their otherThanksgiving tradition: delivering food to the needy. Last year he passed out350 turkey dinners at a center in Baltimore; this year he and his mother,JacQuetta, and teammate Ray Lewis will go to an inner-city school. "At onepoint we were in line receiving food just like the people I am helpingnow," says Clayton. "After we got out [of the shelter], we always didvolunteer work in the local shelters. Giving back is so important."

SWEETPOTATOES

Ingredients
One large can of sweet potatoes; 1/4 cup sweet butter, cut into pieces; 1/2 cupbrown sugar; one teaspoon ground cinnamon; one teaspoon ground nutmeg.

How to make it
Preheat oven to 350°. Place potatoes in shallow baking dish. Combine syrup fromthe can, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg in sauce pan, stirring untilmixture boils and thickens. Pour sauce over sweet potatoes. Cover and bake inthe preheated oven 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

CORNMUFFINS

Ingredients
(Clayton follows a recipe for JIFFY brand corn muffins.) Two 8.5-ounce packagesof corn-muffin mix; two eggs; one 12-ounce can creamed corn; 1/4 cup vegetableoil; 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 3/4 cup shreddedcheddar cheese.

How to makeit
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a large muffin pan. Mix all ingredients in a bowl,blending well. Pour into the muffin pan, filling each cup half full. Bake22--28 minutes. Let cool, remove muffins. Spoon prepared sweet potatoes overthe corn muffins and serve. Makes 20 muffins

Kris Draper, RedWings Center

MASHEDPOTATOES

"I'm anaggressive masher," he says. "I can't have lumps, so I have two masherson hand. I tend to bend one in the process." Draper (below), his wife,Julie, and children, Kennedi, 6, and Kienan, 4, will host family and friends,and he'll mash a potato-and-a-half per guest. "You don't want to runout," says Draper, who adds that after his spud-smashing he slips away towatch football. "With my wife and mother-in-law in there, you can only haveso many cooks in the kitchen."

Ingredients
Ten russet potatoes; 1/2 cup skim milk; 1/4 cup organic sour cream; onetablespoon salted butter; salt; pepper; parsley.

How to makeit
Peel and quarter potatoes and place in large pot. Cover potatoes with coolwater, add salt and boil. Drain potatoes when tender. Heat milk in saucepan butdon't boil. Mix warm milk and butter into potatoes until creamy. Stir in sourcream. Smash potatoes with masher until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkleon parsley. Serves 6--8

PHOTO

SIECLE PREIS/CORBIS (HAT)

TWO PHOTOS

PABLO AGUILAR (2, MARCHANT COOKING & DISH)

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ENVISION/CORBIS (JELLO)

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TWIG/CAL SPORT MEDIA (LORENZEN)

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CARLOS M. SAAVEDRA (MUFFINS)

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JOHN F. MARTIN (DRAPER)

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HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES (CLAYTON)