Tamela Mann Shares Her Thanksgiving Cooking Secrets, Homemade Seasonings and Make-Ahead Tips
The singer reveals how she prepares a feast for 60 guests and her kitchen shortcuts
Key Takeaways
- Tamela Mann created Mama Mann’s Kitchen with her husband, David Mann.
- She cooks for up to 60 guests each year and shares cherished traditions.
- Tamela shares her tips for extra moist dressing and easy shortcuts.
For Grammy winning gospel artist Tamela Mann the holidays are always a wonderful blend of faith, family and lots of good food. And this year, a not-so-secret ingredient in some of her tastiest dishes will be spices from Mama Mann’s Kitchen, the line of seasonings she developed in her own home.
“It came about because of my husband David. I just wanted to find something healthier for us that wasn’t full of sodium, and that’s how it started,” Tamela tells Woman’s World in this weeks cover story (pick up a copy here). “One day I was in the kitchen and I just started mixing some things together, just sampling and tasting. David tasted it and said, ‘This is good. You should start a line.’”
How Tamela created Mama Mann’s Kitchen Seasonings
Mama Mann’s Kitchen Seasoning Blend Collection is just the latest successful venture for the talented singer/songwriter/actress who got her start singing with Kirk Franklin’s acclaimed group The Family. She went on to star as Cora Simmons in Tyler Perry’s popular series of Madea plays and films. Her TV credits include Meet the Browns, Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living and Mann & Wife. She recently expanded her award-winning Mann TV YouTube series Mama Mann’s Kitchen. For one of her favorite recipes, click here!
Tamela leaned into her favorite flavors while developing her new line. “Garlic is one of my favorites, so I created a garlic mix for people who really don’t want much salt at all, but still want flavor,” she smiles. “Then another time I was playing around, and I came up with Just for Pie that you can use in your desserts. I’ve used it in cobbler and on my yams. I’ve used it in coffee. David helped me create the All Things Blackened seasoning. I’m proud of the line because we did it ourselves.”
Woman’s World readers even get 15 percent off Mama Mann’s Kitchen Blends with the Promo Code: MMKWW. Expires 12/31/26.
Tamela Mann shares her Thanksgiving tips and shortcuts
To get ready for Thanksgiving, Tamela starts prepping on Tuesday. “I start baking like my pies, and I have to bake enough because my family start cutting into them and eating beforehand,” she laughs. “And I use shortcuts. When I do my cobblers, I buy the dough that’s in the store. I get the Pillsbury dough for my peach cobblers. And I buy the pie crust that’s already in the pan.”
She also enlists help with some of the slicing and dicing. “I have the girls and my grandbabies come and chop up the onions and dice the potatoes and stuff. I like my potato salad to kind of sit. I like to make it early enough so it can sit because all your seasonings really soak in there and all marry together.”
Tamela Mann’s Secret to Moist Thanksgiving Dressing
Tamela also starts her dressing early. “I usually do my cornbread early. The night before Thanksgiving, I fix the dressing, but I cook it halfway and I stop. Then the next morning, I let it cook the rest of the way. It keeps you from drying your dressing out because if you cook it all the way and you put it back in the oven, it’s like you’re cooking it again. So that’s what’s making causing so much dryness when it comes to your dressing.”
Thanksgiving at the Mann house can sometimes serve up to 60 guests. “Sometimes we get up to 60 people, but no, no less than 35,” she says of their large gatherings. “It’s usually a lot of us, and then somebody always brings somebody. I don’t ever want anybody to feel like they’re left out.”
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