"Growing Pains" Jeremy Miller's 3 Must-Have Dishes for Thanksgiving Dinner
Autumn & Thanksgiving
Audio By Carbonatix
By Lynette Kittle, Crosswalk.com
Jeremy Miller, the widely loved actor who played the youngest son, mischievous Ben Seaver, on the classic 1980s hit show “Growing Pains,” and its two reunion movies, is cooking his three must-have dishes for Thanksgiving Day dinner.
Beginning his acting career at 5 years old, Jeremy is best known for cooking up his boyish, trouble-making schemes on our TV screens week after week to the delight of millions of young viewers. Nowadays, though, Jeremy is cooking up delicious holiday dishes, rather than childhood pranks.
As well, he’s also a motivational speaker and popular guest at events and conventions across the nation for his role as “Linus” in the beloved Peanuts animated Charlie Brown specials “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” “Snoopy: The Musical,” and “This is America, Charlie Brown.”
Still, when it comes to cooking, “I got my passion for cooking from my Grandmother, seeing how she loved feeding people, including her family, friends, and neighbors,” says Jeremy. “Cooking was truly her love language, and I grew up cooking at her side.”
As Jeremy’s cooking inspiration and mentor, he learned every tip he could from his grandma about how she cooked everything, and seeing how much love she put into everything she did for those who meant the most to her.
Where Jeremy’s Thanksgiving Food Traditions Began
“When it comes to the holidays, my family’s food and traditions always started with my maternal Grandma,” explains Jeremy. “Thanksgiving was her favorite, and the dishes that hit our table were very 1950s and 1960s traditional.”
His grandma’s dishes included mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, turkey, and ham. Although Jeremy loved her dishes, his first two must-have dishes are his own creations of Creole Garlic Soup and Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears, the first two of his recipes that his grandma allowed him to add to their Thanksgiving meal.
“They have become staples for our family and are a wonderful reminder that my Grandma trusted me enough to add my own touches to our Holiday celebration,” explains Jeremy.
“The most special Thanksgiving memories I have are of cooking with my Grandma,” shares Jeremy. “She would have upwards of 150 people come through on Thanksgiving Day, and we would cook for days beforehand. I spent as much time in the kitchen with her as possible. Listening to stories of her childhood, arguing about who was better, my Dodgers (da bums) or her beloved Cincinnati Reds.”
“The best Thanksgiving tradition is everyone gathering around the kitchen,” describes Jeremy, “Some people cooking, some people tasting, with family and friends laughing, telling stories, and reminiscing.”
Jeremy’s third must-have dish is the Candied Yams, his favorite way to have them, and a dish he craves all year long. The following are the recipes for Jeremy’s three must-have dishes for Thanksgiving dinner.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/ ABC Photo Archives / Contributor
Here Are the Recipes for Jeremy’s Three Must-Have Dishes for Thanksgiving:
Dish #1: Jeremy’s Creole Garlic Soup
Recipe Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
- 14 cloves garlic
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 10 turns of fresh black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 cups torn-up day-old French bread
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese
Cooking Directions:
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Stir well and sauté, stirring every few minutes, until golden brown, making sure not to burn.
- Stir in the stock, minced garlic, and the chopped herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat back up to medium-high and whisk in the cream and the bread. Keep whisking off and on for 10 minutes, until the bread begins to disintegrate.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Blend thoroughly with a hand blender and serve.
*Dish makes approximately 4-6 servings.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/VICUSCHKA
Dish #2: Jeremy’s Baked Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears
Recipe Ingredients:
- 8-10 lb smoked ham
- 1 ½ lbs Granny Smith apples
- 1 ½ lbs Bartlett of Anjou pears
Spice Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup pure cane syrup
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dry English mustard
- 1/4 cup water
Cooking Directions:
- For the glaze, combine all the ingredients except the dry mustard and water. Whisk well.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mustard and water and mix well. Whisk this into the spice mixture until it's well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a roasting pan big enough for the ham with parchment paper. Place a wire rack in the pan and then the ham, fatty side up.
- Baste well with some spice glaze.
- Wash, core, and quarter the fruit; place it in the pan around the ham.
- Baste the ham again and the fruit.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and baste the ham and fruit with the remaining glaze.
- Bake for another 45 minutes.
- Remove and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve and serve with the apples and pears.
*Dish makes approximately 10-15 servings.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/vm2002
Dish #3: Jeremy’s Candied Yams
Recipe Ingredients:
- 3 lbs yams or sweet potatoes
- 1 lb salted butter
- 2-3 cups water
- 1 cup light brown sugar
Cooking Directions:
- Wash the yams well and slice into 1-inch-thick rounds.
- Layer slices into a wok or large skillet. Add water until it just reaches the top of the yams.
- Slice the butter and layer on top.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low.
- When the butter has fully melted, sprinkle the brown sugar over it. Mix well.
- Partially cover and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes. Stirring often and gently to prevent breaking up the potatoes.
- The dish is ready when soft and syrupy.
*Dish makes approximately 6-12 servings.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/from_my_point_of_view
Why Jeremy Loves Cooking for Others
When it comes to cooking, Jeremy puts his heart and soul into cooking for others, considering cooking for them as one of the most unselfish ways of showing love.
“When done right,” says Jeremy, “You are not only nourishing the body but uplifting the mind and soul, and being able to teach this gift to others makes my heart content.”
As a celebrity chef, Jeremy offers private party cooking lessons for up to 12 people, wherever there is an open kitchen, including in homes, at parties, in backyards, rental kitchens, or even creating a filmed cooking class for special events. Always ready to cook and teach themed dishes for every occasion, Jeremy serves up a custom menu of four or five dishes, teaching individuals with full instructions on how to cook by walking them through each dish, along with discussing each dish’s history. He also prepares private couple or family meals for special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays.
What Thanksgiving Day Means to Jeremy
“To me,” explains Jeremy, “Thanksgiving is a wonderful reminder to count all of our blessings, big and small. Even in the darkest times, there are so many things to be thankful for if you look for them. It can be so easy to focus on the negative things that surround us in our daily lives. I think it often blinds us to the small miracles that surround us every day. Thanksgiving is a yearly reminder to try and look at this world with a grateful heart.”
His favorite part of Thanksgiving memories is always the gathering of family and friends. “Even more,” says Jeremy, “I love getting to open our home to someone who was away from home or had nowhere to go for the holiday. This was not just a tradition, but a standing rule in our neighborhood. If you had nowhere else... you would come to my Grandma’s house. And you were treated as family!”
“I am most thankful for two things. First are the family and friends that God has blessed me with,” says Jeremy, “I am surrounded by people that I love dearly and for that I am truly grateful.”
“Second, and most importantly,” explains Jeremy, “I am thankful that no matter how many times I have stumbled, no matter how many times I have fallen short, God has never turned away from me. God's Grace is something that I could not be more thankful for.”
As a recovering alcoholic, Jeremy shares his struggle with addiction to inspire others and to let people know that even if they aren’t aware of it, God is always at work in their lives.
When it comes to thankfulness, Jeremy’s favorite Bible passage is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Source:
J. Miller, personal communication, October 26, 2025.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/EvelynMccarthy
Photo of Jeremy Miller: ©GettyImages/ Michael Tullberg / Contributor
