A Few Yummy Recipes for Thanksgiving

I think most people have those lifelong recipes they make year after year for Thanksgiving. I know every time I go to my parents home, I get my mom's homemade pecan pie, and I would be upset if she changed that! While there are those "staple" items we have every year, sometimes it's fun to throw something else in the mix. And for those new families who are asked to bring something to Thanksgiving Dinner, or even are going to venture on doing one yourself...I thought I would post a few REALLY GOOD recipes that people will be sure to love. I was looking at the "recipe archive" from this blog, and wanted to incorporate some of those recipes I spent a lot of time on in this post. What better than to have a lot of them in one place, in case you want to access them in the future? Hopefully you will love them as much as our family has.

 #1 Potatoes
First things first....and the item that goes THE FASTEST at our home, is the yummy, creamy homemade mashed potatoes. CLICK HERE for the recipe. 







#2 Rolls
For rolls, I wanted to do something elegant that we could do with Rhodes Rolls (frozen rolls). Doing this to them instantly takes them up a notch. They are so good (especially dipped in gravy) and not much of a hassle. I thought I would post something a little more nice. Something that you can make for a nice occasion that look GORGEOUS, and taste amazing. I personally don't usually do Rhode's Rolls, but put the herbs on my favorite roll recipe. You can do the same. This is a simple way to make those every day rolls look oh-so-fab on the fancy table.

HERB-TOPPED DINNER ROLLS

Your favorite dinner roll recipe
1 egg
1 T water or milk
one bunch flat-leaf parsley (or any other flat leaf herb like sage, dill, cilantro, but I think parsley is best.)

You want your rolls to be at the stage where they're ready to bake. So if you're making dough, prepare it through the second rise. If you're using frozen dough, just follow the package directions, etc. When your rolls are shaped, risen, and ready to bake, then go ahead with the herby fun.





It's so simple and literally took less than 5 minutes. Just a hint, if you're using more than one leaf, as in they're not connected by a stem or anything, place them really close together on the roll since they'll spread out a little while baking. Then just bake as directed. How cute are these?



#3 Stuffing
I have never been a huge fan of stuffing. So when I found this recipe, I was really excited because I love it. I was intrigued because it had some of my favorite flavors, but ones I wouldn't expect to see in a stuffing recipe: Parmesan cheese and marinated artichoke hearts. The parmesan is subtle and the artichokes add flavor without taking over the whole thing.  It all blended together in one delicious dish.





ARTICHOKE PARMESAN SOURDOUGH STUFFING
Serves 12, makes approx. 10 cups

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned, ends trimmed and sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 onions (3/4 lb total), chopped
1 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2-2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 loaf (1 lb) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 jars (6 oz each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 tsp dried
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten.

*If desired, first toast chopped bread in a 400 degree oven until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.



In a 12-in. frying pan over high heat, cook mushrooms, butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Add a bit of broth to pan (a few tablespoons) and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.


Pour 2 cups broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, parmesan, poultry seasoning, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.  (If you need to add a little more broth at this point, go for it.  I added a bit more because I wanted my stuffing really moist.)  Add beaten egg and mix into stuffing.


Preheat oven to 325° to 350° (meaning the temperature is flexible if it's going in the oven at the same time as other things.  If it's going in alone, bake at 350).  Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3-qt. (9- by 13-in.) casserole pan. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes.

Make ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake.

#4 Cranberry Sauce 
It seems like cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes are kind of the ugly stepsisters of the Thanksgiving table--they're presence seems to be guilt-induced, there's plenty left over, and those leftovers often find themselves cold and lonely in the refrigerator as the rolls, mashed potatoes, and turkey get eaten in the days after Thanksgiving. Well, no more. Skip the can and go for homemade!
Cranberry Sauce
1 bag cranberries
1 c. white sugar
1 c. orange juice
1 c. water
1 stick cinnamon (optional)
1 very small pinch ground cloves (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash cranberries and place in 9x13 baking dish. Add water, cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange juice and sprinkle with sugar.






Bake 1 hour. Remove from oven, remove cinnamon stick, and allow to cool. If you like it with a little texture, mash berries; if you prefer it smooth, process in blender or food processor until desired consistency is reached. Serve with turkey, Swedish meatballs, on pulled turkey, pork, or chicken sandwiches, or on top of ice cream or cobbler.

 
#5 Turkey Tips

I have only made a few turkeys in my life. Usually it is Mom or my in-laws who make it, and us who is invited to come! So, I compiled a list of "turkey tips" on things several professional cooks/moms have said are tried and true.


1. Thaw your frozen turkey out in the refrigerator. This helps to prevent food borne illnesses. A 20 lb. turkey can take up to 3 days to thaw completely.
2. Make sure you have the right size roasting pan to cook your turkey in.
3. When choosing a roasting pan, purchase one that comes with a rack. This aids in the cooking process by allowing heat to travel all around the entire turkey. It also helps you lift the turkey out of the roaster when it is finished cooking.
4. Be sure to remove the giblets and rinse your turkey with warm water. Then pat dry with paper towels, this will allow the seasonings to stick on your turkey.
5. Generously season the inside and outside of your turkey with kosher salt and pepper. (may use other desired seasonings)
6. To make the meat moist and delicious use 1 cup of softened butter and stuff it in between the meat and the skin of the turkey. Apply as much as you can on the entire turkey.
7. To give your turkey some major flavor stuff the inside with 2 whole carrots (peeled and ends off), 2 ribs of celery and one onion cut in half.
8. Be sure to place your turkey in an oven with the correct temperature. The directions should be located on the bag of the turkey you purchased. Remember low and slow is best.
9. Baste the turkey every 15-30 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and let the turkey rest for 1 hour before serving.




 #6 Desserts

Want to impress the socks off of everyone at your table? Make this White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust. Trust me, you'll be set for instant popularity.





Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust
A note about water baths: While cheesecake enthusiasts will tell you it's essential to always use one, from my experience, some cheesecakes do okay without them and others really need them to turn out well. I think it depends on the recipe. This one needs a water bath.

Crust:
1 3/4 C gingersnap crumbs (about 30 small cookies)
6T real butter, melted
3 T brown sugar
3/4 C ground pecans

Filling:
3 8oz blocks cream cheese
3/4 C canned pumpkin puree
6 oz melted white chocolate (that's about 1 C white chocolate chips)
1 C sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves

Topping:
- 1 C whipping cream, beat with 1/2 tsp vanilla and 4 Tbs powdered sugar until medium peaks form.
- 1/3 C roughly chopped pecans, either toasted or caramelized
- 2 Tablespoons jarred caramel sauce
Preheat oven to 350. Using 2 large pieces of heavy duty foil, securely wrap the bottom and outside of your cheesecake pan. This will prevent leaks when using the water bath.

For Crust:
Use a food processor to crush gingersnaps. Then do pecans. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar, and butter and stir well to combine. Press into a 9" spring form pan. Evenly spread across the bottom of pan and up the sides about 1 inch.

To melt chocolate, place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. With the mixer running, slowly add in white chocolate in a steady stream (or steady blobs). Pour mixture on top of the crust.
  

For water bath: Place cheesecake pan inside of a larger pan. I use a roasting pan. Place your cheesecake pan into larger pan. The larger pan should be at least 2-3 inches in depth. Place in pre-heated oven. With a kettle or pitcher filled with hot water, pour water into the larger pan about halfway up, or approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches.




 
Bake for 60-75 minutes or until set. The center should be just a tad bit jiggly still. It will finish cooking while cooling.





When it's done, remove from oven and place on a rack until completely cool. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours.  This is a very soft cheesecake so sufficient chilling is a must! When ready to serve spread sweetened whipped cream on top, drizzle caramel sauce over it, and sprinkle with pecans. 


MORE DESSERT RECIPES.....

A while back I did a recipe (it was during my pumpkin recipe phase) that are Pumpkin Mini Cream Pies. Even if you don't eat them for Thanksgiving, these are so fun to have around the house to munch on all throughout Thanksgiving weekend. CLICK HERE for the recipe. 

For those who wish to learn to make your homemade pumpkin puree (instead of buying it in the can), CLICK HERE for a tutorial.





Or, you could make those cute Turkey Cupcakes I posted about not long ago. Those are a fun, tasty "craft" food that your kids/grandkids would love to make! CLICK HERE for the recipe.

These babies are SURE to be a big crowd-pleaser, and they are so easy to make! They look "professional," but with not a lot of hassle. CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Can't go wrong with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies! Are you just about all "pumpkin-ed out" yet? CLICK HERE for this recipe.

Ok, I will lay off the pumpkin and go with the Apple Struesel Bars. Very decadent and tasty. You can find the recipe HERE.

 If you are hosting, sometimes people aren't quite ready for pie (never happens at our house), or you may just want to send something home fun with those who came. There is this idea to do the Pie in a Jar. That way when they want pie, they just take it out of the freezer, pop it in the oven and you've got an instant-pie! CLICK HERE for this option. You can even download and print these adorable TURKEY TAGS  for them!




#7 LEFTOVERS

If you have any leftover potatoes, make this Baked Potato Soup the following day. It's to die for!

The morning following Thanksgiving, surprise your family with THESE Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup (the syrup completely makes them!).  My life would not be nearly as complete without having tried these! Your family will love you for it! CLICK HERE for the recipe.