Thanksgiving Recipes

I am putting together some of my past recipes that might help with your Thanksgiving plans.  I hope these recipes can be nice additions to your family's meal.

Roasted Turkey

Crumb Coated Ham

Sweet Potato Casserole

Cranberry Relish

"Homemade" Rolls

Loaded Mashed Potatoes Casserole

Bacon Parmesan Brussel Sprouts

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Cranberry Pecan Crusts Leaves

I saw these on Pinterest and it brought back memories of making little pie crust cookies with the left over pie crust dough when my mother made pies.  I had a set of small cookie cutters in animal shapes.  Add a little cinnamon and sugar to the tops and they were so good.  I guess this was my first cooking experience.

Unlike when I was little this recipe uses a store bought pie crust.  You can also toast the pecans.  I didn't but looking back it might be good.

Let the pie crust sit for a few minutes and get to room temp.  Then unroll on a lightly floured surface.  Then roll out a little.

Finely chop 1/2 cup dried cranberries.  You don't want big chunks.

Sprinkle the cranberries around on top of the pie crust.

Then finely chop 1/2 cup pecans.  If you are going to toast them, toast before chopping.

Sprinkle the pecans around the pie crust too.

Then unroll the second crust and place on top of the other crust.

Roll to seal the two crust.

You can see the cranberries and pecans through the crust.  That is okay.

Using small cookie cutters shaped like leaves, acorns, and pumpkins, cut out the crust.  I found through trial and error to  jiggle the cookie cutter as you are cutting and it helps hold the two pieces together.

Now I wish I had thought to lightly spray the tops an add a little cinnamon and sugar to the tops.  I think that would have been very nice.

Now gather up the scraps and reroll out.

The second roll actually looks really pretty.

And the last roll. Place the cookie sheets in a preheated 425 oven.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden

These are good to just eat but the recipe showed them being used on top of a pie or even a turkey pot pie after Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Pecan Crusts Leaves Recipe

1 pkg refrigerated piecrust
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries

Preheat oven 425.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

Cheesy Turkey Snacks

I saw these cute turkey snacks the other day and knew I had to try them.  I made only one to start with so I could share it with you before Thanksgiving.  I am going to make several for Thanksgiving day.  This would be something that would be fun to do with your kids so they could contribute something to the Thanksgiving meal.  Kids will love them but adults think they are cute too.

Start with a white cheese Baby Bell cheese.  This one is mozzarella but they have a swiss one too that would work.  I used whole cloves for this one but I think I am going to try whole peppercorns.

Unwrap the cheese.  Save the red wax casing.  You will use that later.

Slice off a small piece across the bottom.  This will let the turkey stand up.  I think I might have cut off too much.

See it will stand up.

Now take two whole cloves.  Cloves work well because of the stem that you can push into the cheese.

The turkey has eyes now.

I cut a thin slice of cheddar cheese.  You could use the cheese slices for this.  Actually they would probably work really well.

Now he has a beak.

I used some scissors and cut out a waddle out of the red wax.

Place it next to the beak.

Now for feathers.  Pour out some of the sliced almonds and pick whole pieces.  Start at one end and go all the way across.

Then make a second row behind the first one.

Then stand him up. They look really cute on a plate.  Get creative and try different looks on the turkey.

Cheesy Turkey Snacks Recipe

Baby Bell White Cheese
whole cloves
cheddar cheese
sliced almonds

Sweet Potato Casserole

There is a big debate, at least in the south, crunchy crumbly topping or marshmallows.  I am talking about what you put on top of your sweet potato casserole.  I know some people that think it is not Thanksgiving without the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes.  I personally think it's not Thanksgiving unless there's crunchy crumbly topping.  My mother is always in charge of at least two important things for Thanksgiving, dressing and sweet potato casserole.  One year my daddy, yes the same one I made granola for the other week, wanted marshmallows.  Thanksgiving was ruined!  He no longer gets a say in the Thanksgiving meal.  And yes he has to be thankful for English peas.  A story for another day.

Well the other day I was baking a ha and thought I wanted some sweet potatoes to go with it.  I checked the freezer and had some baked sweet potatoes there so I was halfway there. I am sure I have my mother's recipe somewhere but didn't want to take the time to look it up so I went to Pinterest in the hopes of finding a recipe that was close. I will let you know as I go through the recipe how it turned out.

That is my sweet potatoes in the bowl.  I was trying to help them thaw out a little bit.

To the 4 cups of sweet potatoes add 1/2 cup white sugar.  Let me say here that my sweet potatoes had too much liquid in them from thawing.  I should have drained them better.

Add 1/2 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

4 Tablespoons butter, softened.  I have read that you can grate your butter if it isn't as soft as you would like when you need to use it.  It worked pretty well. Hands get really greasy though.

Mix this really well.

Place in a sprayed casserole dish.

In another bowl add 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons softened butter

I used a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour and sugar.

The butter should be in small pieces.

Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Mix the pecans with the dry ingredients.

Then right before you place in a preheated 325 oven add the crumb topping on top. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until topping is lightly brown.

Well I think the added liquid in the potatoes kept the crumb topping from getting crispy.  They tasted good but not quite my mother's.  Going to have to find that recipe.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

4 cups sweet potatoes cooked
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons butter softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven 325.  Bake for 30 minutes.