As an aspiring Martha Stuart, I have tested many delicious holiday recipes. Here are my favorite (and easy) holiday dishes to spice up your Thanksgiving and impress your guests!
Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
This mouthwatering sweet potato casserole will satisfy lovers of crunchy pecans and cornflakes as well as marshmallows.
4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Bake sweet potatoes at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Let stand until cool to touch (about 20 minutes); peel and mash sweet potatoes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
2. Beat mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
3. Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over casserole in diagonal rows 2 inches apart.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows in alternate rows between cornflake mixture; bake 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
This is my favorite pie of the fall season. The crust is buttery and the filling is sweet and full of nutmeg and cinnamon flavor.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter
Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
3. For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
4. Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours
Delicious Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
These delectable turkey muffins can take your Thanksgiving leftovers and turn them into a mouthwatering side dish.
Ingredients:
1 package ground turkey
1 slice whole wheat or multigrain bread (I used Milton’s Multi-Grain) or ½ cup store bought bread crumbs.
1 cup onions, finely diced
1 egg, I used Egg-Land’s Best eggs
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce or your favorite
¼ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Ingredients for Topping:
⅓ cup Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce or your favorite
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a regular (12-cup) muffin pan with cooking spray. Since this recipe makes 9 meatloaf muffins, you’ll only fill 9 not 12. Set aside.
2. To make bread crumbs: Toast 1 slice whole wheat or multi-grain bread. Place in blender and pulse until made into crumbs.
3. In a large bowl, add ground turkey, bread crumbs, onions, egg, Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup barbecue sauce, salt and pepper. Using your hands or a large spoon, thoroughly mix together until well blended.
4. Add meatloaf mixture to the 9 muffin cups, flattening out the tops. Top each meatloaf muffin with ¾ tablespoon barbecue sauce and spread evenly over top.
5. Bake for 40 minutes. Run a knife around each muffin to loosen it from pan. Remove to a serving plate.
Buttery Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies
Impress your guests with these warm and soft melt-in-your-mouth cookies that will be sure to impress during the dessert round.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup very finely chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Cream together the butter and sugar
3. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until combined
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined and fold in the pecans until evenly distributed
5. Drop by the heaping teaspoon onto a pan lined with parchment and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes
6. You just want to see a little golden brown around the edges at the bottom, and then remove them immediately to cool.
Amazing Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions
This recipe is a spin on a classic dish. Try it as the perfect side to your Thanksgiving turkey!
Ingredients:
For the topping:
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
For beans and sauce:
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. 3. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan.
3. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
4. While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
5. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
7. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half.
9. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
10. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.