Thanksgiving is just two days away, and I thought it would be nice to share what I'm fixing this year. Please feel free to post yours in the comments section. :)
Mac and Cheese
8 ounces macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika
Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.
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Southern Cornbread Stuffing
7 slices oven-dried white bread
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
8 tablespoons butter
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (optional)
5 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices, and saltines, and mix together and set aside.
In a large skillet, saute the chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour Sauteed mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning, and mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Reserve 2 heaping tablespoons of this mixture for the giblet gravy. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is done, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.
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Green Bean Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup, 10 3/4 ounce
4 cups cooked green beans
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 1/3 cups fried onions
Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup fried onions and bake about 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.
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Giblet Gravy
pan of turkey drippings
5 tablespoons flour
3 cups Quick Turkey Stock
chopped turkey giblets from stock
salt & pepper to taste
When the turkey is done, remove it from the pan and set it on a carving/serving platter. Remove the rack from the pan.
Place the pan over two burners of your stove (make sure the pan is flame-proof). Heat the drippings on medium flame, stirring in the flour and cooking until the flour is cooked through and no longer raw, about five minutes. Add the stock; if too much has evaporated, add enough water to make 3 cups. Stir to mix all ingredients thoroughly and simmer until thick and reduced, about 10 to 20 minutes. Add the reserved giblets and salt and pepper to taste.
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Sweet Potato Souflee
4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 stick butter or margarine (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix well
Pour into buttered pan
Topping: 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup pecans
Crumble topping evenly over potato mixture. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes uncovered.
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Foolproof Chocolate Fudge
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Line one 8 or 9 inch square pan with wax paper.
In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the condensed milk. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped nuts and vanilla extract. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan and chill for 2 hours or until firm. Once firm, turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off waxed paper and cut into small squares.
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Southern Pecan Pie
1 c Pecans
1 lb Sugar, light brown
1/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 c Milk
1/2 ts Vanilla
3 Eggs
1/2 c Butter, melted
Make your favorite pie crust, put that in the tin....set the oven to 325 degrees and put the pecans in the crust bottom...(I always coat the crust with a little beaten egg for any real liquidy pie...) Blend together the sugar, flour, salt, and then mix in Milk and vanilla...Beat in the eggs, one at a time with a wisk...Mix in butter a little at a time...Pour this over the pecans, then bake for 1 hr and 15 minutes till the pie looks puffy and doesn't shake like crazy in the center when you move it.
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Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Maple Pecan Glaze:
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans
whipped cream (optional)
pecan halves (optional)
1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2 Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter; press firmly on bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3 With mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Eagle Brand until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
4 Bake 1 1/4 hours or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
5 To serve, spoon some Maple Pecan Sauce over cheesecake. Garnish with whipped cream and pecans if desired. Pass remaining sauce. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
6 Maple Pecan Glaze: In medium-sized saucepan, combine 1 cup (1/2 pint) whipping cream and 3/4 cup pure maple syrup; bring to a boil. Boil rapidly 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened; stir occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Cover and chill until served. Stir before serving.
*Note: To use 13x9-inch baking pan, press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of pan. Proceed as above, except bake 50 to 60 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaken.
We're also having turkey, eggnog, rolls, mashed potatoes, and some deviled eggs. Such a feast for just three people huh? Anyone care to come over and join us? :)