Tag Archives | Thanksgiving Dinner

Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole

By on October 7, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Thanksgiving Recipes

Call me crazy, but I prefer my Thanksgiving side dishes to taste more like dinner and less like dessert.  I created this recipe last year after a half-decade of trying to come up with a sweet potato recipe that I liked.

And here it is- my Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole.  This easy recipe is also a part of my Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving.

Toni’s Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

  1. Sweet potatoes- 2 1lb cans
  2. Butter- ½ cup (1 stick) plus a few tbspns more to pour on top
  3. Marshmallows- 1 bag
  4. Brown sugar- ¼ cup
  5. Dried sage and thyme- 1 tspn each

 Directions:

 

  1. Melt butter in microwave
  2. Combine sweet potatoes, melted butter, ½ of marshmallows, sugar and herbs
  3. Beat until smooth
  4. Transfer to casserole dish and pour remaining marshmallows and drizzle melted butter on top

This recipe can be made in advance and stored before bringing out on Thanksgiving Day to bake.  I make mine about two days in advance.

  1. Bake on 375 for 30-45 minutes
Sweet Potato Casserole easy make ahead recipe

Toni's Not-So-Sweet Potato Casserole

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Toni’s Perfect Cranberry Sauce

By on October 1, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Thanksgiving Recipes

Cranberry sauce can be made and stored well in advance without having to freeze because you’re essentially making a sugared jelly out of the fresh cranberries.

Homemade cranberry sauce is probably the easiest recipe to make on your Thanksgiving menu, so don’t be tempted to purchase the canned version!

This recipe for cranberry sauce has never let me down; that’s why I call it “perfect”.  It’s also part of my Toni’s 12 Days of Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Sauce easy recipe

cranberries are beautiful when they begin to pop!

Toni’s Perfect Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

  1.  3 cups cranberries (1 12oz. bag)
  2.  1 cup orange juice
  3.  1 cup agave nectar or 1 cup sugar
  4.  Cinnamon sticks- 2

 Directions:

  1.  Combine all ingredients in saucepan; cook over medium heat stirring constantly
  2.  Be amazed at how beautiful the cranberries look when they soften and begin to pop
  3.  Once cranberries are completely softened and have popped (about 10-12 minutes), remove from heat, cool
  4. Remove cinnamon sticks before serving or stick them up in the sauce for decoration

Cranberry Sauce Easy Recipe

 

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Baked Cranberry Chestnut Stuffing

By on October 1, 2011 in Survival Guide for Busy Moms

Thanksgiving Recipes

Baked Cranberry Chestnut Stuffing is my favorite stuffing recipe.  Personally, I’m not a stuff-the-turkey person.  I would rather bake my stuffing separately like in this simple recipe and stuff my turkey with fresh items like onion slices, celery stalks and butter to give it more flavor.  Plus, an un-stuffed turkey takes less time to cook.

Baked Cranberry Chestnut Stuffing

Ingredients:

  1. celery- 1 leafy bundle, trimmed and chopped fine- leaves and all
  2. onion- 1 large, peeled and chopped fine
  3. cranberries, fresh- 1 cup
  4. chestnuts- fresh, chopped or canned, chopped
  5. dried parsley- 2 tablespoons
  6. dried thyme- 1 tablespoon
  7. dried sage- 1 tablespoon
  8. either stuffing mix like Pepperidge Farm Cornbread- 2 14 oz. or 1 pound bread like French, Italian or white sandwich, cut into small cubes
  9. 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
  10. chicken stock- 1 10 oz. can

Celery and onion can be chopped ahead of time and stored in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Directions:

  1. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat
  2. Add the celery and onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally
  3. Add the broth and heat to a boil
  4. Remove the skillet from the heat
  5. Add the stuffing or bread cubes, cranberries, chestnuts, parsley, thyme and sage
  6. Spoon the stuffing mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole baking dish
  7. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the stuffing is hot

 

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