Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

By Sherril Steele-Carlin

Thanksgiving is a time when we love to really give our all to the food coming out of the kitchen.  Unfortunately, a lot of us don't have the spare time to spend hours in the kitchen during this holiday.  These recipes are delicious, but they are simple to make too, and you can make many of them ahead, so Thanksgiving dinner will be a real snap!

Sweet Potato Casserole

  • 3 lg. cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 stick margarine or butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Topping

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 stick margarine or butter
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup flour

Mix first 6 ingredients.  Pour into buttered dish.  Top with next 4 ingredients.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until brown.

Corn Pudding

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • Salt
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 can corn (drain 1/2 of liquid)
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla flavoring

Mix eggs, flour and sugar together.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bake in glass container in oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until pudding is firm in center.

Squash Casserole

  • 6 cups (3 lb.) yellow squash, sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 8 oz. Pepperidge Farm herb crumbs
  • 1/2 cup melted butter

Boil squash and onion 10 minutes.  Drain.  Add carrots, sour cream, and soup.  Combine crumbs and butter.  Layer 1/2 crumb mixture in a 9 x 13 pan.  Add squash mixture and top with rest of crumb mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Baked Apple and Carrot Casserole

  • 6 apples, cooked, peeled, and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups cooked carrot slices
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • Salt to taste
  • 3/4 cup orange juice

Place half the apples in greased 2 quart baking dish and cover with half the carrots.  Mix brown sugar, flour and salt and sprinkle half the mixture over the carrots.  Repeat layers and pour orange juice over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serves 6.

Acorn Squash

  • 2 acorn squash
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 lb. sausage

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut squash in half; scoop out seeds.  Place on a muffin pan (cut side up).  Place 1/4 cup brown sugar in each half of squash and then place a patty of sausage on top of the brown sugar.  Cook for 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Scoop out the shells and mix with melted brown sugar, serve with sausage.

Spiced Fruit Cobbler

  • 4 cans or 1 qt. fruit
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 pkg. white cake mix
  • 1 1/2 c. water
  • 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place drained fruit slices in bottom of Dutch oven. Sprinkle with spices and sugar. Blend cake mix, water and eggs. Pour over fruit mixture. Cover and bake 25-35 minutes.

Yummy Potato Casserole

  • 6 c. frozen hash browns, partially thawed (about 32 ounces)
  • 1/2 c. butter or margarine, melted
  • 1/2 c. onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 cans cream of chicken soup
  • 1 c. sour cream
  • 1 c. potato chips or Corn Flakes, crushed

Combine all ingredients except sour cream. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cover. Cook 5 to 7 hours. During last hour of cooking, stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips before serving.

Crock Pot Stuffing

  • 1 (8 inch) pan cornbread
  • 8 slices dry white bread
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 c. chicken broth
  • 2 cans cream of chicken soup
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • Celery to taste
  • 1 med. onion
  • 2 Tbsp. butter

Mix together all ingredients except butter. Place in crock pot. Dot butter on top of mixture. Cook 2 hours on high then 4 hours on low. What could be easier? And you can serve it right out of the crock!

Another Crock Pot Dressing

  • 8 c. prepared stuffing mix
  • 1/2 c. chopped onions
  • 1/2 c. chopped celery
  • 1/2 c. melted butter
  • 2 c. turkey broth and cooked giblets, chopped
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 c. raisins

Mix all ingredients together; cook on high at least 1 hour and then on low for an hour or more.

Crock Pot Cranberries

  • 1 pkg. fresh cranberries
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. water

Combine cranberries with sugar and water in crock pot. Cover and cook on high 2 to 3 hours until some of the berries pop. Serve with turkey or chicken.

Hot Cranberry Punch

  • 46 oz. can pineapple juice
  • 1 qt. cranberry juice
  • 3 c. water
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. whole cloves
  • 1 tbsp. whole allspice
  • 6 cinnamon sticks

Pour juices and water into pot. Add salt and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Tie cloves, allspice, and cinnamon in small cheesecloth bag and place in pot. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove spice bag. Keep warm for serving.

All of these are easy to prepare and serve. Enjoy the holidays and try some new recipes while you do!

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