Dear Sis,
We made way to much food for 2.5 people! …but it is all yummy and leftovers guarantee I don’t have to work very hard the next few days to feed my family.
William’s eyes got very big when he saw his very full plate and a full set of utensils!
Our Thanksgiving Menu
Roasted Turkey Breast & Gravy
Cheesy Potato Casserole & Creamed Corn
Cracker Barrel Carrots & Green Bean Mushroom Casserole
Pecan Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole
Homemade Crescent Rolls
1860s Pumpkin Pudding & Pear Pie
We have had this dish at other dinner parties, but we had never tried it ourselves. We decided we like it best without the corn flakes and extra butter. The recipe below includes these preferential adjustments.
- 28 oz frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained
- 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (16 oz) tub sour cream
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 c salted butter, melted
- 1 t garlic powder
- Combine all ingredients. Spread into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
- Bake 45-60 minutes at 350. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Surprisingly, this is a recipe Josh found and made for us a few times. Tonight he was kind enough to share his source.
- 2 lb. fresh baby carrots
- 2 T salted butter
- 1 T brown sugar
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch salt
- Place carrots in a large saucepan. Cover with water and simmer until soft 30-45 minutes.
- Drain two-thirds of the water. Stir in the butter, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Serve warm.
I’ve always liked the premise of Green Bean Casserole… green beans and mushrooms basking in yummy creaminess. However, I’ve never tasted the perfect balance before tonight. Fresh beans and mushrooms are a must!
- 1 1/4 lb. fresh green beans, washed & trimmed
- 8 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 c whole milk
- 1/2 t ground pepper
- 3/4 c fried onions
- Place beans in a large stock pot and boil until al' dente, 10-15 minutes. Drain.
- Stir in mushrooms, soup, milk, and pepper. Pour into a square casserole dish.
- Top with fried onion. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
Again, I’ve loved the idea on Sweet Potato Casserole, but I’ve never had one that wasn’t too sweet for my liking until tonight.
- 3 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 c half and half
- 2 T butter
- 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 t salt
- 1/2 c pecans, crushed
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 1/4 c butter, soft
- 1/4 c unbleached flour
- 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 t salt
- 2 c mini marshmallows
- Place sweet potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water and boil until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain.
- Mash cooked sweet potatoes with remaining ingredients and spread into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
- For topping, cream together all ingredients except marshmallows.
- Sprinkle 1 c marshmallows over mashed sweet potatoes. Top with broken up bits of pecan streusel. Sprinkle with remaining marshmallows.
- Bake casserole 15-20 minutes, or until marshmallows are golden, at 375.
I used to make homemade crescents all the time, but haven’t since Josh and I were dating. I’m glad I brushed off this old favorite:)
- 1/2 c warm water
- 1 T dry active yeast
- 1/2 c butter, melted
- 1/2 c milk or half n half
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 - 4 c unbleached flour
- Dissolve yeast in warm water.
- Whisk together melted butter, milk, and sugar. Beat in dissolved yeast and egg.
- Add 1/2 c flour at a time, stirring between additions. Knead until smooth.
- Grease dough and rise 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Roll dough into a large circle. Cut into 12 wedges and roll up from the wide end. Shape into crescents and arrange on two baking sheets. Bake 12-18 minutes, until golden and baked through.
Pumpkin Pudding
Ingredients:
1 fine sweet pumpkin
6 eggs
1/4 pound of butter
1/2 pink of new milk
ginger
nutmeg
1 wine glass of brandy
sugar
paste
Instructions:
Stew the pumpkin till soft and dry; rub it through a sieve, mix with the pulp the eggs quite light, butter, milk, some powdered ginger and nutmeg, the brandy, and sugar to your taste. Should it be too liquid, stew it a little drier, put a paste round the edges, and in the bottom of a shallow dish or place; pour in the mixture, cut some thin bits of paste, twist them, and law them across the top, and bake it nicely.
- 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie shell
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 c whole milk
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 1/2 c salted butter, melted
- 1/4 c brandy
- 1 t ground ginger
- 1/2 t ground nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 425. Unroll pie shell into a pie plate. Piece with a fork to vent.
- Place puree into a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Beat in remaining ingredients as listed. Pour into prepared pie plate.
- Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.
- 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie shell
- 6-8 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 2 T granulated sugar
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t nutmeg
- 1/8 t salt
- 1 c unbleached flour
- 1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 c unsalted butter, cold
- Preheat oven to 425. Place pie shell in a pie plate and piece with a fork to vent.
- Toss pears with granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over crust.
- For sweet crumb topping, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over spiced pears.
- Bake 15 minutes. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes more. Cool.
Love,
b