Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Last Minute Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Man, guys, am I exhausted. This is the first time I've sat down all day, since I've been cooking for tomorrow's Thanksgiving feasts all morning. I also had to make a couple of trips to the grocery store, and it was pretty insane there. I guess I'm not the only one who waited until the last minute to get my groceries!

Today I thought I'd share a few quick and easy recipes that would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table. I'm sure your meals are already planned out, but if you're still looking for a delicious side dish to take to dinner tomorrow, I hope you find something on this list that sounds good!


Homemade creamed corn is a delicious and simple alternative to a traditional corn casserole.

A favorite in our family is my mom's recipe for sweet potato casserole. You won't find any marshmallows here!

Another of our family's favorites (for every get-together, not just Thanksgiving) is this broccoli salad. When I make it for Thanksgiving, I add in dried cranberries and toasted pecan pieces.


Those oft-reviled little cabbages are impossible to resist in this recipe for maple cayenne Brussels sprouts. The balance of sweet and spicy is so perfect, and the flavor profile is so unusual, making this a special and interesting vegetable option.

I make cranberry butter every year for Thanksgiving as well. Compound butters are so simple to throw together and are such a fun and delicious way to dress up dinner rolls.


Our family always has some type of macaroni and cheese with our Thanksgiving dinner (we are carb-loving folks), and this year I'm taking buttermilk macaroni and cheese (my new favorite!). This butternut squash mac and cheese would also be a delicious, seasonal version to take.


I know lots of families stay pretty traditional with their Thanksgiving dessert options, and that's mostly true of our family, too -- except when they put me in charge of the pie. When they do that, they're likely to get something like coconut chocolate pecan pie or sweet potato pie. I've even given them their pecan pie in cupcake form! This year, they're getting maple cream pie -- a new-to-me recipe that I'll certainly share if it's a hit. 

Here are a few more non-traditional Thanksgiving dessert options:

This apple butter cheesecake (horrible photo notwithstanding) is a spicy, creamy, flavorful cheesecake with a crispy gingersnap crust. It's delicious.

Why make pumpkin pie when you could make pumpkin pie snickerdoole bars? Here's the recipe.


Thanksgiving is, in part, a celebration of autumn's bounty, and what better way to celebrate than with a dessert combining pumpkin and apples? Pumpkin apple streusel cake is a sophisticated and delicious dessert.

I hope all of your Thanksgiving preparations go smoothly this afternoon and this evening, and that all of you drive safely to get to where you're going. I'll be back tomorrow with a fun Thanksgiving snack I made for my sons!

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