Favorite Thanksgiving recipes

Eek! Thanksgiving is this week! I love prepping and cooking for a big Thanksgiving dinner. In my family, I’m usually the designated planner. So if Thanksgiving were to be hosted at my parent’s house, I got to cook basically everything! I love it! Here are some of my favorite basic recipes.

Roquefort pear Salad

This salad is actually one of my favorite salad recipe. You make the dressing and it’s a sweet tangy taste. Super delicious and highly recommended.

Ingredients

• 1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 pears – peeled, cored and chopped
• 5 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• 1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
2. For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

Find the recipe page here.

Mashed potatoes

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Ingredients

• 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/2 cups cream cheese
• 1/2 medium head garlic, peeled and mince
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm. Drain and return to stove over low heat to dry for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add butter, Parmesan cheese, chives, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth, and serve.

If you’re like me and you like chunks of potatoes in your mashed potatoes, just don’t mash it as much.

Find the recipe page here.

Creamed corn

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Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter.
2. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.

Find the recipe page here.

Green Bean casserole

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Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 cups cooked cut green beans
• 2 2/3 cups French’s® French Fried Onions

Directions

1. Stir soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, beans and 1 1/3 cups onions in 3-qt. casserole.
2. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 min. or until hot. Stir.
3. Top with remaining onions. Bake for 5 more minutes

Find the recipe page here.

Macaroni and cheese

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 cups milk
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the macaroni, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through but still slightly firm, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
2. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam and bubble, stir in the flour; cook on medium heat until flour just begins to turn pale yellow, 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme, cayenne pepper, and white pepper; cook and stir another minute, then whisk in 1 cup of milk until smooth. Pour in remaining milk and whisk again. Bring the sauce just to a simmer.
3. Stir in nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and salt; simmer on medium-low heat until thickened, about 8 minutes, whisking often. Turn heat off, then add 2 1/4 cups of Cheddar cheese; stir until melted and combined. Add Dijon mustard.
4. Transfer the macaroni into a casserole dish, then pour in the cheese sauce; stir to thoroughly combine sauce with pasta. Mix panko bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter in a small bowl, and sprinkle crumbs on top of macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup of Cheddar cheese on top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until bread crumbs and Cheddar cheese topping are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Find recipe page here.

Apricot bacon wrapped pork chops

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
• 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 6 strips bacon
• 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard

Directions

1. Rub the pork tenderloin with the mixture of the cajun seasoning and brown sugar and wrap it up in the bacon.
2. Heat an oven safe skillet over medium heat, add the bacon wrapped pork tenderloin and cook until it is browned on all sides, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Transfer the pan to a preheated 400F/200C oven, roast until the pork reaches 140F, about 10-15 minutes, brushing on the mixture of the apricot preserves and mustard near the end before setting aside it to rest, covered, for 5 minutes.

Find the recipe page here.

Ham

My favorite type of ham is honey pineapple ham. Here’s an excellent recipe for it.

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Ingredients

• 1 (10 pound) fully-cooked, bone-in ham
• 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 large orange, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place ham in a roasting pan.
2. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, orange juice, orange zest, Dijon mustard, and ground cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Bake ham in preheated oven uncovered for 2 hours. Remove ham from oven, and brush with glaze. Bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, brushing ham with glaze every 10 minutes.

Find the recipe page here.

Blueberry cobbler

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Pro tip: Serve this with ice cream!

Find the recipe page here.

P.S. I’m not a big turkey fan, so I usually buy it from Honey Baked Ham. Their cut turkey is so yummy and not dry at all.

xoxo Catherine

Catherine Le

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