Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

From: Foodnetwork.com

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

1 piece pre-made pie dough

Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Cornbread and Sage Stuffing

From: NY Times

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon each olive oil and unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
4 stalks celery, cut in small dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons rubbed sage, or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground pepper
A double batch of Quick Cornbread, crumbled (you can do this in a food processor fitted with the steel blade)
1/2 cup milk, or as necessary, for moistening

About 2 cups vegetable stock

4 tablespoons unsalted butter if baking separately

1. Heat the olive oil (or oil and butter) over medium heat in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about three minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the celery. Cook together for another few minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic, and stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Combine well. Taste and adjust salt. Moisten as desired with milk.

2. Stuff the cavity of the turkey, or transfer to a buttered or oiled 2-quart baking dish. Dot with butter. Cover with aluminum foil, and heat through in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: Makes enough stuffing to fill an 18-pound turkey.

Advance preparation: You can make the cornbread several days ahead and the stuffing a
day ahead.

Turkey Gravy

From my Mama :)

You can use water or milk as the liquid. I generally use milk.

You can use flour or corn starch as the thickener. I usually use flour.

Mix about one cup of milk with about 4 T (heaping) of flour until there are no lumps.

In a saucepan mix 2-3 cups meat drippings (e.g. from turkey bag) with the flour and milk.

Heat, stirring occasionally until thickened.

If it doesn't thicken enough, mix more milk and flour together, add to pan and heat more.

Add seasonings to taste.

Mom's Famous Strawberry Jello

(makes a 13X9 pan)

1. Mix 1 large box or 2 small boxes of strawberry jello (regular or sugar free) with 2 cups boiling water until dissolved.
2. Add one can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
3. Add frozen strawberries (the kind with sugar added) about 1 pound or 2 cups (This measurement doesn't need to be exact.)
4. Mix in large bowl.
5. Pour half the mixture in the dish and refrigerate until firm.
6. Cover the other half with plastic wrap and set it to the side. (Not in the fridge)
7. When it's set, spread with about 2 cups of sour cream (any variety).
8. Pour the other half of the mixture on top and let set.

Sweet Potato Souffle

From: Aunt Susan

3 cups cooked sweet potato (can use fresh or canned)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup canned evaporated milk

1/4 stick margarine (do not melt)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp. butter flavoring

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• Whip together with mixer. Pour in casserole dish (I use small rectangular pyrex dish)

Top with:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup self rising flour

1/2 stick margarine (do not melt)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

• Mix with pastry blender. Sprinkle on top and bake at 350-375 degrees. for 30-35 minutes.

Lemon Cream Meringue Pie

1 8-inch pie crust

Filling:

2 c. milk

2/3 c. sugar

4 medium lemons

1/4 c. cornstarch

4 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

2 T. unsalted butter, softened

Meringue topping:

4 egg whites

2/3 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1. Combine milk and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan (i.e. enamel coated).
2. Zest lemons (scrape off only the yellow part of the peel using a grater, the white part of the lemon tastes very bitter). Add zest to the milk and bring to a simmer over low heat.
3. Remove from heat for 5 min and strain out the zest.
4. Squeeze 1/2 c. of juice from the lemons and combine it with cornstarch and egg yolks.
5. Reheat the milk to a simmer over low heat, and add about 1/3 of the lemon/egg mixture to the saucepan.
6. Add some milk mixture to a cool bowl and mix the rest of the lemon/egg mixture in with a whisk. Combine mix from the bowl with the mix in the saucepan and bring it to a boil for 30 seconds.
7. Remove from heat and mix in the butter.
8. Pour the filling into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the filling until the filling reaches about room temperature.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
10. Poke holes in the crust with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until the crust is a light golden color. Cool crust on a rack.
11. Spread cooled filling on cooled crust.
12. Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
13. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Lower heat so that water simmers.
14. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl.
15. Place bowl over pan with simmering water and whisk eggs until sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
16. Remove egg whites from heat and beat them at medium speed with an electric mixer until the meringue has cooled and can hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted from it.
17. Spread meringue over the cooled filling to cover the entire top surface of the pie and touches the edges of the crust.
18. Place pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 10 min until the meringue is evenly covered.

Vegetable Casserole with Herb Dumplings

Casserole ingredients:

1 T. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 t. sweet paprika

1 large potato, chopped

1 large carrot, sliced

1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 c. vegetable stock

14 oz. orange sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 zucchini, thickly sliced

1 yellow squash, thickly sliced

2 T. heavy cream

Dumpling ingredients:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

2 t. chopped italian parsely

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. chopped rosemary

1/3 c. buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
2. Mix all the casserole ingredients in a large oven proof pot or pan.
3. Combine the dumpling ingredients in a separate bowl. Form the dough into golf ball sized balls and drop on top of the vegetables.
4. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 min or until potatoes are tender.