Deanne's Sausage Apple Stuffing

My sister-in-law Deanne makes this amazing stuffing for Thanksgiving every year. It is relatively easy, absolutely delicious, and will change the way that you feel about stuffing forever. It would also be a great accompaniment to your Christmas turkey!

2 boxes Mrs. Cubbison's Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix (in the green box!)
1 cup butter
2 cups onion-chopped
2 cups celery-chopped
2 tart apples (Granny Smith)- peeled and diced
1 lb. mild italian sausage- browned and drained
about 2 cups chicken broth
about 2 cups apple juice
1-2 cups chopped pecans

Brown sausage and set aside to drain. In the same pan, saute onion and celery in butter. Add apples toward the end of your saute and cook just until slightly tender. Combine with stuffing mix in a large crock pot that has been lightly sprayed with Pam and moisten with chicken broth and apple juice. You want it to be moist, but not too wet.  Gently stir in pecans and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Pumpkin Dip

I made this yummy Pumpkin Dip on Halloween night, but I think it would be perfect all Fall and Winter... or any time for that matter! I cut the recipe in half, since I was only serving 10 and the original recipe serves 32! Recipe adapted from Carolina Charm and allrecipes.

This adaption serves about 12-16.

1 small pumpkin (I used a pie pumpkin and it was perfect!)

1/2 of a (15 ounce) can of pumpkin
1/2 of a 5 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding mix {just the powder, don't make the pudding}
1 (8 ounce) container of low-fat whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cinnamon to sprinkle on top, if desired

Make sure your Cool Whip is thawed in the refrigerator a few hours before you begin.

Mix pumpkin, pudding mix, Cool Whip, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Chill for at least an hour before serving. 

Meanwhile, carve your pumpkin! Hollow out the inside and the lid and spoon the pumpkin mix inside. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with fresh apples slices, vanilla wafers, ginger snaps or graham crackers. 

Crumb-Topped Apple Pumpkin Pie

I LOVE Thanksgiving and am so excited that it's next week! If you can't decide between making a pumpkin pie and an apple pie, this recipe is perfect for you! I like the combination of 2 of my favorite Fall foods in one unique dessert! Recipe from Taste of Home.

1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry (I used my Mom's Pie Crust recipe HERE)
2 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

PUMPKIN FILLING:
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons cold butter
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I substituted pecans)

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges with your thumb. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, flour, lemon juice and cinnamon. Spoon into crust.

In another large bowl, whisk the pumpkin filling ingredients. Pour over apple mixture. Cover edges with foil to prevent over browning, if necessary. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.

For topping, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly; stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over pie. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted into pumpkin layer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 10 servings.

Pumpkin Cookies

These are my very favorite pumpkin cookies! I make them with chopped pecans or chocolate chips, depending on what I'm in the mood for. Either way, they are delicious!

Recipe from my friend Linda Thorne...

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts -or- 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Beat together brown sugar, pumpkin, oil egg and vanilla. Stir together the baking soda and powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt, then add to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts or chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Apple Cake with Butter Sauce

This is another favorite dessert for cooler weather. I made it yesterday for a baby shower and when I looked up the recipe here.... Gasp!... I hadn't posted it yet! It's full of apples and just tastes like Fall. Recipe from my friend Heather Fenn.

*February, 2012 update: I currently live at 5,290 feet above sea level and I've had better results with this cake when I bake it at 315 degrees F. instead of 325. It still cooks in about the same time, but doesn't brown as quickly and sets nicely in the center. I'd recommend that adjustment, especially if the middle is still wiggly at the end of your baking time :)

Apple Cake

Combine:

     4 cups apples, peeled and chopped

     2 cups sugar

Stir in:

     2 cups all-purpose flour

     1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

     2 tsp. cinnamon

     1 tsp. salt

     1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Combine in a separate bowl, then add to the apple mixture:

     2 eggs

     3/4 cup vegetable oil

     2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.* Pour cake mixture into a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown and set in the center. Cook the Butter Sauce ingredients in a small saucepan until it comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Sauce will thicken even more while it cools. Serve warm sauce over warm cake. 12 servings.

Butter Sauce:

     1 cup sugar

     1/2 cup butter

     1/2 cup evaporated milk

     1 tsp. vanilla 

Mom's French Pear Pie

This pie gets my vote for being both elegant and unique! Recipe from Nancy Miller...

Picture (above) is before pie was baked. The finished pie should be golden brown. Yum!

Mom's Pie Crust (click here for recipe)

Filling:

     4-5 (somewhat firm) pears, peeled sliced

     3 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Drizzle orange juice concentrate over sliced pears in a bowl.  Pile pears into a non-baked pie crust. Sprinkle with topping.

Topping:

     1 1/2 cup sugar

     1/3 cup butter, softened 

     3/4 cup flour

     pinch salt

I use a crust shield or wrap a thin band of tin foil around the exposed edge of the crust to prevent burning. Bake at 400° F. for 38-40 minutes, or until crust and topping are slightly browned. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Pictured above: Pear Pie with orange juice drizzle. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

2 cups finely crushed Gingersnaps (I like "Anna's Ginger Thins)

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/3 c. canned pumpkin

1 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3-8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside. For the crust, combine gingersnaps and butter in a small bowl. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes and then allow to cool.

For pumpkin batter, in a medium bowl stir together pumpkin, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

For cream cheese batter, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer (I used my KitchenAid) on medium to high speed until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Add eggs and mix on low speed just until combined. Stir 1/3 of the cream cheese batter into the pumpkin batter and stir until smooth. Pour remaining batter over the crust and spread evenly. Place large spoonfuls of the pumpkin batter randomly over the cream cheese batter. Using the tip of a table knife, gently swirl the two batters together.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees or until the center in just set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 4-24 hours before cutting into squares for serving.

*Recipe from "Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Cookies." And a big thank you to Betsy for the giving me that fabulous cookbook for my birthday last year! You know me well.

Wassail

This hot spiced cider makes the house smell delicious!

          3/4 cup sugar

          2 cups water

          5 whole cloves

          4 allspice berries

          1 cinnamon stick

          2 cups orange juice

          1 cup lemon juice (Minute Maid frozen from concentrate, if possible)

          1 quart apple juice or cider

Combine water and sugar and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add cloves, allspice and cinnamon. Cover and allow to stand in a warm place for 1 hour. Strain into a large stockpot. Add juices and bring quickly to a boil. Serve hot (Can serve from Crockpot on warm setting). Makes 8 cups.

Cranberry Sauce

This is simple and delicious. Much better than canned!

Directions:

Bring 1 c. water and 1 c. sugar to a boil in saucepan. Add 3 c. fresh cranberries and bring to boil again. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Dish into small serving bowls and leave out at room temperature until set. Refrigerate until serving.  (***Optional: add 1 tsp. grated orange peel...yummy)

Mom's Chocolate Cream Pie

We love this pie.... It is always the first to get eaten at our parties.

Pie crust (can use for any flavor pie)
4 c. flour
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. Crisco

Combine and beat for 2 minutes with wire wisk on mixer.

In seperate bowl beat together...
1/2 c. cold water
1 egg
1 Tbs. vinegar

Mix with flour mixture and let sit 15 minutes before rolling out. Roll out and form to greased pie dish. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, cool completely, then fill with desired filling.

Chocolate Cream filling:
1 small package chocolate pudding (we use sugar free and it tastes great)
2 cups milk
1 carton cool whip
 top with whipped cream

Simple as that... Enjoy  :)

Mom's Yams & Apples

Boil 4-5 peeled yams for 20 minutes. Cool, then slice. Peel 4-5 apples and slice. In a buttered casserole dish alternate starting with apples and ending with yams (or just mix together).
Meanwhile, make sauce...

Sauce:
2 c. water
3-4 Tbs. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
1 stick butter (8 Tbs)
1 tsp. salt

 Cook sauce over medium heat until thick and clear.
Pour over yams and apples and bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Cranberry Fluff

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes! 

Ingredients:

1 lb. cranberries

1 pt. whipping cream
1 c. sugar

2 (20 oz.) cans crushed pineapple, drained

1 pkg. mini marshmallows 

Directions: 

Place cranberries in blender or food processor until chopped. Pour on 1 heaping cup of sugar and refrigerate at least 2 hours... Whip 1 pt. whipping cream. Fold in pineapple, marshmallows and cranberry mixture. Refrigerate overnight. 

Broccoli Parmesan

This is a favorite Thanksgiving side with the Whitmores.

About 1 pound broccoli florets

1/4 c. chopped onion

2 Tbs. butter

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2/3 c. milk

1/3 c. grated parmesan

Steam broccoli and then spread evenly in a casserole dish. Saute onion in butter in a small sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients and heat just until warm. Pour over broccoli and then bake for 10-15 min at 350 degrees or until sauce in bubbly and browned.

Green Bean Casserole

With Thanksgiving coming up this week we thought we would post a few of our favorite turkey day recipes (we are celebrating early so we will try to post our favorites before Thursday). This is a traditional green bean casserole recipe but I add some diced roasted red peppers which I think gives it a great flavor (and makes it more colorful too)  

1 can (10 3/4 oz) C Cream of Mushroom Soup 

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

dash ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans (canned or fresh) 

1/4 c. chopped red pepper 

1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions

In small pan saute red pepper pieces in a little olive oil (app. 1 tsp) until slightly tender. Combine soup. soy sauce, pepper, beans, red peppers, and 2/3 c. of the onions in a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining onions and bake for 5 minutes or until onions are slightly brown. 

Cranberry Bundt Cake with Warm Butter Sauce

Tis the season for cranberries! Yum!

           4 1/2 Tbs. butter, melted

           1 1/2 cups sugar

           4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

           1 1/2 tsp. salt

           3 cups all-purpose flour

           1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)

           3 cups whole fresh cranberries, thawed if frozen

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, mix baking powder, salt and flour. Add alternately the flour mixture and the evaporated milk into the butter mixture until blended. Fold in the cranberries. Spoon into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and center is set. Jiggle the pan to check. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife along the edges of the pan and invert onto a serving plate. Top each slice with Warm Butter Sauce and serve. Serves 12-14.

Warm Butter Sauce:

          1 cup sugar

          1/2 cup butter

          1 cup whipping cream

          1 tsp. vanilla

          Pinch salt

Cook together in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes.