Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas: Part 2

Ok so I'm back today with more Thanksgiving menu ideas and some great recipes.

1. Hashbrown Casserole

2lbs hashbrowns
1lb shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 onion chopped (not a red onion, use yellow or white)
8oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 stick of butter
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together in a large bowl until well mixed. Put in a casserole dish and pat down. You can top with extra shredded cheese or 1/2 cup of crushed corn flakes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

2. Glazed Carrots

2 cans of carrots, sliced
1 cup of brown sugar packed firmly
cinnamon, to taste
2 tablespoons of butter, softened

Drain carrots and pour into a 8x8 dish. Pour in the brown sugar, and butter stir well. Sprinkle cinnamon over the carrots to add flavor.

Bake in over at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

3. Macaroni Salad
4. Ranch Potato Salad

2 lbs. of red skin potatoes, clean well
6 slices of bacon, cooked to a crisp
6 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)
1/2 cup of finely chopped celery
1 cup of ranch dressing
2 tbs. chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, add enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain, cool, then cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the potatoes.

In a large mixing bowl combine cooled potatoes with all of the remaining ingredients and gently toss to combine.

Refrigerate the salad for several hours before serving for the flavors to blend.

5. Buttermilk Pie

1 1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt3 eggs, well beaten
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 unbaked 9" pie shell

Combine sugar, flour and salt. Blend in eggs. Add buttermilk and lemon and mix well. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

6. Pumpkin Cheesecake

3/4 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tbsp. butter, melted
4 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
5 eggs
1/4 c. unsifted flour
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
2 tsp. or more pumpkin pie spice, to taste
2 tbsp. rum
2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with cinnamon and brown sugar, then stir in melted butter. Press mixture in bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. (Note: A 10 inch spring form pan might work better.) Or you can use a premade pie crust, or graham cracker crust.

In a large bowl, preferably with electric mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, sprinkle flour over mixture and beat. Thoroughly mix in pumpkin, then spice and rum. Pour into the spring form pan. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let cake stand in oven another 30 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let cool until it is warm but not hot to the touch

Meanwhile, mix together sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Spread smoothly over top of cheesecake. Return to 425 degree oven and bake 10 minutes. Cool in refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.