Well, it's beginning to get close to cooking and I thought maybe since we have so many wonderful sharing friends we might all share an awesome "secret" recipe here for that holiday table.
So let's get cookin!

Claudia, what a great idea! I will start with my famous "frosted cauliflower"

Cook a large head of cauliflower covered in boiling water til just soft. Gently remove from the pot and let drain in a colander.

Mix 3/4 cup Hellman's mayo (or any mayo, just not miracle whip)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard

Choose an oven safe bowl big enough to fit the head of cauliflower and put 2 tablespoons of butter in the bottom. Put in the head and "frost" the top and sides of it with the mayo mixture.
Sprinkle about 1/4 cup bread crumbs on top of all the frosting.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the bread crumbs are nicely browned.

This isn't original, but there's never any left:

Caviar topped egg salad

Hard Boil 6-8 eggs and chop finely
Mix with
3-4 Tablespoons of Best Foods/Hellman's Mayo just No Miracle Whip
3 or 4 Tablespoons of Sour Cream
finely diced green onions/scallions.
Put in a pretty bowl (clear glass is good for this) and smooth out the top.
"Frost" with more Sour Cream.
Layer Caviar on top of "frosted" egg salad.

Serve with Toast Points or crackers as you would serve caviar. (I use the whitefish or lumpfish caviar that is about $10.00 a jar - not the Oestra/Sevruga) Never any left at my annual Holiday Party and I double this.

I would love to contribute here, but trust me.....the best thing I make is reservations!

Betty

If anyone is interested I have a wonderful recipe (hidden somewhere in my pile of recipes!) for sweet potatoes casserole made with Jack Daniels. Everyone loves it!

Denise, send it our way pls, it sounds delish..r/wes

Will do, later today!

BTW, great idea to begin this thread, Claudia!

Denise, I would love to have that recipe, too! I am in charge of vegtables this year and sweet potato casserole is on my list, I would love a jazzed up version!

Denise, I third that - only thing I have to make this year!

My first time home for thanksgiving in two years...I am cooking IT ALL.

Andi, Welcome Home. This is my favorite holiday!

This is one of my favorite and somewhat unusual hor d'oeurves.
Cook a box of the huge shells. Drain and cool.
Mix 1/2 cup Hellmans Mayo and 1/2 cup sour cream. Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/4 cup chopped chives. Add squirt or two of fresh lemon juice and few drops Worcestershire sauce. In the bottom of each shell put in two smoked oysters (after blotting up most of the oil from the tin), then put spoonful of the mayo mixture in each shell. Garnish with parsley.

You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate. Amounts are all approximate. I usually cook 2 boxes of the shells cause some of them break or tear during cooking.

Here's my contribution.

Spiked Cranberry Sauce

Follow the directions on the bag of fresh berries. After you have turned off the sauce and are allowing it to cool, stir in a pat of butter, a generous amount of cracked pepper, a pinch of salt, 1/3 cup Jack Daniels and 4 tablespoons orange zest.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

R

What a great thread! I love to cook, and have several favorite T-day recipes. Probably the best and most unique is my Apple-Pecan Upside-Down Pie. It's always a huge hit. I'm at work, but I'll type it up for y'all when I get home.

Denise, let me chime in and say that Jack Daniels sweet potatoe recipe sounds mighty interesting!

LeeAnnne, I have seen that upside down apple pecan pie being make on the Food channel before, it looks just delicious!!

This is a really good sweet potato recipe - adapted from one in Bon Appetit some years go. Instead of sauteeing & pureeing fresh pears, I take a shortcut with canned.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Pears

5 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
4 tablespoons butter, room temp
1 large can of pears
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2" glass baking dish or a casserole dish. Pierce potatoes in several places with fork. Place on baking sheet; bake until very tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 350°F.

Puree pears in food processor.

Peel sweet potatoes; place in large bowl of electric mixer. Add butter; beat until smooth. Mix in pear puree, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared dish (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Bake potatoes uncovered until just heated through, about 20 minutes

Serves at elast 8

Here is the recipe for Smashed Sweet Potatoes. This has become a real favorite over the years for our family. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!


SMASHED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes (or two 28 oz. Canned sweet potatoes, drained)
3/4 cup brown sugar
Juice of one fresh orange
1/2 cup Jack Daniels (or to taste)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice (or to taste)
1 tsp. Real vanilla extract
1 10.5 oz pkg. Mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using fresh sweet potatoes, bake or boil until tender. Peel and mash potatoes until there are no lumps.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except marshmallows, to the potatoes, mixing well. Spread into well-greased, shallow 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Top with marshmallows and broil very briefly, until lightly browned.

NOTE: You can prepare and refrigerate this casserole the day prior to serving it. Omit the marshmallows until the day you are heating to serve it.

Eat and enjoy!

Here's a cranberry sauce recipe we really like, too! I love to cook and have a zillion recipes.

PINEAPPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans (20 oz each) pineapple tidbits in it’s own juice
1 16 oz. Can whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 Tbs. Cornstarch
1/2 tsp. Grated orange peel
1/4 tsp. Ground cloves
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

Drain pineapple tidbits, reserving 3/4 cup of the juice in a saucepan.

Add cranberry sauce, cornstarch, orange peel, cloves and nutmeg to saucepan. Stir to dissolve cornstarch.

Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and translucent. Keep warm. Stir in pineapple. Serve.

This is turning into such a great thread! Funny how there seems to be a bit of a Jack theme going on....


R

Jack and Hellman's :)

Ah, Jack and Hellman's - Two of life's staples :D

Well Betty
you aren't the only one.. sometimes you just gotta cook in other ways..

Dig it out Denise!!!! sounds yummo!

PARDONED???

Since there will only be the 2 of us this year, I am not making reservations. Just ordering the entire meal from my local grocery store. Did this once before. It's not bad & the price is cheaper than having to buy and make everything myself. But come Xmas, the kitchen is alive with the smell of baking. And I HATE to cook!!!
PS But I do make a deadly, but fantastic "milk" punch with 4 or 5 different liquors. If anyone wants it for Xmas or New Years - it really is the best.

okay.. now I am going to give you MY favorite desert.. and it just keeps 'um coming back..
made with Persimmons.. don't ask, I never knew what to do with them but.. every year my neighbor brought me a bunch from her tree and said do something with them..
I found this receipe and it is AWESOME..
Recipe actualy was Nancy Reagans.. so I guess its MOMMIES! You guys will LOVE thid I promise..
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1/4 tea. salt
1 tea. ground cinnamon
1/4 tea ground nutmeg
1 cup pureed persimmon pulp ( get 5 to 6 large soft /ripe -big ones)-peel and put in blender)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons warm water
4 Tablespoons Brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup walnuts ( chopped)
And top w/ brandy whipped cream sauce ( to follow)
In big bowl:
Stir together sugar,butter(melted). Add Flour, salt, cinnamon,nutmeg. Add persimmon pulp,baking soda, dissolved in the warm water,brandy,vanilla.
Add eggs, mix lightly but thoroughly, add raisins and nuts stir until mixed
Turn into buttered "bundt cake type pan". Cover with LOTS of foil,wrapping tight. place into a big pot ( that would have room around it) add boiling water enough to reach 1/2 way up the side.
Cover that pot and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Keep adding boiling water as it evaporates if it needs it..
Cool and unmold onto a serving dish..
Pour about 1/4 cup ( or more I know us guys)warmed brandy over the pudding and then... oh you kids will love this.. " FLAME" it..
Top with this:
BRANDY whipped cream sauce
1 egg
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
dash salt
1 T brandy
1 cup whipping cream
Beat egg until light and fluffy beat in butter, sugar,salt brandy . Beat whipping cream until stiff mix all together cover and chill. ( serve)..
<img border="0" alt="[naughty]" title="" src="graemlins/naughty.gif" />

Jack and pears..

Yes.. post!

I will post it tomorrow. Have to find it first - but I actually know where to look for this.

Betty, I'm a baker too! Don't do it much anymore except Christmas. My specialties are Yule Log, fudge and cookies.

Now, what can I contribute here? I see sweet potates have already been covered! I'll post my newest find. I've never prepared this for Thanksgiving but it makes a great first course for a dinner party.

Spinach Soup with Parmesan Cream

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 small russet potates
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups spinach leaves, cleaned
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons light sour cream

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add celery and onion, season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook for 10 minutes.

Peel and slice potates and add to pan. Add bay leaf, parsely and broth. Bring to a boil quickly over high heat.

Lower the heat and simmer until vegetables are completely tender (about 15 minutes).

Add spinach and remove pan from heat.

Blend the Parmesan cheese and sour cream together. Set aside.

Remove the bay leaf from soup mixture. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Strain and adjust the salt and pepper. (I do not strain. The soup is smooth enough and I like the texture better unstrained).

Serve the soup in bowls with a dollop of the Parmesan cream.

Best Foods on the left coast!

:)

R

Here's another recipe for spinach. I made a double batch of these on Wednesday and put them in my freezer. They're a hit in our family.

Spinach Balls

Beat: 4 large eggs
Add: 2 10 ounce boxes chopped spinach, cooked, drained & squeezed
1/4 c. chopped onion, sautéed
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
5/8 c. vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Add: 2 1/2 c. herb stuffing mix
Let mixture stand for 20 minutes.
Shape into balls (about 24 ping pong ball size).
Place balls on jelly roll pan (need the sides for runoff) sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and lightly browned.

You may prepare these ahead and cool, wrap & freeze. Reheat thawed spinach balls 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

One of the few edible recipes left by my late MIL:

1 box strawberry Jell-o
1 env Knox plain gelatin
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 small can crushed pineapple (don't drain)
1 small apple (peel and chop)
1/3 c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Dissolve Jell-o and gelatin in one cup boiling water. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate.

Actually, I make like a quadruple batch and there's never leftovers.

That looks good, Pam. Do you start with a 3 oz. or 6 oz. box of JELL-O?

Kathy, sorry...it's a 3 oz. I was just typing from her recipe and didn't even realize that she didn't specify (I can make it in my sleep). I've also made it with the sugar-free Jell-O and that works great, too. It's a dish that my family demands for every family get-together.

Pam, that does sound good! I like anything with walnuts in it.

Lethal Milk Punch - but oh so good!

1 1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream
1 gal. milk
1 qt. brandy
1 fifth bourbon
1 fifth white rum
1 pt white creme de cacao

Thaw 1 gallon of the ice cream until mushy. Mix thoroughly with the remaining ingredients. Freeze. Thaw 2 hours before serving. Stir well and pour over the remaining ice cream in a punch bowl.
Can be made ahead and left over punch may be frozen and refrozen.
Makes about 50 cups.

Warning - some guests might be sleeping over!!!

Oh my word, B!!! A person should need a permit to make that! Sounds delish...

R

yum.. a drink off with the Todd cosmo