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Open Thanksgiving Secrets


goose
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So, I was inspired to make this thread by my daughter, who, at the last minute, asked me to make whipped sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. Normally, I make a dish with baked yams, sweet potatoes and apples, sliced and layered with cinnamon, nutmeg and butter. But a friend is bringing that dish, so I decided to indulge my daughter. But I ran into a few problems...

 

I didn't have any heavy cream or marshmallows, so making the classic dish called for a bit of improvisation. It occurred to me that the one thing in my house that already had cream, sugar and vanilla was...ice cream! So that's what I used to whip into the sweet potatoes, along with some nutmeg, an extra splash of vanilla, and some salt. I beat it all together and it tasted just fine. But then it hit me what could take it over the top. Maple syrup! A splash of Log Cabin mixed in made the dish turn out amazing. It's all I could do to not just eat the whole thing right there!

 

 

So...what are great Thanksgiving tricks or traditions do you have up your sleeves? What's your go-to dish...or some piece of culinary genius that you whipped up out of desperation?

 

:drool:

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I love mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, but have never tried them with ice cream. I'll bet yours were fantastic! Our Thanksgiving menu is traditional- turkey etc; and my husband loves to make the same kind of sweet potatoes only with the little marshmallows.

 

I'm the pie person. I have always liked making them, and try and make and bring some each year. My mom bought a big pumpkin roll this year so she just wanted one pie today and I did apple, with Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Macintosh.

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp338/plantfan40/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-24%20at%2011.26.41%20PM.png

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I love mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, but have never tried them with ice cream. I'll bet yours were fantastic! Our Thanksgiving menu is traditional- turkey etc; and my husband loves to make the same kind of sweet potatoes only with the little marshmallows.

 

I'm the pie person. I have always liked making them, and try and make and bring some each year. My mom bought a big pumpkin roll this year so she just wanted one pie today and I did apple, with Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Macintosh.

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp338/plantfan40/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-24%20at%2011.26.41%20PM.png

That crust is beautiful!
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I love mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, but have never tried them with ice cream. I'll bet yours were fantastic! Our Thanksgiving menu is traditional- turkey etc; and my husband loves to make the same kind of sweet potatoes only with the little marshmallows.

 

I'm the pie person. I have always liked making them, and try and make and bring some each year. My mom bought a big pumpkin roll this year so she just wanted one pie today and I did apple, with Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Macintosh.

http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp338/plantfan40/Screen%20Shot%202016-11-24%20at%2011.26.41%20PM.png

That crust is beautiful!

Thank you! It doesn't look like this any longer, for sure. :D

Edited by blueschica
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In my opinion, my entire meal yesterday was tasteless. Even the sweet potatoes. Maybe I didn't put enough brown sugar in them. I don't know. But nothing tasted good to me.

 

By the way, we swore off turkey a few years ago when they were very high per pound and we couldn't afford one and got a chicken instead. Since then, we have chicken instead of turkey. I peel and cut in half an onion and stick it in the cavity. You'd be surprised how delicious and moist it makes the chicken.

 

As I said in the other thread, the only highlight of my meal yesterday was the pumpkin cheesecake, and I had two slices of it. :)

 

The gravy was pretty good too. :LOL: Other than that, :boo hiss: .

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In my opinion, my entire meal yesterday was tasteless. Even the sweet potatoes. Maybe I didn't put enough brown sugar in them. I don't know. But nothing tasted good to me.

 

By the way, we swore off turkey a few years ago when they were very high per pound and we couldn't afford one and got a chicken instead. Since then, we have chicken instead of turkey. I peel and cut in half an onion and stick it in the cavity. You'd be surprised how delicious and moist it makes the chicken.

 

As I said in the other thread, the only highlight of my meal yesterday was the pumpkin cheesecake, and I had two slices of it. :)

 

The gravy was pretty good too. :LOL: Other than that, :boo hiss: .

 

I love roast chicken. I would rather have that than turkey. I wish I could get the rest of my family talked into it! On the other hand, I guess we're lucky we aren't eating Thanksgiving goose! (sorry, Goose!) I guess it was a big thing when my dad grew up in a German family. He still talks about how good it was and threatens to get one every year. It just doesn't sound that appetizing to me.

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Here's the pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I used to make the topping, but I have stomach trouble and the sour cream topping kept repeating on me, so I stopped making it. It really isn't necessary, but it helps to cover the cracks on top of the cheesecake should you get a lot of them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I don't know what I do or don't do when I don't get a lot of them. My cooking/baking is hit and miss. I'm no gourmet chef and my culinary talents are limited. Very limited.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

2/3 cup NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

2

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

3

BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

4

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

5

COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

2/3 cup NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

2

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

3

BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

4

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

5

COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

http://allrecipes.co...eesecake/print/

 

We don't have a modern oven that allows you to peek in to see how whatever is in the over is progressing. In case you don't too, the cake does better if you do not open the oven door once you put it in. Just leave it to bake for an hour, turn it off, and let the cake sit in the oven for another 15/30 minutes. Then I take it out and let it cool for hours before I put it in the fridge.

Edited by Lorraine
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I did a turkey on my Weber gas grill using my rotisserie. It cooks faster on the grill, and it self baste so it's really most. I used to deep fry my bird, but tried this, and everyone liked the rotisserie bird better. Clean up is much easier than deep frying too.
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In my opinion, my entire meal yesterday was tasteless. Even the sweet potatoes. Maybe I didn't put enough brown sugar in them. I don't know. But nothing tasted good to me.

 

By the way, we swore off turkey a few years ago when they were very high per pound and we couldn't afford one and got a chicken instead. Since then, we have chicken instead of turkey. I peel and cut in half an onion and stick it in the cavity. You'd be surprised how delicious and moist it makes the chicken.

 

As I said in the other thread, the only highlight of my meal yesterday was the pumpkin cheesecake, and I had two slices of it. :)

 

The gravy was pretty good too. :LOL: Other than that, :boo hiss: .

 

I love roast chicken. I would rather have that than turkey. I wish I could get the rest of my family talked into it! On the other hand, I guess we're lucky we aren't eating Thanksgiving goose! (sorry, Goose!) I guess it was a big thing when my dad grew up in a German family. He still talks about how good it was and threatens to get one every year. It just doesn't sound that appetizing to me.

My favorite is making cornish game hens. Much better than turkey in my book.
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I did a turkey on my Weber gas grill using my rotisserie. It cooks faster on the grill, and it self baste so it's really most. I used to deep fry my bird, but tried this, and everyone liked the rotisserie bird better. Clean up is much easier than deep frying too.

That sounds like a good option. We did the ham on the grill while the turkey was hogging the oven. It turned out great.
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Here's the pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I used to make the topping, but I have stomach trouble and the sour cream topping kept repeating on me, so I stopped making it. It really isn't necessary, but it helps to cover the cracks on top of the cheesecake should you get a lot of them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I don't know what I do or don't do when I don't get a lot of them. My cooking/baking is hit and miss. I'm no gourmet chef and my culinary talents are limited. Very limited.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

2/3 cup NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

2

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

3

BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

4

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

5

COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

2/3 cup NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

2

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

3

BEAT cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

4

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

5

COMBINE sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan.

http://allrecipes.co...eesecake/print/

 

We don't have a modern oven that allows you to peek in to see how whatever is in the over is progressing. In case you don't too, the cake does better if you do not open the oven door once you put it in. Just leave it to bake for an hour, turn it off, and let the cake sit in the oven for another 15/30 minutes. Then I take it out and let it cool for hours before I put it in the fridge.

That sounds delicious, and I'll have to give it a try, Lorraine. Reading the recipe, I notice you left out the step of dropping the beater into the mix. Is it optional? :LOL:
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Here's the pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I used to make the topping, but I have stomach trouble and the sour cream topping kept repeating on me, so I stopped making it. It really isn't necessary, but it helps to cover the cracks on top of the cheesecake should you get a lot of them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I don't know what I do or don't do when I don't get a lot of them. My cooking/baking is hit and miss. I'm no gourmet chef and my culinary talents are limited. Very limited.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for this! My family loves cheesecake and we used to buy pumpkin ones when the high school band sold them every year for a fundraiser, but then they quit doing it. Thanks for the directions for when it is done, also. That is the part that has given me trouble when I have tried it before! :)

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