We all get the text or phone call from your host of your Thanksgiving dinner asking…..
“Can you bring an appetizer/ side dish/ dessert for Thanksgiving?”
And don’t even think about saying no to your mom, grandma or mother-in-law. C’mon, they are feeding you a FREE home cooked meal. The least you can do is bring one thing. No worries loves, I am here with 3 easy recipes that are sure to satisfy the crowds.
To start things off if you were in charge of an appetizer this is an easy cold dip that wont need to worry about trying to have it stay warm and then forced to eat half soggy and cold later…
Loaded Ranch Dip
I followed the recipe for the pictures shown but after tasting I would make the following changes to the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Light Sour Cream
1 Package of Cream Cheese
1/2 Packet of HIdden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
3/4 Pound of Cooked Bacon
3-4 Green Onions Sliced
1 Cup of Shredded Cheese (I used Sharp Cheddar)
Directions:
1. Cook the Bacon (I used the oven method: Place bacon on cooking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy. I swear by it!). Allow bacon to rest on paper towels till cool. Cut bacon into pea size pieces.
2. With a blender mix together cream cheese and 1/2 packet of Ranch mix and slowly add sour cream. Then mix by hand to add bacon, green onion, and cheese.
3. Enjoy with Sour Cream & Chive Triscuts or cracker of your choosing! Keep cold when people aren’t eating the dip.
Southern Style Macaroni & Cheese
You can make this ahead of time and then put into the oven when its ready to start getting dinner together! I also wanted to give you a guys a dish that not everyone expects someone to bring to Thanksgiving. No one wants four of those fruit/whip cream mixture things sitting at their table….
Ingredients:
16 oz. Box of Elbow Macaroni
4 cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups of Mozzarella Cheese
2 Cups of Milk
4 Eggs, Beaten
1/2 Stick of Butter
4 oz of Cream Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
1. Cook the macaroni per the box. Drain, return to pot and set aside. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In separate bowl add milk, beaten eggs, butter and cream cheese and mix.
3. add 3 cups of sharp cheddar and 1 cup of mozzarella and stir
4. Add salt and pepper to taste ( I wish I added more but keep in mind that the guests can always add more to it after baking)
5. Combine noodles into mixture and stir together.
6. Pour into greased 9×13 casserole dish and top with remaining cheese
7. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes
Pumpkin Fluff- 2 Ways!
This stuff is crazy good and could be a sweet appetizer as well. I’m going to give you two ways you can present this dessert.
Build Your Own Pumpkin Fluff Bowl– Have your guests scoop the Pumpkin Fluff into a bowl and have them add their own toppings. Let them make it as simple as dipping cinnamon graham crackers or ginger snaps in it or let them add nuts, whipped cream, marshmallows or even caramel!
Ingredients:
16 oz Can of Pumpkin Filling
1 package of Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3/4 of a 16 oz tub of Cool Whip
Directions:
1. In a large bowl beat together pumpkin, vanilla pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice
2. Fold in Cool Whip
3. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve with cookie of your choosing or toppings
Pumpkin Fluff Pie– If you want to get a little fancier with it and impress someone at Thanksgiving this is sure to do so. Its just as easy too!
Ingredients:
16 oz Can of Pumpkin Filling
1 package of Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1/2 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
8 oz Cool Whip
Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Cinnamon Graham Crackers
Directions:
1. In a large bowl beat together pumpkin, vanilla pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice
2. Fold in 4 ounces (half of the container) Cool Whip
3. Pour mixture into graham crust and smooth into crust. Place in fridge and let it sit for at least 30 minutes
4. Spread remaining Cool Whip over set pumpkin mixture
5. Crumble cinnamon graham crackers over the top of the pie
I hope these recipes make those texts from your Thanksgiving host a little easier to handle. Remember that this holiday is to look back and be thankful for everything and more importantly everyone that you have in your life.
This year has been full of stress, change and fact paced. More importantly it has been full of happiness, love and two people becoming family. I am so grateful that I get to call my husband my family now and his family my family now. We have amazing support and love from both of our families and we wouldn’t be us without them.
Happy Thanksgiving Loves!
Cheers!
