Just in time for Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes! They are super simple and all just plain delicious! My family has been making these for *YEARS!* so they are pretty fool proof! I hope you guys enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!
Sensation Salad Dressing
½ cup salad oil ( I use all extra virgin olive oil)
½ cup olive oil
2-1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ Tablespoons vinegar
2 pods garlic – crushed
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup romano cheese, grated (I usually run it through my Cuisinart chopper and get it realk fine like you see parmesean cheese – or sometimes you can buy it like that in the store – but not the shredded kind)
¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled – I have never used this but sounds good if you like blue cheese
Lettuce – I use romaine or romaine and iceberg mixed – I wash and chop it pretty small
Parsley chopped (about one bunch ) wash dry and pull off leaves then chop in chopper or with knife – I usually get it pretty fine – but I always use fresh and not freeze dried or dried)
Salt and grated black pepper to taste
If you have an extra pod of garlic I usually rub the bowl down with that too before I mix the salad. Make the dressing ahead of time and keep in a jar in fridge at least overnight so it sort of marinates and all the flavors come out. Everything goes in the jar including cheese – everything except blue cheese, parsley and salt/pepper. If you want to use the blue cheese I would crumble over the top and mix it like the parsley as one of the last steps.
I mix the lettuce and dressing first then add parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup melted butter
Sweet potato mixture
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (can use canned to save time – just drain) or bake sweet potatoes until soft, scoop out and mash up
1 cup sugar (if the sweet potatoes are sweet you can cut sugar by ¼ – ½ cup or if you want to just cut the sugar content)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs well beaten
¼ cup butter, melted (1/2 stick)
(My Aunt Martha says she thinks she also adds about ½ -1 teaspoon of cinnamon too)
Directions:
Topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl and set aside
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in mixing bowl in the order listed and mix thoroughly
Pour mixture into baking dish
Sprinkle the top of the mixture evenly with the crust mixture
Bake 30 minutes – allow to set outside of oven for 30 minutes before serving
Aunt Linda’s Macaroni and Cheese
1 box small elbow macaroni
6 eggs
6 cups of milk
2 cups of grated hoop cheese (I ended up just using sharp cheese)
2 cups grated sharp cheese*
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese *
salt to taste
*The more cheese the better- can even use 3 cups of hoop and sharp and 1 cup of parmesan.
Cook pasta and drain. Add most of the cheeses (saving some for the topping) and stir in well. Beat eggs, milk, and salt together. Place pasta in baking dish and pour egg mixture over the pasta, stirring a little to get the pasta covered well. Top with additional grated cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour (until egg mixture is not running.)
Libbie’s Pumpkin Pie (legit from the back of the can!)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
- 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell ( used another pie shell to cut out leaf shapes and create a pretty design!)
- Whipped cream (optional)
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
POUR into pie shell.
BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.
