Thursday Three: Things I can make for Thanksgiving

Ahhh, I love the sound of a good "th" word in the Fall. I also love Thanksgiving. It rivals Christmas in my book mainly because there is not nearly as much fuss or stress but it offers a day off, counting blessings with family and friends (and the grub isn't half bad either). I'm not much of a whiz in the kitchen and it takes a lot for me to actually be inspired to try out a new recipe or something beyond the normal menu rotation at our house. Thanksgiving is one of those occasions that does inspire me though and I have a few go-to items that tend to be a hit around the dinner table. Here are the three things I'll be making this Thanksgiving. Feel free to share your own recipes in the comment section!

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 apples, unpeeled, chopped bite size (I like to mix a sour green apple with two or three sweet honeycrisp apples)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 2/3 cup chopped celery (I put more like a cup in)
• 1 cup of red grapes (not in the classic recipe, but I add them)
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Photo via SimplyRecipes.com

Slice up the apples, remove any piece of the core. Sprinkle the slices with the lemon juice. Add the raisins, celery and walnuts. Combine the sugar and mayonnaise in a separate mixing bowl, then add to the rest of the ingredients once blended. Stir thoroughly and let it chill overnight. This serves 6 - 7 people.




Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 can whole kernel corn, do not drain
• 1 can creamed corn
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 box corn muffin mix (you really can't beat Jiffy for this recipe)
• 8 oz. sour cream
• 1 stick butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a 9 x 9 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. The casserole should be soft/wet in the middle and a bread consistency on the outside.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 2 10 ounce cans of chunk chicken, drained
• 2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Ranch dressing (nothing beats Hidden Valley)
• 1- 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup red hot sauce

In a saucepan, heat the chicken and the red hot sauce until cooked through. Stir in the cream cheese and Ranch dressing. Warm the ingredients and then add about half of the cheese and stir until melted. Transfer all the ingedients to a slow cooker and add the rest of the cheese.

Cook on a low setting until ready to serve. This is a great appetizer while the family waits for the turkey to pop. Serve with your favorite crackers.