Manic Monday Meals ~ Thanksgiving Ideas :)

I love Thanksgiving flavors and try to incorporate them into more meals during the season! My crockpot of course is my friend so I have to throw in one of my meals that way and a few others that can be used in Thanksgiving Day!

Here we go! I have some can goods (don't shutter hey sometimes I do get use them). And sorry my non pork loving friend Amy ... it was on sale :).

Slow Cooker Pork Chops & Sweet Potatoes

Found on Sparks Recipe

Ingredients

6 Pork chops, trimmed of fat
3 or 4 sweet potatoes, cubed or 1 can sweet potatoes
1 can whole cranberry sauce
salt and pepper to taste




Directions

Season pork chops to taste. Layer pork chops and cranberries in slow cooker. Cook on high 4 hours or low 6-8 hours. If you use fresh sweet potatoes, add on top of slow cooker at start of cooking time. If you use canned sweet potatoes, add at last hour of cooking. Makes approx. 6 servings

ALEXIS NOTES: I used canned sweet potatoes & cranberry. Yes the cranberry can was labeled upside down you had to open the bottom to get htem out ... lol. I used whole cranberries added a little something nice to the plate :). Don't forget your crockpot liner!

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Second Recipe is one I made for the Church Thanksgiving Dinner we had last night. It was a huge hit, I even had people that wrote their email address down to email to them :).

Mom's Turkey Stuffing Recipe

by Simply Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf of day old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10-12 cups)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 cups each, chopped onion and celery
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 green apple, peeled, cored, chopped
• 3/4 cup of currants or raisins
• Several (5 to 10) chopped green olives (martini olives, the ones with the pimento)
• Stock from the turkey giblets (1 cup to 2 cups) (can substitute chicken stock)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or ground sage (to taste)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

METHOD

1 If you haven't already made the stock, take the turkey giblets - heart and gizzard - and neck if you want, and put them in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a simmer; simmer for about an hour, uncovered. Strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.

2 Toast the walnuts by heating them in a frying pan on medium high heat for a few minutes, stirring until they are slightly browned (not burned) OR put them in the microwave on high until you can smell the aroma of them toasting, about a minute or two. Let them cool while you are toasting the bread, then roughly chop them.

3 Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan, add the bread cubes, and stir to coat the bread pieces with the melted butter. Then let them toast; only turn them when they have become a little browned on a side. Note, if you aren't working with somewhat dried-out day-old bread, lay the cubes of bread in a baking pan and put them in a hot oven for 10 minutes to dry them out first, before toasting them in butter on the stove top. The bread should be a little dry to begin with, or you'll end up with mushy stuffing.

4 In a large Dutch oven, sauté chopped onions and celery on medium high heat with the remaining 3 Tbsp butter until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add the bread. Add cooked chopped walnuts. Add chopped green apple, currants, raisins, olives, parsley. Add one cup of the stock from cooking the turkey giblets or chicken stock (enough to keep the stuffing moist while you are cooking it). Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt & pepper.

5 Cover. Turn heat to low. Cook for an hour or until the apples are cooked through. Check every ten minutes or so and add water or stock as needed while cooking to keep the stuffing moist and keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serves 8-10.

ALEXIS NOTES: I doubled the recipe for the event at church. I used golden raisins & chicken stock. I toasted my walnuts in the microwave, in a hurry girl :). I ended up toasting the bread and then putting in a big pan, did the same with veggies in the stock pot. I ended up putting it in the oven so it would be crunchier :). Sorry no finished pic, I had to run out the door to church when the timer went off. Yes I was late, I swear one day everything will line up for me.

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And my last recipe was my desert for the church event. When I came by to get one I ended up getting the last one, and oh boy I'm so glad I got a chance to get one it was fab!!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

by Betty Crocker

Cookies

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1	tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2	cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/3	cup butter or margarine, softened
2	teaspoons ground cinnamon
1	egg

Filling

2/3	cup marshmallow creme (from 7-oz jar)
1/3	cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3	cup powdered sugar

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1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and flour. Add remaining cookie ingredients; stir until stiff dough forms.
2. Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by 36 rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart. Lightly press tops with floured fingertips to flatten slightly.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
4. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer until light and fluffy. For each whoopie pie, spread about 2 teaspoons of the filling on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press together. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar just before serving.

ALEXIS NOTES: I actually stuck to a recipe, I know get that! LOL ok but NEXT time I'll switch the cinnamon out for pumpkin spice. I'm so glad I bought a cookie scoop it made it so easy. NOW I bought a cheap $3 at Walmart BUT I may go look online for the pampered chef one. This was truly yummy and easy, Cole my helper did a great job!