Roast Turkey with Cranberry Walnut Stuffing

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 14-ounce package herb seasoned stuffing mix
12 to 14 pound turkey - giblets removed and rinsed
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons paprika

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a roasting pan and rack with non-stick vegetable spray.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add celery and onion; cook until tender. Add chicken broth. Heat to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries and walnuts. Add stuffing mix and mix lightly.

Spoon the stuffing mix into neck and body cavities of the turkey. Fold loose skin over stuffing. Tie ends of drumsticks together. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on the rack in prepared roasting pan. In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in paprika. Brush generously over the turkey.

Roast 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until juices run clear when a fork is inserted in the thickest part of thigh next to body. Makes 12 servings.

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

2 large tart apples
2 pomegranates, peeled and seeds separated
1 (16 fl oz) bottle pomegranate juice
2 cups white sugar
2 large oranges
2 (12 ounce) bags fresh cranberries, rinsed and sorted
1 cup pecans, chopped

Peel and core apples, and put peelings and cores in a small saucepan with pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup juice, and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 3 minutes.

Chop the peeled apples, and place in a large saucepan. Remove zest from half of one oranges. chop very fine, and add to apples. Peel oranges, chop coarsely, and add to pan along with cranberries and remaining juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove small pan from heat, and strain juice into larger pan. Cool solids slightly, and then push though a sieve to remove seeds and peels, adding remaining pulp to larger pan. Stir in nuts, if desired. Cook about 10 minutes longer. Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 ounces pecan halves
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash and then pierce sweet potatoes in several places with a fork, then cook them on high power in microwave oven until heated through and soft, about 20 minutes. When cooled, remove skins and place them in a large bowl.

Beat until smooth. Then beat in one egg at a time, blending after each addition. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/8 cup melted butter, salt, and cinnamon. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Transfer mixture to an ungreased 3 quart casserole dish. Arrange the pecans in a single layer on top. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over the top. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned and bubbly.

Sweet Potato and Apple Salad

4 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and cubed
1 apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salad Greens (optional)

Cook sweet potatoes in lightly salted boiling water to cover, about 20 minutes or until just tender. Cool, remove peel. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine sweet potatoes, apples, celery and walnuts in large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl; pour over sweet potatoes mixture, toss lightly. Chill at least 1 hour.

Celery Root, Apple, and Potato Puree

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup large-diced fennel bulb, tops and core removed
2 pounds celery root, peeled and diced
8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good apple cider
1/4 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter over medium heat in a shallow pot or large saute pan. Add the fennel, celery root, potatoes, and apples diced in 3/4 inch pieces, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cider and tightly cover the pot. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft. Add water or more cider, if needed.

Add heavy cream and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the mixture to a food mill or use a potato masher to make a puree. Taste for salt and pepper and return to the pot to keep warm. Serve warm.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 pounds brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed, large sprouts halved
1 head garlic, cleaned
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put Brussels sprouts, whole garlic cloves, thyme, and olive oil together in a bowl. Toss to combine, and season with the salt and pepper, to taste.

Empty the bowl onto a shallow baking pan and roast until tender and edges just start to brown, about 35 minutes.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

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.) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture to eggs, stirring slowly. Gradually add in evaporated milk and stir. 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.

Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 to 16 ounces) pumpkin puree
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans or raisins
cinnamon-sugar for topping, optional

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to blend. In separate bowl, combine pumpkin, melted butter, milk or half-and-half, the beaten eggs, sugars, and vanilla; mix until blended. Stir pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in pecans or raisins. Do not overmix. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well and dust with flour. Fill about 3/4-full with the pumpkin muffins batter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired, and bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cranberry Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

For the crust:
2-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cheesecake:
4 packages (8 ounces each) softened cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends extending over sides of pan.

For crust, combine crumbs, nuts, sugar and butter; mix well. Firmly press 3 cups of mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan. Set aside remaining 1 cup while preparing cheesecake.

For cheesecake, mix cream cheese, sugar and flour in large bowl of electric mixer on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. While mixing, add sour cream, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until just blended. Fold in cranberries. Pour cheesecake batter over crust.

Sprinkle remaining crust mixture over top of cheesecake. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack.

Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift cheesecake from pan, using foil edges. Cut into 16 pieces. Enjoy!

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Happy Thanksgiving!
Smacznego!