Five easy Thanksgiving recipes

Thanksgiving is a day filled with nothing but family and food. Whether it is your mom’s famous stuffing or your grandma’s favorite pumpkin pie, we all know those classic Thanksgiving dishes we can’t live without. Making these recipes in college can be difficult, so here are five of my favorites, and the foods I ate while pining over these delicious recipes.

Chili Cheese Dip

It may sound interesting for Thanksgiving, but it is a must for the appetizer table. I promise you won’t regret adding a little Mexican flare to your Turkey Day this year.

Ingredients:

1 package Neufchatel cream cheese

1 can Hormel no beans chili

1 package shredded Mexican cheese

Instructions:

1. Spread the cream cheese on bottom layer of microwave safe dish.

2. Add Hornel chili.

3. Add shredded cheese to top layer.

4. Microwave or bake until melted.

5. Serve with tortilla chips.

Sweet Potato Casserole 

Sweet potato casserole is a perfect sweet and tasty side dish to compliment your turkey. It not only tastes great, but it also fills your house with the sweetest smell.

Ingredients:

5 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup granulated sugar

8 tablespoons butter (softened)

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

.5 cup milk

2 eggs

Ingredients for streusel topping:

1 cup brown sugar

.5 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

4 tablespoons softened butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes and boil or bake in the oven until tender.

2. Cool, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes. Then stir in granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, milk, and eggs.  Mix well. Pour mixture into a 9X13 casserole dish.

3. For the topping, mix brown sugar, flour, nuts, and butter together and spread evenly over sweet potato mixture.

4. Cook for 30 minutes until topping has browned.

Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes 

Pictured: microwaveable mashed potatoes, because I was craving taters so badly.

They are known to be the easiest and best tasting mashed potatoes you will ever eat. How could you pass these up?

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

.5 cup plain greek yogurt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped, fresh parsley

.5 teaspoon basil

.25 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

.25 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Add chopped potatoes to a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours.

2. When potatoes are cooked and fork-tender, add all remaining ingredients.  Make sure to let butter melt for a couple of minutes. Use a hand mixer or masher.

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon

Pictured: Raman Noodle Salad.  Another low point of my life.

There has to be some way we fit in our vegetables during Thanksgiving, and adding bacon to them is the best way to do it.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds Brussel sprouts

1 small red onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

.5 teaspoon salt

.25 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 15X10 inch pan with sides with cooking spray. Place Brussel sprouts and onion wedges in a single layer pan.

2. Drizzle evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Sprinkle with cooked bacon.

Stuffing

Pictured: turkey with a side of rice. Wishing the rice was stuffing.

Thanksgiving isn’t real unless you have a side of stuffing. Let’s be honest.

Ingredients:

.25 cup butter

1 cup chopped celery

1 package seasoned bread stuffing cubes

1.5 cups chicken broth or stock

Instructions:

1. Spray bottom and sides of slow cooker.

2. Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crispy and tender.

3. Place bread cubes, celery mixture, and broth in slow cooker, toss to combine. Cover. Cook on low heat setting for 3 hours. Stir before serving.

If you add some or all of these delicious recipes to your Thanksgiving feast, you are bound to have the perfect meal. Get ready to be stuffed this holiday season because after eating dorm food all year, I know I will be indulging a little extra.