Thanksgiving Feast

There's frost on the ground, Christmas decorations in the stores (already!) and it's just about time for my favorite holiday! Well, one of them, anyway. Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes! It's very important to me that I can make things in advance so that the day of I can relax. Enjoy!

APPETIZERS:

Black and Green Olive Tapenade - This is unbelievable. It tastes like something you'd find in a restaurant. Very fancy feeling and looking. It can be made up to a week in advance. I think it's best served with plain Pita Chips. Even if you're not an olive person, you might find yourself lost in the perfect blend of spices, savory, and salty for a delicious appetizer!

BREAD:

Williams-Sonoma Wheat Sheaf Bread - I'll post the instructions for this below. It truly is a SHOW STOPPER and is shockingly easy (shhhh...let's keep that a secret). I use my Auntie Pam's roll recipe and use the technique found in my Williams Sonoma Breads recipe book. Recipe and instructions below.

SIDE DISHES:

Roasted Winter Squash with Asparagus, Gorgonzola, and Apples - Recipe Below. This is a beautiful dish, lots of color and lots of flavor. I love to bring it to Thanksgiving dinner because it's a different medley of flavors than the typical stuffing/mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes but still tastes harvesty and delicious!

The BEST Sweet Potatoes - This dish is really more of a dessert than a side dish, but hey, it's Thanksgiving! That's also why if you are someone who has never liked Sweet Potatoes in the past...you'll find yourself liking them with this recipe! Recipe Below.

The BEST Mashed Potatoes - These are creamy, delicious, and have just the right balance of flavors to make the most delicious potatoes. I like mine a little thick, but you can add to taste. Did you know that you can make these one day in advance and then heat them on low in the crock pot the day of so you don't humidify your kitchen? Just add a little water or cream once they're warm to get the right consistency.

MAIN DISH

Of course, we all love turkey! My favorite way to cook they turkey is simply to buy Reynolds oven bags at the grocery store and use their directions. No seasoning, no extra work and it's really fool-proof! I absolutely love the results every time - super moist turkey and very little work! It doesn't get better!

DESSERT

My very own apple pie recipe - this comes from a fusion of a number of my favorite recipes to create what I consider to be one absolutely delicious apple pie! I also love that you can make the crust the day before and freeze it and just have the apples and sour cream to dump in the next day! Recipe below.

Magnolia's Banana Pudding - Such a fun twist on the classic banana cream pie. I love this, and every time I make it people rave. It's so easy and absolutely delicious!

Orange Chocolate Mousse - I don't even like mousse (no really, I don't like it at all), but whenever I make this I can't stop eating it! It's delicious, it's make-ahead...you can make it fancy by putting it into little tea cups or wine glasses. It's just a perfect dessert. It's not too sweet, either, which is nice following a Thanksgiving feast.

Happy Eating!