Here’s a to a lighter, simpler menu for Thanksgiving! Well, maybe not the cheesecake but it’s a holiday so don’t sweat it. For me the key word this year is SIMPLIFY!

This menu focuses on simplicity and lighter dishes. We all need to make Thanksgiving prep easier!

Herb Roasted Turkey and Gravy

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing with Apples

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds and Rosemary

Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Native American Cranberry Sauce

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Enjoy these recipes and leave a comment.  I’d love to hear what you’re making for Thanksgiving at your house this year!

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

This recipe isn’t particularly light, but it is delicious!  Also, you’re avoiding a lot of calories in the green bean and sweet potato recipes so, go ahead, live it up!

Serves 12-14

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 45 Minutes

• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
• 1 pint half and half
• 5 pound bag (organic if possible) potatoes. You can use Yukon Gold, red-skinned potatoes or good old Idaho’s.
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• Minced roasted garlic to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Additional milk or cream (optional)

1. Place 3 sprigs of the thyme or rosemary and the half and half in a pan. Simmer on low heat
2. Put potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add the salt.
3. Bring potatoes to a boil and then simmer until they’re fork tender, about 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove potatoes from heat and drain.
5. Put potatoes back in the pot and return the heat to low. Remove the herbs from the half and half and pour the liquid over the potatoes.
6. Add butter, cream cheese, garlic, broth, and salt and pepper. Whip potatoes to desired consistency with a hand mixer or potato masher.
7. Use additional milk or half and half if necessary.
8. Pour potatoes into a buttered 9 by 13 inch pan. Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this for 2 weeks.
9. To heat, remove from refrigerator. Remove lid and dot the top with butter. Cover dish with foil.
10. Warm in a 350 oven for 30 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake 5 – 10 minutes longer. Stir to fluff before serving.

Kate’s Tips

• If you don’t have fresh herbs, not to worry. You can leave them out.
• If you’re vegan, make roast potatoes instead of mashed. They’re equally delicious!

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds and Rosemary

Serves 12

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 pounds  fresh green beans
• 4 shallots, coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or powdered if you don’t have chopped)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

1. Place almonds in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat, shaking to prevent burning, until light brown. Set aside
2. Wash the green beans, cut off the stem ends and remove any blemished beans.
3. Place beans in a pot of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until beans are crisp tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Chill. (The beans that is, not you. Though if everyone is coming to your house, now might be a good time to take a deep breath. Or have a glass of wine!)
4. Just before serving, toss the beans with the almonds, shallots, olive oil, rosemary, vinegar, salt, and pepper. To keep warm, wrap in aluminum foil and put in a warm, 200 degree oven.

Kate’s Tips

• Toasted pecans would be a good substitution for the almonds. Toasted pine nuts would also work.
• You could use a nice sherry or champagne vinegar instead of the balsamic but I like the sweetness the balsamic adds.
• You can cut the beans in pieces if you like, but they look pretty if you keep them whole.
• This is a wonderfully refreshing side dish, light but satisfying!
• I learned another great way to make green beans from my Son-in-law: Sauté chopped garlic in butter. Add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and let it caramelize. Add cooked green beans. Heavenly!

Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Serves 12

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 90 minutes

Rethink your sweet potatoes this year. I love this recipe because it’s light and easy to make, and it has BACON!!! This is so delicious! Sweet and crunchy and oh so simple to make!

• 3 pounds sweet potatoes

Honey Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 9 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 8 ounces bacon, fried and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400. You can do the potatoes one of 2 ways. 1-Prick the sweet potatoes and bake about 45 minutes or until just easily pierced to the center with a knife. Don’t over-bake. You don’t want them to be mushy. Cool and peel and cut into half inch cubes.
2. 2- (my preferred way) Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into half inch cubes. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. Open the oven door and toss the potatoes around with a spatula so they brown evenly. Roast another 20 minutes or so until they begin to turn crisp and brown. Cool and continue with recipe.
3. Mix the honey, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Whisk in oil in a thin stream.
5. Add the vinaigrette and the parsley to the potatoes and marinate at least 30 minutes.
6. Add the crumbled bacon just before serving.  Serves 12

Kate’s Tips

• This can be prepared 8 hours ahead.  Just cover and refrigerate then bring to room temperature before serving.
• If you really want to send this salad into orbit, add a little crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese.  Oh my!
• To make this vegan, omit the bacon.

Cranberry Sauce

This is my homage to the first Thanksgiving! I always make my own cranberry sauce. I can’t do that jellied sauce in a can – it goes against my Kitchen Princess philosophy of simple food well prepared. And there is nothing simpler than homemade cranberry sauce

If you’ve never made your own I have to tell you how absolutely easy it is. Let the kids  help. They love to hear the cranberries pop! Fresh cranberry sauce is beautiful in a crystal bowl on your table and the flavors are fantastic! Oh, and it will make your day-after-thanksgiving turkey sandwiches absolutely SING!!!

Serves 12

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

• 1 bag cranberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger or cinnamon (or, add a cinnamon stick while it cooks)
• Zest of half an orange peel
• juice of half an orange

1. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst.
2. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Kate’s Tips

• You can make this a day ahead.
• Feel free to use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love pumpkin pie but pumpkin cheesecake is my favorite. Oh, and this is the recipe from the Cheesecake Factory so you know it’s good! Or, if you’re a pie person and want something a little different and incredibly special, try my Upside Down Apple Pie!

Serves 12

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 60-75 minutes

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or crushed gingersnaps (I get mine from Trader Joe’s. They have 3 types of ginger, including candied ginger. So good!)
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 24 ounces regular cream cheese (3 packages), softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Homemade whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar.
3. Stir well to coat all the crumbs with the butter. But don’t stir so much that you turn it into a paste. Keep it crumbly.
4. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. You don’t want the crust to form all the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake.
5. Bake the crust for 5 minutes then set aside till you are ready to fill it.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
7. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
8. Pour the filling into the springform pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
9. The top will turn a bit darker at this point.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator.
11. When chilled, remove the springform pan sides and cut the cake into 12 equal pieces.
12. Serve with the fresh whipped cream on top.

Kate’s Tips

• Use dental floss to make a clean cut.
• I like to chop a little candied ginger and sprinkle some on each slice atop the whipped cream.
• to make this gluten free, use gluten free graham crackers

Lets all count our blessings this year. We have so much to be thankful for!  God has blessed me with a wonderful husband, Mike, an amazing daughter Francesca, her terrific husband, Matthew, and 7 wonderful grandchildren.

And, I’m thankful to you for reading my blog and encouraging me to keep posting. I really do care about you and I read every comment.

So, hug those you love this year and let them know how special they are to you.

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!