Sweet Potato Casserole is always a part of our family’s Thanksgiving meal! I know a few people who top their sweet potatoes with marshmallows, but I personally prefer crispy brown sugar pecans as my topping. This side dish could almost belong on the dessert table with the crisp sugar topping but this casserole is too good to pass up. Check out my Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Pie, and Pecan Pie recipes to complete your Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy! xoxo
Peel, cut, and boil sweet potatoes until tender. Mash potatoes and mix with sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, butter, lemon juice, and milk until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, butter, and pecans until well combined. Pour sweet potato mixture into a casserole dish and top with brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375 for 25-30 mins until the topping is crispy. Best served warm.
My favorite dish on Thanksgiving day has always been cranberry sauce, well second to the pie of course. My dad always makes the most delicious Thanksgiving cranberries and his recipe is so simple! Use 1 pound of cranberries in the sauce and it serves 4-6 people, so if you have a larger crowd you might want to double the recipe. I also like my cranberries a little more tart so I cut the amount of sugar in half (the orange juice is plenty sweet for me) if you like sweeter cranberry sauce, use a full cup of sugar. The Grand Marnier is also optional, but it does add a great sharp orange flavor to the tart cranberries. Check out my Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie recipes to complete your Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy! xoxo
In a saucepan, bring the orange juice and sugar to a boil. Add cranberries, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add orange zest, peans, and Grand Marnier. Best when served warm.
Last week I shared my Pumpkin Pie recipe for Thanksgiving and decided to share Monna’s Pecan Pie recipe as well! I shared this recipe a few years ago in one of my Mondays with Monna posts with her crust recipe. I love pecan pie of any kind, but this version is one of my favorites, especially topped with vanilla ice cream. I have also used this filling in smaller cups with puff pastry for a lighter dessert. Enjoy! xoxo
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into smaller pieces)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons ice water
In a food processor combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs. Add the ice water a little at a time and pulse until the dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into a 9-inch pie plate. Pre-bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes when the recipe calls for it.
Pecan Pie Filling
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark Karo
2 eggs
1/2 cup Pet evaporated milk (another brand is fine too)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan pieces (or halves)
Mix sugar, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in Karo syrup, and beat in eggs one at a time. Add evaporated milk, vanilla, and pecans, mixing well before pouring into pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Tip from Monna: top off the pie with warm maple syrup and Blue Bell vanilla ice cream.
My table is set a whole two weeks early! The Christmas tree might also be up, but I am not officially skipping Thanksgiving all together. We are having my immediate family over, unlike Easter when we had to add a leaf in our table to fit everyone. I set our Thanksgiving table with a simple white and gold color pallet. Since we still do not have artwork (or a buffet) in our dining room, the light grey walls can be difficult to work with. I used the same white linen place mats, chippendale sliver and French provincial china I used at Easter. To add a touch of Thanksgiving, I used pumpkins for place cards and these gold edge napkins. I found the white pumpkins at Trader Joe’s and added craft paper and string to create place cards. I also found the white hydrangeas and filler at Trader Joe’s to create my own floral arrangement, they have the best prices on flower and pumpkins. Shop everything on my Thanksgiving table below! xoxo
Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, and I am still wondering what happened to the month of October! My grandmother (Monna) bakes the best pies for Thanksgiving, as proven in my Monday with Monna post. I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have Monna bake their pies, which is why I am sharing a simple and favorite pumpkin pie recipe. I recommend making the pie crust a day or two in advance (keep the dough in the fridge) or a store-bought crust works well with this filling too (excuse my messy crust edge in photos). I love the blend of spices in this pumpkin pie filling and that most ingredients, minus the pumpkin, can already be found in the pantry. This pie is best served with chantilly cream (recipe here) and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I hope everyone enjoys time with loved ones and this pumpkin pie over the holiday! xoxo
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into smaller pieces)
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons ice water
In a food processor combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter pieces and pulse until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs. Add the ice water a little at a time and pulse until the dough begins to form. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into a 9-inch pie plate. Pre-bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes when the recipe calls for it.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pre-bake pie crust (400 degrees for 20 mins, covered in foil). In a large bowl combine pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, and evaporated milk. Slowly mix in melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until the mixture is smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. The center should slightly jiggle when the pan is given a gentle shake. Let cool and garnish with whipped cream.
Thanksgiving is such a special time with family, and everyone has their own wonderful traditions. My family spends Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house (remember Monna) where we enjoy a full feast before watching the Dallas Cowboys, and decorating her house for Christmas. We start the day in our “nice” clothes to take a family photo and enjoy my grandmother’s wonderful cooking, but soon change into our sweats for an evening full of football and leftovers. While I will probably we wearing something similar to the outfit above, I am also sharing two of my favorite casual Thanksgiving outfits as well!
This skirt and blouse are perfect for a more formal Thanksgiving, or brunch at the country club. I found this blouse at Banana Republic last year (wish I had bought every color), but I have linked some similar blouses (like this one) at the bottom of the post. Thisfaux wrap skirtis currently on sale at J.Crew, but only until November 27th. Use code HOLIDAY to receive 40% off, and if you have a student ID, you can receive an extra 15% off! I love the fit and texture of this skirt, however it does run a bit big, I am wearing a 00 and it is still a little loose in the waist. I paired this look with pearls and simple nude pumps, but the skirt does have both navy and black in it making it look great with navy or black heels as well.
This look is perfect for a slightly more casual Thanksgiving lunch or dinner. Banana Republic has some great fall pieces on sale right now includingthis sweaterwhich also comes in 10 other fall color. I am wearing a small (fits true to size), but the best part is this sweater is not itchy! The vest I am wearing above is from J.Crew about 3 years ago, but J.Crew Factory has a similar vestwith the same pattern.J.Crew has the exact same vest but in different colors. This vest does run a little large as I am wearing an extra small and still have plenty of room for a thicker sweater underneath. I paired this look with my favoriteskinny jeans from Gap and these gorgeousover the knee black boots from ASOS. I am wearing a size 8 in these boots (fits true to size) and have room for thick socks without the boots bunching up along the sides.
My final Thanksgiving outfit is a casual dress for a warmer football filled Thanksgiving.This dressis currently 40% off at Nordstrom and comes in black, maroon, burnt orange, and two striped colors. I am wearing a small and it fits well through the arms and in length (it just looks shorter with my legs). Since the dress is short sleeved, I paired it with aclassic denim jacket from Gapand somefun fringed booties. For a warmer look, the booties could be swapped out for knee high or over the knee boots. Shop all of my Thanksgiving outfit necessities below and enjoy your Thanksgiving! xoxo