10 recipes to help you through the Thanksgiving meal.

If you are making a Thanksgiving meal for the first time or just happy to have a helping hand, let me hold your hand through the process.  Here’s the ultimate guide with 10 Fresh Food in a Flash recipes for you to choose from.  If your focus is the turkey, click here to get the Thanksgiving Turkey with Fruit Stuffing recipe. 

Let’s start with Pies first. Although these come at the end of the meal, it’s the first thing you should make. You can make them the night before or you can make them now and put them in the freezer or the refrigerator and refresh them in the oven. Every year I teach a Pie class and the 2014 winner was the Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie. It has triple chocolate – chocolate in the cookie crust, chocolate in the filling and chocolate in the garnish. Super indulgent and delicious. Look at the step by step instructions.  Click here to get the Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie recipe.

For any of your pies, start with my Flaky Foolproof Pie Crust. I give you step by step instructions on how to make a pie crust in a Flash.  The recipe makes four pie crusts – enough to throw an extra crust or two in the freezer to top a turkey pot pie or line a pie plate for a winter quiche.

Sweet Potato Pie – Yes, there’s pumpkin, but I was converted to Sweet Potato Pie by a friend and this recipe from Soul Food cookbook.  Click here to get the Sweet Potato Pie recipe.

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake – If you want pumpkin on the menu and in a different way, try this one with an easy crust, pecans layered in the bottom and an indulgent pumpkin filled cheesecake. Yummy!!  Click here to get the Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake recipe.

Best Libby’s Pumpkin Pie – My family’s favorite pie, with my Foolproof Pie Crust, unchanged for years.  The Classic.  Click here to get the Libby’s Best Pumpkin Pie recipe.  

Here’s some super easy sides:
Why buy canned cranberries when it takes no more than 2 minutes to prep this easy cranberry sauce. Make it 5 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator.  Click here to get the Fresh Cranberry Sauce recipe.

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts or not. –  Here are two recipes for Brussels Sprouts lovers.
Click here to get the Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or not recipe.
Click here to get the Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts recipe.

The Sweet Potatoes.  There are sweet potato lovers and haters.  Convert your sweet potato haters with this recipe.  Amazingly delicious.  Click here to get the Yams and Swiss Chard or Kale Gratin recipe.

The big event:
The Turkey and delicious fruit stuffing.  This is a guide for the beginner with step-by-step photos and a reminder to defrost a frozen turkey in the oven three days before the big day.  Learn how to make a stuffed or unstuffed turkey roasted in a convection or conventional oven.  My 19-year old niece, Liz followed this guide last year with great success.
Click here to get the Roast Turkey recipe with step-by-step photos.

If you’ve gotten this far, you need the Lump-Free Turkey Gravy.  So easy.  I demystify the horrors of turkey gravy right here with step-by-step photos.  Click here to get the Lump-Free Turkey Gravy recipe.

Now – get planning the most fabulous Thanksgiving meal ever.  Happy Thanksgiving to your family from ours!

And…for the weekend after…The Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Pot Pie  with my 15-minute Foolproof Pie Crust. 

And for the turkey carcass.  Freeze it for later or make fresh turkey stock for your winter soup recipes…10 minutes hands on time is a good deal for the reward you will get later.

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