Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up

Today I'm sharing some of the links to Kara and I's favorite Thanksgiving recipes! We've posted them here on the blog before but I thought it would be nice to have a little reminder in case you need some last minute ideas. I hope this post finds you in good spirits, looking forward to all the feasting and traditions in the days ahead! We hope you have the happiest of Thanksgivings! 

((Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole))

((GRAVY! GRAVY! GRAVY!))

((Fruit Crisp in a Pinch))

((Kara's Coconut Cream Pie))

((Our Favorite Chocolate Cream Pie))

Images by Kara and Briana: top and bottom photo by Kara, the rest by Bri

Scratch Coconut Cream Pie

Happy Labor Day everybody!  Our bro Jas had a birthday a few weeks ago!  He's quite the foodie and wanted to do something other than birthday cake!  His requests?  Key lime pie and coconut cream pie!  Bri was in charge of the Key lime and I was in charge of the coconut cream!  I used a simple pastry cream recipe from culinary school that has never failed me and added unsweetened coconut to the pastry cream while it was cooking!  The coconut infused a natural and delicate flavor to the custard!  In one word!  PERFECT!  I also used a flaky pie crust recipe that is also never-fail and delicious! 

 

Flaky Pie Crust Recipe found here

For Coconut Cream:

1 quart milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut, slightly goldened

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4 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

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1/2 stick of butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Cook coconut in a saute pan, over medium heat.  Stirring frequently for a consistent golden color.

2.  In a heavy saucepan, dissolve sugar in milk with coconut and bring just to a boil.

3.  With a whisk, beat the yolks, whole eggs, cornstarch and sugar until smooth.

4.  Temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in some of the hot milk mixture in a thin stream.  

5.  Then return the tempered egg/milk mixture back to the rest of the milk mixture in the saucepan. 

6.  Over medium heat, stir mixture constantly until it comes to a boil.

7.  Once the mixture comes to a boil and thickens while stirring, remove from heat.

8.  Stir in the butter and vanilla.  Mix until the butter is melted and completely blended in.

9.  Pour the coconut pastry cream into a clean storage container.  Put waxed paper directly on the surface of the pastry cream so it doesn't form a skin while cooling.  Cover with the lid and put in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours before using!

images by Kara

Hash Brown Quiche

Family dinners have been sorta non-existent around here. This summer we've been go-go-go and although we've been having a ball, I've sorta missed cooking dinner and sitting down to eat at our little dining table. I think I've only been to the grocery store once in the last 2 1/2 weeks, which has got to be a record for me!

Yesterday, I went to the grocery store (finally) and picked up ingredients to make quiche for dinner. I recalled Paula Deen making a quiche using a hash brown crust on her show awhile ago. I thought that was sort of a radical idea and it stuck with me. I'm usually not too jazzed on recipes that mess with a timeless classic, like quiche, but I thought this idea was accessible and I thought you all might respond to it. I was really pleased with the results and the four of us downed the whole quiche in one sitting! Let me know what you think and thanks for stopping by today!

Recipe (9 in pie plate):

3 cups hash browns, thawed

5 tablespoons butter, melted (4 tablespoons for crust and 1 tablespoon to saute onion and pepper)

4 large eggs, beaten until smooth

1 1/4 cups milk (don't go any lower then 2%, pretty please)

1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts only, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup diced cooked ham (I used Boars Head brand ham from my grocers deli)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread 3 cups of thawed and refrigerated hash browns out on paper-towels. Allow excess moisture to drain and pat dry.

Combine melted butter and hash browns in a bowl. Press and mold buttered hash browns evenly into a 9 inch pie plate to form the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until hash browns are browned and crisping up.

While the hash brown crust bakes, prepare the filling:

Saute green onion and red bell pepper with a tablespoon of butter. Cook until softened.

Combine beaten eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Add cheese, ham and cooked onion and red pepper. Shake a little pepper in and a pinch of salt. You don't need to season much because of the ham, cheese and butter already in the dish that will add a lot of salt. When the hash brown crust is ready, carefully pour the egg mixture over it and return to oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes or until the quiche is golden brown on top and puffed and/or set in the middle and jiggles only slightly.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

images by Briana

recipe for the filling is my own, the hash brown crust measurements are Paula Deens

Banoffee Pie

Our brother Jason, who is a serious foodie, made the most amazing pie for the fourth of July!  The base was a buttery graham cracker crust that was then spread with a layer of creamy toffee and loaded with fresh bananas and topped with heaping piles of sweetened whipped cream!  We were all in heaven!  The combination of flavors are a perfect match!  So, of course I had to make it for a Barbecue we went to five days later!  It's very simple, but will take some time because the secret is in how you cook the toffee!  Thanks Jas for discovering this amazing pie!  Enjoy everyone!

Ingredients needed:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups graham cracker crumbs, it's about 15 full crackers
1 stick salted butter, melted
3-4 large ripe bananas
2 cups heavy cream
A bit of ground cinnamon for sprinkling


First, take your can of sweetened condensed milk and put it in a sturdy sauce pan, completely covered with water.  Bring the water to a continuous boil for 3 hours.  Make sure to continue to add more water to the pan to keep the condensed milk completely covered.  If even the top of the can starts to get exposed it could explode and you'd have half cooked toffee all over your ceiling! So watch it closely!  Once the 3 hours is up, take the can out of the water and let it cool for an hour before opening!  
Second, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Crush your graham crackers using a food processor or the way I do it, putting the crackers in a gallon ziploc and smashing them with a rolling pin.  Put graham cracker crumbs into a large bowl and pour melted butter over the top.  With a fork, mix together well.  Then press evenly into the bottom of a springform or pie pan.  Into the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and cool!
Third, open the can of cooled toffee and spread it over the graham cracker crust.  Then slice the bananas and put the evenly on top of the toffee. 
Fourth, whip your heavy cream and add a few tablespoons of granulated sugar to taste.  Dollop the heavy cream on top of the bananas and then sprinkle with a bit of ground cinnamon.  Put the pie in the fridge to chill for an hour or so and then slice, serve and devour!!!!!

Irresistible Chocolate Cream Pie

This pie is my favorite by far on Thanksgiving Day! It is also the easiest of all the pies we make! Our Momma has been making chocolate cream pie this way since I can remember! We always make our crust from scratch, but if you want to save yourself some extra time, by all means, use a frozen pie crust. Then all you have to do is throw it in the oven for the alotted time and let it cool before pouring the cream filling into it.

If you want to make your own pie crust I promise this recipe will not disappoint! It is sooo easy to make you guys! And I should know because I really don't like making pie crusts and year after year of trying several different recipes, this one blew me away with it's ease, buttery flakiness and flavor!

Ingredients: Yields one 9 inch pie shell

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold and diced

1/4 cup ice water

That's it! Those are your crust ingredients! Now to put them together.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, using whisk attachment, mix flour and salt. Then add the cold diced butter. Mix until you have obtained the consistency below. Slightly coarse.

Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together and can be formed into a loose ball. Flatten the ball slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Put the dough into the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from fridge and roll out thin enough to cover your entire pie plate.

Fold rolled dough in half to make it easier to transfer to your pie plate.

Cut the excess off from around the edge. And form desired shape to the outer edge.

Place tinfoil inside and up around edges of the pie shell to help it hold its shape. Place pie weights or dried beans on top of the tinfoil. If you don't have either of these don't fret. The crust should still hold its shape under the foil.

Bake for 25 min at 375 degrees. Then remove the foil and pie weights from the pie crust and continue to let it bake for another 10 minutes until slightly golden.

Now for the filling. Don't judge until you've tried it!

1 box (5.1 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix

1 box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 cups half & half

2 1/2 cups whole milk

Mix the above ingredients together thoroughly and pour into the cooled pie crust.

Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Grate a chocolate bar on top for garnish and serve with freshly whipped and sweetened cream!

images by Kara