Here are some of our staff`s Thanksgiving favorites, enjoy!

Here are some of our
staff’s Thanksgiving
favorites, enjoy!
Maine Crab Cakes
Makes 16 (3-oz.) Crab Cakes
1½ pounds fresh crabmeat, picked over for shells
1½ cups fresh corn (or frozen corn, thawed)
¾ cup diced red bell pepper
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion
1½ cups mayonnaise
¾ tsp. dry mustard
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2½ cups saltine cracker crumbs, divided
2 tbs. unsalted butter, plus more as needed
1.) Mix the crabmeat, corn, bell pepper, celery, onion, mayonnaise, and mustard in a medium bowl. Season
with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the beaten egg and 1½ cups of cracker crumbs, taking care not to
overwork the mixture.
2.) Place the remaining 1 cup of cracker crumbs on a plate or in a shallow dish.
3.) Form the crab mixture into 3-oz. patties, about 3” in diameter. Coat the cakes with cracker crumbs on
both sides, pressing gently.
4.) Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter, and cook the crab cakes until golden brown,
about 6 minutes per side.
Colonial Hot Butter Rum
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup butter
1 pinch of salt
2 quarts hot water
3 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
2 cups rum
1 cup sweetened whipped cream
Ground nutmeg to taste
Combine the brown sugar, butter, salt and hot water in 5 quart
slow cooker. Add cinnamon sticks and cloves. Cover and cook on
Low for 5 hours. Stir in rum. Top with whipped cream and a dusting
of nutmeg.
Turkey Brine for Baked or Smoked Turkey
1 cup salt (sea salt may also be used)
1 cup brown sugar
1 orange, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
10-15 peppercorns
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary (or dried)
1 gallon water
In a large pot dissolve the salt and sugar in a
gallon of water. Add the fruits, herbs, and
peppercorns.
Whisk the salt and sugar until it is dissolved.
Add the turkey to the brine. Cover the pot and
refrigerate. Let the turkey sit in the brine for 4-24 hours.
Take the turkey out of the brine. Rinse the turkey off and
pat dry. Rub olive oil on the turkey.
Season well with salt and pepper and rosemary.
Bake at 400° for 30-45 minutes or until the
thermometer reads 165°. Or smoke turkey until it
reaches 165°; approximately 30 minutes per pound.
Pumpkin Bars
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350° and grease two 9” x 13” pans.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and
cinnamon and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the
pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and sugar. Add the flour
mixture and stir just until combined. Mix in the
walnuts.
Spread the batter into the prepared pans and bake
until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean, about 25 mins. Cool on a wire rack and frost
bars with cream cheese frosting if desired.
Makes 24 bars.
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbs. of milk
1 Tbs. of sugar
1-1½ cups thawed Cool Whip
1 Keebler Ready Crust Graham Cracker pie crust
1 cup milk
2 pkgs. (4 oz.) Jell-O® Vanilla Instant Pudding & pie filling
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cloves
Soften cream cheese in microwave on High 15-20 seconds.
Mix cream cheese, milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until
smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread on bottom of crust.
Pour milk into bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk until
well blended (1-2 minutes). (Mixture will be thick).
Stir in pumpkin and spices with wire whisk; mix well. Spread over
cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Garnish with additional whipped topping and nuts if desired.
No -Bake Cherry Cheese Cake
Cream together:
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
In a separate bowl, stir:
1 small pkg. lemon Jell-O® and 1 cup of hot water
Fold in the creamed mixture when the Jell-O® cools
Mix in 8 oz. of Cool Whip. Pour mixture on the crust.
Crust:
20 graham crackers crushed
1 stick of melted butter
2 Tbs. of sugar
Press in a 9” x 12” pan, save some crumbs to
sprinkle on top
Top with 1 can of cherry pie filling. Sprinkle crumbs
over the filling
Chill until ready to serve
Crawfish Chowder
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
½ yellow onion
2 stalks celery
1 cup butter
2 Pkgs. frozen crawfish tails
3 cans potato soup
2 cans white corn
1 can creamed corn
4 Pints half and half
Zatarain’s Concentrate Shrimp and Crab Boil (Liquid)
Chop vegetables. Melt butter and stir in vegetables and sauté until tender. Add half/half, soup, corn and
cook on medium until boiling – stirring constantly. Add Crawfish tails and Crab Boil to taste (start w/1 tsp.
and add as needed) and simmer. Serve with French Bread.
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos
12 fresh jalapenos or any small pepper can be used.
Cut each pepper in half, remove the seeds and trim off the stems.
Fill each half with cream cheese
Wrap with ½ strip of peppered bacon
Secure pepper halves with a toothpick
Place them on cookie sheet and bake at 325° for 15-20 mins. until the bacon is fully cooked.
Corn Casserole
1 can corn (do not drain)
1 can creamed corn
1 stick butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion (optional)
1 cup of macaroni noodles
1½ cups of Velveeta cheese
Melt butter in microwave and mix in baking dish with both cans of corn (use all liquid from corn), onion,
noodles and cheese. Bake covered for ½ hour at 350 degrees. Take out of oven, stir and bake another ½
hour uncovered until bubbly.
Baked Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash, cut in half
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. butter, softened
2 Tbs. maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
Scoop the seeds and pulp out. Combine ingredients together for topping. Rub the squash cavities and cut
sides with butter and place on baking sheet. Bake at 400° for approximately 1 hour until tender.
Zucchini Casserole
6 cups sliced zucchini
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1 green pepper chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. Stove Top® Dressing
½ cup of margarine (melted)
Cook zucchini, onion, carrots and green pepper in salted boiling
water for 5 mins. Do not overcook. Combine soup and sour cream
together, mix well. Fold in veggies. Combine stuffing and margarine.
Spread ½ of the stuffing mix in 11¾” x 7½” pan. Spoon veggies over
top, sprinkle remaining half of stuffing over veggies. Bake at 350° for
25-30 mins. until golden brown.
Cheesy Potato Casserole
32 oz. frozen hash browns
16 oz. fat-free sour cream
1 stick melted butter plus 2 tbsp. of melted butter for topping
1 can cream of low-fat chicken soup
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Minced onion to taste
Black pepper to taste
Mix ingredients and pour into a 9” x 13”
Top off the casserole with 2 cups of crushed corn flakes mixed with melted butter
Bake 1-1 ½ hours at 350° until golden brown.
Thanksgiving Day Salad
2 cups of water
1 (6-oz.) pkg. of strawberry-flavored Jell-O®
1 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (16-oz.) can of whole cranberry sauce
½ cup chopped pecans
8 lettuce leaves
1 (3-oz.) pkg. of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tbs. lemon juice
Boil the water and combine with the strawberry Jell-O® in a
medium bowl. Mix in the strawberries, cranberry sauce and
pecans. Transfer to a 2 quart mold. Chill in the refrigerator 6
to 8 hours, or overnight.
Place the molded gelatin mixture on a serving plate and
surround the base with lettuce leaves.
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar
and lemon juice with an electric mixer until well blended.
Use this mixture as a topping for each serving of salad.
Leftover turkey and Stuffing Casserole
4 cups prepared turkey stuffing
2 cups cooked cut up or sliced turkey
1¾ to 2 cups prepared turkey gravy
1
/3 cup jellied or whole cranberry sauce, cubed
Preparation:
Butter bottom and sides of 2-quart baking dish. Arrange
half of the stuffing in bottom of dish. Add half of the
turkey then half of the gravy. Repeat layers. Top with
cubes of cranberry sauce. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
Serves 4.
Turkey Noodle and Wild Rice
Preparation:
1 bag 12-oz. bag of Reames® Homestyle Egg Noodles
10 cups (80 oz.) chicken broth
½ cup chopped onion
1 box (6.2 oz.) 5 minute long grain & wild rice mix
1
/3 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cups half and half
2 cups turkey, cooked & diced
½ cup green onion, thinly sliced
In a large pan or Dutch oven, combine 9 cups of
chicken broth and chopped onion. Bring to a boil.
Add Reames Home Style Egg Noodles; return to a
boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes (or
until noodles are desired tenderness). Add rice and
seasoning packet; cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the
remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, flour, salt, pepper
and poultry seasoning; stir until smooth. Slowly add
flour and broth mixture to cooked noodle and rice
mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to boiling; cook 1
minute or until thickened and bubbly. Slowly add half
and half to cooked noodle mixture; stirring
constantly. Add turkey; heat gently, stirring
frequently until heated through. Stir in green onion
before serving.