Thanksgiving!

Today’s recipes don’t come to you from Ms. Claire…or even the box. But they come from two very important ladies just the same – Alana’s Mom and Gran’momma.

If you haven’t noticed, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. As such, this post is full of some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes: Gran’momma’s Cornbread Dressing, Spinach Tarts, and Apple Pie Cupcakes.

Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Gran’momma’s Cornbread Dressing

From Alana: “This recipe lives in Mom’s recipe book, written on a piece of paper ripped from Gran’momma’s old ‘Doodle Pad.’ It’s not even a full recipe – there isn’t a list of ingredients, half of the writing has faded away, and the instructions include steps like ‘Have Daddy make the cornbread’…it’s a family treasure. There are more memories in that little piece of paper than I could fit in years of photo albums and videos – my little brother crumbling cornbread, Momma singing Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Scarborough Fair’ every year when she adds in the sage (she also ALWAYS says she’s added too much chicken broth…she never has), mushing everything up with our hands (clean hands, always clean hands), constantly worrying that we didn’t pick a big enough bowl to mix it in… It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without those moments. And it definitely wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without this recipe.”

From Alana’s Mom: “I am pretty sure I don’t say “I think I put too much in” every single time!” (She’s wrong. She does)

So, in an effort to share the magic of Thanksgiving with all of our readers, here’s the fully assembled recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 to 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 pone cornbread, crumbled (about 6 cups)
• 4 slices of “slightly stale” white bread, torn in bits*
• 1.5 cups of Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned stuffing
• 1 bundle of green onions, chopped
• 1 small handful of chicken bouillon granules
• 1 pinch of sage (no more than 1 tsp)
• 3 teaspoons of poultry seasoning
• ½ teaspoon of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of chicken broth (or more until pouring consistency)
• 2 large eggs, beaten

*left over biscuits or rolls will work, they probably do not need to be stale, but I

think we would have leftover bread that was stale so we put it in the dressing (Alana’s mom)

Instructions

Heat oven to 450*F. Spray 13/9 inch pan with Pam. 

Prepare the cornbread according to package directions - we use Martha White. The consistency should resemble this somewhat:

 Bake the cornbread and let cool. I made two small pones, but one large will work, too.

Chop the onions and celery

In a small skillet, cook and stir onion and celery in butter until cooked down and tender.

In a very big bowl, combine cooked celery mixture, 

crumbled cornbread, bread, 

PF Herb stuffing, 

uncooked green onions, chicken bouillon granules, sage, poultry seasoning, and S/P. Mix well.

Add chicken broth and eggs to the cornbread mixture 

and mix well. The dressing should be "pouring consistency."

Bake at 450* for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Spinach Tarts

From Alana: “I can’t remember when we started making these. I think it was a new recipe we tried on a whim on year. Whenever it was, they instantly became a classic. If these don’t make an appearance at Thanksgiving, there’s a riot. You think I’m joking, but I had to make these things on the fly one year because people threw a fit when I said I wasn’t bringing them. I don’t think they would have let me come to dinner without them. Also, they HAVE to have the tiny turkeys on top. Heaven help you if you forget the turkeys…”

Now, you don’t have to include the turkeys if you don’t want to. As a matter of fact, if you don’t want to have to do it EVERY TIME YOU MAKE THEM, maybe don’t include them…like ever.

Ingredients

• 1 box Pillsbury pie crusts (comes with 2 crusts)
• 1 10 oz package frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 1/4  tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 c butter, melted
• 1 c Romano cheese, shredded

*I made a triple recipe...so the picture is a bit misleading

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350*F and spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Using a small, round or flower shaped cookie cutter, cut out enough circles to fill the tins and press into cups.

In a medium bowl, microwave the spinach according to package instructions. Once cooked, cool then drain and press the spinach, removing as much liquid as possible.Combine the spinach ,egg, butter, onion, salt, pepper, and cheese.

Fill each cup with about a tablespoon of the spinach mixture and top with turkeys.

Bake 25-30 min til crusts are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Apple Pie Cupcakes

This is a new addition to our Thanksgiving tradition. It’s a nice break from the pie-monotony you tend to get. And who doesn’t love fried apples? The recipe is included HERE as a separate link under Ms. Claire's Cupcake Corner. Enjoy!