Need a Pot-Luck Thanksgiving Dish!

SWEET POTATO PUFF

2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled (I actually use 3 potatoes for 1 pie plate. Boil until tender then peel)

½ cup milk

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup butter

½ teas. Nutmeg

½ teas. cinnamon

CRUNCHY PRALINE TOPPING

1/3 cup butter, melted

¾ cup cornflakes (or similar cereal – honey bunches of oats or whatever)

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup brown sugar

Place sweet potatoes in bowl and beat for 30 seconds. Add milk, sugar, eggs, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and Beat for 1 minute. Spread into a greased 9” pie plate.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Spread topping on hot sweet potatoes and bake an additional 10 minutes.

My personal favorite is 7 layer salad. It is so easy...layer the following ingredients on top of each other (whatever way looks nicest to you) and serve! You could add more/less, but it looks great and tastes so fresh after all of the heavy Thanksgiving food!

-Lettuce
-Cheese
-Bacon
-Water Chestnuts
-Mayo sauce (mayonnaise and sugar mixed)
-Peas
-Peppers (any color)

I make the greatest sweet potato casserole ever but I think I'm going to try that 'puffed sweet potato' that Adrienne suggested!!

Piper's Sweet Potato Indulgence (if it has a name it always tastes better)

I use:
5-6 sweet potatoes boiled and peeled or 3 lg cans of yams

1/4 c eagle brand condensed milk

half a stick of butter

2 eggs

Mix it all together and put it in a glass pan.
I stick it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. Pull it out and see if it's getting firmer. I usually end up pulling it out of the oven and putting it back a couple of times. While you're waiting, make the evil sauce. in a small sauce pan mix the remaining eagle brand with equal parts brown sugar. I usually add some nuts because I like pecans but it's fine without. If you are going to add nuts you'll want to stir them in to the sauce until you have a thick healthy topping. Some people pour the topping onto a cookie sheet and cook it a little before putting it on the casserole but I usually skip that step and just smear it on the top returning it to the oven on broil until it's browned. People will bow at your feet. Next year everybody will step up their game to compete with your awesome dish. Everything will taste better!

How about mac n cheese from scratch? I bet there won't be any left. There are a lot of great recipes try allrecipes.com. Also, Patti La Belle has her recipe online if you just google patti la belle mac n cheese recipe.

i always take green bean casserole. super simple to make. i use the french's recipe. good luck deciding what to take

get a large box of pistachio jello pudding mix, a large container of cool whip, and a can of crushed pineapple, mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Stuffed mushrooms? Mix browned bulk hot or sweet sausage with stuffing (instant is fine), wash & remove stems from mushrooms, place on baking sheet. Fill with the stuffing mixture & sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

we always bring giada's brussels sprouts. i know, brussels sprouts don't sound that appealing, but i guarantee everyone will ask for them next year. we've been bringing them for years and now have to double the recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/br...

Cranberry Gelatin Salad

1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (juice packed)
Pineapple juice
2 3-ounce packages raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cold cup cold water
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 medium apple, cored and finely chopped (2/3 cup)
1/4 cup seedless red grapes, quartered

Cream Cheese Sauce:
3 ounce cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. Add enough of the pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Set aside. In a large bowl dissolve the jello in the boiling water. Stir in the 1 cup pineapple juice, the cold water and the cranberry sauce. Chill until the mixture is partially set stirring occasionally. Fold in the crushed pineapple, nuts, apple and grapes. Pour into a 2 or 3 quart ring jello mold. Cover and chill about 4 hours or until firm (can also be chilled overnight).

To make cream sauce; In a small bowl stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a creamy consistency.

To serve, unmold jello onto serving platter. Spoon cream sauce into center of mold.

Well, there are the "classics" like green bean casserole and macaroni and cheese -both very easy. There are a number of great recipes online for squash casserole as well. Sweet potato casserole is also a big deal, although I don't like it. Check out www.allrecipes.com and www.myrecipes.com as well as the Southern Living website at www.southernliving.com -they have articles devoted to a number of different T-day dishes. Salads can be good too -google the recipe for 7 layer salad -SO yummy! Most of these things require minimal effort and not a long cooking time. I even made a great Southwestern Squash Casserole from All Recipes on Friday for one of my son's school pot lucks -and you cook it in the microwave! Deviled Eggs are great additions to any potluck as well!

Green bean casserole. The recipe is on the French's Fried Onion can label. VERY easy to make.

Another idea is a pasta salad. Here is my recipe

2-boxes of rotelle
2- cans of quartered artichoke hearts
2- cans of sliced olives or 1 can of unsliced, but then you have to slice them up.
2- cans of mixed beans
half a bag of frozen spinach, or one bunch of fresh spinach, diced into cubes
1 full bottle of Italian dressing

Optional:

cherry tomatoes, halved
4 celery stalks diced into small cubes
Cilantro
1 head of fresh broccoli cut into small bite sized pieces

This is very tasty! I like to substitute the ham with bacon instead:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Ham-and-Hash-Brown-Ca...

Corn Pudding Casserole
Ingredients

* 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (15 ounce) can cream style corn
* 1/2 cup margarine, softened
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry cornbread mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the whole kernel corn, cream style corn, margarine, sour cream, and corn bread mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

make a sweet potato pie. they are easy to make. use the light colored potatoes not the yams. I always use paula deens recipe. use some already made pie shells. the light colored potatoes make a pretty colored pie and it wont get confused with any of the pumpkin ones that may be there already.

haven't read the other posts, so I hope this isn't a repeat.

Brocoli & Cheese Rice Casserole
1 cup of rice
2 10 oz pkgs of frozen brocoli
1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 jars of Cheese Wiz
1 chopped onion (optional)
1 can either cream of chicken or cream of celery soup

Sautee the brocoli in the butter (and the onion if desired) and cook your rice. Mix all ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish, cover and bake on 350 for 45 min.

Done! Family favorite, and I took it to a potluck at work, and it was gone!

sounds odd, but sausage balls.

Sausage Balls
1 lb. sausage (spicy makes for better flavor)
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
3 1/2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup of water

Let sausage and cheese sit and come to room temp. Mix cheese with Bisquick then add sausage and water. Mix with hands. It's messy!
Roll into little balls (not tightly or they will dry out). This recipe makes a lot, you can cut in half or freeze some.

Bake on 350 for 15 minutes.

My grandchildren loved mandarin oranges and so I took orange jello salad with mandarin oranges. Everyone enjoyed the cool salad, a contrast in both temperature and texture.

Hi! Tater tot casserole is SO YUMMY. I promise everyone will love it. It's was was requested for me to bring to Thanksgiving dinner this year. My whole family loves it. There are a ton of variations online, allrecipes.com and a couple others. Super easy and not very expensive. Make one night as a side for dinner to try it out and see if you like it.

Thaw tater tots completely
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
I use cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroon is good too)
seasonings (salt pepper, onion salt, garlic salt)

preheat oven to 350
Put the thawed taters in a large bowl
season them
mix in the can of soup, as much as you want cheese and about a cup of sour cream. mix it up well until the taters all all mashed up.
Put it in a 13x9 baking dish. Spread it all in there nice and even. don't cover it and put it in the oven. It will take probably 1/2 hour, but maybe more, keep an eye out for it to turn golden brown on top. Then you know it's done. It can overcook easily so keep an eye on it.
I'm sure whatever you make will be delish! Happy cooking and Happy Thanksgiving!!

my update of My Dad's CORN CASSEROLE - it has a pudding-ey texture:
grease or spray a flat casserole dish (at least 8x8x2 inches total - what ever shape you want. I use a pyrex oval).
In a medium mixing bowl: combine:
1 can creamed corn - 15 oz, I think. A regular can
1 egg
3 Tablespoons plain greek yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup biscuit mix (or: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder)
onion - half of a medium one - grate it into the bowl - about 1/3 cup?)
garlic to taste, I use 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic from a jar, or
stir in:
frozen corn - 1 1/2 can's worth
bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes or until it's not runny in the center. Top with buttered bread crumbs, or (better!) fried onions from a can (Frenches or Trader Joe's) and put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes to get them hot.

For pot luck, ask if there is oven room right before dinner, and take the baked casserole & french fried onions to your cousin separately. Add them there when you reheat the dish and they'll stay crunchy.

But this serves well warm or at room temperature.

the original recipe is a midwestern traditional: My Dad and I adapted it over the years!
CORN CASSEROLE:
1 can creamed corn
1 can regular corn, drained
1 egg
Mix all. Top with crushed cornflakes, sprinkle with paprika
bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes

sounds like you have lots of options to choose from, just from these posts. Good luck!

If you get really stressed, a pre-bagged salad or deli dish is totally acceptable! So are rolls and butter. Don't make yourself crazy.

One of my favorite, easy, everybody-loves-it-at-a-potluck thing is a recipe from Campbell's Soup. Slice potatoes and layer them in a 13x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with a little paprika, pepper and salt, cover with a can of cream of mushroom soup, and cover with shredded cheese (we use cheddar). Bake at 350 for about an hour, or microwave for about 25 mins (but the edges often get overdone in the microwave.)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amazing-Butternut-Squash/Det...

another easy potluck favorite is a tossed green salad with mandarin oranges and toasted almonds. Toast about 1/3 cup slivered almonds in a heavy skillet with about 2 tbsp sugar (heat until sugar starts to melt, add a sprinkle of water to disperse the sugar over the almonds). Toss salad greens and a chopped green onion or two and some chopped celery with a sweet parsley vinagrette (1/4 cup salad oil, 2 T sugar, 2T vinegar, 1T chopped parsley), sprinkle with almonds and one can mandarin oranges (drained)

I am bringing homeade applesauce this year. You can find more specific recipes online anywhere I'm sure or PM if you want more details. I like bringing this because it is one thing the kids will eat for sure too.