On just about every single table this Thanksgiving there will be some sort of sweet potato side dish recipe served.   Which would lead one to believe that we do in fact love our sweet potatoes!

Sweet Potatoes are naturally high in nutrients and low in fat which makes this a perfect side dish for family dinners.  Not to mention they are cheap and plentiful in our grocery stores.  So why not make it a habit to serve sweet potatoes in our weekly meals?  Don’t pass up these nutrient loaded spuds on your weekly grocery shopping trip.

So serve up a dish of beta-carotene, vitamin C , manganese, copper, vitamin B6, iron & potassium.  Not to mention a great way to add that extra fiber to your diet!

Easy Sweet Potato Ideas

Easy Black Bean and Artichoke Dip

This easy black bean & artichoke dip recipe has been a Thanksgiving tradition in our house for years.  (Even before it was popular.)  It’s funny that even my guests that “hate” artichokes or black beans seem to put their feelings aside for this one day and clean out the bowl.  Ok, so I never actually told the finicky-picky eaters that there was artichoke in the dip. 

This recipe is made with an electric mixer.  This was traditionally  made in a blender, but one year I was pressed for time and I stuck a knife in the blender and blew a big hole out the side.  Never stick a knife in your blender on a rushed Thanksgiving.  The electric mixer saved our black bean dip and actually turned out to be a much better way to prepare this recipe. 

EASY BLACK BEAN & ARTICHOKE DIP
 
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans (drained)
1 (13.75 oz.) can artichoke hearts (in brine)
1 small onion chopped fine
2 teaspoons minced garlic (in the jar)
1 (4 oz.) package of cream cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
salt & pepper to taste
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  This dip is made with an electric mixer.  In a medium sized bowl, mix on high speed the beans, artichokes, garlic and onion for about 3 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes until creamy.
 
Pour into a medium sized casserole dish and bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until bubbly. 

(Any of my family reading this - I still need a new blender)

Sue - DinnerPlanner.com

easy chili recipe

Fall & Winter months in Pittsburgh, PA means lots of chili in our house.  When the weather turns cold, I know it’s time to stock up on plenty of cans of tomatoes and kidney beans.    Always having these on hand means a quick dinner is only 20 -25 minutes away.  Using frozen meatballs in my chili means even more time is saved and this recipe is always a winner.  So stock up on a few packages of frozen meatball (hopefully on sale,)  some tomatoes and kidney beans and you will have everything you need to create a delicious meal in minutes.

Easy Chili Recipe with Meatballs

1 package of Frozen Meatballs (12-13 oz.) thawed in microwave and sliced in 1/2
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 can tomato paste
1 - 14.5 oz. can beef broth
3 - 15.5 cans kidney beans
1 - 14.5 can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon paprika

Drizzle olive oil in a large pan and saute onions and garlic until soft.  Add the tomato paste.  Slowly stir in beef broth.  Add everything else and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add some cheddar cheese and sour cream for toppings.  Sometimes we make Jiffy Corn Muffins.  These are very inexpensive and simple to make.

After talking about fresh homemade coleslaw in my last post, I’ve decided to post my coleslaw recipe in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It is always nice to have a side of fresh coleslaw especially with a baked ham.   This recipe is great because you can make it up to 24 hours in advance.  Coleslaw is a great side dish for Thanksgiving and the best part is kids can help! 

COLESLAW RECIPE FOR THANKSGIVING

3 large carrots, grated
1 head green cabbage, shredded or chopped in a food processor
½ cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon whole celery seeds

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar thoroughly for the dressing. In a large bowl, mix carrots and cabbage well, then toss with the salt, pepper and celery seed until evenly distributed. Pour in dressing and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate (up to 24 hours) in advance of Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!  You find find more Holiday recipes from us at:

http://www.dinnerplanner.com

Sue - DinnerPlanner.com

Growing up in my house, salads were mainly served during the summer months at our dinner table.  We grew our own tomatoes in our garden along with cucumbers and cabbage.  My job was to pick the fresh tomatoes before dinner.  Anyone that grew up with fresh home grown tomatoes will remember the wonderful smell of ripe tomatoes while walking through the rows of plants.

A salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and a big bottle of Thousand Island dressing.  Sunday dinners always had a big bowl of fresh coleslaw along with fresh tomato slices.

Times have changed though and it is very difficult to find a tasty tomato.  Iceberg lettuce has been given a bad rap and no one really has time to make fresh coleslaw that often.

But the good news is it is very simple to make a much healthier & tastier salad for dinner.  Romaine lettuce is loaded with vitamins compared to iceberg lettuce.  Romaine has three times as much Vitamin C and six times as much Vitamin A.  Toss in dried cranberries, walnuts, and some bleu or Gorgonzola cheese crumbles and you have a healthy salad that even kids love to eat. 

healthy salad for meal planning

This Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake is so easy to prepare.  Wow your Thanksgiving & Christmas guests this year with your  extreme kitchen talents!  With the ready made pie crust, this only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.  This is a great dessert to make ahead of time and we all know the more you can make ahead during the holidays saves our sanity.

Holiday Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

Fall is a great time to learn how to cook squash.  This recipe uses the Acorn squash which is one of my favorites. 

If you are not familiar with how to cook acorn squash it may keep you from trying this healthy side dish.  Have no fear, this little squash is very easy to prepare and very tasty.

How to Bake Squash  -  It helps to pierce the squash with a fork and microwave it for a couple minutes.  This helps to soften the hard outer shell a bit and make it easier to slice in half.  Take a sturdy knife and slice the squash in half.  Scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon scraping away any leftover pulp.  In a casserole dish, add about 1/2 cup of water just to slighty cover the bottom.  Place the squash upside down with the hard shell facing up and bake for about 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Wild Rice and Acorn Squash Side Dish Recipe

1 1/2 lb. Acorn Squash - baked
1 package of Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice (original 25 minute cooking time)
1 can beef broth
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic - chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Prepare your squash using the directions above.  You can prepare this in advance so it has time to cool while the rice is cooking.  Melt the butter in a medium size pan with a good fitting lid.  Saute the onions for about a minute then add the garlic and rice and saute another minute.  Add the can of beef broth by using a measuring cup.  You will need 2-1/4 cups of liquid.  Just add additonal water to make up the full amount.  Add the seasoning packet that come with the rice and stir.  Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. 

Slice the squash like you would slice bread.  Pick up each slice and peel the skin off.  This comes off easily.  Slice the pieces into small cubes or small pieces.   Place the squash in a medium size serving bowl and add the 1/4 cup of dried cranberries.  Add the cooked rice and stir to blend. 

Serve with pork chops and green vegetable.  Enjoy!

Sue - DinnerPlanner.com

Football season has arrived!  Tailgating season has arrived!  For those of us who hate to let go of summer, at least there is always the weekly tailgating to look forward to in the fall.  After all, we are in PITTSBURGH STEELERS country!  We have found that this recipe for pulled pork has been a hit every time we make it, and it works great in the crockpot.  We like to prepare it at home ahead of time, take it to the game in the crockpot,  heat it and eat it!  Don’t forget to share your own favorite tailgate recipe~everyone likes to try something new!  Enjoy!

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cumin
4-6 lb. pork butt roast

3/4 c. white vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pkg. kaiser rolls
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place chopped onions in the bottom of a heavy pot or a Dutch oven.  In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin.  Rub over all sides of roast.  Place roast on top of onions. 

In another small bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes, sugar, dry mustard, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper.  Stir to mix well.  Drizzle about 1/3 of the vinegar mix over the roast, and set aside the remaining mixture.

Cover, and cook for 2 hours.  Turn heat back to 200 degrees, and cook for an additional 4-6 hours.  Drizzle another 1/3 c. of the vinegar mixture over the roast during the last 1/2 hour of cooking time.

Remove meat from pot to a cutting board, and pour out all but about 1- 1 1/2 cups of the remaining juices.  Try not to lose too much of the chopped onion.  Transfer the juices left in the pot, along with the onion pieces, to a crockpot.   Using 2 forks, shred the pork, taking care to remove all fatty pieces. 

Add the shredded meat to the juice and the onions in the crockpot, and add remaining vinegar mix.  Stir to combine.  Turn setting to low, and simmer as long as desired.  Serve on kaiser rolls.

*You can also prepare this from start to finish in the crockpot.  We just happen to like the flavor better when it’s oven-prepared!

We all have them!  And not just one, but several!  Every realtor on the face of this earth sends out those magnetic tablets.  We receive them as gifts, too.   Most of us rip the magnet off and use the paper wherever we need it.  But guess what?  They actually come in handy right in the kitchen, as intended!  Go ahead, take one of them and hang it on the refrigerator, and leave a pen nearby.  (If your house is like this one, that in itself will be a near-impossible task).  When you run out of or are getting low on those odds and ends in the kitchen, immediately write it on the list.  On grocery shopping day, make a list of the items you will need for your meals, and also grab the sheet from the refrigerator tablet.   You’ll never again forget those items you run out of during the week, but would never remember to put on the list the day you are grocery shopping.  How many of us have gone to bake a cake and realized that we ran out of vanilla extract 6 months ago?   Nothing is more frustrating!  Now, you won’t ever forget those odd items….as long as you can handle looking at the picture on the tablet!   : )  Easy enough!

I have learned that easy meals that taste great are keepers in my arsenal of dinner recipes.  Although they can sometimes be hard to find, easy recipes that the whole family likes can be like a day off from cooking without the guilt.

My family loves home-cooked meals and like everyone else, sometimes I just don’t feel like cooking.  I have gotten really good at meal planning and it has saved me tons of money, especially since I was shocked to see the price of a pizza (including delivery & tip) was almost $25.00.  And that was for 1 large pizza with extra cheese.  

This easy Caesar Chicken is excellent and quick.  Use it in Melissa’s salad or roast some potatoes sprinkled with olive oil and seasonings and a green veggie.

EASY CHICKEN CAESAR

1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup of creamy Caesar dressing (I use Ken’s)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons minced garlic (in the jar)
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dressing, soy sauce, garlic, and mustard in a medium bowl.  Marinate chicken in this for at least 1/2 hour.  (Longer if you have time.)  Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and place chicken in the dish.  Brush any leftover marinade over each piece of chicken.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  If you are serving with romaine lettuce, pour some of the hot marinade over the lettuce before serving.  (the warm sauce is excellent over cold lettuce.)  Slice the chicken over top of the lettuce, and serve immediately.