Nov 14
It is time to start planning the menu for this year’s Thanksgiving. The Think Melissa Team has put together our top choices to help start your menu off right.
Bourbon Pecan Pie Cocktail
Gather:
- 1 ounce Maker’s Mark Bourbon
- 1½ Evangeline Pecan Praline liqueur
- ½ ounce vodka of your choice
Make:
- Pour all ingredients over ice and stir.
Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ pounds broccoli florets, roughly chopped (7-8 cups)
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ butter
- 1 3/4 cups half & half
- 8 ounces (about 2 1/4 cups) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 sleeve butter crackers (like Ritz)
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a medium sized rectangle baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, garlic powder and onion powder and cook for several minutes until golden. Add half & half and bring to a low boil until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese (reserve 1/4 cup for topping). Stir in salt and black pepper. Taste and add salt as desired.
- Arrange broccoli in the baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the broccoli and gently stir to coat.
- In a small bowl, combine crushed crackers with melted butter and stir in the remaining cheese. Sprinkle cracker mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and topping is browned. If topping isn’t browned enough, place under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Pecan Pie Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 prepared single pie crust (homemade or purchased, I used Pillsbury)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Optional
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chip for decorating
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine butter, pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and eggs. While constantly stirring, cook on the stove top over medium-low heat just until thickened. (You don’t want it dry, just slightly thickened, about the consistency of pudding). Remove from heat and set aside.
- Unroll dough and using a 3″ cookie cutter, cut out circles. Gently fold about 1/8-1/4″ up on the edges.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of the pecan mixture into each circle.
- Place on a parchment lined the pan (it’s important to line it) and bake 8 minutes or until filling is just set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Place chocolate chips in a small Ziploc bag (use brand name, the store brands tend to leak). Microwave about 15 seconds or until mostly melted. Snip off a tiny corner of the baggie and drizzle chocolate over the cookies. Cool until set.
Thank you to all the wonderful blogs that supplied these recipes: www.basilandbubbly.com(Bourbon Pecan Pie Cocktail), www.yellowblissroad.com (Cheesy Broccoli Casserole), and www.spendwithpennies.com (Pecan Pie Cookies).