Thanksgiving is upon us and, even though this year’s celebration will look and feel different, we are excited to show our gratitude for all of the good things in our lives, including the food on our table. And because everyone knows that good food is meant to be shared, we asked our staff to share some of their favorite recipes. The result is a list that includes a few side dishes, a punch and lots of desserts (because that’s what we all really want!) If you’re in need of a stylish dish to serve your new recipe in, we’ve got you covered with this collection of serving pieces from Mudpie (they make great gifts too). Happy Thanksgiving!

Karen’s Apple-Pear Salad

Salad:

1 or 2 bags of Spring Mix salad (chop leaves to bite-size)

1 cup cashews

1 package dried cranberries

1 pear, chopped

1 apple, chopped

1 cup grated Swiss cheese (or more, if you’d like)

Dressing:

1 cup Olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice (bottled juice works well)

½ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

*This makes a lot of dressing, so you may want to cut it in half, if you don’t like a lot.

Gail’s Baked Macaroni & Cheese

1 ½ cups dry elbow macaroni

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper

2 cups shredded cheese (I use 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup Velvetta)

Preheat oven to 350°

Boil water, add a sprinkling of salt, then pasta and stir occasionally.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in large pot.

Add flour and stir over medium heat until mixture is lightly brown, about one minute.

Add milk and whisk; add salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens.

Add cheese and stir until melted; turn off heat.

When pasta is almost done, but still firm, drain and add to sauce.

Pour into greased baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Karen’s Turkey Salad

4 cups leftover turkey, chopped

1 20 oz.-can of water chestnuts, sliced

2 cups halved grapes

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups sliced almonds

1 large can pineapple chunks

Dressing:

3 cups mayonnaise

1 teaspoons curry

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 cans pineapple chunks.

Combine dressing ingredients and then add in remaining ingredients.

Laurie’s Margarita Punch

2 12-oz. cans frozen lemonade, thawed

1 12-oz. can frozen orange juice, thawed

1 12-oz. can frozen limeade, thawed

8 cups water

2L bottle of 7-Up

3 cups tequila

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over ice.

Jeanne’s Peppermint Icebox Pie

For the crust:

5 chocolate Oreo cookies

1/ teaspoon kosher salt

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 7.5-oz. container marshmallow crème

1 Tablespoon peppermint extract

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

6 drops red food coloring

For the topping:

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar crushed starlight mints

Make the crust: Pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form, 10 to 15 times. Add salt and butter and pulse to combine, 8 to 10 times. Press crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.

Make the filling:  Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add marshmallow crème and peppermint extract, and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, beat cream and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until very stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently fold cream mixture into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in food coloring. (For swirls, add a few extra drops of food coloring before spooning filling into the pie crust; do not mix in — just stir once and then spoon out of the bowl.) Spoon filling into prepared crust. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Make topping:  Whip cream and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes, spoon over pie.  

Garnish with crushed mints.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

By Paula Deen, a favorite of Maria Blankenship

1 (18 1/4 oz.) package yellow cake mix

1 egg

2 sticks melted and divided butter

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

1 (8 oz.) package softened cream cheese

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (16 oz.) box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°.

To make the cake, combine cake mix, 1 stick melted butter and one egg and mix well. Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 13×9-inch baking pan.

Prepare filling:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the 3 eggs, vanilla, and 1 stick melted butter and beat together.

Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Dani’s Apple Cake

5 cups chopped apple (5 large apples)

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT THE APPLES with a spoon. Then add the apples. Pour into baking dish (8x10 works well), and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. (Our individual loaf pans work great with this recipe, especially if you want to give a loaf as a gift!) Frost with cream cheese and Dream Whip, if desired.

Linda’s Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

1 cup butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

2 Tablespoons orange juice

Zest of one orange (save ¼ teaspoon for glaze)

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 can whole cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour bundt pan. Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add orange zest. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Pour half of mixture into prepared pan. Stir the cranberry sauce and spread evenly over batter. Then pour on remainder of cake batter and spread evenly.  

Bake 55 to 60 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes; then remove cake from pan and place on cake rake to cool completely. Once cooled, top with glaze.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)

2 Tablespoons orange juice

¼ teaspoon orange zest

NOTE: Consider swapping out the cranberries for strawberries or apricots or even raspberry preserves.

Donna’s Oatmeal Lacys

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 sticks real butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups oats

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and dry ingredients. Mix well.

Add oats and pecans. Mix well.  

Drop ½ teaspoon of batter on a foil-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!