Every year millions of Americans look forward to the delicious food served on Thanksgiving. The day is full of feasting and celebrations and of course, some yummy dessert. While the food is delicious, it can become very predictable. This year can be the year that you change up the menu a bit to make this Thanksgiving even more memorable. Here is our list of delicious and unique recipes that you should consider adding to this year’s Thanksgiving menu.
Appetizers
Pumpkin Cheeseball
Our pumpkin cheeseball recipe would be a great addition to any table this Thanksgiving. This pumpkin cheeseball is super easy to make and just requires 1 packet of our Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Spread Mix, 8 oz. of softened cream cheese, 8 oz. of sour cream, 8 oz. of soft cheddar cheese spread, 1 cup of shredded cheese, a bell pepper stem, some plastic wrap, and 4 rubber bands.
All you need to do is blend the cream cheese, sour cream, and cheese spread together. Once blended, add in a packet of our Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Spread Mix. Take your mixture and form it into a ball and set it on plastic wrap and wrap it up using additional plastic wrap. Once wrapped, wrap a few rubber bands around the cheeseball and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, press on some shredded cheese and the pepper stem to look like a pumpkin. This delicious pumpkin cheeseball can be served with crackers, pretzels, veggies, and even potato chips. It is sure to be a favorite!
Garlic & Herb Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer
Our garlic and herb stuffed mushroom appetizer is delicious and packed full of flavor. All you need to make this dish is 1 cup of softened cream cheese, ½ tsp. Of worcestershire sauce, ¾ tsp. Of our Garlic and Herb Spread Mix, 2 Tbsp. of parmesan cheese, and 20 to 25 medium-size mushrooms that are clean and have the stems removed.
Making this appetizer is so easy and will not take much time at all. All you have to do is preheat your oven on the broil setting and soften your cream cheese in the microwave. Then, add in your worcestershire sauce, Garlic and Herb Spread Mix, and parmesan cheese. Mix these ingredients well. Once mixed thoroughly, fill your mushrooms with this mixture. Place your stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet under the broiler until they are light brown. Once done, these mushrooms are ready to be served right away!
Entrees
Honey Apple Pecan Pork Loin
Turkey and ham are delicious and very traditional Thanksgiving dinners, but why not try out a pork loin? Our honey apple pecan pork loin recipe is delicious and will make an amazing substitution or even addition to your Thanksgiving feast. To make this dinner you will need 1 - 2 to 3-pound pork loin, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of ground black pepper, 1 packet of our Honey Apple Pecan Dip Mix, ½ cup of hot water, 1 cup of diced onion, 2 tbsp of cooking oil, ⅓ cup of prepared honey mustard, 1 tsp of balsamic vinegar, and finally some cooking wine.
With this being a dinner, this recipe is a bit longer than our others but trust us when we say, it is so worth it! The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then you will mix together your Honey Apple Pecan Dip Mix and hot water with a fork. Once combined, let it sit while you make the pork loin and onion mixture.
Now for the pork loin. First, rinse it and be sure to pat it dry. Cut a pocket into the side of your pork loin but do not cut all the way through. Season the inside of your cut pocket with some salt and pepper. Next, take a saute pan and cook your diced onions in cooking oil over medium heat until clear. Take the heat off of the pan and add in the balsamic vinegar and honey mustard, stirring it until combined fully.
Add your Honey Apple Pecan Dip Mixture into the pan and mix it up. Put your seasoned pork loin into your baking dish and stuff half of the Honey Apple Pecan Dip Mix and onion mixture into the cut pocket. Use some cooking twine to tie off the pork loin in the middle and at each end of it. Add 1 cup of water into your basking dish surrounding the pork loin. Take the other half of the Honey Apple Pecan Dip Mix and onion mixture and spread it on top of the pork loin.
Finally, cover your baking dish with foil and back it until extremely tender. When you have 15 minutes left, reglaze the top of your pork loin with the remaining Honey Apple Pecan Dip Mix and onion mixture. Once removed from the oven, let it stand out for 20 minutes before serving.
For some additional cooking instructions including tips, tricks, and substitutions, check out the full recipe here on our website. It’s time to make new Thanksgiving memories with this delicious meal!
Cranberry Walnut Stuffing
Our cranberry walnut stuffing is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table this year. Making our cranberry walnut stuffing couldn’t be easier. All you need is 1 packet of our Cranberry Walnut Dip Mix, 1 carton of chicken, turkey, or pork flavored stuffing, 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, and ¼ cup of butter. To make this side dish you need to first heat your water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Next, add in your butter and packet of our Cranberry Walnut Dip Mix and stir it all together. Once stirred, put your lid on the pan and let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Finally, add your stuffing mix and stir it thoroughly. After that, remove your pan from the heat and cover it, letting it stand for at least 5 minutes. Fluff your stuffing with a fork prior to serving and if your stuffing seems a bit dry you can add a bit of water. Stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving favorite and this recipe is the perfect way to spice it up.
Desserts
Drunken Apple Skewers
Dessert is always such a fun part of Thanksgiving, so of course, we are going to share some delicious fall desserts for your table! Our drunken apple skewers recipe is simple to make and will be a favorite among your family and guests. All you need to make this dessert is sliced apples, our Caramel Apple Dip Mix prepared as instructed, caramel vodka, a mason jar or a cup, and kabob skewers.
Slice up your apples into wedges and slide them onto your kabob skewers. Make sure your slices are thick so that the skewers will not break the apples. After you skewer your apples, soak them in a jar or cup of caramel vodka for no longer than an hour. Finally, dunk your apples into your pre-made Caramel Apple Dip Mix. Feel free to add any additional toppings such as candy, chocolate chips, or even crushed peanuts onto your dipped apples. This is a dessert that is super easy to make in large quantities and can have many different variations thanks to the toppings.
Mom’s Apple Pie Cookies
Our mom's apple pie cookies have all the flavor of a classic apple pie in cookie size. To make this dessert all you will need is our Mom's Apple Pie Dip Mix, 8 oz of cream cheese, 2 eggs, 1 package of refrigerated pie crust, 1 tsp. Of flour, and ¼ cup of sugar.
To make the cookies you need to mix together your Mom’s Apple Pie Dip Mix, cream cheese, and 1 egg. Once mixed, have it chill in your fridge for around an hour. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and roll out 1 sheet of pie crust. Using a floured round cookie cutter, cut out circles for the base of your cookie. Place these circles on a sheet of parchment paper and place about 1 tablespoon of your Mom's Apple Pie Dip Mix to the center of the circles as filling. Roll out the second pie crust and cut ½ inch wide or smaller strips to weave together over your apple pie dip mixture to form the top of your cookies. Make an egg wash using egg whites only and brush it on top of your cookies before sprinkling a bit of sugar on top. Bake your cookies for 15-20 minutes until the crust looks golden brown.
If you want to take your cookies to the next level you may want to add some glaze! The glaze is super simple and only requires ¾ cup of confectioner’s sugar, 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tbsp of milk. Mix your confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and milk together. You can always add some additional milk to your mixture if the glaze is too thick. Once you reach your desired consistency, drizzle the glaze over your cookies.
Drinks
Spiked Cider
Since we provided a list of delicious foods to incorporate into your Thanksgiving celebrations this year, it only seemed fair to include a drink as well. To make spiked cider you will need 1 gallon of apple cider, 2 TBLS of either mulling brew of our Cider Spice Mix with a muslin pouch, ½ cup of vanilla vodka, ½ cup of caramel vodka, and ¼ cup of triple sec.
Take your 2 TBLS of either mulling brew or Cider Spice Mix and put it in a muslin pouch. Take your gallon of apple cider and simmer it for one hour with the spices in a large pan. After the cider simmers, allow it to cool and remove the spice pouch, being sure to squeeze it out first. Pour the cider back into its gallon container and mix in the vodkas and triple sec. Chill the cider in the fridge until ready to serve. For additional tips and tricks and substitutions, check out the original recipe here on our website.
Conclusion
Holidays are great and the food tends to be amazing, but sometimes change is good. Enjoy spicing up your dinner table this Thanksgiving with these amazing recipes!