Thankful for Family Recipes…

Happy Happy Tuesday!!!

Thanksgiving is in two days! Time is really flying by!! If you have waited to the last minute to decide what to bring to Thanksgiving, or need some more sides dishes, then this blog post is for you! I am going to share three of my favorite Thanksgiving vegetable sides dishes! If you are on paleo, keto, or any diet, you better just exit out of this post now. These side dishes are not healthy, but they do contain vegetables. These side dishes are family recipes that my mom passed down to me. My Mom was always in charge of bringing vegetables to Thanksgiving. So, naturally when I began to attend Thanksgiving at my in-laws, I also brought the vegetable sides. These veggie sides are a treat for a special occasion. I mean if you want to bring cauliflower rice to your Thanksgiving that is cool too, but if you are looking for a crowd pleaser then try to recipes I list below! These recipes are very easy and user friendly! I want to give some special shoutout to my Mom (Kathy) for teaching me how to cook, and reminding me that butter is better when it comes to Thanksgiving vegetables! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Spanish Onion Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (10.5 ounces)
• 3 large Spanish sweet onions
• 1 bag of shredded Swiss cheese ( 8 ounces)
• 1/2 cup of whole milk
• two tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Sprinkle of black pepper

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slice three onions into small ring like slices (use all three onions)
3. Cry ( haha)
4. Sauté onions in a pan with half a stick of butter, this takes about 20 minutes
5. Sprinkle a little black pepper on onions for seasoning
6. While onions are cookings mix the cream of chicken soup, swiss cheese, soy sauce, and milk in a big bowl together
7. At about 15 minutes add the tablespoon of sugar to the onions (helps with caramelization)
8. Once onions are soft and golden brown add to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir all together
9. Take Ritz crackers and crush them up, and put them in a frying pan with the rest of the butter, and cook them on low until they are nice and toasty brown and covered in butter
10. Pour onion mixture into a oven safe casserole dish
11. Sprinkle Ritz on top of the onion mixture
12. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the onions begin to bubble
13. Enjoy!

Cheese Broccoli:

Ingredients:

• 2 16 ounce bags of frozen broccoli
• 1 bar of Velveta ( 16 ounce)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
• pepper and salt for seasoning ( a pinch)

Steps:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sauté the two bags of frozen Broccoli in a frying pan with half the stick of butter ( tip, add a little water the pan to help the broccoli cook faster)
3. Add pinch of salt and pepper to season the broccoli
4. Broccoli should take about 20 minutes to sauté
5. Once broccoli is done set aside
6. Cut Velveta into small pieces
7. Put half the broccoli into a oblong baking dish
8. Take half the Velveta pieces and put them around the top of the first layer of broccoli
9. Pour the rest of the broccoli into the baking dish (on top of the first layer)
10. Take the rest of the Velveta and place it all around it the top of the final layer of broccoli
11. Set broccoli dish aside
12. Sauté Ritz crackers in the rest of the butter in a frying pan ( same as the onions recipe!)
13. Pour Ritz crackers on top of broccoli and cheese
14. Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly
15. Enjoy!!

Carrots Grand Marnier:

Ingredients:

• 2 pound bag carrots
• Half stick of butter
• Two tablespoons orange marmalade
• two tablespoons of Grand Marnier (orange liqueur) (you can use Triple Sec as well)
• handful dried cranberries (not needed but a good addition)
• Salt to season

Steps:

1. Wash and peel carrots
2. Slice carrots on the diagonal
3. Boil carrots until soft
4. Drain carrots and set a side
5. In frying pan combine half stick of butter with two table spoons of Grand Marnier, and two tablespoons of orange marmalade on medium heat
6. Add carrots to the pan once the mixture is melted
7. Stir carrots for about 5 minutes to make sure they are all glazed
8. Add in dried cranberries
9. Stir for an additonal 2 minutes
10. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading! Post in the comments section if you would like to try these recipes! Also this post is sponsored by Ritz Crackers… JK but it should be!!!!!!!

PS Always use Velveta… I once used organic cheddar and it was an epic Thanksgiving fail.

XOXO

Elsbeth