North Texas Daily

If you’re tired of showing up to only devour food during Thanksgiving and want to show a little adult effort, these recipes will do just the job. All these dishes and deserts are in order of most to least difficult, so if you’re still learning how not to overcook rice (which can honestly be incredibly hard), go ahead and skip to the bottom of each list.

Entrees

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Although this recipe isn’t too difficult, mashed potatoes can make or break Thanksgiving, so consider that before you proceed (no pressure). First skin your potatoes, then boil them in a pot. In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, butter, salt and milk. Stir the mixture into the potatoes and then mash them together. Finally go in with your salt, garlic and pepper, and stir mixture.

Ingredients:

• 5 to 8 potatoes (depending on the amount of people you’re serving)
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 cup milk (add more as needed)
• 1½ teaspoon salt
• ½ garlic powder
• Desired amount of pepper

Sweet potatoes

You can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes. They are cheap to purchase and beyond easy to cook up for Thanksgiving dinner. Boil sweet potatoes and then peel them. Throw sugar, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg in a pan, and put it on the stove on medium heat. Turn down the heat, and put the sweet potatoes in the sugar mixture. Using a kitchen utensil, split the potatoes into small pieces. Move the potato mixture into a pan and bake for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium to large Sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup brown sugar

Buttery garlic green beans

Take ordinary green beans up a notch with some seasoning that will make your little cousins, nieces or nephews go in for seconds. First boil your water, then cook your green beans at medium heat. Once done, remove excess water, add butter and stir the green beans with the melted butter. Stir in garlic, salt and pepper.

Ingredients:

• 1 Frozen bag of green beans or 1 fresh pound
• 4 tablespoons butter (or more as desired)
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• Salt, as desired
• Pepper, as desired

Deserts

Pumpkin pie

There’s always been an ongoing debate of whether sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie is better. Though I’m a firm believer in sweet potato pie, pumpkin is much faster and easier to make if you’re in a time crunch. Mix eggs, milk and puree in one bowl and cinnamon, sugar and ground cloves in another. Then slowly mix the two bowls into one, then spread your mixture into a pie crust.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• Pie crust

Frozen cheesecake

Now for all of you that just can’t seem to figure out how an oven or stove works, your best option for this holiday season is a frozen cheesecake (which can be completed in five easy steps): 

• Go to the grocery store
• Pick a cheesecake brand (my recommendation is Sara Lee)
• Take the cheesecake home
• Let it thaw during Thanksgiving dinner
• Serve, and enjoy!

Featured Image: Contributing to a family Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with these easy recipes. Vanessa McTillmon