Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays – a time for gratitude and celebration with our family and friends, a holiday where the focus isn’t on presents but on each other, and of course – good food! With that in mind, we thought we’d share a couple recipes that are a favorite part of our own family’s Thanksgiving meals. Enjoy!
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces young spinach
2 large eggs
8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place the eggs into an electric kettle and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Turn the kettle on. Once the water comes to a boil, the kettle will turn itself off. Leave the eggs in the water for 15 minutes. Remove and peel off the shell. Slice each egg into 8 pieces and set aside.
- While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
- Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
2 cups finely crushed ginger snaps
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
6 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
3 pkg (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan.
- Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the plain batter. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices onto remaining batter.
- Spoon 1/2 of the pumpkin batter over crust; top with spoonfuls of 1/2 of the reserved plain batter. Repeat Layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. (or, bake at 300 degrees for 55 minutes or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Loosen cake from side of pan; cool before removing rim of pan.
- Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.
