Thanksgiving Goodness

I have two easy recipes that are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner to share with you today. They are always a favorite at our family get-togethers. I wanted to share them with y'all and I hope that you might give them a shot. Here goes!

I love mashed potatoes. I think it's just about the best comfort food in the world. It's a carb. It's a starch. It's full of cheese. It's heaven on a fork! Here is my recipe for delicious mashed potatoes.

Amy's Mashed Potatoes
5 lbs of potatoes (I like Yukon gold because of their buttery texture)
Milk
Kraft fat free mayonnaise
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Butter
Salt to taste

Peel, dice and boil your potatoes in salted water. After the potatoes are tender, drain really well. Add them back to the pot.

Now this is the part where you just have to play a little: Add a big splash of milk (I use fat-free), a big handful of cheddar cheese, a big pat of butter or margarine, and the secret ingredient: a big spoonful of fat-free mayonnaise. I use Kraft fat-free with the red lid. If the potatoes are dry, add more milk. Now get busy mashing the potatoes with a potato masher until you get them to your desired consistency.

So simple and easy, but they are Heaven on Earth! And don’t be afraid of the mayonnaise. You can’t taste it at all! My Aunt Frances (may she rest in peace) refused to eat mayo and yet she always ate our mashed potatoes. She never ever knew! The mayo just makes the potatoes really creamy. And in case you are counting calories, just remember that these have cheese and milk and butter in them which are dairy, and that means that they are totally good for you!

And get this, if you are trying to get ready for a big meal, perhaps Thanksgiving, just make the potatoes early in the day, and prepare them a tad bit soupier than normal and put them on low in the crock pot. They will stay hot and it's one less thing you have to worry about, and the potatoes will absorb some of the extra moisture. It couldn't be simpler!

And my second recipe is my Mom's Broccoli Cornbread recipe. It sounds unusual, but I've never found someone that tried this and didn't like it. It's tasty like cornbread, but the broccoli and cheese add an unusual and delicious touch. Here it is:

Broccoli Cornbread
1 box of Jiffy cornmeal mix
1 box of frozen, chopped broccoli (thawed and drained)
1 stick of butter (melted)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl and then add to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Cook at 300 degrees for an hour. The cornbread should be golden brown when it is ready. Let cool slightly and cut into squares. Delicious!

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Give them a try and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!