Spiced Pumpkin Mousse

Spiced Pumpkin Mousse

Ingredients

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 15 ounce can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preparation

Add the whipping cream into a mixing bowl and beat until the consistency of whipped cream. (We use our Kitchen-aid mixer with the whisk on high.) Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Chill mousse in a bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

We served the mousse as a "dip" with some gingersnaps or cinnamon graham crackers. You could fill a graham cracker pie shell for a quick and easy pumpkin mousse pie. You can even dish it into bowls and eat it "as-is". Whatever way you choose... it's a perfect addition to the snacks of the holiday season!

Bulgar Sage Dressing

For many who don't like the thought of eating a bread as a side dish, this is a delightfully lighter alternative... and it definitely does not sacrifice flavor! Bulgar has a texture similar to rice and there is no real flavor when eaten plain, thus making it a perfect ingredient for this recipe! This recipe is easily prepared on the stove-top.

Bulgar Sage Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup Bulgar wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups rich chicken broth (homemade is best!)
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a pot on the stove-top over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Turn heat up to high and bring contents of pot to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

This recipe goes quick! You may want to make a double batch.

** Variation - You can also add 1 pound of browned ground sausage (after you soften the onion, celery and garlic).

Old Fashioned Bread Dressing

One of the favorite traditional holiday side dishes.... Bread dressing (stuffing). This recipe is simple and delicious. Make it just once and you'll never go back to boxed stuffing again! 

Old Fashioned Bread Dressing

Ingredients

• 3 loaves of white bread
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons rubbed sage
• 3 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
• 3 cups chicken or turkey broth, slightly warm *

Preparation

I always buy a very large foil pan to prepare and bake this dressing right in the pan. It makes for easy clean-up.

Cube or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Add the spices to the bread and toss to lightly coat. Add the onions and celery and mix into the bread. Pour the melted butter over the top. Pour the broth over the top.

You can use this as a turkey stuffing or baked on the side. 

• Stuffing the turkey: Lightly stuff the bread mixture into the chest cavity of the turkey. Bake as usual.
• Baked on the side: Cover the pan with foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, stirring half-way through.

I never stuff our turkey. I have always baked this dressing on the side. Either way you prefer your bread dressing, it will turn out deliciously wonderful!

* If you prefer your bread dressing moister, use additional broth. We make ours as-is and top it with some fresh-made turkey gravy. On the day after Thanksgiving my sister-in-law piles leftover dressing on a turkey sandwich and tops it with cranberry sauce.  :)

Should you be lucky enough to have any leftovers, this dish re-heats very well.

Bon Appetit!