There’s a lot to be thankful for at Thanksgiving, and on that list is the amazing food we get to enjoy during the holiday. I wanted to share a couple of our family favorites with you.

I love easy-to-make recipes, especially during the holidays. We have enough going on trying to get everyone around the table at the same time, let alone watching a pie to keep the crust from burning. That’s why this Pumpkin Pudding recipe is one of my favorites, because all it takes is a quick mix, and then you can pour it into the crockpot and forget about it until it’s ready to serve.

Another “pour it and forget it recipe” is for cranberry salad. It puts a new twist on a traditional Turkey Day side dish.

What I like about both of these recipes is that, while the food is either warming in the crockpot or cooling in the fridge, it leaves me – and you – time to do exactly what we should be doing on Thanksgiving: enjoying time with family and friends.

Crockpot Pumpkin Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1, 15-oz. can solid-pack pumpkin
• 1, 12-oz. can evaporated milk
• ¾ c. sugar
• ½ c. Bisquick
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 T. butter, melted
• 2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

Spray the slow cooker crock with non-stick spray or lightly oil the inside.

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer at low to medium speed, beat ingredients together until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared crockpot.

Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or cook on High 3 to 4 hours.
Spoon into cups and top with whipped topping.
Serves 6.

Cranberry Cream Cheese Mold

Ingredients:

• 1½ c. boiling water
• 1 package (8-serving size) or 2 packages (4-serving size) JELL-O® brand Cranberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1½ c. cold water
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1 c. whole berry cranberry sauce
• 1, 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Preparation:

Stir the boiling water into gelatin in large bowl for 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and cinnamon. Pour 2 cups of the gelatin into medium bowl. Refrigerate about 1½ hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves a definite impression). Reserve remaining 1 cup gelatin at room temperature.

Stir apple and cranberry sauce into thickened gelatin. Spoon into 6-cup mold. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set but not firm (should stick to finger when touched and should mound).

Stir reserved 1 cup gelatin gradually into cream cheese in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Pour over gelatin layer in mold.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Unmold. Makes 12 servings.