I wanted to pass along three recipes I used this year that were a hit with my family. All of them are just little different twists on what I usually serve Thanksgiving, but each recipe made the food taste just a little bit better. And what is better than sharing food that warms the tummies and hearts of your loved ones?

First up:

The Pioneer Woman “How to Dry Brine a Turkey.

I have never brined a turkey before. When I read about how you had to soak the turkey for hours in a saltwater brine, it just did not sound appealing to me. Plus, I don’t think I have a pot big enough to do that in. Enter the Pioneer Woman’s Dry Brine. It was a HUGE hit. The turkey roasted faster and was moist and so favorable. This recipe gets a 10 even though I didn’t follow it exactly (now there’s a surprise). I didn’t have any rosemary or celery seeds so instead of making another trip to the grocery store, I just omitted them. The Great Hunter said it was the best turkey he had ever eaten. Click here: How to Dry Brine a Turkey for Thanksgiving for a PDF of Ree’s Dry Turkey Brine.

Next:

Country Bread and Sage Stuffing from Food Network.

I rarely ever follow a recipe exactly and this one was no exception. I substituted some random sausage for the hot Italian sausage the recipe calls for, omitted the butter, used three slices of a medium-size onion diced. I used about the same amount of celery and carrots, but the garlic came from a jar already diced and I used about a teaspoon or a little more and dried sage, about a tablespoon instead of fresh. And of course, two boxes regular boxed stuffing. I used about 3/4 of a carton of chicken stock because I used the boxed stuffing mix and I like a moister dressing.  I baked it in the same oven as a did for the turkey for about half an hour. As you can see, I kind of fly by the seat of my pants and I’ve been fortunate that most things turn out good. Click the title to go to the website to print the recipe.

And finally:

Classic Apple Pie with Precooked Apple Filling

This was definitely a hit. Cooking the apples ahead of time made for consistently tender apples. Firmer apples in a pie have always been a pet peeve of mine and this recipe definitely took care of that problem. I used frozen deep-dish pie crusts instead of freshly made. I followed the rest of the recipe for the apple filling pretty much except I didn’t have any cornstarch and made my roux from flour and water. I even made a lattice pie crust top. I was so proud of myself!

Click the title to go to Cooking for My Soul website to print the recipe.

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving as much as I did mine. It’s so great to have the family back together again!