Thanksgiving recipes to warm the heart

One of my all time favorite pies since I was young, is Chess Pie. I have such fond memories of my mother in our warm kitchen on a cold day making this pie for us. Because of the simple ingredients that can be found on hand in most kitchens, and it's simple preparation, the wait was never long. For such a simple pie - it's certainly not simple on taste. It has a sweet, buttery rich flavor with a hint of vanilla and the consistency of a well made custard pie.
My mom always made her own pie crust. She could throw a pie crust together quicker than I can pull out my Pillsbury ready crust. So keeping things simple and quick, I used a prepared pie crust. But feel free to roll out your own pie crust and make it even more special.
I look forward to Thanksgiving dinner as my family (never less than 35 people) all gather together in one spot and bake, cook and share their favorite dishes. I just know my sister will be making this sweet pie, at the request of my even sweeter, 95-year-old mother. Enjoy!
Chess Pie
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 Tbl. flour
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
3 Tbl. McCormick's Pure Vanilla Extract
1 prepared pie crust
Directions
Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Sprinkle flour over creamed mixture and blend completely. Add milk and blend. Beat in eggs one at a time until mixed, stir in vanilla.
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake an hour or until well browned.
Thanksgiving Recipes for a complete family meal - The Oakland Press Media Center

Sage and Turkey Pot Pie Soup
Perfect soup for a comforting addition to your Thanksgiving meal. Whether you make it as meal or a meal starter, McCormick's Sage and Turkey Pot Pie Soup will warm the hearts of your entire family.
Thinking about joining the shoppers on "Black Friday?" You won't have to worry about getting the family a warm, wholesome meal while you shop the day away. And what a delicious way to use up that leftover turkey. It's quick and easy, so you can prepare it early and heat and eat or have dinner on the table in less than half an hour.
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Sage and Turkey Pot Pie Soup/Courtesy of McCormick

Overview
All the flavors of turkey pot pie are in this soup – from the creamy sage broth to the chunks of turkey, mixed vegetables and even a pie crust topper.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 packages McCormick® Turkey Gravy Mix
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon McCormick® Sage, Rubbed
1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
2 cups Kitchen Basics® Unsalted Chicken Stock
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chopped roast turkey
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 package (14 ounces) refrigerated pie crusts, (2 crusts)
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Add flour, Gravy Mixes, sage and garlic
powder; stir with wire whisk until well mixed. Gradually stir in broth and half-and-half until well blended. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly
thickened, stirring occasionally.
2 Stir in turkey and mixed vegetables; simmer 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
3 Meanwhile, unroll pie crusts. Cut out 3 large circles from each crust. Place on baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. To serve soup, ladle into soup bowls
and top each with 1 crust.

McCormick's offers holiday recipes for your complete family meal. Visit their Pinterest page for ideas and recipes. Visit McCormick.com and learn all about their large line of spices that will add bold flavors to any dish. 

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

Cheesecake in a “snap” - Gingersnap that is. 
Your family and Thanksgiving guests will talk about this holiday dessert for years to come. 
Nothing says Thanksgiving like Pumpkin Pie. And when you add pumpkin pie to a creamy cheesecake filled inside a gingersnap cookie crust - well, it just says Happy Thanksgiving!

Betty Crocker received 5 stars from almost all the reviews on this delectable Pumpkin Cheesecake. 

Ingredients

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake/Courtesy of Betty Crocker

Crust

2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 32)

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

Cheesecake

4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions

Heat oven to 300°F. Grease 9-inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray. Wrap foil around pan to catch drips. In small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and creamy; do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Spoon 3 cups of the cream cheese mixture into pan; spread evenly.

Stir pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into remaining cream cheese mixture; mix with wire whisk until smooth. Spoon over mixture in pan

Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.

Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Store cheesecake covered in refrigerator.

Some of my favorite recipes over the years have come from Betty Crocker.From holiday recipes to everyday meals, Betty Crocker offers endless recipes. Be sure to check out Betty's Red Hot Holiday Trends, where Betty Crocker Kitchen Experts share the top holiday trends and other recipes.