Forgot something? 3 Easy Last-Minute Thanksgiving Dishes

It’s Wednesday night and sleeting where I am; so at this point if I’ve forgotten anything for my Thanksgiving feast, there’s no way I am going to get it. Improving in the kitchen is fun, but it’s always nice to have a backup plan. Here are some backup plan Thanksgiving dishes that you might be able to make with stuff you already have.

Appetizer: Stuffed Crescent Roll-Ups

I don’t know about you, but I always have some extra crescent roll or pie crust dough in my fridge. Last year I didn’t plan enough appetizers, so I improved these roll-ups, and they were a big hit! There are a lot of good ideas of things to do with crescent rolls from Pillsbury, but I made my own creation. I made it as one big roll; roll out all of the crescent dough so it doesn’t have the perforation. Then on 1/4 of it, spread some pesto, layer pepperoni and ham (or other meats you have and want to use), some cheese, cut up roasted red peppers, and spinach. Then roll it up like a log and place on a pan. Cook in your oven using the instructions for the crescent rolls, it may need extra time. When it’s done, take it out and carefully slice it. You’ll have some nice slices packed with flavor, and you don’t have to tell your guests how easy it was to make!

Dessert: Crack or Cookie Pie

I’m not saying you need to turn to hardcore drugs, crack is a kind of chocolate-caramel bark that is as addicting as, well, crack. You can find my detailed instructions of how to make it here, all you need is saltines, butter, chocolate, and sugar!

If you don’t want any addictive desserts or don’t have saltines, you might want to try a chocolate chip cookie pie. An original Nestle Toll House recipe, the ingredients are pretty standard and you should already have most of them. You can always substitute a different kind of nut, and you don’t even need to use a pie crust! Make it in advance and stick it in the oven before you serve it; it’s delicious warm with some ice cream on top.

I hope this saves you from some hungry guests! It’s hard to imagine not having enough food for Thanksgiving, but let me tell you, it’s not something you’ll ever want to experience. I wish you all a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving, and a successful Black Friday if you’re into that kind of thing. Happy eating!

A 14 Layer Torte That’s Better the Next Day

One of the most precious cookbooks that I own is the Good Housekeeping’s Illustrated Cookbook from 1980. My mom, my nana, my aunt, my great aunt, and I all have copies and are always on the lookout for more. It is a reliable book for all kinds of recipes, and has some things that I absolutely adore. One of those recipes is the Chocolate-Cinnamon Torte.

This torte is like nothing you’ve ever had before, and is fantastically delicious. The combination of chocolate and cinnamon is pretty unusual, and one of my favorites. This torte is made by stacking 14 giant thin cinnamon cookies with chocolate whipped cream; and tastes better after a day or two in the fridge. It’s great if you’re planning to have people over, but don’t have time to bake a dessert fresh on the day that they’re coming. The recipe recommends to make it a day or two in advance, with good reason. The cookies will soften into the whipped cream and the consistency improves after the fridge time; but good luck waiting to eat it for that day.

You can see the full recipe and how to make it here. Another reason this book is great is that it’s illustrated as per the title, and does a great job of showing you some trickier techniques. So next time you don’t know what to bake, give this a try! It’s a quick and easy recipe that will not disappoint.