Bacon Ranch Foil Packet Potatoes

 3 sheets of heavy-duty foil
10-12 baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
1 packet ranch dressing mix
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
Sour cream for serving, if desired

 Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, and ranch dressing mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely.

 Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve in foil, topped with sour cream if desired.

Calico Baked Beans

1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Bacon chopped up (I cut up with kitchen shears)
1 Onion Diced

Cook all together until beef is browned and bacon and onion cooked.  Drain off fat and put into a crock pot.

1 can each:
Black Beans
Lima Beans or Butter Beans
Garbonzo Beans
Pinto Beans
Kidney Beans
 or any combination that you like.  Drain all of them.   Add to crockpot

Add 1-2 cans pork n beans with juice.

Add:
2/3 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C White Sugar
1/2 C BBQ Sauce
1/2 C Ketchup
2 T Mustard
4 T Molasses

Cook in crockpot on low for several hours for flavor to meld together.

Zucchini Bake

4 medium-sized yellow or green summer squash, or a mixture of colors, sliced lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch slices (about 8 cups sliced squash)
1 T olive oil (or less, depending on the pan)
1 T minced garlic
2 T fresh thyme leaves or 1 T dried thyme (or less if you're not that fond of thyme)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup crumbled feta (not tightly packed)
2 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T lemon juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Wash and dry squash, then cut off stem and blossom end and discard. Cut squash lengthwise in half, then slice into half-moon slices about 1/4 inch thick. (I used a mandoline with the 7mm blade, but you can use a knife.)

Heat olive oil in large non-stick frying pan, add garlic and thyme leaves and saute about 45 seconds (just long enough to season the oil, don't let the garlic brown.) Add squash slices and saute about 4 minutes, turning a few times. Squash should be barely starting to soften.

While squash cooks, break eggs into a small bowl or glass measuring cup and beat until egg yolks and whites are combined. Stir in sour cream, feta, parmesan, and lemon juice.

Spray a 2 quart gratin dish or glass casserole dish with non-stick spray or olive oil. Layer half the squash in the dish, then season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (Remember the feta is salty, so it won't need a lot of salt.) Pour over half the egg-feta mixture and use the back of a spoon or a rubber scraper to spread it over the squash. Repeat with another layer of squash and the rest of the feta-egg mixture.

Bake at 375F/190C for 40-45 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling, slightly set, and top if lightly browned. Serve hot.

Mashed Potatoes

I'm trying these this year. Really with butter and cream cheese you can't go wrong.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/
I like that I can make them the day before and just put them in the oven to heat up. The less prep work on Thanksgiving the better.
I'll be back after Thanksgiving with a report of how they turned out.

*Verdict*
Okay I'm back! These potatoes are heavenly! Sooo good. They tasted the best right after making them. I made them on Wednesday and put them in the fridge. Well I forgot my fridge is really a freezer so they were pretty frozen Thursday. I had them separated out into two pans so one of the pans we microwaved to heat up. These were just okay. The other pan I put in the oven on a low heat to let them warm through and they came out really yummy. I still liked them best right when I made them. I will be making my mashed potatoes with the recipe from now on.

Candied Yams

Melt 5 Tbls butter.
Stir in 5 Tbls flour.
Add 1/2 C corn syrup, 1 C Brown Sugar, 1 C Water, 1/2 Tsp salt.
Cook until thick. Pour over yams.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 - until hot through. Top with marshmallows.
I use 2 29 oz cans of Princella Cut sweet potatoes.

Crock pot Stuffing

1 cup butter
2 cup chopped celery
2 4oz cans sliced mushrooms-drained
2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
12-13 cups slightly dry bread cubes (or 2 boxes Mrs. Cubby's in green box)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2-2 1/2 cup turkey broth (you can add diced giblets but that seriously grosses me out)
2 well beaten eggs
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme

Melt butter in skillet and saute onion, celery, parsley and mushrooms. Pour over bread cubes in large bowl. Add all seasonings and toss well. Put enough broth to moisten, add eggs and mix well. Pack lightly in crock pot. Cook on high for 45 minutes, then reduce to low for 4-8 hours.