Free Up Your Oven...and Stove Tomorrow (Thanksgiving)

Freeing up your oven and stove while you try to cook a holiday dinner can be...well, freeing! I still remember the first time I cooked this method, and I can't tell you how less stressful it was to get dinner on the table, no matter how many guests you have! Follow these tips to have a first class meal!

First things first....if you don't already have one.....get a crockpot, preferably two. If you do a lot of entertaining, you really need to have two. Put it on your Christmas list. I got an extra one a few years ago for my birthday and never looked back.

There are three dishes that work absolutely fantastic in the crockpot. You prep them in the morning, get them in there and forget about them until it's time to serve your meal! See the recipes below for great mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and sweet potatoes.

Crockpot Green Beans

1-1/2 bags frozen cut green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1 TBS soy sauce
1 can French fried onions

Mix soup and milk in crockpot. Add soy sauce. Add frozen green beans and about 1/2 cup French fried onions. Mixture will be a bit sticky due to frozen beans. Mix well. Put on low setting for about 2 hours. Mix again....should be creamier at this point. Add a layer of fried onions on top and turn to high for about three hours. When you start seeing edges getting browned, and the beans turn a darker green, the dish is ready. If you're not ready to eat, turn it off or to warm setting.

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

1 pk (3 oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
milk as needed
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope ranch salad dressing
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 bag of potatoes (use # of potatoes for # of guests)

In the morning, boil however many potatoes you usually boil for your number of guests. Mash them in crockpot. Add other ingredients until you get a nice mashed potatoes consistency. Use handmixer if you like. I have even left off the ranch salad dressing packet, and it still tastes rich and creamy. Cook on low til ready to serve. If edges get too browned, turn to warm or temporarily turn off.

Crockpot Sweet Potatoes

4 lbs sweet potatoes (about 10), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 TBS ground cinnamon
2 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
2 cups mini marshmallows or 20 large

Place sweet potatoes in cooker. Melt butter in microwave. Stir in all remaining ingredients except marshmallows and pour over sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Sprinkle marshmallows over potatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 10 min until marshmallows are melted.

Do you have any easy and simple recipes you'd like to share this holiday?