1. Roasted Garlic w/Blue Cheese & Rosemary

3 whole heads garlic
1 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into three pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 c. chicken broth, divided
2 Tbsp. white wine
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (hold back a few leaves for garnish)
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
freshly ground black pepper

crusty sliced bread, to serve

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using a serrated knife, slice 1/2-inch off the top of each head of garlic (opposite the root), exposing the tops of the cloves. Remove a bit of the papery outer skin. For the most part, the heads will stay intact, but if a few cloves fall away, that’s fine. Set them all, cut side up, in a pie plate or small casserole dish.

Top garlic with butter slices. Drizzle oil over. Add 1 c. of broth and all the wine to dish, as well as rosemary sprigs.

Bake garlic until garlic is tender & golden brown, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices, adding more broth as necessary to maintain some juices in the dish, about 1 hour 15 minutes (you might not use all 2 c. of chicken broth). Add cheese to dish and continue baking until cheese is melted, 10 minutes.

To serve, discard cooked rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle on the reserved rosemary leaves for garnish. Top with a few grinds of black pepper. To eat, press soft garlic cloves from skin, smearing onto slices of crusty bread with plenty of pan sauce.

Pro Tip: You can roast the garlic ahead by a couple of hours and hold it at room temperature. Then, when your guests threaten imminent arrival, crumble on the cheese and set it in the oven to melt. You’ll want to serve this warm, with good bread, and a glass of bubbles.

2. Orange-Cranberry Relish

1 medium orange, unpeeled, cut into wedges, seeds removed

12 ounces fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

Place half the orange and half the cranberries into a food processor. Cover and process until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Spoon the orange mixture into a bowl. Repeat with the remaining orange and cranberries.

Stir in the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired sweetness. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

3. Crockpot Stuffing

1cup butter

1cup chopped onion

2cups celery chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon pepper

24 slices bread, cubed

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 well beaten eggs

3/4 teaspoon sage

3 1/2 -4 1/2 cups chicken broth

Mix, put in crockpot, cook on low 4-8 hours.

Pro tip:  keep an eye on the moisture level, add chicken broth as needed.  It's that easy!

4. Min's Yams 

1 - 40 oz can yams, drained

8 TBSP butter, softened

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 TBSP flour + 2 tsp more (Use almond flour for GF version)

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1 2/3 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mash drained yams in large mixing bowl

Add butter, mix together

Stir in sugar, salt, flour and mix all together

Add the beaten eggs, milk, vanilla and stir until mixed well (lumps are ok)

Pour into greased oblong baking dish (I use a 9 x 12 glass casserole dish)

Bake for 45 mins - 1 hour, or until dark brown around edges and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Pro Tip:  The candied pecans aren't authentic, but they are delicious!

5. Bourbon Pecan Pie

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups pecan halves

1 (9 inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Mix the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter together in a bowl. Stir in the corn syrup, eggs, and bourbon; fold in the pecans. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C); continue to bake until the pie is set, about 25 minutes more. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Pro Tip:  An extra tablespoon of bourbon is OK!