Spice up your Thanksgiving with Chef Bob St. Lawrence's quick and easy recipes

If you're anything like me, the last time you turned your oven on was to heat up leftover pizza or -- if you were feeling extra ambitious -- to bake some cupcakes or brownies with a store-bought premix for a company party. Those of you "Paula Deens" of the world are probably on the hunt for the latest and greatest recipe to spice up your family traditions. The good news is, I'm not about to share any of my cooking advice. I've consulted with our in-house expert, Chef Bob St. Lawrence of Ovations, for some fresh, yet quick and easy recipes for you to enjoy. Aside from the Roast Turkey with Famous Pan Nectar, these are fresh and simple, quick and easy recipes -- but we hear the roast turkey is so worth the extra time.

So...warm up to those cousins you haven't seen all year with a sweet, caramel apple cider or sweeten' up grandpa with Bob's pumpkin cheesecake dessert!

Quick + Easy Warm Caramel Apple Cider

Heat on medium heat 1/2 gallon apple cider with 1-2 tsps pumpkin pie spice and a small 8 ounce jar of caramel ice cream topping. Adds another whole dimension to cider! For grown-ups, you might also want to add 6 ounces of bourbon whiskey...

Quick + Easy Orange Cranberry-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Peel and dice 2 pounds of sweet potatoes. Covered just barely with water and either cook on the stove or microwave until done. Heat a sauce with one 15 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 stick real butter, 3 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate (no added water), and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Pour over drained, cooked sweet potatoes and heat through.

Quick + Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prepare Libby's Pumpkin Pie Filling Mix as per the package directions before adding my ingredients and continuing with the recipe.

With mixer, blend together 1 can Libby's Pumpkin Pie Filling Mix (NOT just canned Pumpkin) with 1 pound cream cheese, 1/2 can sweet and condensed milk, 1 egg and 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey until creamy. Pour into store bought graham pie shell and bake in 325 degree oven until center is still just a little jiggly; start checking every 5 minutes after a half hour. Take out, cool 15 minutes, then put in fridge until cold. Serve with real whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.

Quick + Easy Pumpkin Corn Muffins

Blend together 1 can Libby's Pumpkin Pie Filling (not just canned pumpkin) with 3 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. Bake in muffin tins with liners at 375 degrees until cooked through, about 10 minutes.


Quick + Easy Traditional New England Sausage Dressing Muffins

3 loaves white bread
- Dice bread into cubes and leave out uncovered overnight to get a bit dried out or toast a bit in the oven at 350 degrees if you don't have time for that.

1 pound sage pork sausage (up to 2, if your family chooses)
1 whole small (or 2/3 large) celery bunch, finely chopped
2 pounds onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup poultry seasoning, more or less, to taste
1 quart chicken or turkey stock with 2 bay leaves
- Cook and crumble sausage in large frying pan. Add vegetables and seasoning and cook on medium heat until softened. Just cover with stock, bring to a quick boil on high heat, then lower heat to about a third and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour over bread cubes and mix a few minutes to cool. Then add 4 eggs and finish mixing. Bake buttered muffin tins for 15 minutes.


Chef Bob St. Lawrence's Roast Turkey and Famous Pan Nectar

When you roast the turkey, put carrots, onions and celery in the bottom of the roasting pan with the giblets and neck. Then place the turkey on a rack, pour 3-4 cups of water over it, rub it with real butter, and season it with poultry seasoning. Cover it with a clean, wet dishtowel for a moist turkey that won't get too dark too quickly. Roast it at 325 degrees, basting occasionally, until it hits an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Remove the dishtowel, place back in the oven at 350 degrees, cook until it's golden brown and has an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Let it sit for a half hour to settle before slicing, while it will continue to cook and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees ("carry over cooking").

While the turkey's resting, put everything else from the pan into a pot. There will be a grease in the top of the pot, so use it to start your roux:

Use the fat from the turkey drippings and heat in a small saute pan. You're going to make a roux, which is equal parts fat and flour which is a thickening agent, so use either 4 oz of turkey fat, or 2 oz turkey fat and 2 oz butter for a richer flavor. Add 1/2 cup flour to it and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until it smells like hazelnuts and is golden in color. Set aside and let cool.

Note: Bob says the reason most family gravies are lumpy is because most home cooks try to thicken gravy with just flour and water. The roux is the key to a rich, flavorful "nectar" that your family will crave for years to come.

Then your stock:
Take the turkey drippings, giblets, and turkey neck with all the carrots, onions and celery from the pan and place into a pot. Add poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, celery salt, and a bay leaf and bring to a simmer to make your stock.

Then your gravy:
Strain stock and add water to make 1 quart. Bring to a boil and add roux with a whisk. Use only enough roux to thicken to a medium consistency. Add a chicken bouillon cube or two, to taste or buy the chicken (not beef) flavor "Better than Bouillon" base that's sold in stores. Add any extra seasoning "to taste" and prepare for compliments!