Ginger and Soy Chicken Wings

These chicken wings were incredibly easy to make and very easy! The marinade brings a lot of flavor, although it doesn't really look like it while it's marinating. We just really like the ginger, soy and garlic flavors that go into this! Give them a try-they really only take 15 minutes (mine took 12)!

Ginger and Soy Chicken Wings-adapted from Step by Step Cook's Encyclopedia
Total Time 2 hours to overnight
Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 pound chicken wings

Mix together the first seven ingredients. Place chicken in a large 9x11 baking pan, pour mixture over and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.

Preheat the broiler, and place marinaded chicken on a foil lined broiler pan. Broil for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Chicken Taco Soup

One of my best food memories growing up is how much I liked Chili's tortilla soup. Don't ask me why, but it just always sticks in my head! I've been looking for a good taco/tortilla soup recipe and I think I found it! This recipe was super simple, and most of the stuff you will likely have on hand at home! I thought the flavors were fantastic, and you can always use hotter or milder salsa, depending on your taste.

Chicken Taco Soup-adapted from Family.com
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
• 2 pounds black beans, cooked and drained
• 2 cups prepared salsa
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and/or sour cream as a garnish

In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients except garnish and heat over high heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer about 15 minutes, or until flavors are blended. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and/or sour cream, if desired.

Slow Cooker Stuffing

Stuffing is one of those things that is just necessary for Thanksgiving. I can tell you that I've never really been a fan. My grandmother used to make this crazy, weird stuffing that includes the liver and everything else from the turkey. It was good, but not what most people think of for stuffing. I've also never had a desire to actually STUFF the bird. So this year, with the limited resources of my oven, I decided to try a slow cooker stuffing recipe.

I actually got the idea from my mom, and as I was talking to her Thanksgiving morning, we realized we ended up making the same recipe! She said she just bought a bag of bread crumbs, while I ended up using fresh bread. I think the best thing about that is you can really use whatever kind of bread you have on hand. I bought a french bread loaf earlier in the week, cut it into cubes on Wednesday night and they were nice and dry Thursday morning!

I did read a lot of the reviews on this recipe before making it, and the one thing everyone said was to not add all the chicken broth right away. I'd definitely have to agree! I only added two cups, thinking it was just moist, but by the end of cooking it was very wet. I ended up adding in some additional cornbread breadcrumbs I had on hand, and placing a paper towel under the cover to soak up some of the condensation. That being said, it turned out really tasty!

Slow Cooker Stuffing-adapted from AllRecipes.com

Total Time: 5 hours

Serves 16

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 8 ounces mushrooms, diced
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon rotisserie seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Up to 4 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

Melt butter in a medium skillet and saute onion, celery and parsley until tender.

In a 6 quart slow cooker, combine vegetable mixture, bread crumbs and seasonings by stirring gently. Slowly pour in broth, about 1/2-1 cup at a time until just moistened. Mix in eggs. Cover and cook on low for at least 4 hours. Check stuffing once an hour and stir. If it is getting dry, add more chicken broth. If too wet, add additional bread crumbs or cubes, and/or place a paper towel between the cover and slow cooker to catch the condensation.

Parmesan Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Normally when I make mashed potatoes, I just throw in some seasoned pepper, garlic salt, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, milk...really whatever I have on hand. For Thanksgiving, I decided to try an actual recipe for mashed potatoes. I thought these ended up fluffy and tasty! As always with mashed potatoes, don't just pour in the entire amount of milk. You'll want to add it gradually so you don't accidentally make them into soup.

Parmesan Rosemary Mashed Potatoes-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 12

• 5 pounds baby red potatoes, peeled (optional) and cubed
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for 15-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain; return to pan. Mash potatoes, adding in all other ingredients. Slowly add milk to reach desired consistency.

Turkey Gravy

I made this gravy for Thanksgiving dinner. Next time, I need to be more careful with the flour instead of just throwing in how much the recipe says. This ended up incredibly thick, and I even added a ton of chicken broth to it! The flavors were great though, so I'll still hang onto the recipe!

Turkey Gravy-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes 2 1/2 cups

• Drippings from roasted turkey
• 1/2-1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon rotisserie or poultry seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Pour drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth. gradually stir into the boiling mixture. Stir in the bouillon granules, and seasoning. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.