Last-minute ideas for Thanksgiving dinner

By Susan McClanahan

Thanksgiving is this week, so if you have not gotten your turkey out of the freezer, you may be in trouble. There are so many details to work through when planning a feast for family and friends. But the biggest detail is to pause and be truly thankful for living in this country, for family and friends and all of the many blessings we enjoy each day.

Today, I have just a few last-minute recipes for you. The first is a simple one-pan dinner for two. If you have found yourself alone or with your spouse for Thanksgiving, this one-skillet dinner may be just the right meal for you. I've also chosen a couple of different side dishes, an old fashioned fruit salad and a quick bread for brunch or a grab-and-go snack throughout the day.

There are always more recipes online when space does not allow to print all of them here. Be sure to check it out.

Roasted Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts

This dish has only a few ingredients and easy steps to prepare. The Brussels sprouts and acorn squash pair perfectly, maple syrup adds a slight sweetness, and pecans give it a toasty crunch. A delicious side dish for your Thanksgiving table.

• 1 medium acorn squash
• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 3/4 cups pecan halves
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise into quarters, remove and discard seeds. Cut each quarter crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, discard ends. Trim and halve Brussels sprouts.

Place squash and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to two foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pans. Roast 30 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a dry large skillet, toast pecans over medium-low heat 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add syrup and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.

Sprinkle vegetables with pecan mixture; gently toss to combine.

Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Old-Fashioned Holiday Fruit Salad

• 6-8 apples
• 6 oranges
• 1 pound seedless grapes
• 3 or 4 cans (15 ounces each) fruit cocktail
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 egg yolks

Peel fruit and chop into small pieces. Cut oranges over apples so the juice from the oranges will stop the apples from turning dark. Pour fruit cocktail over fruit. Drain juice from fruit into saucepan. Add sugar and egg yolks. Blend well.

Cook approximately 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened. Cool and pour over fruit.

Stir, cover and refrigerate. Will keep in refrigerator for a week. Make at least 24 hours ahead so flavors can marry.

Optional: Coconut and pecans. Bananas can be added but they turn dark quick, and the fruit salad will not last as long in refrigerator.

Green Beans 'n' Caramelized Onions

Brown sugar, bacon and cider vinegar season this simple side dish. Keep the recipe handy, as someone almost always wants it after the meal.

• 4 bacon strips, chopped
• 2 large onions, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pan.

In drippings, saute onions over medium heat until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low, cook until deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and brown sugar.

In a pot of boiling water, cook green beans, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 7 minutes; drain. Add to onions; cook 1 minute, tossing to combine. Stir in bacon; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Yield: 8 servings.

Sausage Bread Dressing

This is a nice twist to traditional dressing. If you have leftovers, it freezes quite well. To save time, chop the veggies and prepare the stuffing mix ahead of time.

• 4 cups seasoned stuffing cubes
• 1 cup corn bread stuffing mix (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large tart apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/3 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken or turkey broth
• 1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine stuffing cubes and stuffing mix.

In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbs. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and add to stuffing mixture.

Add butter to same pan. Add apple, mushrooms and celery; cook and stir over medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender. Stir in parsley, sage, salt and pepper. Gently stir into stuffing mixture. Stir in broth and pecans, being careful not to overmix. Just toss gently until just combined.

Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Yield: about 12 cups.

Cranberry-Walnut Sweet Potatoes

Many people might agree that the best part of the Thanksgiving meal are the sweet potatoes. Try this recipe for a sweet potato that has been elevated in taste and presentation. You can make the sauce up to a day ahead; just leave out the walnuts until you're ready to serve.

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes; pierce several times with a fork. Bake 1 hour or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in cranberries, syrup, cranberry juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until berries pop, stirring occasionally. Stir in walnuts and mustard; heat through.

When cool enough to handle, cut each potato lengthwise in half; sprinkle with pepper and remaining salt. Top with cranberry mixture; sprinkle with thinly sliced chives. Yield: 8 servings.

Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

One-Pan Thanksgiving Dinner

This recipe is a skillet-top meal for two. This easy dish will have you feasting on classic holiday flavors for dinner, with just one dish in the sink. Enjoy this recipe as written below, or try one or more of these easy upgrades:

Go Wild: Add 1/2 cup shiitake or oyster mushrooms to the skillet in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Bacon: Who's going to complain if you sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of bacon bits or crumbled bacon?

Get nutty: Toss in 1-2 tablespoons of walnuts or pecans for flavor and crunch.

• 1 large sweet potato
• 3 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, snipped
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 3 tablespoons honey
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil spray
• Fresh chopped curly parsley (for garnish)

Pierce sweet potato with a fork. Microwave for 6 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool, peel and dice into bite-sized pieces.

In a shallow bowl or pie pan, mix together breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Press chicken into mixture, coat both sides.

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet. Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes. Place chicken breasts in pan, brown on both sides. Add diced sweet potato, green beans and cranberries to pan. Drizzle with honey, and spray with a light layer of olive oil.

Turn heat to medium and cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. If needed, cover with a lid to ensure chicken cooks through without burning.

Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley.

Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread

This moist and tender orange cranberry bread with buttery streusel and a zingy orange glaze will be a nice grab-and-go treat for your guests. It is also perfect with a warm cup of tea in the early morning for your overnight guests.

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

For the bread:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk (no substitutions)
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil, or melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange zest

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice
• As much orange zest as you want

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. You may prefer a dark metal loaf pan, which seems to help brown quick breads more evenly.

Make the streusel first: Toss the flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter, your hands, or two forks. Go for pea-size crumbs.

Make the bread: In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, salt, cranberries, and pecans together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until combined. Make sure there are no brown sugar lumps remaining. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk until there are no more lumps. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Top evenly with streusel, pressing the streusel down gently into the top of the bread so it sticks.

Bake the bread for 45 minutes to 1 hour, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to ensure even browning. Poke the center of the bread with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. Oven times will vary between ovens. Allow bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar and orange juice together. Add more orange juice depending how thick you want the glaze. Whisk in orange zest and drizzle over cooled bread.

Slice and serve. Bread stays fresh at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 6 to 7 days.

Make ahead tip: For longer storage, you can freeze the unglazed bread for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone as we pause to truly be thankful for all God blesses us with each and every day.

Until next time, happy cooking.