Last-minute must-have Thanksgiving recipes

As you well know, time goes by so quickly and I seem to never get everything done I need to do, let alone those things I want to do.

As time has flown by the past several months, I have not been to the Southeast Missourian to check my mail slot until last week and I did have a few pieces of mail. If you have been waiting to hear from me, you will very soon.

In one of the envelopes were several recipes from the employees of the Cape County Division of Senior and Disability Services housed in the Marquette facility on Broadway. I am so pleased they sent in their favorite recipes to pass along to you.

Tami Goldrich submitted her Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake recipe because everyone begs her to bring it to all special occasions. She said it is time-consuming but well worth it. It needs to chill at least 8 hours, so it is a make-ahead recipe.

Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake

2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs, about 20 cookies

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 large eggs

2 cups coarsely crumbled cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, about 14 cookies

1 (16-ounce) carton sour cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

1 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish with additional crumbled cookies

Combine first three ingredients in a medium bowl; firmly press mixture evenly in bottom and 2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes; set aside.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups sugar, beating well. Add 1/3 cup whipping cream, flour, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Pour 3 1/2 cups of batter into prepared crust. Top with crumbled cookies; pour in remaining batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; spread over cheesecake. Bake at 325 degrees for 7 minutes. Turn oven off, and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours. Remove sides of pan.

Combine 1/3 cup whipping cream and semisweet chocolate morsels in a saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Remove from heat. Carefully pour mixture over cheesecake, allowing it to drip down over the sides. Store the cheesecake in refrigerator. Garnish, if desired.

Amish Slaw

Submitted by Kathy Payne

2 bags shredded slaw mix

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup white sugar

1 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

3/4 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, onion and 1 cup sugar. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 teaspoon white sugar, mustard and oil. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Cool completely then pour over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor.

Best Darn Lemon Ice Box Pie in Oak Ridge

Submitted by Bonnie Eulinberg

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind or zest

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 graham cracker crumb crust

Separate the egg yolks and whites and beat the egg yolks well; stir in the lemon juice, rind, and milk. Mix well then pour into a graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Once cool, top the pie with a meringue or whipped topping.

Mandarin Orange Cake, submitted by Rhonda Pender

1 white cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, undrained

1 (8 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, applesauce and oranges. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. In another mixing bowl, beat whipped topping, pineapple and pudding mix. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Chill.

Easy Enchilada Casserole, Submitted by Cynthia Kothe

1 pound ground chuck

1 large onion, chopped

1 large can enchilada sauce, mild or hot

1 can pinto beans

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1 package of 12 corn tortillas, torn in small pieces

2 to 3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 can black olives, quartered

1 to 2 cans chopped green chilies, optional

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Brown ground chuck. Drain off fat and rinse meat under running water to remove remaining fat. Return to heat and add onion. Brown until onion turns translucent. Stir in flour. Stir in water to thicken. Add spices, salt and pepper, enchilada sauce and pinto beans and liquid from beans. In a 9-by-13-inch casserole, coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer 1/2 of the meat mixture,1/2 of the torn corn tortillas, 1/2 of the chilies, 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the olives. Repeat layer. Bake in 300 degrees oven until hot. Serve with a dollop of low-fat sour cream, if desired.

Best deviled Eggs, Submitted by Rhonda Pender

12 hard-cooked eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons milk

Fresh parsley and additional paprika

Slice eggs in half lengthwise; remove yolks and set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add the next 10 ingredients; mix well. Evenly fill the whites. Garnish with parsley and paprika.

Flip-Flop Cobbler, Submitted by Kathy Payne

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches, juice reserved

1/4 cup butter

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter or margarine with 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add these ingredients and the milk to the creamed mixture. Spread batter in greased casserole dish or loaf pan. Top batter with fruit, and pour 1 cup of juice over the top of the fruit. Top the fruit with the other 1/2 cup of sugar. You can omit the sugar if the fruit is already sweet enough to your taste. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

I am all out of room for this week. Be sure that during this holiday season as you are trying new recipes send them in so others can enjoy them as well.

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving and until next time, happy cooking.

Correction: In last week's Recipe Swap's autumn cheesecake recipe, there was error about the amount of pecans to be used. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of pecans.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701.