The endless array of entrée and dessert options can make it overwhelming to decide on the best dishes to cook this Thanksgiving season. To eliminate just one of the stresses caused by the holidays, the Black & White has compiled a list of delicious and crowd-pleasing recipes for you to try this Thanksgiving season.

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Spice up your Thanksgiving plate with my family’s delicious alternative to regular mashed potatoes. This combination of sweet potatoes, a hint of salt and pure maple syrup gives this recipe a seasonal flare.

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs of sweet potatoes or yams
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup heavy cream, warmed (to limit calories and fat, use light cream)
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• dash of garlic powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Prick each potato twice with a fork and bake in a foil-lined baking pan in the lower third of the oven for one hour. You’ll know the potato is ready when it’s soft enough for a knife to go through. Remove the potatoes from the pan and cool slightly.
3. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides into a large bowl.
4. Next, mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
5. Finally, stir in butter, cream, syrup, salt, and pepper. If you like your potatoes creamier, whip them with a hand mixer.

You can make this recipe a couple of days ahead of time to get a jump on preparations. Just reheat the potatoes in a 350° oven or in a microwave.

Family Recipe Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing

Pumpkin pie doesn’t have to be the only dessert on the dinner table; instead, finish your meal off with one of my family favorites. It’s simple, quick, incredibly fluffy, and your cream cheese icing adds the perfect finishing touch.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup oil (canola is the healthiest cooking oil)
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cups grated carrots
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Cake preparation:

1. Blend together sugar, eggs and oil in a large bowl.
2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together, and add it to the sugar, eggs and oil.
3. Next, beat in carrots, and add a teaspoon of vanilla.
4. Bake in an 8”or 9”square pan at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese icing (recipe below).

Icing preparation:

• 3 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla.
2. Beat at a low speed with an electric mixer until light.
3. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. If necessary, add milk to give it a better consistency.
4. Then, just add frosting!

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Put a spin on this pumpkin soup by adding an extra kick of curry. Enjoy the unexpected flavor as it perfecly couples with the rest of your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large onions (chopped)
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 1 ½ quart cooked pumpkin
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 8 oz. apple sauce
• ½  cup heavy cream
• ½  tsp. white pepper
• 2 tsp. kosher salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Chop onions and sauté on medium heat in olive oil and butter until onions are translucent.
2. Then, add curry powder.
3. Place cooked onions, pumpkin, white pepper and salt in food processor and puree till smooth.
4. Put pureed mixture with chicken stock and applesauce into a large pot, bring to a boil and then simmer.
5. Reduce heat to low and add cream just before serving.