Still in need of recipes for Thanksgiving?

Last week, readers, family, friends and CT Publishing staff shared recipes from their holiday tables this Thanksgiving. This week, they added a slate of simpler recipes for last second ideas to stuff friends and family around the table on Thanksgiving. 

Easy dinner rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 cups very warm water
• 1 1/2 heaping tbsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 3/4 - 5 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Place warm water in a large mixing bowl, add yeast and stir. Stir in sugar and let proof for about 5 minutes until it starts to form a creamy foam.
2. Add oil, salt and half the flour. Start to mix, using a dough hook if you have one. Add the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer, knead for 5 minutes at medium — high speed, or knead by hand.
3. Cover the dough in the bowl with a dishcloth. Let rise in a warm place for 25 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Oil your hands and shape into 12 balls/rolls.
6. Place in a lightly greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 7. Brush tops with melted butter and serve.

Southern candied yams

From Piper Gallagher, of Kelso

Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 stick butter
• 4 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate thawed

Step 1. Scrub, peel and slice your yams into 1/2 inch rounds. In a medium pot over medium high heat, combine the sweet potatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Stir the sweet potatoes until coated in the sugar and butter mixture.

Step 2. Let it come to a boil. Cover, then simmer for about 50 minutes or until the yams are nice and tender when slightly pierced with the tines of a fork or taste. If the yam is still a bit hard, let it cook a bit longer.

Step 3. Remove the top then set stove to medium. Let the cooking liquid come to a boil. Stirring occasionally until the cooking liquid reduces about 10 minutes or until the syrup coats the yams. Remove the pot with the candied yams from the stove and place them into the oven until you are ready to serve them.

These taste best warm.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

From Hiedi Mitchell of Clark County

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweet potatoes, drained
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• Dash of salt
• 8 large marshmallows

Step 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Step 2. Place sweet potatoes in sprayed dish. Pour butter over potatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar and salt. Top with marshmallows.

Step 3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are thoroughly heated and marshmallows are lightly browned.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

From Hiedi Mitchell of Clark County

Ingredients:

• 8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup of butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add potatoes and boil until soft, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.

Step 2. Combine potatoes with milk, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix with an electric mixer or potato masher to your desired consistency.

Praline Sweet Potato Bake

From Sherrie Rhodes Robertson of Battle Ground

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cold mashed sweet (about 3 pounds)
• 1/3 cup potatoes milk 
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 egg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In a mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, butter, egg, vanilla and salt until fluffy. Transfer to a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Combine topping ingredients until blended; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden

Brown. Yield: 4-6 servings. 

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake & Frosting

From former Chronicle page designer Kayla Craig

Cake:

• 1 cup water
• 2 cubes butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Dry ingredients (set aside in bowl for ease):

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Remaining ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400º F. In a sauce pan, on medium heat, bring the water, butter and unsweetened cocoa to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove pan from the stove and stir in your bowl of dry ingredients. Then mix in the eggs, vanilla, walnuts and buttermilk. Pour the mixture into an 11x18 inch shallow pan (a cookie sheet pan) and bake for 15 minutes. Let the cake cool before frosting it.

Frosting:

• 1 cube butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 lb. box powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Milk

In a sauce pan on medium heat, bring the butter and unsweetened cocoa to a boil; stir frequently. Once boiling, turn down to low heat and add the powdered sugar and walnuts. Add milk a little at a time until it reaches a frosting-like consistency. Spread frosting quickly onto the cake while it’s warm and before it cools and firms.

Pecan Toffee Tassies 

From former Chronicle page designer Kayla Craig

• 1 15-ounce package refrigerated pie crusts (2 pie crusts)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 8-ounce package of Heath Bits o’ Brickle English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Unroll the pie crusts onto a lightly floured surface. Roll them flat into 2 15-inch circles. Cut out 48 smaller circles using a 1 ¾-inch fluted or round cookie cutter, re-rolling the dough as needed until it’s all used. Press the cut circles into the cups of a small muffin/tart pan.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in the pecans and brickle bits. Spoon the pecan filling evenly into the small tart cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set and the crust is lightly browned. Place the pans on wire racks to cool (the tarts will pop out easily).

Cheddar Cornbread

From Reflector reporter Cade Barker, via Country Living

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for baking pan
• 1 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 3/4 c. self-rising white cornmeal mix, spooned and leveled
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 1/3 c. buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 6 oz. cheddar, grated (about 1 1/2 cups), divided

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450°F. Generously butter a 9- by 9-inch baking pan. 

Step 2:  Whisk together flour, cornmeal mix, sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and 1 cup cheddar in a second bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Transfer to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.