Best Thanksgiving Casseroles

It’s Thanksgiving prep time, and I’m whipping up my favorite dishes in advance so that I don’t have to scramble the day of Thanksgiving to get the big feast on the table. As the host, I want to enjoy the day with my guests instead of spending all my time in the kitchen.

Enter the casseroles… Would it even be Thanksgiving without casseroles?! I love that you an make casseroles ahead of time, so Thanksgiving day can be a bit more enjoyable.

I grew up in the South, and the Southern women I knew growing up loved a casserole. I specifically remember one ginormous Thanksgiving I went to where everyone was asked to bring a dish and almost every single dish was a casserole except the turkey. Seriously, I’ve never seen so many casseroles! Green bean, corn souffle, au gratin potato, sweet potato, macaroni, broccoli and cheese, 10 different versions of dressing… it was a sight!

Now, I understand that some people despise casseroles. I mean, I get it. If you grew up eating casseroles at potluck dinners in the South, there is a strong chance that you’ve had some yucky casseroles! But, as someone who loves cooking for the selfish reason of wanting to eat tasty food, I have made it a priority to make my Thanksgiving casserole recipes yummy!

The best part about Thanksgiving casseroles? Most of them can be made and frozen weeks before the holiday to help eliminate cooking on the actual T-Day. Simply take them out of the freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven.

If you’re looking for a tried and true Thanksgiving side dish, I’ve shared a list of my favorite casseroles below!

The Best Sweet Potato Casserole

This was my favorite Thanksgiving side growing up, and I’m certain that’s because it tasted more like dessert than a vegetable. I’ve never been a fan of adding marshmallows to the sweet potato casserole, though. That’s just too dessert-like. This dish from Food Network is simple to make and a perfect accompaniment to your holiday meal. Find the full recipe here.

Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

When I was a kid, my mother taught me that Southern Living ALWAYS has the best recipes. So far, she’s been right. I’ve yet to try a recipe from the premier southern magazine that hasn’t been delicious. Just like this Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole. I grew up only eating green bean casserole at Thanksgiving but have taken to loving brussels sprouts in my adult years, so I love that this recipe combines them. Plus, every dish with bacon is better! This recipe calls for frozen green beans, but I like to use fresh. Find this full recipe here.

PHOTO: VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH STELLING; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL

Cornbread, Chorizo, Cherry and Pecan Stuffing

When I first hosted Thanksgiving a decade ago, I was really interested in impressing my guests with some stellar sides. My foodie co-worker recommended this cherry-chorizo stuffing recipe to me, and it did not disappoint! I’ve always preferred cornbread stuffing, and the pecans are reminiscent of the dressing I ate growing up. Get the full recipe from Bon Appetit here.

Mashed Potato Casserole

I have a confession… I don’t really love mashed potatoes! I’ve always found them to be a bit bland. A loaded baked potato with bacon, butter and cheese, though? Heck yes! That’s why I love this Mashed Potato Casserole — its a combination of mashed potatoes and a loaded baked potato in one! So creamy and so delicious! Get the full recipe from House of Yumm here.

There you have it, folks! These are the Thanksgiving casseroles I swear by and the ones our family enjoys each year.

Let me know in the comments below which of these you’d like to try! Connect with me on Instagram and TikTok for more easy recipes and family-friendly holiday ideas.

XO Maggie

How to Host a Last-Minute Halloween Party

Holidays, Lifestyle

Don’t let short notice hold you back from hosting a party! If you’re low on time and money, I have some easy, affordable ideas for throwing a last-minute Halloween party!

You can see all my Halloween party ideas on KTLA Morning News! It’s always so fun to join the KTLA team live in-studio! On this visit, I shared some spooky snacks and a creepy (but cute!) dessert using products from Siete Foods and Gelson’s Markets. I also made some simple Halloween decor using items from around my home and craft supplies from Michaels Stores. All my Halloween decor used in the KTLA TV segment is from Michaels (as well as almost all the decor I use in my home for every holiday!).

Halloween party food and decor ideas from Lifestyle and Party Planning Expert Maggie Jackson on KTLA Morning News

EASY HALLOWEEN PARTY FOOD IDEAS

Spiderweb Nacho Dip

An easy and festive Halloween party snack with Mexican flair using my favorite Siete Foods ingredients!

INGREDIENTS:
Bottom layer:
2 cans Siete Foods Vegan Refried Ranchero Beans
2 tbsp lime juice
1.5 tbsp Siete Foods Mild Taco Seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
Middle layer:
1 cup Siete Foods Mild Salsa Roja
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Top layer:
1 cup guacamole (I used @gelsonsmarkets fresh guac or you can make your own)
1 cup sour cream (I used Daisy brand’s squeezable for the spiderweb piping)
For serving: Siete Foods Tortilla Chips (my favorite are Siete Foods Lime Tortilla Chips)

DIRECTIONS:
Arrange sliced tomatoes around edge of large platter.
Assemble bean mixture and spread in center of platter, leaving some tomatoes showing. Make sure that you create a bit of a “bowl” with the bean mixture for the salsa to sit in without running all over the platter.
Spread salsa on top of beans, leaving some edge of beans showing.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of salsa, leaving some salsa showing.
Spoon guacamole over cheese layer and smooth into thin layer.
Use Daisy Squeeze Sour Cream to create spider web design. Top with toy spiders. Serve with Siete Foods tortilla chips.

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Pizza Witch Fingers

These “witch fingers” are quick, easy and no special chef skills are required! When hosting a big party, I’m all about cutting corners to save time, so for this recipe, I used a frozen cheese pizza and premade dipping sauce that I picked up at Gelson’s Market.

INGREDIENTS:
Frozen thin-crust cheese pizza (I used Newman’s Own Four Cheese Pizza)
1 red bell pepper, cut into small triangles
Premade pizza sauce or marinara sauce
Litehouse Jalapeño Ranch Dip (or your other favorite dip like garlic aioli, ranch or marinara)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook frozen pizza according to package instructions.
Cut pizza into very thin triangle slices.
Arrange pizza on circular platter with skinniest ends of the slices facing outward.
Use marinara/pizza sauce as adhesive to add red bell pepper triangles to ends of pizza to resemble fingernails.
Add a small bowl of Jalapeño Ranch Dip in the center of the platter for dipping. Enjoy!

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Spiderweb Brownie Cake

No baking required for this easy and spooky cake! Take 2-3 brownies from the bakery section of the grocery store and add chocolate icing to make a “brownie cake.” Gelson’s Market sells decadent dark chocolate brownies by Renaud’s Patisserie, which works perfect for this! Melted marshmallows create a spiderweb effect!

Create a spiderweb effect on chocolate cake with melted marshmallows!

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 chocolate brownies from your grocer’s bakery section (I chose Renaud’s dark chocolate brownies sold in my local Gelson’s Market)
2 16oz containers of creamy chocolate frosting
1.5 cups mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
Remove brownies from packaging. Place first brownie on platter and top with thin layer of icing.
Add second brownie on top of first brownie and add another thin layer of icing. Repeat this step if you are using three brownies. Cover the sides of the “brownie cake” with remaining chocolate icing.
Place marshmallows into a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
Using a fork, stretch melted marshmallows around brownie cake to create a spiderweb effect. Decorate with toy spiders. Enjoy!

DIY HALLOWEEN DECOR IDEAS

Upcycled Ghosts

I pulled empty containers out of our recycling to make these cute ghosts! I ended up using an apple juice bottle, coffee creamer bottle and smoothie bottle, but you could also use jars. Here’s the list of all the materials:

-Recyclable containers
–Flour sack towels (cheap at Target or Walmart if you don’t have old ones lying around)
-Sparkly black felt adhesive (you could also use regular felt or even construction paper)
-Battery operated twinkle lights
–Clear plastic ornaments or polystyrene craft balls (the clear plastic ornaments are fun because you can add lights inside but I didn’t have enough for all 3 ghosts)

Upcycled Ghosts Decorations for Halloween

Watch how to make these ghosts on my Instagram!

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Ghost Garland

This garland is so simple, and there’s no sewing! Create your own cute ghost garland with a handful of items you may already have at home, like safety pins, clear elastic bands and cotton balls. I got my ribbon, fabric marker and fabric shears at Michaels, which has been my holiday craft and decor go-to store for years! What I love about Halloween crafts is that there’s no pressure to make them exactly right – the imperfections make them spooky!

Ghost garland made with items from around the home and craft products from Michaels

Learn how I made this ghost garland in the video below!

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Bats Centerpiece

Look around your backyard to create this easy centerpiece that will surely impress your guests! I cut branches from a tree and spray painted them black. You could also use dried branches found at Michaels floral department. Next, I created a bat stencil from a bat-shaped cookie cutter and used it to cut about 15 bats from black glitter felt that I found at Michaels. Then, I glued the bats to the branches. I recommend using a hot glue gun, Gorilla super glue or Krazy Glue to ensure they have a strong stick. After they dried, I assembled them into a tall glass cylinder vase. It could be fun to use a spooky vase like this one.

Which of these easy Halloween food and decor ideas would you try? Be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok where I share more easy recipes and fun DIY party ideas!

Happy Halloween!

XO Maggie

Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

Cooking, Holidays, Home, Kitchen

Rice Krispy Treats are a classic childhood favorite! I wanted to make our homemade version more special than what you can get at the store, so I added peanut butter to the recipe and dipped them in chocolate! Make these Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Rice Krispy treats festive for a holiday or themed party by adding colored sprinkles. We made these treats for spring, so I used pink and blue sprinkles!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats Recipe

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Spray an 9″x 13″ (or 8″x 8″ for thicker bars) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a 4 quart sauce pan, melt butter on low heat. Do this slowly, you don’t want burned or brown butter here.
Once butter has melted, keep heat on low and add mini marshmallows.
Once marshmallows begin to soften and melt, add peanut butter.
At this point, you will need to constantly stir the mixture so the peanut butter does not burn and the marshmallows can evenly melt (won’t take too long, about 5 minutes or so).
Once, mixture is combined and melted, turn off heat and remove pan from stove.
Add Rice Krispy cereal to sauce pan and stir until evenly coated with mixture. This is sticky stuff so do your best to get it all combined.
Pour mixture into casserole dish (it will look very loose.) Spray your hand with some nonstick cooking spray and pat down the mixture until firmly compacted.
Allow 30-45 minutes for treats to set up. Cut into small squares or rectangles.
Melt white or dark melting wafers in a small bowl according to package instructions.
Dip one end of Rice Krispy treat into bowl of chocolate, top chocolate with sprinkles and place on parchment paper to set for 15-20 minutes.

This Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats recipe was adapted from The Country Cook‘s original recipe, found here.

I love adding these Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats to themed dessert boards! Check out my tips to make a great treat board here!

Let me know if you plan to try these and what color sprinkles you’ll use in the comments below! Follow me on Instagram or TikTok for more fun ideas for the family!

XO Maggie

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6 Healthy Halloween Snacks

Health & Wellness, Home, Kitchen, Lifestyle, Mom & Baby

Got a picky eater? I’ve found the best way to get my kids to eat healthy is to get them involved in the kitchen with me! And, what better way to celebrate the spooky season than with fun Halloween inspired healthy treats! From green goblin smoothie bowls to spider crackers to boo-tiful mini cupcakes, these 6 snacks are so easy and fun to make! Plus, they’re too yummy not to eat! Your family will love spending time in the kitchen together this fall recreating these spook-tacular snacks!

I was so excited to feature these healthy Halloween snacks on KTLA Morning News with anchor Jessica Holmes, who’s a mom and food lover like me! Check out our video, below, for all the tricks to make these treats!

Watch me share Healthy Halloween Snack Ideas for Kids with KTLA Morning News Anchor Jessica Holmes!

Halloween Snack Idea #1: Green Goblin Smoothie Bowl

Adding spinach into smoothies is one of the easiest ways to get kids to eat their greens! And, you can’t taste the spinach – promise! For this Green Goblin Smoothie Bowl, make a green smoothie, pour into a small bowl, and have your kids toppings like granola or coconut for hair, dried fruit like raisins, dates or cranberries for the eyes, and pumpkin seeds or marshmallows for the smile. Kids have lots of fun decorating their green goblin face!

Here is my favorite easy Green Smoothie recipe:

Ingredients:

1 banana
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup water (or almond milk or oat milk)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.

Halloween Snack Idea #2: Spider Crackers

Have your kids help assemble these spooky spider crackers made with round crackers (I like Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers), pretzel sticks, peanut butter (or another nut or sunflower seed butter) or cream cheese, and small dried fruit, like raisins or blueberries.

Ingredients:

Round crackers
Pretzel sticks
Peanut butter (or your preferred nut/sunflower seed butter) or spreadable cream cheese
Small dried fruit like raisins, blueberries, cranberries, or Wilton Edible Candy Eyeballs

Instructions:

Spread nut butter or cream cheese on two crackers thick enough to hold pretzels
Break 4 pretzels in half
Place the 8 half pretzels sticks around one cracker to resemble spider legs
Top the cracker with the second cracker to secure the legs and make a sandwich
Dip 2 dried fruit pieces in the nut butter or cream cheese and stick them to the top of the spider cracker sandwich to resemble eyes
Enjoy!

Halloween Snack Idea #3: Clementine Pumpkins and Banana Ghosts

These fruity treats are so easy to make and fun to eat! Peel clementines and cut celery into small sticks. Have kids add the celery sticks to clementines as stems to make pumpkins! Peel bananas and cut in half. Have your children add mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth to create ghosts!

Halloween Snack Idea #4: Spooky Grilled Cheese

Turn everyone’s favorite lunch into a frightful treat with Halloween shaped cookie cutters and dark rye bread! You can use wheat or white bread, but the dark rye bread is much more spooky! Plus, my toddler surprisingly loves it! Because of its color, he calls it “chocolate bread,” even though it tastes nothing like chocolate! Your kiddo will have lots of fun using cookie cutters to make ghosts, bats and pumpkins in their bread, but I recommend leaving the stovetop cooking to parents!

Ingredients: (makes 1 grilled cheese)

2 slices dark rye bread
1-2 slices of pre-sliced cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you like your sandwich!)
Butter

Instructions:

Melt butter over medium high heat in pan on stovetop.
Take one slice of bread and use Halloween cookie cutter to cut shape into middle of bread. Butter one side of the bread cut-out bread.
Take the other slice of bread and butter one side.
Place both slices of bread in pan with the buttered side up.
After cooking for a couple minutes and letting the bread get to your toasty preference, flip both sides of bread to cook the other side. Immediately place cheese on the slice of bread without the cut-out.
Continue cooking until cheese is melty.
Place cut-out side bread on top of cheese and press down so the cheese sticks the slices together.
Serve and enjoy!

Halloween Snack Idea #5: Creepy Eyes Cereal Bars

Add funny eyes to pre-made cereal bars (or my favorite 3-ingredient cheerio bars seen here!) by rolling cream cheese into tiny little balls and adding a mini chocolate chips for eyes. If you’re low on time, it’s fun to add these eyes to anything pre-made, like muffins or frozen waffles!

Halloween Snack Idea #6: Green Halloween “Cupcakes”

My toddler loves these green “superpower” muffins, made with spinach, bananas, rolled oats and sweetened with honey! I love the ghastly green vibes of these for Halloween! Top with Nutella spread for “icing” and have your kids add Halloween sprinkles to make healthy-ish cupcakes!

Which healthy Halloween snack do you want to try with your kiddos? Let me know in the comments below, or connect with me on Instagram @maggiehjackson!

XO, Maggie