East Texas Kitchen LIVE on East Texas Now: Unique, easy Thanksgiving recipes

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Most families have designated cooks for the main items on the holiday menu; turkey, dressing, sweet potato casserole, and so forth.

If you’re not in charge of all of that, maybe you’d like to try a few unique ideas for appetizers or dessert. These ideas may be a great fit; easy, delicious, and fun to make (and eat).

Butternut squash and herb-topped pizza

Ingredients:

1 12-inch Boboli or other prebaked pizza crust

1 bag frozen butternut squash cubes (about 2 cups)

1 cup ricotta cheese

Fresh rosemary and sage leaves (about 1 tablespoon each, chopped fairly small)

2 tablespoons toasted walnuts or pecans

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Follow directions on the pizza crust packaging for oven temperature, and preheat.

Place the butternut cubes in a skilled with a tablespoon of butter (even better, use my holiday butter for more flavor). Add the teaspoon of salt. Cook the squash until it’s thawed and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Place the crust on a pizza pan, then spread it with ricotta, leaving about 1-inch border around the outside.

Spread the butternut cubes evenly across the ricotta. Bake for about 10 minutes.

While it’s baking, toss the walnuts or pecans into the skillet over medium heat, and allow them to toast for a couple of minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you smell the fragrance. Immediately remove from heat. (I like to toss my cranberries in with the nuts to soften them, but that’s just an option.)

Remove pizza from oven, then sprinkle the nuts and cranberries over it. Add some chopped sage and rosemary, if desired.

Serve warm. (Note: I like to sprinkle mine with a few drops of hot sauce; I think it takes it up a notch!)

Kicked-up cranberry jalapeno poppers

Ingredients:

12 to 15 large jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded (Don’t cut off the stems)

12 ounces (one and 1/2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature

5 ounces of dried cranberries (optional)

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)

1 teaspoon of salt

About 8 slices of uncooked bacon, cut in half

Six Ritz crackers, crushed

Method:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the jalapenos in a single layer, cut side up, on the baking sheet.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, cranberry sauce and cranberries, garlic, and salt. Blend with a hand mixer until no chunks of cream cheese remain.

Use a teaspoon to fill each pepper half full of the mixture.

Wrap each pepper with a half slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if desired.

Bake until the bacon is crisp and nicely browned.

Serve hot.

Pumpkin-cheesecake dessert cups with gingersnaps

Ingredients:

8 ounce block of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Gingersnap cookies

Method:

1. Place cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice into a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine.

2. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar (if you go too quickly, it’ll make a cloud of sugar in your kitchen!)

3. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl or even a mason jar, if desired. Top with a gingersnap and whipped cream.

Click here to see a previous Thanksgiving special, with Mama Steph and Jennifer Kielman.

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