Last weekend, my small group graciously helped me move into my new apartment. They made the process so easy and fast. From the time everyone showed up to everything being in my new apartment was approximately 40 minutes. Additionally, they even built my bed and desk without any hesitation!!! I don’t know what I would’ve done without them.

To show my appreciation, I decided to cook dinner for them on Wednesday at 7 pm. I thought to myself, no big deal. Probably, 10-15 people, I can do that, easy. Wrong!!

What could I make for 10-15 people in 2 hours that looked impressive but was actually quite easy? After some wondering around at Costco and leaving with nothing, I figured it out–Thanksgiving dinner!!!!

I decided this hack Thanksgiving would consist of:

1. Rotisserie Chicken
2. Mashed Potatoes
3. Creamed Corn Casserole
4. Green Bean Casserole
5. Salad
6. Hawaiian Rolls

“Thanksgiving dinner” isn’t actually that bad as long as you’re willing to take some shortcuts… aka not do everything from scratch ;).

Grocery List

• Creamed Corn Casserole
  • 2 cans of corn
  • 2 cans of sweet corn cream style
  • 2 packs of cheese
  • 16 oz of sour cream (accidentally bought light)
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix
• Green Bean Casserole
  • 1 can of french fried onions
  • 4 cans of french style green beans
  • 2 cups of creamy mushroom soup
• Salad
  • 2 cans of mandarin oranges
  • 1 huge pack of pre-made salad (including dressing/toppings)
• 2 packs of Hawaiian rolls
• 3 packs of 5-serving pre-made mashed potatoes (a step above instant???)
• 2 rotisserie chickens

Step 1: Preheat Oven

Set oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Creamed Corn Casserole

First, I made the creamed corn casserole since it would take the longest. I make a double batch because that’s how it was introduced to me (shoutout to Michael!).

I throw the stick of butter into a bowl, and get ready to microwave it when I realize I don’t have a microwave. Dun dun DUN! The new apartment I moved into didn’t have one. I gather the courage to ask my neighbor’s if I can use theirs but no one is home.

So I ended up putting the bowl over low heat and hacking at it with a knife. Apparently, you’re not suppose to put pyrex glass over a stove… so don’t try this at home!!!

I’ve made creamed corn casserole before, trying to mix it straight in the pan and the whole thing failed, so I made sure to mix it in a bowl this time and make sure everything was well incorporated. This is the order I did it in, making sure to mix everything thoroughly between each ingredient. 1 stick of butter > 2 cans of corn > 2 cans of creamed corn > 2 boxes of cornbread mix > 16 of sour cream > 1 bag of cheese. Pour it into a greased 9×13 pan.

It should look something like this.

Put that in the oven immediately as it will take the longest to cook.

Step 3: Green Bean Casserole

Directly in a 9×13 pan, mix together 4 cans of green beans and 1 can of creamy mushroom soup. You can choose to put in another can of creamy mushroom soup if you desire, but I personally thought it looked like it would be too soupy.

Throw that into that oven. Ooooo starting to look like a feast :D.

Set the timer for 1 hour.

Step 4: Carve the Rotisserie Chicken

Trust me, it’s easier than it sounds. To prep myself, I watched this video.

Look how beautiful it is. (Btw this is 2 chickens.) I then covered it to try to keep it warm. Costco rotisserie chickens are the best deal! They are big and usually a lower price than the ones at your neighborhood supermarket.

Step 5: Mashed Potatoes

I scooped all the mashed potatoes into a pan to try to give the impression that I made it myself. Did I fool you or does it look homemade?

I then covered it with aluminum foil and threw it into the oven.

Step 6: Hawaiian Rolls

I broke apart the Hawaiian Rolls and threw them into a pan to make it look more homey (than straight out of the bag). 10 minutes before I had to leave, I threw them into the oven to warm them up a little.

Step 7: Salad

I poured the salad into a pan and top it with the nuts and dressing.

Then I threw in 2 cans of mandarin oranges. My mom did this growing up and it really adds another dimension to pre-made salads. 2 cans means less awkward lonely salad at the end with no more oranges.

Step 8: Toppings

An hour into the baking, top the creamed corn casserole with half a bag of cheese. Then top the mashed potatoes with the other half of the bag of cheese. Also, don’t forget to add the fried onions to the green bean casserole.

Increase the temperature to 425 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

The great thing about these recipes is you can’t really “overcook” it. Well, you can, but the timing/temperature is pretty forgiving.

*Also, don’t forget to warm up your rolls and chicken for 10-15 minutes!

Conclusion

If I can do it, you can do it. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be hard! And Thanksgiving type dinners don’t only have to happen on Thanksgiving!

If you noticed, none of these recipes required any measuring and minimal dish washing. My kind of meal :). I did all this in just TWO hours!

The end result = 11 full people + leftovers. Nom nom nom.

 

Recently, I was talking to my roommate Vickie about what are good “date” activities when it’s raining. Not for me, but for her. I vicariously live my love life through others as I am very much single–people never fail to remind me of this.

What’s a cheap easy date idea when it’s raining?

Hot chocolate and baked s’mores dip.

 

Baked s’mores dip? WHAT’S THAT? Just line a baking pan with aluminum foil (easy cleanup), lay some chocolate hershey bars at the bottom, drizzle marshmallows all over the top, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. Then get some graham crackers and use it to scoop up the ooey goodness.

Okay, I made that up, maybe use a real recipe like this one.

But Dora, what hot chocolate do you recommend? WELL no fear, I have a small obsession with hot chocolate. I used to drink it every day, even in the summer.

Well firstly, I always recommend milk chocolate. I’m really not sophisticated enough to drink dark chocolate, it’s too bitter for me. If you’re buying the Nestle packets, I recommend doubling up–use two packets of hot chocolate for one cup. It’s really delicious.  I also recommend David Rio’s Tiger Spice Chai Latte found here on Amazon. What makes it so great? No need to add milk, just water. I have a suspicion it has powdered milk or dairy in it.

Anyway, hope this gave you some ideas on what to do with your loved one when you’re spending a night in when it’s raining. A special touch would be a candle or even a roaring fire. Cheers~