Thanksgiving Menu: Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes & Pumpkin Dump Cake

Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday. I love the food, but it’s more than that, it’s about being together with my family on that day. Which I guess is kind of strange considering the family I enjoy Thanksgiving with are the same ones I see all the time, but…it’s different, you know? Some of my best memories of each year happen on Thanksgiving Day.

For Thanksgiving dinner, we usually stay very traditional: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberries, pumpkin pie – and so on.  But many times we try new recipes. Today I’m going to share two favorites that I’ve made and our family enjoys: Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes and Pumpkin Pecan Dump Cake.

The Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes are a heavenly side dish that almost everyone loves. I think it’s perfect for anyone who likes mashed potatoes, but doesn’t prefer gravy (yes, there are actually people who don’t care for gravy). It’s also great if you want a potato dish that can be made in advance and heat up well on Thanksgiving Day.

The Pumpkin Pecan Dump Cake is a dessert that is easy, so if making a pumpkin pie isn’t your thing, you could make this. It’s great for guests who don’t care for pie crust (huh? yes, it’s true).

And before you start agonizing over your decision if you should go with regular mashed potatoes vs. Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes and Pumpkin Dump Cake vs Pumpkin Pie…rest easy. I’ll tell you that you should make both of them. Especially if you are feeding a crowd.

Your guests won’t be able to resist the Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes — they are a mixture of potatoes, plus cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and Cheddar cheese. I also use one stick of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®, that has been cut into pieces.

All of that is mashed up, placed in a baking dish, and topped with more Cheddar cheese, bacon, and sliced green onions before you put it in the oven. You can get the full recipe here: Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes

Loaded Baked Mashed Potatoes are pretty easy, but if you want something even easier, I think you’ll be even more impressed with the Pumpkin Dump Cake. It’s crazy easy!

In a bowl, you mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie seasoning. This is poured in a baking dish and it’s sprinkled with dry spice cake mix and pecans. Then, you melt two sticks of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® I do this in the microwave, but you could also do this in a saucepan on the stove.

The melted I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® is poured evenly over the top of the dry cake mix and pecans in the baking dish.

It’s baked in the oven and when it’s done, you have a dessert that has a pumpkin bottom, but a sweet and crispy top. Scoop or cut pieces and top them with whipped cream, ice cream, or even a drizzle of caramel. See…I told you it was easy.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

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• Author: Brandie Valenzuela

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Ingredients

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• 15 ounces solid pack pumpkin
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie seasoning
• 1 box spice cake mix
• 2 t sticks I Can’ Believe It’s Not Butter!® (melted)
• 1 cup pecans (chopped)
• Optional: whipped cream (ice cream, caramel sauce)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Spray a 13×9″ baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, mix together pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, and seasoning with a whisk until blended. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top of mixture evenly with dry cake mix. Sprinkle pecans on top of the dry cake mix. Drizzle the melted I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!® over the top of the cake mix and pecans as evenly as possible.
3. Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, or until top is browned and when a knife is inserted in middle, it comes out clean. Allow to cool, can be served warm or room temperature. If desired, top with whipped cream, ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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These are just two of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes and there will be more on the way. I hope you enjoy them and if you do make them, I’d love to know how you and your family like them.

Disclosure: Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.