Easy Last-Minute Thanksgiving Recipes from The Spoiled Mama

It's just a mere 24 hours before the year's most epic food celebration commences. And if you're anything like me, you never feel quite prepared.

Whether you're cooking for the entire extended family, joining the fun at someone else's dinner feast, or readying for a post-Thanksgiving potluck party, here are a couple favorite quick and easy Thanksgiving recipes from the crew at The Spoiled Mama.

We hope you enjoy, and from our family to yours: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tamara's Easy Brie & Apricot Appetizer

 "I love to entertain, so I've thrown many parties in my day. This easy, quick appetizer is one of my favorites to serve or bring to a dinner party. It's also one of my most requested recipes. Customize it with fillings of your choice. Try peach or raspberry preserves, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts or brown sugar. Serve with bread, fruit or crackers. I hope you love it as much as our family and friends do!" - Tamara

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce wheel of Brie cheese
3 tablespoons apricot preserves (or any type of filling you enjoy)
1/2 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 egg white

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. Slice the wheel of Brie cheese down the middle, so you have two circles of cheese. If your brie is too soft, try putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes for a nice, clean, easy cut.
3. Spread preserves or filling of your choice on the cut side (without the rind) of one circle of brie. Reassemble your two brie pieces so the preserves are in the center of both halves.
4. Wrap the entire wheel of brie with one sheet of puffed pastry and flip the cheese onto the prepared cooking sheet so the seam is on bottom. Brush the puffed pastry with the egg white. If you need two sheets of puffed pastry, go for it! To keep the brie from leaking, you need to brush each fold you make with the pastry dough with the egg white. The egg acts as glue and fuses your pastry dough together.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry in golden brown. Serve immediately.

Victoria's Flavorful Mushroom Gravy

 "I discovered this easy mushroom gravy recipe when I was looking for healthy Thanksgiving alternatives to the usual suspects. I was skeptical that a mushroom gravy could be so flavorful and replicate the boldness of a meat gravy, but I was proven wrong! This gravy goes great on EVERYTHING, including pasta. Make it a day ahead so the flavors can develop. The mushroom gravy freezes well, too, so whip up extra for a quick meal at a later date." - Victoria

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup white or button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped yellow or white onion
approx. 3 tablespoons of olive oil (alternatively, 1/4 cup butter)
2.5 cups vegetable or beef broth
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup flour
1 bouillon cube (veggie, chicken or beef)
1/2 teaspoon of dried sage or thyme a couple shakes of Worcestershire sauce to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, pour in enough olive oil to lightly oil the pan (or melt the butter) over medium-high heat. Add in onions and dried herbs. Sautee until onions are translucent and fragrant (2-3 minutes).
2. Add broth and soy sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Slowly whisk in flour until combined. Make sure you don't get any clumps of uncooked flour in there! When mixture begins a low boil, reduce to a simmer.
3. Drop in the bouillon cube flavoring of your choice, and stir until cube is dissolved. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire to taste. Continue stirring until gravy thickens to your liking. If too liquidy, add flour, but make sure you cook the flour through. If you like a silky gravy, wait for mixture to cool and process with a hand blender. If you like some chunks of mushroom, then you are done! Serve hot over practically anything.

Have any favorite Thanksgiving dishes you'd like to share? Let us know below!