If you’re spending this Thanksgiving on the road, it doesn’t mean you can’t properly celebrate!
Whether you have the day off to relax or you’re driving non-stop, we have some easy recipes you can cook right in the cab of your truck! Between a one-pot Thanksgiving meal (with zero clean up) or a more complex Super Supper with all of the fixin’s, these recipes are sure to get you in the mood to give thanks!
First up, Misty’s oh-so-easy and incredibly delicious one-dish meal! It only takes 5 minutes to prep, and you can keep driving while it simmers for a few hours (just be sure to secure the bottom and the lid of your crockpot or skillet!). And to prove that it’s easy and no kitchen is needed, she cooked it in our office, right on her desk! It’s sure to fill your cab with delectable aromas, and fill your soul with happiness.
For this recipe you’ll need only two tools: an electric skillet or crock pot and aluminum foil. The ingredients are as follows:
- one apple: cored and halved
- one onion: peeled and chopped. You can buy onions pre-cut in many grocery stores!
- baby carrots
- string beans-pre-cleaned
- a boneless sliced turkey breast–or a ham, or even Tofurky, if that’s what you fancy!
- and for seasoning, some honey, cinnamon, and a can of cola! May seem crazy now, but trust me, your taste buds will love it!
Step 1: First line your skillet with foil, or your crockpot with a liner.
Step 3: Place the turkey in the center and surround with carrots and green beans, or any veggie of your choosing. Nestle your foil-wrapped apple on the side, and then, for the grand finale, pour a can of cola on top of it all, only about half a can.
What Misty prepared here is enough to serve two, and have turkey sandwiches leftover, so be sure to have bread and gravy handy! Total cost was about $20, but with enough for 4 servings, that’s a much lower cost per meal than the $14 and up you’d pay for a truck stop buffet!
Full-Blown Feast with All the Fixin’s
If you have a hot pot or streamer, you can steam broccoli or corn. You can also boil some potatoes to make mashed potatoes, or boil sweet potatoes and prepare an easy Sweet Potato Casserole.
- To make the sweet potato casserole, simply clean and cut the potatoes, and boil them until you can easily poke a fork through. Once soft, drain them and mash them with a few pinches of brown sugar & a handful of pecans, and top with marshmallows, if you’re feeling extra feisty!
If you’ve got a toaster oven, you can not only make some biscuits (frozen or in a can to save time), you can also make Stuffing!
- Take a french baguette and tear apart into bite-size pieces. Lay on a foil-lined tray (one should’ve come with your toaster oven.) Chop onions and celery, and mix with the bread crumbs. Next sprinkle with plenty of sage and rosemary, depending on how strong you like it. Finally, mix in some broth (or drippings from whatever main dish you prepared) and slap a few pats of butter on top. Let it bake for 1 ½ hours, or until it’s crisp on top. You could even prepare in a crock pot, it just may not turn out as crispy crunchy (which is how I like my stuffing!).
To top this all off, you need a decadent dessert, and what could be better on Thanksgiving than a traditional pumpkin pie! Well, this variation on the classic recipe is better! I’ve never been a lover of pie crust, so this recipe for a Crock-Pot Crustless Pumpkin Pie is my personal favorite. You’ll still get a little crunch on top, cobbler-style, but mostly the ooey gooey pumpkin pie filling.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 large can of pumpkin puree (29 oz.)
- 1 can of evaporated milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice blend)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 package of instant cake mix (something festive, like a spice cake to complement the flavors)
- ½ stick of butter, melted
Preparation is super easy too. Just whisk your eggs, then add in the pumpkin, milk, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Once smooth, resist the urge to eat it straight out of the bowl, and dump the mixture into a lined or greased crock-pot.
Next pour the pack of cake mix on top, sprinkle with any leftover brown sugar, and top it with a few slivers of butter. Then just secure the lid and let that puppy cook for 3 hours or more on low heat. If you keep driving while it’s cooking, try not to be distracted by the heavenly scents swirling around in your truck! And of course, don’t forget to give thanks before you dig in!
Do you have a signature truck-worthy dish? Share it with the ExpressTruckTax Support Heroes! We’re always looking for new recipes that we can make in a flash. So send us your pics or recipes on Facebook and Twitter!
Happy Cooking!