Apple Pie Cream Cheese Waffle Pockets

These quick and easy to make Apple Pie Cream Cheese Waffle Pockets are stuffed with cream cheese & your favorite apple pie filling...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. 

 The opinions and text are all mine.

Who else is excited that turkey day is almost here?? I have to say I really look forward to Thanksgiving each and every year- especially since I started hosting our family's Thanksgiving dinner almost 4 years ago. 

Now, it isn't a huge production. 

Usually I am only hosting about 8 total for the big dinner, but this year our Thanksgiving dinner table is going to be even more intimate. It will just be my husband and I and the two kiddos since my parents and my sister and her husband are heading to my sister's in-laws for the day. 

At first, I was a little bummed. I mean, I really love hosting this big dinner each November. But then the thought of a smaller dinner with just the husband and the kids grew on me. 

Less pressure (who cares if the house isn't 100% spotless?), more flexible (dinner doesn't have to be ready right at 1:00), and it even leaves a little more time to enjoy a little tradition I started last Thanksgiving with my daughter- making an easy yet special breakfast together for everyone to enjoy while watching the Thanksgiving parade on television.

Last year, my daughter and I made these Turkey Shaped Cinnamon Rolls. Except I cheated a little and used our favorite refrigerated Pillsbury Sweet Rolls® instead of the cinnamon roll dough from scratch. 

With a turkey in the oven and four side dishes waiting to made, there was no way I was making homemade cinnamon rolls that morning too! ;) 

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Chai French Toast

This creamy Overnight Pumpkin Chai French Toast can be assembled the night before making it perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast & busy fall mornings...

Okay, so who doesn't love a recipe that you can throw together the night before, refrigerate, and then just simply pop in the oven when you first wake up, and 45 minutes later have a moist, delicious, decadent breakfast that is ready to be served?

I love overnight french toast casseroles.  I love pumpkin.  I love the spiciness of chai.  Oh, and I love, love, love coconut milk.  So I thought why not make an overnight french toast using all of my favorite fall flavors?

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins

These creamy, soft Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins can be on your breakfast table in less than 30 minutes...

I have to tell you all- I am feeling sort of bad that it took me this long to share this recipe for these super easy and delicious Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins with you all.  Some of you all who have been following me on Instagram may remember me posting a little sneak peek of these... way back in August.  

Again, my sincerest apologies to those of you who may have been patiently waiting all this while for this recipe.  It was never my attention to hold out on you all this long. 

But reassured that the recipe for these tasty danish muffins will be in your hands in just a few moments. ;)

I have been wanting to make a fall version of my long-time reader favorite Cherry Cream Cheese Danish Muffins recipe for quite a while.  I am hoping that you all love these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish Muffins just as much. 

While I cannot boast that my latest version of these muffins can be made with just 4 ingredients (this version requires 7 total ingredients), they can be made just about as easily and in almost the same time making them perfect for Thanksgiving morning or for a quick & impressive breakfast before heading out for those Black Friday sales... :)

Buttery Fresh Herb Smashed Potatoes

These Buttery Fresh Herb Smashed Potatoes are a fresh, bright, & lighter take on traditional mashed potatoes- a must-make side dish for your holiday dinner...

My mother's creamy (and very buttery) mashed potatoes have been a staple at our holiday dinners for years now. And I can't lie- it was always the side dish that I most looked forward to each Thanksgiving. 

I always had a big ole scoop at dinner, and then maybe a second helping later during dinner. And I never argued when she wanted to send me home with a nice sized container of them. 

While those comforting mashed potatoes of my mama's will always have a special spot in my heart, I have been making a few menu changes since I took over the Thanksgiving dinner responsibilities. Namely, I have been trying to take some of our longtime favorite recipes and have been making healthier, yet just as tasty versions of them.  

When I came across this recipe for Buttery Fresh Herb Potatoes from I Can't Believe It's Not Butter's recipe page, I knew with just one minor tweak that I had found my new go-to potato recipe for Thanksgiving dinner. 

With the addition of fresh parsley, lemon zest, and capers, these Buttery Fresh Herb Smashed Potatoes have a bright, fresh flavor. 

And since these are made with the new and improved (and better for you!) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, there is no need for cream or milk to get that creamy, buttery flavor that you love in traditional mashed potatoes...

Chai Tea & Pear Oatmeal

This hearty & creamy Chai Tea & Pear Oatmeal is perfectly cooked overnight while you sleep making it perfect for busy mornings...

A big thank you to Hamilton Beach for partnering with me today to bring you all this recipe & for sponsoring the giveaway.

I don't know how it is for you all the week of Thanksgiving break, but it is about to get pretty busy over here in my house. Both of the kids will be off from school the entire week starting Monday, and we also happen to host my family's Thanksgiving dinner each year. 

Let's just say that delicious & easy make-ahead breakfasts become my next best friends from here on through to the New Year. ;)

I always seem to have no problem getting the house cleaned and dinner guest ready (oh yes, I put the kiddos to work since they are off from school). And I always get the turkey day menu set and planned out at least a week in advance. But I always seem to neglect Thanksgiving morning breakfast. 

I mean, I have enough going on with getting the turkey in the oven, and starting a few sides in my slow cooker, and getting the table set, and the list goes on. But not this year! This year I will be whipping up a batch of this hearty and creamy Chai Tea & Pear Oatmeal in my brand new Hamilton Beach® Professional Sous Vide and 6 Quart Slow Cooker!