Recipe(tried): Thanksgiving recipe keepers - Stilton Waldorf Salad, Smokey Brussel Sprouts Gratin, Pumpkin-Apple Streusel Cake

Hello friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

In my family, we all bring something to add to the party, so the hostess doesn't have to do all the work! My mother is always the hostess for Thanksgiving and makes the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. We all chipped in, but I wanted to share the most successful dishes with you:

Stilton Waldorf Salad
Serves 8

3-4 stalks celery
4 flavorful eating apples
2/3 cup chopped dates
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled Stilton (or other blue cheese)
1/4 cup heavy cream
juice of 2 lemons

Mix cream and lemon juice in a small bowl or measuring cup.

Slice celery into 1/4-inch slices on a slight bias and place in a large bowl. Cut apples into eight wedges, remove core, and chop each wedge into 4 chunks and add to the bowl. Dress each addition of apples with some of the dressing to keep them from turning brown.

Add the dates, walnuts and stilton and mix well.

Serve over greens dressed lightly with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing, if desired.

Smokey Brussel Sprouts Gratin

1 1/2 lbs. Brussel sprouts (fresh sprouts trimmed and quartered and cooked for about 6-8 minutes, or frozen "petite" sprouts cooked about 3 minutes and very well drained)
3-4 slices (about 1/4 lb.) bacon, diced
1 TBL butter
8 oz. shallots (or 6 oz. other mild onion), very thinly sliced
2 TBL butter
2 TBL flour
2 cups milk
3 oz. cream cheese
6 oz. smoked Gouda cheese (smoked cheddar or provolone would be great, too)
salt, pepper and nutmeg
3 TBL butter
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Prepare brussel sprouts and drain well.

In a saut pan, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until close to crisp but not too crisp. Remove the meat to a paper towel but leave the bacon fat in the pan. Add the 1 TBL butter to the pan and heat until sizzling and add the shallots. Saut over low heat until the shallots start to caramelize, but don't allow to brown too much.

In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 TBL butter and then add the flour. Stir for about 2 minutes to cook the flour. Slowly whisk in the milk so as not to allow lumps. Cook until the mixture simmers, and allow to thicken for about 3 minutes more. Stir in the cream cheese and smoked Gouda until completely melted and incorporated.

In a large non-stick saut pan, melt 3 TBL butter until sizzling, and add the breadcrumbs. Stir well to coat and toast lightly.

To assemble, mix the bacon and saut ed shallots with the cheese sauce and stir into the cooked brussel sprouts. Place into a shallow casserole dish. Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs evenly over the casserole and bake in a medium oven (350-375F) for about 40-50 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and very hot.

PUMPKIN-APPLE STREUSEL CAKE
This is from Bon Appetit and was terrific. We all decided, however, that it was the perfect "breakfast" cake, rather than a dessert with dinner. I'm going to make it again for Christmas morning, maybe without the vanilla ice cream (mabye!).

This easy-to-make dessert tastes like pumpkin spice cake and apple crisp baked together.
Apples
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups diced peeled cored Granny Smith apples (about 4 large)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (firmly packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs

Vanilla ice cream

For apples:
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples; saut until apples begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and cinnamon and saut until golden brown, about 3 minutes longer. Cool.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter, and salt in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside 2/3 cup of mixture for topping. Beat pumpkin, sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, spice, and baking soda into remaining flour mixture, beating just until smooth. Beat in eggs. Transfer batter to pan. Scatter apples evenly over top. Sprinkle reserved topping over apples.

Bake cake until topping is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides from cake. Transfer cake to platter. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.