We have a bit of time before Thanksgiving, but in case you’ve been charged with bringing something to your Thanksgiving dinner and have no idea what that is going to be, I’m coming at you with some possibilities! You know I’m always here looking out for you!

First up we have a play on the Thanksgiving staple of green bean casserole, but ya know, with potatoes. And honestly, I think we could all use more potatoes in our lives.

Green Bean Casserole Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup French’s® crispy fried onions
• 1 pouch (4.7 oz each) Betty Crocker™ creamy butter mashed potatoes
• Water, milk and butter called for on potatoes pouch
• 2 oz (from 8-oz package) cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

In 4-quart saucepan, heat 2 quarts water and 1 teaspoon salt to boiling. Add green beans; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain, and return to saucepan.

Add soup, milk, pepper and 1/2 cup of the fried onions to saucepan; stir. Pour into baking dish.

Make mashed potatoes as directed on pouch. Stir cream cheese into mashed potatoes. Spread potatoes evenly over green bean mixture in baking dish.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbling around edges. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fried onions.

Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

And since little in the world makes me happier than the combination of bacon, cheese and carbs, I bring you…

Cheddar-Bacon Popovers

Ingredients:
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F. In 8-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to bowl using slotted spoon. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings for greasing muffin cups.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat eggs with whisk. Beat in milk. Beat in flour and salt until smooth. Stir in thyme.

Generously grease 12 regular-size muffin cups with reserved bacon drippings. Place muffin pan in oven 5 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle bacon evenly over batter in muffin cups.

Bake 27 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Prick top of each popover once with sharp paring knife to prevent deflation. Sprinkle cheese evenly over popovers. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Normally, I take offense to people who insist on starting Christmas before we even finish with Thanksgiving, but I’m changing my tune this year. I think we can all admit it’s been a heckin’ weird year, so I’m taking a ‘you-do-you’ attitude. You want to put your Christmas tree up in the middle of November? Do it! You want to start blasting Mariah Carey at 6:00 a.m. — go for it! Hallmark Christmas movie marathon on a Tuesday afternoon with a glass of wine? Absolutely!

We all need to do whatever we can to bring a little joy and fun to our lives! Have fun, and enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer!

And speaking of…don’t forget that our Holiday Gift Guide comes out next week. We will have a ton of great gift ideas to help you get your shopping started!