This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NABISCO Cookies and Crackers for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Thanksgiving Entertaining Ideas
The biggest cooking holiday of the year is fast approaching, and now is the time to start preparing for a house full of guests. So much planning goes into Thanksgiving entertaining including dinner, the menu, the shopping, and the cooking, who has time to mess with desserts and decor? That’s why I’ve created a delectable dessert recipe for Nilla, PB and Mallow Squares that tastes as though you spent hours in the kitchen, when in reality it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. Plus, two super simple, creative – and budget friendly – DIY Thanksgiving centerpiece and tablescape ideas! Now this year you can spend less time preparing and more time with family and friends – and more time enjoying the compliments, of course!
A Simple Thanksgiving Dessert
Speaking of simple, yet creative Thanksgiving entertaining ideas this NILLA, PB and Mallow Squares recipe from Nabisco will have your guests believing you spent lots of long hours in the kitchen! This mouth-watering dessert can be made in just a few simple steps! Ready to see just how easy it is to make?
NILLA, PB and Mallow Squares Recipe
Ingredients for Nilla, PB and Mallow Squares
1 pkg (11 ounce) NILLA Wafers, divided
6 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 package (10 ounce) peanut butter chips
1/3 cup honey
1 – 1/2 cups roasted peanuts
1 – 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 ounce white baking chocolate
Directions to make Nilla, PB and Mallow Squares
Begin by preheating the oven to 350, and lining a 9″ square pan with foil, making sure it extends over the sides. Place 20 NILLA wafers to the side, then take the rest and crumble them into a fine consistency. Using a blender makes quick work of this!
Next, melt 5 tablespoons butter either in microwave safe bowl or on the stove, and stir it into the NILLA wafer crumbs. Once combined it should have a consistency similar to damp sand at the beach you’d use to make a sand castle.
Press this mixture into the bottom of the foil lined baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
Once you remove the crust from the oven, take the remaining NILLA wafers and stand them around the sides of the pan with the top sides facing out, and then sprinkle the marshmallows over the crust.
Return it to the oven to bake for 3 to 5 more minutes – just until the marshmallows begin to puff. Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter chips, honey and remaining butter into a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds, or until the chips are completely melted and the mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 minute. You can also use a double boiler for this step if you prefer.
Now add in the dry roasted peanuts and the cereal and mix well until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
Spoon the mixture over the marshmallows until the marshmallows are completely covered, and then refrigerate the whole thing for 2 hours. Or, if making this the night before Thanksgiving Day, you could leave it in overnight, so that all you have to do in the morning is remove it from the refrigerator, let it warm to room temperature, and then…
Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions on the package, then drizzle it over the dessert. Let it stand until the chocolate is firm. Now all that is left is to use the foil handles to remove it from the pan and place it on a serving plate before cutting it into squares. Doesn’t it look delicious?!
And just wait until you taste it! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and salty, chewy and crunchy! It’s like a little piece of heaven, and your guests will love it!
Two Time-Saving DIY Thanksgiving Centerpieces
Another big part of Thanksgiving entertaining is setting a beautiful table to serve all your delicious food! Why spend hundreds of dollars and countless hours putting together a Thanksgiving table setting, when you can get a gorgeous look by shopping at your local dollar store, craft store and/or big box store, as well as use stuff you have at home? I created my own Thanksgiving tablescapes in just a matter of minutes, and for well under $50 a piece.
DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece Neutral Candle Grouping
This lovely neutral candle grouping is one of my favorite super simple centerpiece ideas, and when you add your plates, silverware and glasses, you get a beautiful, neutral Thanksgiving table with a modern feel.
Place three different sized pillar candles in the middle of a decorative charger. Surround the candles with ornamental balls like the ones shown here.
Then place 2 sets of smaller votive candles surrounded with miniature pine cones on each side of the centerpiece.
That’s it, you’re done! Total cost: less than $25. Total time: 15 minutes. Prefer a different style when it comes to Thanksgiving entertaining decor? Here’s another inexpensive and easy tablescape idea I hope you will like.
DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece Autumn Harvest Theme
Another simple centerpiece idea, this tablescape brings in the warm colors of Autumn. Fill a tin can filled with peasant feathers and Fall flowers in the center of the table, and surround it with large pine cones.
On each side of the tin can vase, fill a tall, glass vase with miniature gourds and pumpkins.
Then place 2 sets of smaller votive candles surrounded with miniature pine cones on each side of the two glass vases so you have an alternating pattern.
Add your place settings, some name cards, and that’s it! You get a lovely Thanksgiving table that brings in the warm colors of Autumn in just 15 minutes, and for less than $50! Simple, wasn’t it!
And now one more time-saver…the handy dandy printable recipe!
NILLA, PB and Mallow Squares
Ingredients
- 1 pkg 11 ounce NILLA Wafers, divided
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- 1 package 10 ounce peanut butter chips
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 - 1/2 cups roasted peanuts
- 1 - 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
- 1 ounce white baking chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a 9" square pan with foil, making sure it extends over the sides.
- Place 20 NILLA wafers to the side, then take the rest and crumble them into a fine consistency. Using a blender makes quick work of this!
- Melt 5 tablespoons butter either in microwave safe bowl or on the stove, and stir it into the NILLA wafer crumbs.
- Press this mixture into the bottom of the foil lined baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Once you remove the crust from the oven, take the remaining NILLA wafers and stand them around the sides of the pan with the top sides facing out, and then sprinkle the marshmallows over the crust.
- Return it to the oven to bake for 3 to 5 more minutes - just until the marshmallows begin to puff.
- Meanwhile, combine the peanut butter chips, honey and remaining butter into a microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute and 15 seconds, or until the chips are completely melted and the mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 minute.
- Add in the dry roasted peanuts and the cereal and mix well until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
- Spoon the mixture over the marshmallows until the marshmallows are completely covered, and then refrigerate the whole thing for 2 hours.
- Melt the white chocolate according to the instructions on the package, then drizzle it over the dessert. Let it stand until the chocolate is firm.
- Use the foil handles to remove it from the pan and place it on a serving plate before cutting it into squares.
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving entertaining tips and tricks so you can spend more time with friends and family and less time in the kitchen?
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