Good Day anchors share Thanksgiving 'pecan' recipes

ATLANTA - The Good Day Atlanta team participated in another "challenge" Wednesday morning - this time with a Thanksgiving theme. 

The anchors were each tasked with making a Thanksgiving dish but had to include a very specific ingredient: pecans. 

This year's winner: Portia Bruner and her praline pecan potatoes. See below for the recipe. 

Here is a list of the recipes featured in the challenge Wednesday morning:

Buck Lanford's Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (Via Big Green Egg)

• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 (9-inch) pie shell

Directions:

1. Set the EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 400°F/204C°. Using a wooden spoon, mix the corn syrup, eggs, butter, brown sugar, bourbon and flour in a medium bowl until combined.
2. Add the chocolate and pecans and blend well. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
3. Place the pie plate on the convEGGtor. Close the lid of the EGG and bake for 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and the pie is golden brown.
4. Remove the pie and let cool completely, then refrigerate.

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

1. To make the whipped cream, using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
2. Serve slices of pie garnished with the whipped cream or pass separately. Serves 6 to 8

Joanne Feldman's Sausage, Apple, Pecan, & Cranberry Cornbread Dressing

• 12 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3 tart apples chopped (Granny Smith)
• 1 lb bulk sausage
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries 
• 14 ounce can chicken broth 
• 1 package (3 cups) seasoned turkey stuffing
• 1 package (3 cups) seasoned chicken stuffing
• 1 package (3 cups) seasoned cornbread stuffing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Melt half the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat
3. Cook onions in butter for 20-25 minutes (until lightly browned)
4. Set aside onions and butter in a large bowl
5. Melt remaining butter and cook apples over high heat for about five minutes (until lightly browned, but not mushy)
6. Add apples to bowl with onions
7. Brown sausage in the same pan over medium heat 
8. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon in order to save drippings from sausage to baste dressing during cooking (you can also baste with additional chicken broth if you don’t have enough drippings, or prefer a more moist dressing
9. Add browned sausage to bowl with apples and onions
10. Combine with stuffing mixes, 14 ounces of chicken broth, pecans, and dried cranberries 
11. Put all of the mixed ingredients into a 9 by 13 baking dish
12. Bake for 30-45 minutes, covered with aluminum foil and basting occasionally with sausage drippings and/or chicken broth 
13. Continue to cook uncovered for 10 more minutes

To reheat:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Drizzle 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of melted butter on top
• Bake covered for 30 minutes
• Bake uncovered for 10 minutes

Portia Bruner's Praline Pecan Potatoes

• 5 medium-sized sweet potatoes 
• 2 sticks of salted butter 
• ground cinnamon 
• pure vanilla extract 
• 4 -6 cups of brown sugar
• One cup of water
• One 12-oz bag of pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover each sweet potato with a layer of butter, then wrap all of the potatoes in one large piece of foil. 
3. Broil on high for 30 minutes to make the sweet potato skins easy to peel and eat.
4. Once the potatoes are tender, peel and cut half inch round wedges. Arrange the wedges in a casserole dish. 
5. Chop pecans into fine pieces that can be evenly sprinkled over your dish. 
6. Combine 6 tablespoons of butter, two to three cups of brown sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract and one cup of water in a shallow skillet. 
7. Gently stir over low heat until the glaze melts and takes on a syrup-like texture. Slowly stir pecans into the glaze. Pecans should not stick to each other but should have a praline-like coating over the individual pieces.
8. Use the same steps to prepare the second batch of glaze, but do not add pecans to the second batch.
9. Pour this glaze over and in between the potato wedges. Bake for 40 minutes on 350 degrees or until glaze begins to caramelize.
10. Sprinkle praline pecan pieces over the sweet potato wedges and bake again for 5 to 7 minutes.
11. Serve piping hot with your Thanksgiving meal or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Enjoy!

Natalie Fultz's Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie (Via Southern Living) 

Crust:

• Single-crust Pie Pastry 

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Brown Sugar Filling:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark or light corn syrup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons (1⁄2 to 1 oz.) Tennessee whiskey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Additional Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/4 cups pecan halves

Directions:

1. Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Unwrap chilled pie dough disk from Single-Crust Pie Pastry, and place on a lightly floured surface. Let stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle dough with flour, and roll into a 12-inch circle. Carefully fit dough circle into a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp. Line pastry with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
2. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes. Transfer piecrust to a wire rack, and remove pie weights and parchment. Let crust cool 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat cream cheese, egg, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sugar, and beat until filling is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon filling into prepared piecrust.
4. Prepare the Brown Sugar Filling: Whisk eggs until bright yellow and well combined. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, Tennessee whiskey, and vanilla bean paste, and whisk together until thickened and smooth.
5. Sprinkle chopped pecans over Cream Cheese Filling in piecrust. Gently spoon Brown Sugar Filling over chopped pecans. Arrange pecan halves over Brown Sugar Filling. Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and bake until filling is puffed up and set and crust is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack, and cool completely, 2 to 3 hours.

Ron Gant's Pecan Pie

• 1 1/4 Cups Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Butter Diced
• 1/4 Cup Water with Ice Cubes

Directions for preparing crust: Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the salt. Cut the butter into the flour, to where it forms small lumps. Proceed to add the water one tablespoon at a time, mixing each time. Form the dough into a ball. Place in zip lock bag or plastic wrap to where it is sealed closely. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Remove from refrigerator and roll into a flat circle. Place in greased 9-inch pie pan. Form around the edges, etc.

Pecan pie filling:

• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Flour
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
• 2 Cups Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 Cup Butter ( melted ) 
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Combine eggs, corn syrup, and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Add the pecans, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the mixture to the prepared pie crust. 
3. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour in the preheated oven. Keep an eye on the pie at the 45-minute mark so as not to over bake. 

Sharon Lawson's Mac & Cheese with pecans

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 1/2 cup mild cheddar
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup pepper jack
• 1/2 cup gouda
• Cheddar cheese sauce
• Feta cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of milk
• Dash of Pepper
• Dash of Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• Bread crumbs
• Crushed pecans

Directions:

1. Boil macaroni 6 minutes - drain & set to the side
2. In a pan, melt butter and add to the macaroni.
3. In a separate saucepan, add cheeses (minus 1 cup of cheese mixture), cream, milk, flour, eggs, cheese sauce. 
4. Combine noodles with cheese mixture and place in oven to bake for 30 minutes at 350° ***Add the last cup of cheese right before placing pan in oven**
5. During the last 6 minutes of baking, add bread crumbs with pecans and cook till golden brown.