Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Cranberries

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Sandy

Cook this stuffing in a casserole dish covered for the first 30 minutes and uncovered for the last 15 so it browns a bit on the outside.

1 box of cornbread stuffing

1 box of bread stuffing mix

2 cups diced onions

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrots

6 Cups Chicken Broth

1 Jimmy Dean’s Sage Sausage (fried and drained)

6 Hot Italian Sausage (fried and drained)

1 Cup Dried Cranraisins

Saute onions, celery and carrots in a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add chicken broth, then add cornbread stuffing mix.  Add the cooked and drained sausage (Jimmy Dean’s sage sausage and 6 hot Italian Sausages) and cranraisins.  Depending upon the moisture level, add the regular bread stuffing until the dressing is damp and moist but not runny. 

Place in a buffet pan, or casserole dish.  Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

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Green Bean Casserole a la Matthew

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Sandy

1 pound of bacons fried crisp and crumbled or cut into 1/4 inch pieces.

4 cans regular green beans or steam fresh green beans until tender. 

2 cups mushrooms sauted in butter

3/4 cup parmesan grated cheese

1/4 cup cheddar grated cheese

1 large can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup heavy cream

Cheddar Cheese Fried Onions (1 large can)

Nephew Matt's Green Bean Casserole

In a casserole dish, place the green beans and bacon, add the cheeses and sauted mushrooms including the butter sauce. Add the cream to the cream of mushroom soup and pour over the top of the green bean mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees with foil over the casserole.  Top with Cheddar Onions, remove foil, and heat for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

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Maple Pecan Pie

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Sandy

Pecan Pie –

4 eggs lightly beaten

1  cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 Tablespoons Bourbon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of chopped Pecans

1 – 9 inch pastry shell

Honey Pecan Topping 

Mix all the ingredients and then add the chopped pecans.  Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake with foil covering for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 15 minutes. Add the Honey Pecan Topping carefully to the top.  Return to oven about 10 minutes and then remove and cool the pie. 

Honey Pecan Topping.  In saucepan, combine  1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 T butter, 3 T honey.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 Cups Pecan halves. 

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T.R.Thompson’s World’s Greatest Mexican Cornbread

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Sandy


T.R.Thompson’s World’s Greatest Mexican Cornbread

3 packs              Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1 cup                frozen onion

3                      eggs, beaten

1/3 cup             vegetable oil

1/3 cup             milk

1 lb                   bacon (cooked, crumbled)

2 cups              shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can               cream style corn

1/2 cup             jalapeno peppers (diced)

Mix

Spray non-stick oil into two round cake pans.

Pour into pans.

Bake 400° for 55 minutes

                or

Spray non-stick oil into two large muffin pans.

Pour mix into pans.

Bake 400° for 30minutes.

Makes 12 large muffins, easy to freeze and re-heat.

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Artesian Apple Pie

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Sandy

I love pie.  Spice apple pie. Pie al mode.  Pie with cinnamon and spice that leaves a trail throughout the house.

During thanksgiving, I am usually out of pie pans, and so this artesian pie you can make with out a pan. I used my large casserole dish, but you can use a cookie sheet.  This baby has 6 large peeled and sliced Green apples, 1/8 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of flour, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp garam masala.  Mix all your spices and flour and add to the green apples with lemon juice.

Double the pie crust recipe on this site and roll out the dough.  I like to use a large cutting board and roll the dough onto the parchment paper so it easy to lift later. 

Once your dough is rolled into one large round, place the pie filling in a mound in the center. Grab the edges of your parchment and place into the casserole dish.  (The dish should be sprayed with pam for easy removal later.) 

Dab butter on top of the pie, brush with egg wash and she is oven ready.  Bake at 375 for 60 to 75 minutes or until golden brown. 

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Turkey en Croute

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Sandy

 

Puff Pastry 6 sheets (3 frozen packs)
Egg wash

Whole Turkey
Salt & Pepper
Rosemary

Whole Garlic

2 lemons cut into wedges

Oven proof tray just large enough to hold the bird. I prefer an oval stainless serving platter.

Wash turkey.
Season with herbs, salt and pepper.  Place a handful of garlic and the lemon slices

into the cavity of the bird.

Bake according to package directions for unstuffed bird.

45 minutes before bird is done, prepare your puff pastry.
Use 4 sheets and seam together using egg wash and a fork.  I hide these seams using braids I make from the remaining sheets of puff pastry. 
Make braids, leaves, or bows.

As soon as your puff pastry is ready, remove bird from oven. 

Remove the bird from the original roasting pan and place on a smaller oven proof serving tray. I use an oval stainless tray.  This gives the puff pastry a nice shape.
Seal the puff pastry around the oven proof serving tray.

Brush the egg wash all over the pastry so it will brown evenly.  Quickly get the bird back into the oven because the heat from the bird will start to cook the pastry and make it slide off the bird if you are not fast.

When placing the puff pastry covered bird back into the oven, if you are using the bottom rack, place a cookie sheet down first to keep the puff pastry from getting too close to the flame or heat element, you could burn it.  

When the puff pastry is nicely brown, the turkey is done, appoximately 45-60 minutes.

Remove from oven and place tray onto a larger serving tray and garnish with roast garlic and vegetables or parsley or oranges and rosemary sprigs.

Ask one of your guests to carve the turkey for you. 

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Brussel Sprouts with Carmelized Shallots

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Sandy

Brussel Sprouts with Carmelized Shallots

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided

  • 1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water

Preparation

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper.

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Decorating – Thanksgiving

Posted on November 25, 2010 by Sandy

Nephew Matt's Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with a dash of nutmeg

 

Thanksgiving Table

 

Looks so pretty!

Happy Thanksgiving Turkey! Place Markers, how sweet!

Glinda my little decorator trying to steal the show.

Apple Pie and coffee for the hostess after everyone has gone.

The Dessert Buffet Table

Pumpkin and Apple all decorated pretty.

Buffet Table - Dinner rolls

Army of Turkeys

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Turkeys, Turkeys, and more Turkeys

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Sandy

My daughter Denny, family friend Colleen and I spent the evening with a bunch of Turkeys! 

Army of Turkeys

Well, it didn’t start out that way.  After heading to the store and buying

Peanut Butter Cups

Double Stuffed Oreos

Whoppers

Pumpkin Seeds or Candy Corn

Pretzel Sticks or Candy Corn

Chocolate Cookie Icing

Red Icing

Yellow Icing

We proceeded to assemble a bunch of turkeys for our Thanksgiving table.

Happy Thanksgiving Turkey!

The only problem encountered while making these little devils was the extra broken pieces, of course, they were quickly consumed, accidents happen!  

Step One:

Push the pretzels (or candy corn) into the Double Stuffed Oreo.

Step Two:

Using the chocolate icing as glue, adhere the bottom Oreo to the Oreo you pretzeled.

Step Three:

Shave off one of the sides of the Peanut Butter Cup. (Use the chocolate icing as glue to adhere the chocolate piece to the oreo back and bottom.

Step Four:  With the Turkey laying on his back, adhere the head – the whopper –  to the oreo.

Step Five:  Cut the pumpkin seeds or you can use the white part of candy corn and chocolate glue to the head.

Let the turkeys dry overnight.

Step Six:  Using the red icing, pipe a little red under the beak of the turkey.

Step Seven:  Pipe yellow dots for eyes and use a chocolate or red dot for eye centers.

Step Eight:  Pipe yellow feet.

This little guy has an attitude!

You’re done!    You have turkeys for your table to use as Place markers, just add a label on a toothpick with someone’s name or decorate the center of your table with them  They are so cute! 

Turkeys out for a trot.

Talking Turkey

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Gourmet Smoked Turkey or Chicken Salad

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Sandy

Years ago, I tasted this smoked turkey salad.  At the time, I made a mental note that I had to make my own version. It was so delicious.  I happen to love chicken or turkey salad, but this one has a surprise.  The smokey-ness.  It pops it into a gourmet category, and yet it is still so simple to make.

Gourmet Smoked Turkey Salad

I like to use left over turkey breast meat.  I cube the meat, making sure to remove any skin. 

You do not need to measure for this recipe, but I will give them to you anyway. 

1 cup cubed turkey breast meat (you can always substitute chicken)

1/4 cup celery and/or white onion (optional)

1/4 cup seedless grapes (optional)

1/4 cup mayonaise – Best Foods is my favorite.

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Hickory Smoke Flavoring

1/2 cup Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup apples – cubed

Mix together and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on toasted sour dough bread or with saltine or Ritz crackers.

Do you want to make it richer? Try adding some cubed apple and toasted pecans or walnuts.  You end up with a smoked turkey waldorf salad.  Put that on your buffet table!

Posted in Appetizers, Brunch, Chicken, Leftovers - Great Time Savers, Sandwiches, Turkey | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment