The marathon blog post continued…it’s time for carb overload.

When you are married to a carb addict, you have to put up with their high expectations when it comes to bread.  Gus was very specific about the type of rolls that he wanted me to serve with our Thanksgiving dinner, so when I informed him that I would be making the rolls from scratch, he asked that I purchase back up rolls, just in case.  Well, I certainly don’t like to be doubted in the kitchen and I didn’t want to jinx myself, so I bought myself some yeast and flour, and walked right past the bakery aisle in our grocery store.  This recipe turned out to be easy peasy and my husband was shocked when he found out that the delicious, crusty roll that he sunk his teeth into was actually homemade.  I just love it when I prove him wrong. 

 

Dinner Rolls (no back up necessary)

• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup Butter, softened
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 3 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 package (.25 oz) Active Dry Yeast
• 1/4 cup Butter, softened

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the water and milk in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Pour the liquids into a mixing bowl and add the sugar.  Stir to dissolve the sugar then add in the yeast and let it sit for 10-20 minutes to proof.  (The mixture will be foamy, so don’t think that you’ve screwed it up and need back up rolls.)
2. Mix on low speed, adding the egg, butter, and salt.  Once it’s well mixed, add in the flour 1/4 cup at a time.  Remove the paddle attachment and add the dough hook.  With the machine, knead the dough for 5-10 minutes or until it’s smooth and elastic. 
3. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into desired shapes.  Cover with a clean towel and let them rise for an hour. 
4. Once the rolls have risen, gently brush the tops of the rolls with half of the softened butter.  Bake for 10-15 or until golden brown.  Upon removing the rolls from the oven, brush the tops with the remaining butter. 

 

Cornbread Casserole (or Spoonbread for my Southern friends)

If you forced me to pick a favorite Thanksgiving dish, I couldn’t…but if you said that I had to or I wouldn’t get any Thanksgiving food, than I would pick this one as my favorite.  I just love cornbread, and this is even better than a regular, ole cornbread, as you get to eat it with a spoon and that aids in maximum portions and efficiency when compared to a wimpy little muffin.  Some people make this with canned corn, but I just can’t stomach the thought.  My Mama tried to serve me canned corn once as a kid and just one taste of that stuff has scarred me for life.  She stuck with frozen or fresh corn after that.  If you have fresh corn available, then I recommend using that, but frozen is the next best option.  Trust me, you don’t want to scar anyone with that canned mess. 

 

 

• 2 packages (8 oz. each) of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 cups of Corn (if using frozen, than use barely steamed frozen corn)
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 egg

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn muffin mix, corn, egg, sour cream, cream cheese, butter, and heavy cream. 
2. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm. 

I’ve crossed the finish line…but now it’s time for the marathon blog post.

After spending over 24 hours in my kitchen in 2 days, I am happy to report that the Pre-Thanksgiving dinner party was a success and I think we might just make it an annual tradition!  I did have some crazy thoughts on Saturday about perhaps throwing a Christmas dinner party in just a couple weeks, but after Gus did about 2 hours of dishes after the party, I was certain there was no way of convincing him of that.  There were no major food flops, so that was a relief, but I will say that next year we are definitely going with a bigger bird!  We had a 20 lb. bird and 9 guests…apparently the little calculator on Butterball.com didn’t realize that most of my guests had decided to fast that day in preparation and were quite ravenous when it came time to dig into the poultry.  A cook can’t complain though when there are hardly any leftovers!  As exhausting as all the preparations were, the evening was one filled with great company, lots of laughter, and much thanksgiving for all of our blessings.  And now I can start updating my 11 page planning guide for next year’s party! 

 

 

Roasted Turkey (aka, The Main Event, The Star of the Show, The Big Kahuna, our good friend, Tom.)

There isn’t much of a recipe to post, so I’ll just give you my Turkey Tips.   The turkey is probably the easiest dish to make, and yet, the one that most people screw up (think dry, cardboard-like poultry…overcooking is such a tragedy).  Now, I have only made 2 turkey’s in my lifetime, but both were very moist and delicious…if I do say so myself.  I may not have years of experience, but I do have a few turkey tips to share:

• Brine it!  Grab the biggest bucket you can find from Home Depot and dissolve 1 cup of Brown Sugar and 1 cup of Salt in 2 gallons of cold water.  Add 2 quartered lemons and 2 quartered oranges, plus a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme.  Chill your bird in the brine for 24 hours. 
• Grease it!  Melt one stick of butter and add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil to the melted butter.  Stir together and then generously brush the mixture over the entire turkey for a brown, crispy skin.
• Leave it!  Once you put that bird in the oven, don’t you touch that oven door!  That’s right…throw out that turkey baster and let the oven do the work because you aren’t helping at all by letting all the heat out of the oven. 
• Watch it!  Well, not for the full few hours, but near the end you should keep on eye on the thermometer.  Once you see it hit 165 degrees, then you are allowed to open the oven and remove your bird. 
• Rest it!  Once it’s out, just let it be.  The juices are what keep your bird moist and if you cut into it before allowing it to rest than all those precious juices just run out of your bird. 

If you follow my tips, you will be rewarded with a bird like this…

 

Mashed Potatoes (warning: these may be hazardous to your health…but very delicious to your tummy)

I was introduced to these heart-stoppers a couple years ago by my mother-in-law’s family friend, and I’ve loved her for it ever since.  These are definitely only for special occasions, as you can pretty much feel your arteries clogging up as you eat them…but that certainly doesn’t stop me from going up for seconds since I know I won’t make them again for another year.   And just when you think they couldn’t get any worse, you go and add butter to the top of the potatoes and broil them in the oven for a nice, browned, crispy top.  It’s heaven and hell all in one dish.  You already know about my love affair with kitchen gadgets, and mashed potatoes help fuel that affair…I like my mashed potatoes very, very smooth, so the secret is a potato ricer.   This gadget is under $15 and you’ll throw out your standard masher after you use one of these babies.  It’s much easier on the arms and there won’t be one lump in your taters. 

 

• 3 1/2 lbs Russet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
• 12 tablespoons of Butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Cream Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Salt generously.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 13 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. 
2. While potatoes are boiling, melt 1 tablespoon of butter into a sauce pot.  Add the cream and 7 tablespoons of butter, being sure not to bring to a boil. 
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rice the potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Once all the potatoes have been riced, slowly add in the hot cream and butter.  Stir slowly and do not overwork or the potatoes will be heavy.  Add the sour cream and cream cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Spoon the potatoes into a greased baking dish and top with 4 tablespoons of cubed butter.  Broil for 3-5 minutes or until the top is browned and crispy.

 

Grandma’s Famous Stuffing

It might just be famous to me and family, but this stuffing is darn good.  All other stuffing recipes I see use toasted, stale, dried out bread, but my Grandma’s stuffing has a soft, doughy, comforting texture because she found the secret ingredient…a loaf of fresh Wonder bread.  That’s right, my Italian Grandma looked right past the crusty, hard Italian bread and has made her stuffing with the American classic, Wonder bread, since I was a kid.  And always topped with a sprinkle of paprika…not sure if it’s just for color or she just likes paprika, but I don’t question it, I just replicate it.  It’s such a simple recipe, yet with all the stuffing recipes out there, no stuffing has ever come close to Grandma’s version. 

 

• 1 lb (1 loaf) Wonder Bread, cubed
• 3/4 cup Butter
• 3 Onions, chopped
• 5 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. Dry Sage
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Paprika for the top

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.  Cook the onion, celery and mushrooms until soft.  Season the veggies with the dry sage, salt, and pepper. 
2. Stir in the bread cubes and moisten with the chicken broth.  Mix until the bread cubes are evenly coated. 
3. Spoon into a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle the top with paprika.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. 

 

Sweet Potato Casserole (a nod to my Southern roots)

I didn’t know that I loved Sweet Potatoes until I lived in the South.  When my Mama served me my first taste of Sweet Potato Casserole, I swore she had lost her mind and was giving me dessert first.   Only Southern folks can cook something with butter, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, marshmallows, and then call it a “vegetable”.  Hey, I’m not going to argue with them though! 

 

• 3 cups Sweet Potatoes, mashed
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup Butter, melted
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Pecans, chopped
• 1/3 cup Butter, melted
• 1 cup Mini Marshmallows

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl mix the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla.  Spoon into a greased baking dish. 
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, pecans, and butter.  Sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes. 
3. Bake for 35-45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add the mini marshmallows.  Broil for 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are toasted. 

 

Best. Mac. and. Cheese. Ever. 

Like I said, not a traditional Thanksgiving dish but when your husband won’t touch sweet potatoes, stuffing, or green bean casserole, you end up taking requests.  I asked him to suggest a side dish or veggie that he liked and Mac and Cheese was his response.  How silly of me to think he would ask for something healthy like steamed asparagus or zucchini!  Thanksgiving isn’t really about the veggies anyways and I knew Mac and Cheese would be a crowd pleaser.  I’ve tried a number of different Mac and Cheese recipes and have always found room for improvement, but this one takes the cake.  It’s creamy and smooth, not custard-like with a bunch of eggs that turns your Mac and Cheese into a congealed mess.  It’s also adaptable based on your cheese preferences…if you are feeling more refined, try a Gruyere…feeling spicy, try a Pepper-Jack…feeling traditional, stick with a Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack blend.  It’s the ultimate comfort food and goes quite well with turkey and mashed potatoes…just ask my husband. 

 

• 1 lb.  Elbow Macaroni (or embrace your inner Italian and try Cavatappi)
• 1 tbsp. Salt + 3 tsp. Salt
• 5 tbsp. Butter
• 6 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
• 5 cups Whole Milk (Remember my motto?  Go big or go home.  Skim milk is for wimps when it comes to Mac and Cheese.)
• 6 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 12 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 4 oz. Cream Cheese

 

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a Dutch oven.  Add macaroni and 1 tbsp. salt.  Cook until pasta is al dente.  Drain pasta and set aside.
2. In the same Dutch oven, heat butter over medium high heat until foaming.  Add flour and mustard, and whisk well to combine.  Continue whisking until mixture deepens in color. 
3. Gradually whisk in milk and bring the mixture to a boil.  Be sure to whisk constantly so mixture does not burn.  Once it has reached a full boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer while whisking occasionally until it has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream. 
4. Take the mixture off the heat and whisk in all 3 cheeses and 3 tsp. salt.  Whisk until cheese is fully melted.  Add the pasta and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is steaming and heated through. 
5. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and sprinkle the top with cheese.  Broil for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

 

Whew…and that is just the blog worthy main course and sides, my friends.  We still have breads and desserts to get through, but we’ll save those for another time…because right now that leftover Mac and Cheese is calling my name…

T-24 hours till our Poultry Party…

…and I’m already feeling the aches and pains of this cooking marathon.  I am definitely going to need some Starbucks tomorrow if I’m going to cross that finish line.  Runners fuel up on pasta…I fuel up on Skinny Vanilla Lattes.  I’ve been in my kitchen since 10am and according to my 11 page word document of party plans, I am just 2 dishes behind schedule.  Gotta make up that time, so no more blogging and it’s time to buckle down for a little late night potato peeling/Grey’s Anatomy session…much more to come in terms of actual recipes and tantalizing food photos (and no more delirious ramblings from yours truly) in just a couple days, so stay tuned.  And if that doesn’t entice you enough to come back than I have five words for you: Best. Mac. And. Cheese. Ever.   Yep, that one is coming your way and it’s not to be missed.  It might not be a typical Thanksgiving dish, but my Turkey Day motto is go big or go home.  And nothing is bigger than pasta, butter, cream, and about 2 pounds of cheese.  Just don’t look for this one in the “Healthy” category.

Training for a marathon? Try a Battle of the Blondies.

Gus and I are hosting a Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner Party for some of our family and friends next weekend, and like any cook knows, preparing Thanksgiving Dinner is like running a marathon so I have a lot of training to do (The main event includes a 20 lb. bird, over 7 side dishes, and more than a few desserts.  Yes, I’m already scared).  Some of that training includes recipe testing, so last night I conducted my very own “Battle of the Blondies” to find which blondie recipe was superior.  A blondie is a chewy, moist, rich, buttery brownie, just without the cocoa powder.  The best part about making blondies is deciding what to add in…the options are endless.  For my taste test, I tried out 2 different blondie recipes and added milk chocolate chips to one and a combination of toasted, buttery pecans and toffee bits to the other.  The ingredients for each blondie base were slightly different and one of the preparation methods was kinda weird…this was my first time baking something that didn’t cream together the butter and sugar, rather it creamed the sugar with an egg.  I was kinda concerned how those would turn out, but after my own personal taste test and the voting of my coworkers, I’d have to say that the weird preparation base was the favorite.  I enjoyed the more classic add-in of the chocolate chips more, so I think I’ll switch it up next time.   See, now I will be fully prepared next weekend to make the best blondie possible and get through that Thanksgiving Dinner marathon!  And I can say with 100% certainty that this is the only marathon you will ever see me train for…sure, I force myself to the gym for those dreaded cardio sessions, but only so I can taste test blondies and still fit into my jeans. 

 

Blondie #1 with Butter Pecans and Toffee Bits  (aka, the winner with the weird preparation)

 

 

• 8 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Toffee Bits (or whatever floats your blondie boat…white chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, M&M’s, peanut butter chips…I could go on all day.)
• 1/4 cup Pecan Chips, toasted (Lightly coat the chips in 2 tsp. melted butter and toast in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes)

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8×8 pan.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the brown sugar and egg for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. 
3. Add the butter and vanilla and beat well. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.  Stir into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.  Do not overmix.
5. Fold in the toasted pecans and toffee bits. 
6. Spoon into the greased pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the middle has set.  Cool on rack before cutting into 2 inch squares. 
8. Store in an airtight container and try to use your willpower not to eat all of these when they come out of the oven, because they get better as they sit for a day or two.

 

 

Blondie #2 with Milk Chocolate Chips (the loser, but still tasty as they disappeared in less than an hour in my office)

 

 

• 7 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8×8 pan. 
2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Beat until smooth.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix well.
4. Stir the flour, salt, and baking powder into the wet ingredients and mix just to incorporate.  Do not overmix. 
5. Fold in 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or any other desired add-ins. 
6. Spoon into pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. 
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle.  Cool on rack before cutting into 2 inch squares. 

Something that Paula Dean would love…Hillbilly Dip!

That’s right.  This recipe gets it’s name from it’s high class, gourmet ingredients…but I’ve got no shame in cooking with a good ole’ pasteurized cheese brick, Jimmy Dean sausage, and a can of Rotel (gotta get your veggies in there)!  This one comes straight from my “Southern” roots.  When I was in High School just outside Atlanta, this was always a staple at any social gathering.  It’s basically a Chile con Queso dip and you could always fancy it up by adding some diced fresh jalapeno, sauteed onions, or a garnish of cilantro…but really the beauty of it is the hillbilly-ness of it, so I would just leave it alone.  Get yourself some tortilla chips and some warm flour tortillas for dipping and you’ve got yourself a simple, Southern snack.  Enjoy Y’all!  (I really just needed to say “Y’all” at least once in this post or else my Hillbilly Dip wouldn’t be authentic.)

 

 

Hillbilly Dip (or Chile con Queso if you find the word “hillbilly” offensive)

• 2lb loaf of Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1lb package of Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Sausage (You could use Mild, but Mild is for wimps.)
• 1 can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

 

1. In a large skillet, brown the breakfast sausage over medium high heat.  Once fully cooked, drain the excess fat from the pan.  (Hey, I’m trying to make this dip a *little* healthy for ya!) 
2. Add Velveeta cubes to the skillet and melt over medium low heat.  Also add the can of Rotel, undrained. 
3. Stir occasionnaly until all the cheese is melted. 
4. Serve with tortilla chips and warm flour tortillas, cut into triangles.  Also, during serving, you must keep the dip warm in either a crockpot or fondue pot.  (No one likes cold, congealed cheese dip.)

Wave your magic wand and make some White Chicken Chili.

I love kitchen gadgets.  Getting married only intensified my love of all things kitchen related since marriage = lots of fun kitchen gifts.  And I am not ashamed to admit that I will decide to cook something in particular just so I can bust out a gadget that has been hiding in the back of my cabinet for too long.   I happened to see my little Italian friend, Giada, on the Food Network this week and she was whipping up a yummy soup with the help of an immersion blender…and that got me thinking that I just love my magical immersion blender and it is probably needing some attention from me.   An immersion blender is this fabulous magic wand that you just stick right in the pot you are cooking in…no need to haul down the heavy food processor or dirty your regular blender.  Just stick that magic wand right in the pot and puree away!  I wanted to make something a bit heartier than plain, old soup so I could serve it for dinner this week…as I know Gus’ response to soup for dinner would most definitely be, “that’s it?!?”.   That’s where the idea for Chili came in, but this time I decided to stray from my usual Chili and go with White Chicken Chili.  Now I know you are probably asking yourself, why the heck do you need an immersion blender if you are making Chili?!  Well, to keep my Chili on the healthy side, I replaced the usual thickening ingredients of flour and cream with a can of pureed cannelini beans…hence the need for the immersion blender.   I also chose to puree my onions and peppers, as I don’t particularly like to bite into chunks of those in my chili, but it’s up to you.  If you like the chunks, then just put the immersion blender down, my friend.  With a topping of fat free Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of low fat cheese, you just made a healthy, hearty meal AND you got to have a little fun with a magic wand.  That’s what I call a great day in the kitchen. 

 

 

White Chicken Chili  (or if you puree the onions and peppers like I do, then it looks more like Light Green Chicken Chili)

 

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
• 30 oz. Chicken Broth
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 (15 oz.) cans of Cannelini Beans
• 2 (4 oz.) cans of Green Chili Peppers
• about 1/2 (2 oz.) can of Diced Jalapenos (I thought 2 oz was plenty of heat, but if you’re insane than go with a full 4 oz. of Jalapenos.  Just don’t get mad at me when your tongue has first degree burns.)
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Place chicken in a shallow baking dish and cook for 30 minutes or until juices run clear. 
2. Allow chicken to cool and shred with 2 forks.  Set aside.
3. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, saute the diced onion in the olive oil over medium heat.  Once the onion is soft, add the garlic, green chili peppers, jalapenos, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  Saute for about 3 minutes and then turn down the heat to low. 
4. Add the chicken broth and one can of beans to the pot.  Using an immersion blender, pulse until the beans, onions, and peppers are pureed.  Once mixture is smooth, add the remaining beans and shredded chicken to the pot.  Simmer on low for 30 minutes and serve with fat free Greek yogurt and low fat cheese.