Thanksgiving

Recipes and tips for foods you might want to serve for the Fall and Thanksgiving holiday celebrations, special occasions, or just because you want something a little fancy.

Cheesy Potatoes Tried and True

Cheesy Potatoes
I have been making these Cheesy Potatoes for the holidays for quite a long time, and even made it for Ascencia when I was Guest Chef at Mother’s Day. I have pictures of it, but not of its preparation. So, I am putting it in again, and it’s changed just a little bit, for the better, of course.

I don’t usually use canned soup, but this is the exception. The original recipe calls for Cream of Mushroom soup, but Cream of Potato soup is much better. The original recipe also calls for hashed brown potatoes, but, I think the Southern cut frozen potatoes are better as well.

This is a very simple dish to make, and I always get raves when I make it. It makes a lot, and can easily be doubled or even tripled if you have a lot of people to feed.

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Cranberry Cream Cheese Salad Ring

Cranberry Orange Ginger Cream Cheese Salad Ring

I don’t know why people insist on buying the cranberry sauce in the can. Making cranberry sauce from scratch is almost as easy as opening the can. In some cases, when your can opener refuses to play well with the can, it’s even easier! Sugar, cranberries and water, how simple is that? In addition, you get the fun of listening to the berries as they pop like popcorn. How cool is that?

Ah, but I can’t leave well enough alone. I have to make something special for Thanksgiving, so I’m going to doll my cranberry sauce up, put it into a ring mold, and have a lovely presentation.

When I was a little girl, going to my Uncle Bob’s house for Thanksgiving, he made the most wonderful cranberry ring with cream cheese. I loved it but never got the recipe. When I asked him about it, he said he hadn’t made it in so many years he had forgotten how to make it and never wrote it down. I’ve looked all over the Internet, but, alas no joy. So, today, I’m going to attempt to make a similar side dish. Wish me luck!

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Stuffing Turkey Meatloaf Ring

Recipes in this PostStuffing Turkey Meatloaf Ring

I love it when I suddenly have something I didn’t know I had. A few days ago, when Spane and I went to one of the wonderful Armenian stores, the check out lady gave us a loaf of Stone bread. I put it up on top of the refrigerator, and forgot it was up there. We don’t eat a lot of bread, so that’s not a surprise. I should have put it in the freezer, but… When I checked it two days later, it had really turned into its namesake, stone.

What to do with bread that has turned to stone that you know has really good flavor? Why turn it into stuffing mix! The stuffing mix that comes in the box has bread that I swear is dryer and harder.

Bread in the bag
Bread in the bag
I only had one problem. It was a big loaf of bread, not sliced, and too hard to cut with a knife. I tried whacking it with a skillet, but that didn’t work too well either. I thought to myself, what is the heaviest thing in the house? Me! So, I put my bread in several plastic bags (hey, finally, a good use for plastic bags), put some flat shoes on, and stepped all over the bread. Let me tell you, the sound was great, and the bread crumbled just the way I wanted it to.

I also had some ground turkey in the freezer, and cranberry sauce in the pantry. That sounded to me like a great head start on Thanksgiving!

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Cranberry Compote

Cranberry Compote – Thanksgiving Sides

Cranberry Compote – Your New Cranberry Sauce

This year, like last year, I’m going to my friend’s for Thanksgiving, and like last year, I’m bringing something. It’s also my son, Spane’s birthday today, November 21, 2012, and he has requested Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting I made for his 7th birthday party. Since his birthday this year is the day before Thanksgiving, he is going to have his birthday party in December – so watch for recipes!

I have talked about going to my Grandmother’s house and the wonderful turkey that came out of her Nesco Roaster. My Grandmother always had the best dressing on her table, that my Aunt Flora made every year. It was Oyster Cornbread Dressing, and it is my favorite dressing to prepare.

But, we always had canned cranberry sauce, that I really never liked. I have been making cranberry sauce for years, but today I found a new recipe that I’m going to make this year. It’s from Chef Bryan Voltaggio.

Update: This cranberry compote is my new cranberry side dish. It’s tasty and sophisticated but not so much that kids won’t like it. It’s not too overly sweet like the stuff in the can.

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apple tart

Mystery Apple Cream Cheese Tart

apple tart
Apple Cream Cheese Mystery Tart

This Apple Cream Cheese Mystery Tart is a rich dessert with a surprising crust and filling.  It’s perfect for a fancy dinner, maybe Christmas. It’s no mystery that this delicious apple cream cheese tart is simple to make from cream cheese, apples, and Panko bread crumbs.

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Cranberry Brown Betty

Cranberry Brown Betty
Cranberry Brown Betty Cooling

This is fast becoming a staple Thanksgiving dessert. I don’t like pumpkin pie, and mince-pie is wonderful for Christmas, so this has the one for this holiday. It’s very simple to make with only a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

You will want to use Panko breadcrumbs because they are large and very dry. Broken up bread will not absorb enough of the juices to make a nice top on this. Breadcrumbs that come in a can will not work either, as they are too small, and you would just have a cranberry pudding instead of a Brown Betty.

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Thanksgiving Prep – Keep Your Sanity

Thanksgiving Prep
Thanksgiving Prep – How to Keep Your Sanity

Thanksgiving prep can be challenging for several reasons, making it a holiday that can sometimes be stressful for those responsible for hosting or cooking. Here are strategies to help you have a great celebration.

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How to Make a Perfect Turkey in a Nesco Roaster Oven

Perfect turkey
Perfect Turkey

What Perfect Turkey is Supposed to Be

I didn’t go to my Grandmother’s for Thanksgiving. My mother and I usually cooked a Cornish hen and left it at that. When my mother died, I moved in with my Aunt Georgia, Grandmother, and Grandfather. This was when I discovered a really good turkey, the way turkey was supposed to be.

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Our Favorite Cooking Quotes

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." ~ Julia Child

"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." ~ James Beard

"Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite." ~ Auguste Escoffier

"Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one's life." ~ Anthony Bordain

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