Our family Christmas party this year was on Christmas Eve. Here was our menu. I didn’t do near as much cooking as I did at Thanksgiving because I was getting ready for Christmas dinner and Santa.
Menu:
Shrimp Plate
Roast Beef
Green Bean Casserole
Salad
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Rolls
Banana Creme Pie
Apple Pie
Blackberry Pie
Kool-Aid
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Thanksgiving Dinner 2010
Thanksgiving was spent with hubby's family. As there are eighteen of us (soon to be nineteen) that means LOTS of food. I'm going to share a list of everything we had and then the recipes and/or thoughts for everything I cooked/prepared.
Menu:
Cheese Rolls & Crackers
Vegetable Tray
Spiral Cut Ham w/ Glaze
Roasted Turkey
Stove Top Stuffing
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Honey Glazed Carrots
Marshmallow Salad
Rolls
Soda
Peach Pie
Strawberry Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ice Cream
Egg Nog
Menu:
Cheese Rolls & Crackers
Vegetable Tray
Spiral Cut Ham w/ Glaze
Roasted Turkey
Stove Top Stuffing
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Honey Glazed Carrots
Marshmallow Salad
Rolls
Soda
Peach Pie
Strawberry Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Whipped Cream
Ice Cream
Egg Nog
Spiral Cut Honey Glazed Ham
My mother-in-law got a ham from the local grocer. So all I had to do was mix the glaze, pour on and heat the ham. Done! I am not a ham fan, so I let everyone else enjoy this dish. The only ham I have ever had that I liked was from Heavenly Ham. But at their prices, I’m happy with letting the rest of the family enjoy a ham from the grocer and doing without myself.
Roasted Turkey
So, I am not a traditional oven roasted turkey girl. I use an electric roaster oven every year – they cook faster and have fewer issues with drying the meat out.
Remember, to completely defrost your bird. I have heard the electric roasters can actually cook frozen birds, but have never had the guts to try it. So, defrost! Remember that it’s approximately five hours per pound of meat to defrost. So if you have a 15 pound turkey, be sure to put it into the fridge at least three days in advance. And check your bird the day before. If it still seems too frozen, there is always the quick water defrost method. To defrost with water, be sure your turkey is in a waterproof package. Immerse in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes of thawing in water per pound. So if you have a 15 pound turkey, it’ll take about 7 hours.
On the day of cooking, take out your roaster’s insert pan and pre-heat your roaster to 450°F. While roaster is heating, pull your turkey out of the fridge and prep it. Remove packaging (but leave plastic hooks holding legs if yours have it) and organs and neck from cavity. Rinse with water, inside and out, and pat dry. Rub the bird with butter. Sprinkle your favorite kind of salt and pepper all over outside and inside of bird (we like to use seasoned salts and peppers). Place a stick of two of celery, one coarsely chopped onion and a stick of butter in cavity.
Place the bird in the insert pan on top of the wire rack that comes with your roaster. Make sure the handles are up, not tucked below, or it’ll be a pain to remove when done. Fill the bottom of the pan with water, but not so much that the water level comes over the wire rack (usually only a cup or two in mine). Place into the roaster oven and cover.
Roast at 450°F for 30 minutes. This is to give your bird a nice brown skin. After 30 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 325°F. 8
The roaster will self-baste if you do not lift the lid, so you don't have to baste it every 20 minutes like you do in your conventional oven. So don’t life the lid during cooking time! Lifting the lid will increase your cooking time (as roasters lose their heat a lot faster than ovens) and can make your turkey dryer.
Check turkey for doneness. Your roaster should come with time tables for how long to cook a turkey. Make sure to follow it! Roasters cook faster, so if you go by the amount given for cooking a turkey in a traditional oven, it will be overdone and possibly dry! If you can’t find your roasters manual, figure to start checking about an hour before it would be done in a traditional oven. Final temps should be 165°D in the breast (be careful not to touch the bone). Juices should be clear, not pink.
Remember, if you’re using a pop-up thermometer, they stick sometimes. So you should have a regular meat thermometer to double check.
When done, remove from the roaster, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Remember, to completely defrost your bird. I have heard the electric roasters can actually cook frozen birds, but have never had the guts to try it. So, defrost! Remember that it’s approximately five hours per pound of meat to defrost. So if you have a 15 pound turkey, be sure to put it into the fridge at least three days in advance. And check your bird the day before. If it still seems too frozen, there is always the quick water defrost method. To defrost with water, be sure your turkey is in a waterproof package. Immerse in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes of thawing in water per pound. So if you have a 15 pound turkey, it’ll take about 7 hours.
On the day of cooking, take out your roaster’s insert pan and pre-heat your roaster to 450°F. While roaster is heating, pull your turkey out of the fridge and prep it. Remove packaging (but leave plastic hooks holding legs if yours have it) and organs and neck from cavity. Rinse with water, inside and out, and pat dry. Rub the bird with butter. Sprinkle your favorite kind of salt and pepper all over outside and inside of bird (we like to use seasoned salts and peppers). Place a stick of two of celery, one coarsely chopped onion and a stick of butter in cavity.
Place the bird in the insert pan on top of the wire rack that comes with your roaster. Make sure the handles are up, not tucked below, or it’ll be a pain to remove when done. Fill the bottom of the pan with water, but not so much that the water level comes over the wire rack (usually only a cup or two in mine). Place into the roaster oven and cover.
Roast at 450°F for 30 minutes. This is to give your bird a nice brown skin. After 30 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 325°F. 8
The roaster will self-baste if you do not lift the lid, so you don't have to baste it every 20 minutes like you do in your conventional oven. So don’t life the lid during cooking time! Lifting the lid will increase your cooking time (as roasters lose their heat a lot faster than ovens) and can make your turkey dryer.
Check turkey for doneness. Your roaster should come with time tables for how long to cook a turkey. Make sure to follow it! Roasters cook faster, so if you go by the amount given for cooking a turkey in a traditional oven, it will be overdone and possibly dry! If you can’t find your roasters manual, figure to start checking about an hour before it would be done in a traditional oven. Final temps should be 165°D in the breast (be careful not to touch the bone). Juices should be clear, not pink.
Remember, if you’re using a pop-up thermometer, they stick sometimes. So you should have a regular meat thermometer to double check.
When done, remove from the roaster, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Stove Top Stuffing
Yes, we use stove top stuffing for the holidays. It’s easy, it’s fast and everyone likes it. So don’t feel bad for cracking open a box of the name brand or store brand stuff!
Cranberry Sauce
No, I didn’t make cranberry sauce from scratch this year, though I'd like to try sometime. But I did want to comment on it. We have two tastes in our families when it comes to cranberry sauce. We have those that like the jellied sauce and those that like the whole berry sauce. So we typically purchase one can of each. The jellied sauce, we slip out of the can and slice, so that you have a plate of cranberry jelled circles. The whole berry sauce, we pour into a bowl and stir. I prefer whole berry sauce, personally, just tastes better to me.
Mashed Potatoes
These are definitely a southern way of making mashed potatoes and not healthy in any way. I introduced my husband’s family to these a few years ago (versus mashed potatoes made with just milk and butter) and now they ask me to make them whenever we’re having potatoes at a family get together. The measurements here are estimates, as I always make this without a recipe. I just know how it is supposed to look and taste. So feel free to adjust as needed.
8-10 baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 -2 cups mayonnaise
1 – 2 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Whole milk, as needed
Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in bowl and beat until smooth (an electric mixer makes this step much easier). Add mayonnaise, butter and garlic. Mix well. Mix in milk until potatoes are the consistency that you prefer for your mashed potatoes.
8-10 baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 -2 cups mayonnaise
1 – 2 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Whole milk, as needed
Place potatoes in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place potatoes in bowl and beat until smooth (an electric mixer makes this step much easier). Add mayonnaise, butter and garlic. Mix well. Mix in milk until potatoes are the consistency that you prefer for your mashed potatoes.
Sweet Potato Casserole
This is a family recipe that my side of the family makes every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We just love it! People are always afraid that I won’t be willing to share the recipe because it’s a family recipe, but that’s the point of good food!!! To share! My family wouldn’t have this wonderful recipe if someone hadn’t shared the base recipe with my grandmother years and year ago that she tweaked into our version of it.
Filling:
3 cans sweet potatoes (15 oz ea), drained
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 tspn vanilla
Topping:
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup pecans, chopped
Mash filling ingredients together. Pour into 8x8 casserole dish. Mix topping ingredients together with a fork. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350°F for 30 - 45 minutes. Is done when top is nicely browned.
Let sit for 10 minutes, then enjoy!
Filling:
3 cans sweet potatoes (15 oz ea), drained
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 tspn vanilla
Topping:
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup pecans, chopped
Mash filling ingredients together. Pour into 8x8 casserole dish. Mix topping ingredients together with a fork. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350°F for 30 - 45 minutes. Is done when top is nicely browned.
Let sit for 10 minutes, then enjoy!
Honey Glazed Carrots
This was the first time making these for Thanksgiving, on the request of my hubby. We normally just add butter and lemon pepper, but I wanted something a bit sweeter this year.
1 pound baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Steam the carrots until tender. Mix in butter, honey and lemon juice in large bowl. Add carrots and stir until evenly coated with glaze.
1 pound baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Steam the carrots until tender. Mix in butter, honey and lemon juice in large bowl. Add carrots and stir until evenly coated with glaze.
Pumpkin Pie
This year I went simple on my pumpkin pie recipe because my fave recipe for the pie and crust is somewhere in storage and I couldn’t find it. So I used the Libby’s recipe on the back of their canned pumpkin – it’s good and reliable. I also used a store bought graham cracker crust shell. I normally make my crusts from scratch – but this was bought by someone else for me to make, so I just went with the flow.
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 15 ounce can pumpkin (make sure it's pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie!)
1 12 fluid ounce can Evaporated Milk
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell - remember to have the pie shell on a cookie sheet (otherwise you will have a huge mess and possibly a bad burn when you try to take it out of the oven!). Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for about 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate (FYI - they don't do well in the freezer).
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 15 ounce can pumpkin (make sure it's pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie!)
1 12 fluid ounce can Evaporated Milk
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell - remember to have the pie shell on a cookie sheet (otherwise you will have a huge mess and possibly a bad burn when you try to take it out of the oven!). Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for about 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate (FYI - they don't do well in the freezer).
Homemade Whipped Cream
I never liked whipped cream as a kid, as all I ever had was store bought stuff like cool whip. But a few years ago, I got to try my first batch of homemade whipped cream. And man am I hooked. Considering how little effort it takes to make it, it surprises me that anyone buys the store stuff.
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form (normally less than 5 minutes). Will yield about two cups. Yup, that's it! When I can, I start with a cold bowl and beaters, but it's not necessary. Also, some people add vanilla extract (about a teaspoon) or use powdered sugar. It's pretty easy to modify to your families personal tastes.
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form (normally less than 5 minutes). Will yield about two cups. Yup, that's it! When I can, I start with a cold bowl and beaters, but it's not necessary. Also, some people add vanilla extract (about a teaspoon) or use powdered sugar. It's pretty easy to modify to your families personal tastes.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Omelets
eggs (1-3, depending on preference)
pancake batter, 1 tsp. per egg
a dash of water
toppings of choice (we like shredded cheese and cooked ground sausage)
Mix water, eggs and pancake batter. Coat non-stick pan with Pam (or equivalent). Heat to just above medium, but not quite medium high. Pour egg mixture into pan and swirl so that egg mixture is spread over the bottom of the pan evenly and in a circle (so much easier if the pan is circular). Place toppings of choice on one half of the circle. When egg is dry on edges and puffed up, fold in half. Let sit for a few minutes, but watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Then flip over. Once egg is completely cooked, remove from pan and serve (we like them with grits).
WHAT I LEARNED
I had always had a hard time with omelets. But I have finally gotten it down. First, we got me a pan that is specifically for omelets. It is non-stick and the round bottom is perfect for a 2-3 egg omelet. Then I got a spatula that is flexible and very thin, making it easier to slide up under the omelet without tearing the egg. With these, my omelets were getting better, but never right. One day we were at the local IHOP and I was perusing the menu when something caught my eye. They said that they put pancake batter in their omelets! So I tried it the very next day, and after some experimenting have found that it seems to work best to mix in one teaspoon of pancake batter per egg. It makes the omelets puff up so nicely, and they’re LOADS easier to flip now.
pancake batter, 1 tsp. per egg
a dash of water
toppings of choice (we like shredded cheese and cooked ground sausage)
Mix water, eggs and pancake batter. Coat non-stick pan with Pam (or equivalent). Heat to just above medium, but not quite medium high. Pour egg mixture into pan and swirl so that egg mixture is spread over the bottom of the pan evenly and in a circle (so much easier if the pan is circular). Place toppings of choice on one half of the circle. When egg is dry on edges and puffed up, fold in half. Let sit for a few minutes, but watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Then flip over. Once egg is completely cooked, remove from pan and serve (we like them with grits).
WHAT I LEARNED
I had always had a hard time with omelets. But I have finally gotten it down. First, we got me a pan that is specifically for omelets. It is non-stick and the round bottom is perfect for a 2-3 egg omelet. Then I got a spatula that is flexible and very thin, making it easier to slide up under the omelet without tearing the egg. With these, my omelets were getting better, but never right. One day we were at the local IHOP and I was perusing the menu when something caught my eye. They said that they put pancake batter in their omelets! So I tried it the very next day, and after some experimenting have found that it seems to work best to mix in one teaspoon of pancake batter per egg. It makes the omelets puff up so nicely, and they’re LOADS easier to flip now.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
So, my husband, daughter and I LOVE cordon bleu. But buying the premade frozen ones is expensive. And making them from scratch is a pain. Also, I've had a hard time find a recipe that tastes like the store bought ones. Most recipes make heavy use of Swiss cheese, the store bought ones are mozzarella. We have found that we don't like the Swiss cheese because it is so strong tasting, but straight mozzarella is too runny. I found this recipe a while back, and after some tweaking, I think I've found a winner. As the casserole is a bit runny, we serve this in a bowl over mashed potatoes. Yummy and easy!
RECIPE
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cup milk, divided
1 egg
1 cup Swiss cheese, cubed
2 cups mozzarella, cubed
1 cup ham, cubed
1 (10 3/4 ounces) can cream of chicken soup
Mix 1/2 cup of milk with egg. Dredge chicken pieces in egg and milk mixture, then toss with bread crumbs, coating well. Fry chicken lightly (light golden brown). Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread ham and cheese over top. Mix soup with remaining milk and pour over casserole. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until tender and bubbly.
INVOLVING KIDS IN THE COOKING
This is a fairly easy recipe to let the kids help on. My ten year old cubed the cheeses and ham while I prepared the chicken, cutting the prep time in half.
RECIPE
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cup milk, divided
1 egg
1 cup Swiss cheese, cubed
2 cups mozzarella, cubed
1 cup ham, cubed
1 (10 3/4 ounces) can cream of chicken soup
Mix 1/2 cup of milk with egg. Dredge chicken pieces in egg and milk mixture, then toss with bread crumbs, coating well. Fry chicken lightly (light golden brown). Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread ham and cheese over top. Mix soup with remaining milk and pour over casserole. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until tender and bubbly.
INVOLVING KIDS IN THE COOKING
This is a fairly easy recipe to let the kids help on. My ten year old cubed the cheeses and ham while I prepared the chicken, cutting the prep time in half.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Rice Crispy Treats
3 tbsp butter
1 pkg (10 oz) regular or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups rice cereal
In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add rice cereal and stir well until coated. Using wax paper (side towards treat generously coated w/ cooking spray), evenly press mixture into 13x9 pan (pan also coated w/ cooking spray). Cut and serve.
WHAT I LEARNED
Number one, can you believe I’m 31 and this is my first time making these? Crazy!
But, the main thing I learned is that this stuff is stickier than you expect. Make sure anything that is going to touch the mixture off the stove is well coated with cooking spray.
And the other thing? Apparently, you can melt the butter and marshmallows in the microwave! Just nuke them on high for abt. 3 minutes, stirring after two. Stir until smooth and then mix with cereal and follow above steps. But I’ll admit I enjoyed doing it on the stove and watching the marshmallows melt.
1 pkg (10 oz) regular or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups rice cereal
In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add rice cereal and stir well until coated. Using wax paper (side towards treat generously coated w/ cooking spray), evenly press mixture into 13x9 pan (pan also coated w/ cooking spray). Cut and serve.
WHAT I LEARNED
Number one, can you believe I’m 31 and this is my first time making these? Crazy!
But, the main thing I learned is that this stuff is stickier than you expect. Make sure anything that is going to touch the mixture off the stove is well coated with cooking spray.
And the other thing? Apparently, you can melt the butter and marshmallows in the microwave! Just nuke them on high for abt. 3 minutes, stirring after two. Stir until smooth and then mix with cereal and follow above steps. But I’ll admit I enjoyed doing it on the stove and watching the marshmallows melt.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tortillas
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp lard
2/3 cup warm water
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in bowl. Rub in fat, stir in the water and knead lightly to a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest 15 min. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into balls. Roll out on a floured surface into 6-7in. rounds. Heat a heavy frying pan or griddle, add one tortilla and cook for 1 ½ - 2 minutes, turning over as soon as the surface starts to bubble. It should stay flexible. Remove from the pan and wrap in a towel to keep warm while cooking remaining tortillas.
WHAT I LEARNED
First off, I didn’t know what the recipe meant by rubbing in the fat. So I called mom. And she explained that it was what I used to watch her do while making biscuits. You hold the lard in your hand and pick up the flour mixture, pressing them together between your palm and fingers and letting the mixture slip through your fingers. You do this over and over until all of the lard is evenly distributed. I found it very interesting how easily I could feel the lard breaking up into the flour and find left over clumps to break up.
Second – when rolling out the tortillas, it takes a lot of flower. The dough is fairly sticky and you need the flour to be successful in rolling it out. Make sure you roll the dough very thin, almost translucent. Otherwise your tortillas will puff up more like a pita.
Third – don’t think you can roll one tortillas out and cook it, then roll out a second and cook it, etc. Roll them all out at once, and then start cooking. The reason is very simple. Your pan is going to be very hot and there is loose powder on the tortillas after rolling them out. If you let the pan sit in between tortillas for any amount of time, the loose flour left behind burns and will get on your next tortilla (and make the house stink).
Last – don’t coat your pan with any non-stick agent, like Pam. It will cause your tortilla to fry instead of bake, making it stiff and tough instead of soft and flexible. Don’t’ worry about your tortillas sticking. They are fairly dry and cooking hot and fast, I didn’t have any problem with them sticking in a pan that is horrid for cooking eggs.
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp lard
2/3 cup warm water
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in bowl. Rub in fat, stir in the water and knead lightly to a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest 15 min. Divide into 12 pieces and shape into balls. Roll out on a floured surface into 6-7in. rounds. Heat a heavy frying pan or griddle, add one tortilla and cook for 1 ½ - 2 minutes, turning over as soon as the surface starts to bubble. It should stay flexible. Remove from the pan and wrap in a towel to keep warm while cooking remaining tortillas.
WHAT I LEARNED
First off, I didn’t know what the recipe meant by rubbing in the fat. So I called mom. And she explained that it was what I used to watch her do while making biscuits. You hold the lard in your hand and pick up the flour mixture, pressing them together between your palm and fingers and letting the mixture slip through your fingers. You do this over and over until all of the lard is evenly distributed. I found it very interesting how easily I could feel the lard breaking up into the flour and find left over clumps to break up.
Second – when rolling out the tortillas, it takes a lot of flower. The dough is fairly sticky and you need the flour to be successful in rolling it out. Make sure you roll the dough very thin, almost translucent. Otherwise your tortillas will puff up more like a pita.
Third – don’t think you can roll one tortillas out and cook it, then roll out a second and cook it, etc. Roll them all out at once, and then start cooking. The reason is very simple. Your pan is going to be very hot and there is loose powder on the tortillas after rolling them out. If you let the pan sit in between tortillas for any amount of time, the loose flour left behind burns and will get on your next tortilla (and make the house stink).
Last – don’t coat your pan with any non-stick agent, like Pam. It will cause your tortilla to fry instead of bake, making it stiff and tough instead of soft and flexible. Don’t’ worry about your tortillas sticking. They are fairly dry and cooking hot and fast, I didn’t have any problem with them sticking in a pan that is horrid for cooking eggs.
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