18 Nov 2017

Sausage Stuffing

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

Who doesn’t love stuffing? When you think about Thanksgiving, turkey and stuffing are the first thing on the menu. In my house, we always made sausage stuffing. Chunks of bread, sausage and vegetables all smothered in gravy, yum!!

This is comfort food at its best. It is crunchy and chewy and full of flavor. Because you make this in the oven, it can be a side dish with any meal.

Ingredients

16 Cups bread cubes (1½ lb loaf)

1 Lb Italian Sausage

2 TBSP Fresh Parsley

1 TBSP Sage

2 Cups Onions

1 Cup Celery

3 Cups Chicken Stock

2 Eggs

1 Stick Butter

Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Cut the bread into small cubes. Toast in oven for 6-7 minutes. When cool, add to large bowl. Remove the casing from the sausage and cook in a large sauté pan. Break up the sausage with a fork or a potato masher. When the sausage is brown, remove it from the pan and set aside.

Add the butter, onion and celery to the pan and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the sausage back to the sauté pan with the parsley, sage, salt and pepper continue cooking for 1 minute.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Add the eggs and stock to the bread cubes. Add the sausage-onion mixture to the bread and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture in a greased casserole dish and bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

16 Nov 2017

Perfect Gravy

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

Gravy is such an important part of your meal. After all the preparation and care to cook the meat just right, you need a spectacular gravy to top it off. This is the gravy you need. It is fool-proof. Perfect gravy every time. You can make it to go with any meat. Make plenty and make it ahead of time, you’ll need it!!!

Ingredients

4 TBSP Butter

¼ Cup Shallots, finely chopped (onions can also be used)

2 TBSP Flour

2 Cups Low sodium Chicken Stock

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots or onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft.

2. Sprinkle the flour over the shallots and whisk until the flour is a light brown color. About 2 minutes.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the chicken broth and whisk until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

4. Simmer until the gravy thickens and the flavors meld. About 10 minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper

6. Strain the gravy to remove the shallots/onions before serving (optional)

15 Nov 2017

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

These mashed sweet potatoes are sweet and crunchy. They are a welcome change from the typical sweet potatoes with the mini-marshmallows on top. These are so easy to make and best of all, they can be made ahead of time and baked right before you are ready to serve them.

Ingredients

3 Lbs Sweet Potatoes
2 TBSP Butter
2 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 TBSP Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Half & Half
Salt & Pepper

Topping

4 TBSP Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Pecans
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375º. Grease a casserole dish. Peel and cube the potatoes. Put them in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Boil the potatoes until they are soft. Drain and return them to the pot. Using a hand mixer, mash the potatoes until they’re smooth. Add the butter, cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice,, half & half, brown sugar, salt and pepper . Continue mixing until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine… Transfer the mashed potatoes to the greased casserole and top with the sugar mixture. Sprinkle the nuts on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

14 Nov 2017

Mashed Potatoes

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

Mashed potatoes and gravy, it doesn’t get much better than that. They’re the expected side dish with fried chicken, roast beef, turkey and the main part of shepherd’s pie. On Thanksgiving, no matter how many I make, my family devours them all. This recipe is creamy, silky and delicious.

Ingredients

3 Potatoes

¼ Lb Cream Cheese

½ Cup Half & Half

4-5 TBSP Butter

1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks, they should all be about the same size. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Let the potatoes come to a boil, and continue boiling for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Don’t over cook. Drain the potatoes. Using a potato masher or hand blender, mash the potatoes until they are smooth. Add the butter and the cream cheese. Mash until they are both melted. Add the half & half and ½ teaspoon of salt. Continue mixing the potatoes until they are creamy and silky.

13 Nov 2017

Uncle Paul’s Broccoli Casserole

by Eva M | posted in: Cooking | 0

Every family has those one or two dishes that has to be on the menu for every holiday. For my family, this is it. My brother-in-law created this recipe at least twenty five years ago for Christmas dinner and we’ve been having it ever since. We have branched a little, and we now have it for just about every holiday, not just Christmas. Once you make it you’ll see how buttery, creamy and delicious it is. I have no doubt that it will become your family favorite also.

Ingredients

4 -10oz boxes of Chopped Broccoli

3/4 Lb American Cheese

1 Sleeve Ritz Crackers

1 Stick Butter

Salt

Instructions

Cook the broccoli following the manufacturers directions. Drain. In a large mixing bowl, add the hot chopped broccoli, half the butter and the American cheese. Mix until the cheese and butter are completely melted. Add the salt to taste.

Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. Crush the Ritz crackers. Melt the remaining half of the butter and mix with the crackers. Sprinkle the cracker mixture over the broccoli.

Bake in a 350º oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cracker topping is brown and the middle is warm.