Family favorites
This is the one and only stuffing recipe I make. I came across a similar recipe many years ago and have changed it over the years to make this the last and final version as my family loves it and it would not be a holiday without it!
INGREDIENTS
14 ounces( 12 cups) white bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 pound JImmy Dean Maple Sausage
1/4 cup butter
6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only) (2-3 leeks)
1 pound Granny Smith apples, peeled,cored and chopped
2 cups chopped celery
4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 cup dried cherries
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cups low salt chicken broth
2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets and bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Sauté sausage in large heavy skillet over medium high heat crumbling as you cook. When it’s almost cooked through at the maple syrup and continue to cook until completely cooked through.
When the sausage is cooked through transfer to a large bowl. Using the same skillet melt the butter over medium high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning. Mix and continue to sauté until leeks are softened about 8-10 minutes. Mix in dried cherries. Add this mixture to the sausage, then mix in the bread. Season stuffing with salt and pepper. (This part can all be done up to one day ahead cover and refrigerate)
Mix in eggs into stuffing. To bake stuffing in turkey, fill the main cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into the remaining stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 cup to one cup) Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake stuffing along side turkey OR do what I do and put the stuffing in the oven while the turkey is resting. This takes about 45 minutes Remove the foil the last 15 minutes of baking.
To bake the stuffing all in one pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter a baking dish, mix 1 1/3 cups of broth into stuffing. Cover with foil and bake until heated through about 45 minutes taking the foil off the last 15 minutes of baking.
Enjoy!
I came across this citrus dry brine recipe a couple years ago from Bonappetit and have been very happy with it! My turkey always comes out moist and well seasoned. I have tried other various types of brines and this one is by far my favorite! This can also be made up to three days in advance and with a ll the craziness of the holidays, that is a huge bonus!
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons of black peppercorns
1 Tablespoon of Pink peppercorns
2 teaspoons of white peppercorns
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
6 bay leaves
1/2 cup Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon zest
2 Tablespoons orange zest
DIRECTIONS
Toss all of your peppercorns, coriander seeds and bay leaves in a skillet and heat over medium heat until fragrant. Let cool.
Remove the bay leaves and discard. Place the cooled peppercorns and coriander in a heavy duty Ziploc bag, While using a rolling pin or heavy skillet, crush the mixture. Take out of the bag and mix with the remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. I apply this to my turkey the night before I am going to roast it. Cover completely and refrigerate.
In the morning remove the turkey that you have covered in the dry brine and rinse all of the brine off of your turkey. Pat dry and continue to prepare your turkey to roast.
Enjoy!
I am sure you are all wondering who Great Grandma Cotten is? She is my good friend Leanne’s (who I work with) great grandmother. Leanne and I were talking at work one day and wondering what to make for dinner. I was at loss this particular day and Leanne suggested meatloaf and her great grandmother’s spaghetti and cheese. Needless to say that’s what was for dinner! Everyone was VERY happy at dinner time! My favorite part is that I made both the meatloaf and the spaghetti and cheese ahead of time and when I was ready to make dinner, I put them both in the oven at the same time and 45 minutes later dinner was done,… and so delicious! I used my meatloaf recipe from this site and here is great grandma Cotten’s spaghetti* and cheese.
INGREDIENTS
1 16 ounce package of spaghetti, cooked
1 16 ounce package of sharp cheese, sliced
1 stick of butter, sliced
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
Milk -enough to cover the bottom of the casserole dish
*NOTE – I used elbow pasta because that is what I had on hand. I suggest using the spaghetti as the elbow pasta was a little dry. I have made it using the spaghetti and it really makes a difference.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta until al dante. Drain pasta. Using a large round casserole dish pour enough milk in the bottom of the dish to just over the surface. Put the drained pasta in the dish and add the slices of butter and cheese throughout the spaghetti. Crush the Ritz crackers and top the spaghetti with all of the cracker crumbs.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Thank you Leanne!
Enjoy,
I love manicotti or ANY Italian pasta dish really. I mean who doesn’t… right? Comforting and filling and can also be made ahead! Nothing better… add a side salad and dinner is done! I made these for dinner over the weekend and they were delicious and even better the next day for lunch! I found this recipe in Southern Living Magazine and really liked the ease of this dish. I did have extra filling left over so next time I will make a few more shells! I used sweet italian sausage, but use whatever you like.
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package of manicotti shells (I recommend a few more than
that as I had left over filling)
1 – 16 ounce package sweet Italian sausage (ground)
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 26 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 8 ounce container of chive and onion cream cheese
6 cups of mozzarella
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
Fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Follow package directions for the manicotti shells and drain. Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a large pot over medium high heat, stirring often and crumbling the sausage until no longer pink. Stir in pasta sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cream cheese, 4 cups of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and add a large pinch of ground pepper. Mix until blended. Cut a slit lengthwise in each manicotti shell. Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into each of the manicotti shells, gently pressing the sides together and placing them seam size down in the prepared dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake covered for 50 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Enjoy,
These pecan bars were delicious! I don’t like pecan pie but I loved these bars! I don’t like to keep this stuff around the house so I cut these bars up into small bite size pieces and put my taste tester’s at my day job to work! These were a huge hit and I was asked MANY times for the recipe that day! These would be a terrific addition to your holiday dessert table or a great gift to give around the holidays! I am not a baker, but I will be making these again!
INGREDIENTS
Crust
2 sticks of butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x13 inch pan with foil leaving a two inch over hang on all sides. Spray foil with non stick baking spray or use non-stick foil. First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the flour and salt mixing until crumbly. Press the crust into your prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
While the crust bakes prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan stirring over medium heat . Simmer the mixture for one minute then stir in chopped pecans.Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it over the crust covering the entire surface. Return the pan into the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove the pan from oven and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan. When cool, using the foil over hang, lift the bars out of the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Removing them from the foil, slice into bars and serve.
Enjoy,
This recipe came from www.justataste.com
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