side dish
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 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,
Well, if you follow my blog , even a little, you know I really, really dislike mushrooms A LOT! I have tried them and made them several ways and still don’t like them, but Mr. MCYM really likes them so every now and then I make him his own batch of stuffed mushrooms! These will make a great addition to any holiday table or party you may be having! I made these for a little appetizer while watching the Patriots game! Mr. MCYM was a very happy man!
INGREDIENTS
24 Large Cremini mushrooms (wipe with a clean damp cloth to clean.)
4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, ground
1/2 of a fennel bulb, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup of Panko crumbs
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons of parsley
2 Tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop them, set aside. In a bowl toss your mushrooms with olive oil and season with salt. Place the mushrooms on a sheet pan. Cook the sausage in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat breaking up the meat until no longer pink. Add the fennel and the mushroom stems cooking until tender. Add garlic and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute, remove from heat and let cool. Mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley and cheese and when the sausage mixture is cool, add the bread crumb mixture and mix well. Divide the stuffing between the mushroom caps and bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cool five minutes and serve warm.
Enjoy,
If you read my Friday post about Pickity Place, I mentioned how incredible the salad was there. Guess what? If you sign up for their newsletter they send you recipes and lucky for me and you the recipe sent out this month was the incredible Farro salad that is on the August menu! I can’t tell you how delicious this salad is… ooooh sooooo gooood!
This recipe will serve 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 large ripe tomato
1 small red onion, sliced
1 cup cooked farro (cook following instructions on box)
1 pound mozzarella
1 bunch fresh basil
1 pinch lemon salt
1 pinch granulated garlic
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 head Romaine, sliced into strips
To make the cheese, spray a sheet pan with non stick spray, spread parchment paper on the sheet tray and spray the paper with non-stick spray. Evenly spread cheese on pan and top with fresh basil, granulated garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven until melted about 8 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares or triangles (or use a cookie cutter to make into various shapes)
To assemble the salad start with placing the romaine on the bottom of the plate, top with cooked Farro. Next add a slice of tomato, lightly sprinkle with lemon salt. Add the onion. Dress with the sun dried tomato vinaigrette. Lastly garnish with the beautiful mozzarella cheese.
SUN DRIED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
6 sweet basil leaves
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
salt to taste
Mix all ingredients together and blend with a hand blender.
Add pepper to taste
Enjoy,
Summertime, Summertime, Summertime! I just love garden fresh tomatoes don’t you? Fresh off the vine with a little sea salt or in this recipe with reduced balsamic dressing. No matter how you like your tomatoes, nothing is better than just off the vine! This recipe is super simple and is a terrific side dish for any summertime lunch or dinner!
INGREDIENTS
2 red tomatoes, sliced into wedges
3 yellow tomatoes, sliced into wedges
3 orange tomatoes, sliced into wedges
(any assortment of tomatoes you like is fine)
Sea salt
Pepper
3 Tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
DIRECTIONS
Slice tomatoes into wedges and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. set aside.
Cook the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat until mixture is reduced by half. This just takes a couple minutes. Remove from the heat whisk in olive oil and drizzle over the tomatoes sprinkle with basil leaves and serve immediately.
Enjoy,
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