Recipes

[toja]

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@aroc3435 wrote:

@LilBitMissty   Here is my must have for Thanksgiving.

               Dressing to Accompany Thanksgiving Turkey

8 cups of dry bread cubes

At least 1 large onion, minced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups celery, minced

1 pound chopped fresh mushrooms

1/2 pound ground beef

1/4 pound ground sausage

40 low salt Saltine crackers, crushed fine

2 cups cooked wild rice

at least 2 cups unsalted butter, melted

2 to 3 cups turkey broth

2 well whisked eggs

4 Tbsps Bell's Seasoning

1/4 cup fresh parsley

ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 Tsp white pepper

In a large skillet saute celery, garlic, onions aand set aside.  Saute mushrooms and set aside.  Brown ground beef and sausage, crumbling both to a fine texture; drain off the grease.

Add all of your sauteed items into a large mixing bowl that holds the bread, drained meats, and wild rice. Add the broth, eggs, and seasonings and mix thoroughly.

Place all in a buttered casserole and  cover tightly.  Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes to crisp the top.

Notes:  In addition to the Bell's Seasoning, I use fresh herbs--thyme, sage--if I can find them.  

But the Bell's is, for me, absolutely essential because it has the flavor memory from all of the Thanksgiving tastes and smells from youthful times to now.   You can add the cooked turkey giblets to this, or omit, depending on the preferences of your guests.

Dried cranberries, white raisins, or dried cherries add a nice touch to the mixture.

You can use packaged stuffing--Pepperidge  Farms or Arnold's, but still add all the above-referenced seasonings.  It will still result in an excellent dressing.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

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@aroc3435 

Your dressing sounds wonderful! I make a somewhat similar one, but using a mix of long and wild rice. No bread!  No ground beef, and more sausage

 It was always and still is our favorite, but I would love to try your version... one question though, what do you do with all that butter? 

There is quite a bit of it

[aroc3435]

@toja   The fresh mushrooms soak up a lot of butter when I saute them.  I start them on a medium high skillet and then I turn them to low and turn them so that they brown and soften--takes about 15 to 20 minutes.  I add the butter little by little as the butter is absorbed by the mushrooms.

The full sleeve of Saltines is dry so the butter helps keep the dressing moist.

And I drain all the fat from the sausage (which I steam first, before browning to be sure it is cooked thoroughly) and drain all the fat from the ground beef, as well.

You might get away with using less butter for the mushrooms.

Hope that helps clarify for you.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

[toja]

 

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@aroc3435 

Yes, that makes total sense, thank you I didn't factor the dryness of saltines, and a pound of mushrooms can soak up a lot of butter too!

[Boomernichols]

@KingstonsMom I was not expecting the picture on display so I laughed out loud.  Your husbands turkey would probably dress up a lot of tables and be the center of attention.

[LilBitMissty]

Candied Yams

5 medium sized yams

8 tbsp salted butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground clove

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract NOT imitation

Preheat oven to 350*

Wash the yams. Peel, then chop the yams ( make sure that they are about 1/2 inch thick.)

Place the yams into a 9x13 bake dish.

Place the butter into a medium sized pot, then melt it over medium heat.

Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in the white & brown sugar, ground cinnamon,ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground clove.

Turn the stove burner off, mix the ingredients, then add ithe vanilla extract.

Pour the sugar  mixture over the yams, and try to coat all the yams with the sugar mixture.

Cover the baking dish with foil, then bake the yams in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the yams from the oven, and baste them with the sugar mixture.

Cover the yams, and bake them for another 15-20 minutes. Remove the yams from the oven, and let them sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

***** If you want, you can top with miniature marshmellows the last 10 minutes of baking*****

[Sooner]

@deepwaterdotter I'm surprised a breast that big fits in a slow cooker!  

[deepwaterdotter]

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@Sooner wrote:

@deepwaterdotter I'm surprised a breast that big fits in a slow cooker!  

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Sometimes I have to tightly cover the crockpot with heavy-duty foil in place of the glass cover while it cooks.

[aroc3435]

@deepwaterdotter   I've used the aluminum foil trick too.  Necessity makes us improvise.  I think that's how cooks have created new techniques and flavors over time.  Out of/don't have this--try that.

The biggest secret to achieving success in the kitchen is to relax and have fun.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

[FLgardener]

@Miss Pepsi --My heartfelt condolences to you. The first few years after my DH passed away, all I could muster up was a frozen turkey dinner. Last year I made myself roast a turkey breast and made the basic trimmings to go along with it. It was a huge accomplishment.

This year, who knows? If I feel inspired, I'll cook. If I don't, I won't beat myself up. Frozen turkey dinners aren't too bad.

I would love to recommend a resource to you that has saved my life and sanity so many times, a fantastic website with invaluable information for those who grieve. Please check it out.

whatsyourgrief.com

[lovesrecess]

I make corn pudding that is similar but uses half &half rather than sour cream and no cornbread mix. I always grate fresh nutmeg over the top before baking and it really makes a difference.