Bacon-Pecan Tassies

Bacon-Pecan Tassies

(2 dozen)

Ingredients:

½ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

3 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 large Fresh Egg

¾ cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

½ cup chopped Pecans

2 slices Smoked Bacon, cooked & crumbled

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese using an electric mixer on medium speed.  Add flour slowly and continue to mix until smooth.  Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and shape into balls.  Place one at a time into a 24 cup ungreased mini muffin pan, press and shape across bottom and up sides.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl beat egg, brown sugar and tbsp. of melted butter until combined.  Stir in pecans and bacon.  Spoon about 1 heaping tsp. of mixture into each pastry-lined cup.  Place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is puffed.  Cool slightly in pan and then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:               You can make ahead and refrigerate.  Just set out 30 minutes before serving time.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Bacon Pinwheels

Bacon Pinwheels

(2 dozen)

Ingredients:

3 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

2 tbsp. White Onion, finely diced

1 tsp. Milk

1 tube (8 oz.) Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

5 strips Smoked Bacon, cooked & finely chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, onion and milk and set aside.  On a lightly floured surface, unroll crescent dough into one large rectangle and press perforations to seal.  Spread cream cheese mixture over dough going to the edges.  Sprinkle bacon over mixture and roll up jelly-roll style starting with the long side.  Seal seams and cut into 24 slices using a serrated knife.  Place pinwheels on an ungreased baking sheet.  Put in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note:               These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.  Just set them out 30 minutes before serving.

Ideas for Future Effort

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Maple Roasted Carrots

Maple Roasted Carrots

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

2 lb. Fresh Carrots, peeled, long bias sliced about ¼ inch thick

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup

2 tbsp. Honey

1½ tsp. Ground Coriander

½ tsp. Kosher Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

1 tbsp. Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)

1 tbsp. Fresh Chives, chopped

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine carrots, oil, syrup and honey.  Sprinkle mixture with the coriander, salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Spread carrot mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet that has been oiled.  Place in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and stir before returning to oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally and remove when carrots are tender and slightly browned.  Transfer carrot mixture to a serving bowl and top with sesame seeds, thyme and chives.  Toss to mix and serve.

Note:               It is important to remember to grease baking sheet when roasting vegetables in the oven.  It helps to keep them from sticking to the pan.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Glazed Carrots & Pecans

Glazed Carrots & Pecans

(6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 lb. Fresh Carrots, peeled, long bias sliced about ¼ inch thick

¼ tsp. Kosher Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 tbsp. Brown Sugar

½ - ¾ cup Pecans, chopped

¾ tsp, Nutmeg (see note)

¼ tsp. Ground Cinnamon

¼ cup Water

2 tbsp. Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil and then add carrots, salt and pepper.  Stir to coat and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add butter, brown sugar and pecans and continue cooking until carrots are tender (about 2-3 minutes).  Next stir in nutmeg, cinnamon and water.  Cook stirring until sauce reduces to a glaze-like consistency (about 30 seconds to a minute).  Remove from heat and stir in the parsley.  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Note:               Fresh nutmeg is always best but if you don’t have it, use ground nutmeg.

Note:               You could use another type of nut but I like pecans best in this dish.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Try Carrots for your Special Meal Vegetable

I know it is just a few days before Christmas but how about something other than "Green Bean Casserole" for that big meal?  Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables.  So in this week of celebration I've got 2 tasty carrot recipes for you to consider.

Tomorrow, on Wednesday, take a look at "Glazed Carrots & Pecans" which is done on the stovetop.  That helps when the oven is full of other holiday dishes.  It also only takes minutes to prepare.

For Thursday's recipe consider trying "Maple Roasted Carrots" in the oven.  This frees up last minute work before serving if there is room in an oven.

I've not a lot to say this week as I try to finish up shopping, wrap gifts and prep food for the holiday.  So I'll just wish everyone a "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year" and may it be a truly happy occasion for you, family and friends.

Next week I'll just post a couple of recipes on Tuesday and Wednesday for your New Year's parties.  That should give you enough time to get the ingredients needed before Thursday night and the countdown to midnight.

"Happy Cooking" and see you next year.

Slow-Cooker Risotto with Sweet Corn, Bacon & Basil

Slow-Cooker Risotto

with Sweet Corn, Bacon & Basil

(6-12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

6 slices Good Smoked Bacon (not maple flavored)

4½ cups Chicken Broth

1/3 cup Vidalia Onion, diced

½ cup White Wine or Chicken Broth

2 cups Arborio Rice

2 cups Fresh Sweet Corn cut from cob (or frozen, thawed)

½ tsp. Salt

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, room temperature

½ cup (packed) Fresh Basil, cut chiffonade (thin strips)

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Drain on paper towels, crumble and set aside.  Retain 2 tbsp. of bacon drippings in pan.  Add onion to pan over medium heat and cook until tender (3-4 minutes).  Add white wine and bring to a boil scraping bottom of pan to release flavoring stuck to it.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add rice.  Transfer rice mixture to a 4-5 quart slow-cooker.  Stir in broth, corn and salt.  Cover and cook on high for 1 to 1¼ hours or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  Stir mixture once during cooking.  Stir in the butter, top with bacon and basil and serve.

Note:               You could continue on the stove top instead of using a slow-cooker.  To do that, just add 1 cup of broth at a time and cook until liquid is mostly absorbed before adding more broth.  Add the corn when you add the 4 cup of broth.  Skip the butter and just top with the bacon and basil after risotto is done.

Note:               Portions will depend on if served as an entrée or side dish.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin Risotto

(4-8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

5 cups Vegetable Broth (see note)

3 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 small Yellow Onion, diced

1 clove Fresh Garlic, minced

1 cup Arborio Rice

1 cup Pumpkin Puree (canned)

1 tsp. Sea Salt

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg (see note)

½ tsp. Black Pepper

½ tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped (optional)

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, warm broth.  In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft.  Next add garlic and continue for 1 minute or until fragrant.  Stir in rice and 1 cup of warm broth.  Reduce heat to medium-low so mixture simmers.  Stirring often, cook until most of liquid is absorbed.  Keep adding 1 cup of broth at a time using this process until rice is tender (about 20 minutes or so).  Stir in pumpkin, salt and nutmeg.  Heat through while well mixing.  Add pepper, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Place in a serving dish and top with sage if using and serve.

Note:               You may not need all the vegetable

                        broth as you cook the rice.  Taste

                        rice to see if tender after 4 cups.

                        Then add ¼ cup at a time until

                        tender.

Note:               It is always best to use fresh nutmeg.  Just take the nut-like nutmeg and grate using a fine grater.  Be careful not to overdo it and taste to meet your pallet.  If you don’t have fresh nutmeg, then use ground nutmeg from the spice isle.
 

Note:               This is a vegan dish but you could use chicken broth if that is what you have on hand.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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What is Risotto? Make it Anytime of the Year.

I know when you think of Italian food or Italy, pasta and pizza are the first foods that come to mind.  But in Northern Italy, rice is a big thing.  Actually the dish is called "Risotto" and it comes in many flavors.  Well the rice doesn't but the additional ingredients give you all sorts of possibilities.

Two of them are recipes this week.  Tuesday is a "Pumpkin Risotto" and then Wednesday we break some rules.  We do risotto in a "Slow Cooker" and it's called "Slow Cooker Risotto with Sweet Corn, Bacon & Basil" and is great in the summer sweet corn season.

So what is Risotto?  It's a rice dish made with a short grain rice such as "Arborio" (most common available in USA), "Baldo" or "Carnaroli."  The rice is cooked in broth to a creamy consistency.  Most risotto uses olive oil or butter, onions, the rice, wine and/or broth of some type (chicken, vegetable, beef for example).  Added ingredients such as pumpkin (mentioned above), mushrooms or other items.  Then it is usually finished off with a little butter, grated cheese and/or heavy cream.  The rice is still al dente when the dish is finished and creamy.

To make risotto, you start with a couple of pans.  One to heat the broth you will be adding to the rice.  The heating of the broth is a most to create a great finished product.  The other can be a large skillet or sauce pan to heat the oil or butter before sautéing onions.  It may be best to remove them once done.  Then you add the rice and sauté it in the oil or butter for a few minutes.  Next you would add the wine (if using and it should be warmed too) and let it be absorbed.  Add the onions back and start adding broth a ladle at a time.  Stirring the rice mixture occasionally as the rice continues to absorb the liquid.  Once all the broth has been absorbed, you finish it off with a little butter, grated cheese or heavy cream depending on what the recipe needs.

Now there are some people who do it a little different.  Some won't use butter in the beginning while others won't use it at all or the heavy cream either.  Depending on the recipe, the wine may be white or red.  Some like to finish the dish by removing it from the heat, placing a lid on it and letting it sit 2 or 3 minutes before serving.

You can make up your own mind on which way you like it best.  Remember that this dish can be served as a first course or a main entrée.  So it has some flexibility to it.

Give one of these recipes a try or some other that sounds interesting to you.  If you're not sure, order it at a restaurant to decide if it is something you like and maybe then make on your own.

"Happy Cooking" until next week and please share with family and friends.

Cherry Almond Snowdrops

Cherry Almond Snowdrops

(about 3 dozen)

 

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. Cake Flour

1¼ cups Powdered Sugar, divided

¼ tsp. Salt

1 cup Unsalted Butter, cold & cubed

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

½ tsp. Almond Extract

½ cup Dried Cherries, chopped

¼ cup Almonds, toasted & finely chopped

Directions:

Place flour, ¾ cup sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add butter and both extracts to flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles little peas.  Add cherries and almonds, then pulse to combine.  Dough will be crumbly.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls pressing firmly to adhere.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool cookies in pan for 10 minutes.  Now roll warm cookies in remaining powdered sugar and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Note:               To toast the almonds, place in a skillet over low heat.  Stirring occasionally, heat until lightly browned and fragrant.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Cherry Christmas Cookies

Cherry Christmas Cookies

(6 dozen)

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 large Fresh Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2¼ cups All-Purpose Flour

2 cups Candied Cherries (red & green colored), halved

1 cup Pecan Halves

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy.  Add flour a half cup at a time until well mixed.  Stir in the cherries and pecans and then chill dough for an hour.  Divide dough in thirds and form each piece into a 10 inch roll or log.  Wrap each roll in plastic and place in a large freezer bag.  Freeze until solid.  Take one roll at a time and slice into 24 pieces.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet and put in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.

Note:               You get about 2 dozen cookies out of each roll of frozen dough.  The frozen rolls will last a few months in the freezer.  That way you can always have some ready to bake on short notice.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Cookies for the Holidays

During the "Christmas Holiday" season, seems everyone likes making and eating special cookies.  I'm no different and enjoy both the making and the eating.  I have several cookie and bar recipes in the "Desserts & Baking" recipe tab above.  They include "My Favorite Thumb Print Cookie" and "Chocolate Krinkles" which are two of my favorites.

I happen to love cherries in many different ways including fresh, dried, candied, jarred and even frozen.  In my searching for new ideas and recipes, I found two cookie recipes that involve cherries.  So  I'm sharing those with you this week.

Wednesday's recipe is for "Cherry Christmas Cookies" and use red & green candied cherries.  On Thursday, I have "Cherry Almond Snowdrops" that are rolled in powdered sugar after baking.  If you like cherries at all, I believe these will both be a big hit for you.

I'm, like most of you, busy with the "Holiday Season" and have little other time between shopping, decorating and baking.  And many other aspects of the season too.  So I'm not making this post long so you can get back to what needs to get done.  But did want to share those cherry recipes for cookies.

"Happy Cooking & Baking" until next week and please help spread my food blog to family and friends.  Thank you and these recipes work well for "Hanukkah" too which just started yesterday.

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole (GF)

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole (GF)

(12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 whole Garlic Bulbs

1 tbsp. Canola Oil

8 slices Bacon

3 large Green Onions, sliced

4 lb. Red Potatoes

1 (16 oz.) container Sour Cream

1½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

¼ cup Milk

½ tsp. Kosher Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

1/8 cup Chives, minced (optional)

Directions:

Remove papery outer skin from garlic bulb.  Cut top off of garlic bulb and brush with oil.  Wrap each bulb in foil and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool 10 minutes before using.  In a large skillet while garlic is baking, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove to paper towel lined plate and reserve 2 tbsp. of bacon drippings.  In same skillet, cook onion in the drippings until tender and then set aside.  Crumble bacon.  Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Mash potatoes, squeeze softened garlic over top.  Stir in bacon, onions with drippings, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, butter, milk, salt and pepper.  Combine all and transfer mixture into a 9x13 baking dish that has been buttered.  Top mixture with remaining cheese and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven uncovered for about 15 minutes or until cheese has melted.  Remove, garnish with chives and serve.

Note:               This dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.  Just don’t add cheese topping at this time.  Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before placing in the oven.  Adjust baking time to about 45 minutes and cover with foil during this baking time.  Remove foil and continue another 15 minutes after topping with the remaining cheese.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Corn Pudding (GF)

Corn Pudding (GF)

(8-12 servings)

 

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter (plus extra for baking dish)

3¼ cups Milk, divided

2 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 cup Cornmeal

2 cups Whole Kernel Corn (fresh or frozen)

¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper

4 large Fresh Eggs, separated & room temperature

¼ tsp. Cream of Tartar

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine butter, 3 cups of milk, sugar and salt.  Bring to a simmer and when butter has melted, reduce heat to medium-low.  Slowly add cornmeal as you whisk constantly.  Now add in corn and pepper while continuing to whisk until thickened (3-5 minutes).  Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup of milk together.  Set both of these bowls aside.  In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until you have stiff peaks.  Now combine a ½ cup of cornmeal mixture with the egg yolk mixture and then add back to the remaining cornmeal mixture bowl.  Take egg whites and slowly fold in 1/3 of them into the cornmeal mixture.  Then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.  Transfer this batter into a buttered 7x11 baking dish.  Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven and bake for about 35 minutes.  The top should be browned and puffy and the dish should jiggle slightly.  Remove to a rack and cool slightly before serving warm.

Note:               If you like a little kick to your dish, try adding a fresh jalapeno pepper or two.  Remove seeds, dice finely and add to mixture when you add the corn.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Gluten-Free Side Dishes for the Holidays

Thanksgiving is over but there is still the holiday season of December ahead of us.  For those that need a gluten-free diet, making a holiday meal can be challenging.  It's not hard to find GF recipes for turkey, prime rib or beef brisket.  The side dishes though can be a whole different issue.

Green bean casserole and gravies usually have gluten in them, for example.  You can today find GF cream of mushroom soup and fried onions but only at some grocery stores  As for gravies, you might try using "Potato Starch" as your thickener.

Just a reminder, that all turkeys are not GF.  Be sure to check the label as some have gluten in the liquid they inject into the turkey.

I came across a recipe in the paper recently that didn't mention being gluten-free.  However, as I looked at it, I noticed it was gluten-free.  I tried it and was very pleased with the results.  I'm posting that recipe tomorrow.  It's for "Corn Pudding" and it makes a great side dish to any special holiday meal.

Thursday's  recipe is for "Loaded Baked Potato Casserole" and it too makes a great side dish to that holiday dinner.

If you are looking for some good GF pasta products, I've found a couple that I really think hit the mark.  These two companies do have product in stores but it is a very limited number of stores.  But they offer online sales too.  The first is "Leo's Gluten-Free"  out of Illinois and they make great ravioli, gnocchi and other pasta products.  Find them at www.leosglutenfree.com  and give them a try.  The other company is "BiAglut" and there products are made in Italy.  The elbow pasta I use in the GF Mac & Cheese recipe that I posted back on 11-5-15 is from them.  To order from them go to www.BiAglutUSA.com and give them a shot.  Be sure to check on their websites if someone handles their products in your area.

Hope this helps you in planning future holiday dinners.  "Happy Cooking" until next week.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone

This week is "Thanksgiving" on Thursday.  So I'm preparing and cooking for our thanksgiving meal and will not have any recipes to post this week.

Thanksgiving is time to share with family and friends.  To be thankful for all the friendships we have throughout the world as it continues to get smaller with technology.

Enjoy the day, the people, and, of course, the food.

One of the many things I'm thankful for is all of you that follow, check-out and/or share my food blog.  I hope that you are enjoying the weekly posts and that they are helping you enjoy the kitchen and the food you produce.

See you next week when I'll have some Gluten-Free recipes for the December holidays.

So from me to all of you, "HAPPY THANKSGIVING," whether you live in the USA or somewhere else in the world.

Wild Rice Stuffing with Pears & Cranberries (GF)

Wild Rice Stuffing with Pears & Cranberries (GF)

(8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2½ cups Chicken Broth (GF)

2/3 cup Raw Wild Rice

1½ tbsp. Olive Oil

1 medium Red Onion, diced

2 large stalks Celery, diced

2 medium Pears, firm, cored & diced

2 cups Gluten-Free Bread, diced

1/3 cup Dried Cranberries

¼ cup Pecans, chopped

2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning

½ tsp. Dried Thyme

to taste Salt & Black Pepper

½ cup Apple Cider (or apple juice)

Directions:

Bring broth to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Add in the wild rice and cover.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all the liquid is absorbed (35-45 minutes).  In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the celery and continue until both are golden.  Next combine rice, onion mixture and remaining ingredients except apple cider.  Drizzle apple cider over the new mixture slowly and stir until evenly moistened.  Spread into a 7x11 baking dish that has been pan sprayed or greased.  Place into a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until top is slightly crusty and dish is heated through.  Serve at once when done.

Note:               Be aware of your ingredients to make sure this is a Gluten-Free dish.  You can make this dish vegan as well.  Just use vegetable broth instead.  The recipe could also have sausage added to it.  One pound would do for the sausage.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Roast Turkey with Cilantro Paste

Roast Turkey with Cilantro Paste

(8 servings)

 

Ingredients:

½ cup Fresh Cilantro, firmly packed

½ cup Fresh Flatleaf Parsley, firmly packed

1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

1 tbsp. Fresh Shallot, chopped

1 tsp. Fresh Lime Zest

½ tsp. Kosher Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

12-14 lb. Turkey, fresh or thawed

4 sprigs Fresh Cilantro

2 large Carrots, sliced into 3 inch chunks

1 medium Yellow Onion, quartered

¼ cup Unsalted Butter

2 tbsp. Honey

Directions:

In a food processor, combine cilantro, parsley, butter, shallots, zest, salt and pepper.  Cover and pulse into a chunky paste.  Prepare turkey as normal by removing neck and giblets, rinsing and patting dry.  Now loosen skin from the meat by inserting you fingers starting at the neck.  Rub half the paste under the skin and over the breast and thighs too.  Sprinkle body cavity with salt and pepper before inserting the cilantro, carrot and onion into it.  Fasten neck skin under turkey, tuck wings under breast and fasten legs back into provided piece (or string legs and tie to tail if not provided).  Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan breast side up.  Insert oven friendly thermometer into the thickest part of thigh not touching the bone.  Cover loosely with foil and place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 2¾ hours.  While turkey is in oven using a sauce pan, melt butter, then stir in honey and remaining paste.  Set aside until you uncover turkey.  After the 2¾ hours, remove foil and baste turkey with the mixture in sauce pan.  Return turkey to oven and continue for 15 to 45 minutes or until thermometer reads 175 degrees.  Remove turkey and cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Note:               You can use an electric roaster if you have one for this turkey.  Thus freeing up the oven for other dishes for your holiday meal.  Electric roasters are a great item to have in your cooking equipment inventory.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Turkey Prep & Carving

Last week I told you to allow about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4 pounds of turkey to have a safely thawed bird.  So let's continue from there this week.

In buying a turkey for the big day, use 1 pound for each guest.  Thus a 12 to 14 pound turkey will handle 12 to 14 people.

When ready to work with the big bird, clean a kitchen sink to set it in.  Remove the wrapper and take out giblets and neck which are usually frozen inside in one the two place possible.  Usually the neck is in the body cavity and the giblets are in the extra neck skin above the breast.  You can use these items to make stock, add to your dressing/stuffing or discard them.

Now rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.  From here, follow your recipe that you are using to cook this treat.  Some recipes will have you brine the turkey overnight and others will have you do seasonings the day of the big meal.

There is always the big question of do you stuff the turkey or not.  I like it both ways but prefer to stuff it.  Many will tell you of the dangers of stuffing a turkey.  I have never encountered a problem or even heard personally of anyone getting sick because of stuffing their turkey.  If you follow common sense and practice food safety, you should not have a problem.  I know people also will cut their turkey into major pieces and then cook them.  Even know of people who have the turkey deboned before they cook it.  Go with whatever makes you feel comfortable and tastes great.

The turkey is done when it hits a temperature of 175 degrees in the thigh meat.  If you are stuffing the bird, the stuffing needs to hit 165 degrees.  The most used temperature for the oven is 325 degrees, but again follow your recipe.  It will tell you the proper temperature for that recipe.

To cover or not to cover, that is a question.  If you are roasting in an open roasting pan, you may want to loosely cover with foil to start and remove later to let it brown to desired color.  If you are using a covered roasting pan or an electric roaster, probably don't need foil.  But do check and add if turkey is getting too dark.

Once the turkey is done and removed from the oven, cover with  foil and let it rest 15 to 20 minutes before starting to carve.

To carve the turkey, start by removing the leg and thigh in one piece.  To do this, grab the leg and cut through the skin between the body of the bird and the thigh.  Go all the way to the bone.  Now use the tip to separate the thigh bone from the body at the joint.  Next separate the leg from the thigh again by cutting through the skin at the joint between the two pieces.  Leave the leg whole and slice the thigh meat from the thigh bone.

For the breast meat, stick your fork into the wing to help steady the turkey.  Make a horizontal cut through the breast meat just above the wing all the way to the body frame.  Now slice vertical cuts beginning at the front part of the breast.  Slice down to the horizontal cut and the pieces will just fall away.  Lastly, remove the wing at the joint connecting to the body.  At the joints, separate the three pieces of wing and place the closet two sections to the body on your serving platter.  Repeat the process with the other side.

I hope this helps you when the big day or meal arrives.  I  have a little different turkey recipe for you this week and a stuffing recipe that is Gluten-Free too.  Enjoy and have a great Thanksgiving.  "Happy Cooking" and I'm thankful for all of you that check out my food blog.  Thanks again.

Garlic Rosemary Dressing

Garlic Rosemary Dressing

(20 plus servings)

 

Ingredients:

18 oz. loaf Rustic White Bread, cubed

18 oz. loaf Rustic Whole Wheat Bread, cubed

½ cup Unsalted Butter

2 lb. Yellow Onions, chopped

6 stalks Celery, chopped

2 tsp. Celery Seeds

10 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced

4 large Fresh Eggs, beaten

3 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

2 tbsp. Fresh Sage, finely chopped

4 cups Chicken Broth

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 cups Cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

Spread cubed bread on sheet trays.  Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes to toast.  Stir frequently and cook to golden brown.  Cool.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.  Add onions, celery and celery seeds cooking and stirring until soft (10 minutes).  In a very large bowl, combine garlic, eggs, rosemary and sage.  Add broth along with 2½ tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper.  Working in batches, add bread cubes and onion mixture gently tossing to combine.  Divide final mixture between 2 lightly greased 3-qt. baking dishes.  Drizzle each dish with 2 tbsp. olive oil, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  Place in a pre-heated 350 oven with foil on for 25 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking for 20 minutes or until dressing is lightly browned and heated through.  Remove from oven and stir in 1 cup of cranberries in each dish.  Then let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Note:               This recipe can easily be cut in half to work for a smaller group/dinner.

Note:               If using frozen cranberries, thaw before adding to dish.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Corn Bread Stuffing with Shrimp & Andouille

Corn Bread Stuffing with Shrimp & Andouille

(8-10 servings)

 

Ingredients:

1 box Corn Bread Mix, prepared (see note)

1 lb. Andouille Sausage, quartered lengthwise & then sliced into ½ inch thick pieces

3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 medium Yellow Onions, chopped

1 bunch Celery, chopped

8 medium Green Onions, sliced (white & light green parts only)

1 lb. large Raw Shrimp, shelled, deveined & chopped

1 tbsp. Fresh Garlic, minced

1 tbsp. Fresh Sage, chopped

1 tbsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped

3 cups Chicken Broth

½ cup Fresh Flatleaf Parsley, chopped

to taste Salt & Black Pepper

to taste Tabasco

Directions:

Place cutup corn bread in a large mixing bowl.  In a large heavy skillet, cook sausage over moderate heat until lightly browned (10 minutes).  Add to the bowl with corn bread.  Now melt butter in skillet and add onions, celery and half of green onions.  Cook over moderate heat until softened (10 minutes).  Add shrimp, garlic, sage and thyme while continuing to cook until shrimp are just cooked through (3 minutes).  Add shrimp mixture to bowl with corn bread.  In the same skillet, heat broth to a boil.  Pour over corn bread mixture and stir well.   Add parsley, remaining green onions and season with salt, pepper and Tabasco mixing to incorporate.  Spread stuffing into a 10x15 generously buttered non-metal baking dish.  Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until crisp and brown on top.

Note:               Make a box of your favorite corn bread mix or recipe in a 9x13 baking dish.  When cooled, slice into 1 inch squares for this recipe.  Corn bread will be thinner than when you use an 8x8 dish according to the box mix.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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Thanksgiving Time Lines & Other Info

Thanksgiving in the USA is just over two weeks away.  You probably should have already started planning what you are doing for the big meal.  Hopefully I can help you in getting ready this year and in the years to come.

There are some items you can make ahead and freeze for up to a month.  Dinner rolls, pies and soups are some good ones for this prep.  Dinner rolls can be pulled the night before or morning of and served at room temperature or warmed wrapped in foil.  Pies can be baked from frozen so you don't lose space in the refrigerator.  Soups actually gain flavor when made early.  Heat from frozen on a low temperature or thaw in refrigerator 3 days before needed.

The turkey is the big item for most Thanksgiving dinners.  If you are using a frozen bird, give it plenty of time to thaw.  Figure one day for every 4 pounds of turkey.  So a 12 lb. turkey is 3 days and a 20 lb. turkey is 5 days.  Now if you are going to brine your turkey, add a day to that too.  Remember to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator.

Having stuffing or dressing with your turkey?  Remember to put bread out a day or two before wanting to use as you want stale bread.  You can probably make the stuffing or dressing the day before and refrigerate.  This, of course, depends on available space in your refrigerator.

Some of your side dishes can be made early and either frozen or refrigerated depending on the dish and space.  Try to make it so that big day is not so hectic or nerve-racking for you and your family.

This week the recipes are for some different types of stuffing or dressing.  Those words are used interchangeably.  Although many consider stuffing as going inside the bird and dressing being done in a casserole dish separately.  Wednesday's "Corn Bread Stuffing with Shrimp & Andouille" is done in a casserole dish and not in the bird.  Thursday's "Garlic Rosemary Dressing" is also done in a casserole dish.

Just thought I'd give a couple slightly different dishes for Thanksgiving.  I like to always try something new each year to go with all the traditional dishes of the season.  Remember there are many other great recipes for the holidays in the recipe tabs above.  "Happy Cooking" until next week.

Homemade Mac & Cheese (GF)

Homemade Mac & Cheese (GF)

(6 servings)

 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

2 tbsp. Potato Flour/Starch

2 cups Milk (see note)

½ lb. Velveeta Cheese, cut up

1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese

4 oz. Havarti Cheese, cut up

½ tsp. White Pepper

½ tsp. Nutmeg, fresh grated (ground if fresh is not available)

½ lb. Bacon, cooked & chopped

½ cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped (fresh or from a jar)

1 pkg. (12 oz.) Corn Pasta, cooked 1 minute short of box directions (see note)

½ cup GF Bread Crumbs mixed with 2 tbsp. melted butter (optional)

Directions:

First confirm that all ingredients are gluten-free.  In a 3 qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add potato flour and whisk cooking another 2 minutes.  Slowly add milk as you continue to whisk.  Heat mixture until it starts to thicken.  Add cheeses one at a time continuing to whisk until each melted and sauce is smooth.  Next add seasonings, bacon and peppers to combine.  Stir in the pasta and pour mixture into a greased 1½-2 qt. baking dish.  Top with bread crumbs if using.  Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until hot, bubbly and slightly browned.

Note:               Whole or 2% milk works here.  If I

                        use skim milk, reduce to 1½ cups

                        and add ½ cup heavy whipping cream.

Note:               I suggest you use “BiAglut” brand Gluten-Free Pasta in this recipe.  In fact, it is the only GF pasta I like to use.  If you can’t find a store close by, go to their website and purchase online.  You can also use any shape that you like in this recipe.

Ideas for Future Efforts

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