Baked Artichoke Bread

Every year my husband and I host a big fall party.  This was our sixth year hosting and we love being able to get all of our friends together and celebrate our favorite season.  We call the party "The Feast" and it is definitely just that.  We provide a large piece of meat for everyone - we've done barbecued turkey, pulled pork, tri-tip roast and this year we did a beef brisket.  My husband did a fabulous job with the brisket - maybe I can get him to "guest post" about it (wink, wink, hubby if you're reading this). 

Everyone else brings a dish to share and we have some pretty incredible cooks in our circle of friends.  There was jambalaya, white chicken chili, sweet and sour meatballs, homemade salsa and guacamole and tons of desserts - gorgeous fall leaf cookies, pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potato pie, chocolate dipped cheesecake and the list goes on and on. 

Even though we are in charge of the meat, I wanted to add a little something to the feast.  I had really been in the mood for some artichoke dip, so I thought that would be a good appetizer that everyone would enjoy.  I had planned to bake the dip in the oven and serve it with cut up pieces of Italian bread.  But as we were running a little short on time, I thought "why not bake the dip ON the bread?".  So that's how this recipe was born.........

Baked Artichoke Bread

Ingredients:

2 cans artichoke hearts in water

1 cup good mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling)

4 green onions (sliced)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 large loaves of Italian bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Drain both cans of artichoke hearts and chopped them.  Mix chopped artichoke hearts, mayo, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, green onions, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Slice bread length-wise down the middle.  Place on a baking sheet.  Spread artichoke mixture all over the top of the bread.  Depending on your bread size, the mixture will cover 1-2 entire loaves.  Once mixture is spread on top of bread, sprinkle Parmesan cheese all over the top and a little freshly ground black pepper.

Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  To serve, slice 1-2 inch thick slices.

Cottage Mama's Note:  This dish would be wonderful for holiday entertaining.  Serve it as an appetizer or as a hearty side-dish with your favorite soup.

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Maple Pecan Coleslaw

So the title of this recipe may not sound 100% appealing to all of you; however this is one of my favorite coleslaw recipes of all time.  Even if you don't like coleslaw, I think you will find this one to be a winner.  The following recipe is my adaptation of a Nigella Lawson coleslaw recipe.  It's the perfect mix of sweet and savory.  A superb accompaniment along-side some smokey barbecue ribs or try it on top of a pulled pork sandwich - deeeeelish!!

Maple Pecan Coleslaw

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

1 medium-size head of cabbage

4 carrots

3 stalks celery

6 green onions

1.5 cups mayonnaise

4 tablespoons maple syrup

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (you can use white wine vinegar or rice vinegar too)

1 cup pecans, chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Shred the cabbage.  You can do this with a knife or use your food processor.  You could also purchase pre-shredded coleslaw cabbage (though buying a head of cabbage is much more economical).  Place shredded cabbage into a large mixing bowl.

Wash and grate carrots.  Dice celery.  Slice green onions (white and green parts).  Place carrots, celery, and green onions in the bowl with the cabbage.

In a smaller mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar - stir to combine.  Pour dressing over the top of the cabbage, carrot, celery, green onion mixture and toss to combine.  Add chopped pecans and salt and pepper, to taste.  Toss again to combine.  

Allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours to allow flavors to come together.

Cottage Mama's Note:  This is another recipe from Matilda's Summer Garden Party.  We used this slaw to top our pork sandwiches at the party - YUM!

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Grilled Corn Salad

It's corn season - yipppee!!  I love a fresh, sweet ear of corn on the cob in the summer.  Here's another recipe from Matilda's Summer Garden Party.  This grilled corn salad can be changed up with the addition of different herbs and vegetables, but the base always stays the same - amazingly delicious grilled corn!

Grilled Corn Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 ears of corn

1 jar of roasted red peppers

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 lemon, juiced

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more for brushing corn

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Remove the hull and silks from corn and wash thoroughly.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place corn on grill for approximately 8 minutes or until corn appears to be a medium brown.

Allow corn to cool.  Once cooled, remove kernels from cobs and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add one jar of roasted red peppers, chopped, sliced green onions, 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

In another small mixing bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice (you can add some zest too if you really like lemon), and sugar - add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Pour dressing over corn mixture and toss to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Like I've said before, if the pop of flavor isn't quite there, add more salt and pepper and taste again.  You can always add more salt, but you can't take it away.

Cottage Mama's Note:  I just made a variation of this salad that was great as well.  I used cherry tomatoes (halved) from our garden instead of roasted red peppers and I used cilantro instead of parsley.  This went perfectly with our beef and avocado tacos!!

PS:  So many of you emailed and asked for a tutorial on the Gathered Ruffle Camera strap that I will be putting one together for you in the coming week.

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Loaded Potato Salad Recipe from Matilda's Summer Garden Party

So, I'm finally getting around to posting some of the recipes from my daughter, Matilda's Summer Garden Party that we had earlier this month.  The first recipe I would like to share with you is my Loaded Potato Salad.

I get weak in the knees for a good loaded baked potato.  I mean I love the works - butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, salt and pepper - YUM.  A good, loaded baked potato was my inspiration for this wonderful potato salad.  Even if you don't traditionally like potato salad, give this a try - you might be a potato salad fan after all!

Matilda's Loaded Potato Salad

Serves 12

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled

5 green onions, cleaned and sliced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salad water to a boil.  Add potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks.  Cook until tender, but not mushy (it's very important not to over cook your potatoes).  Cooking time is approximately 15 minutes.  Drain potatoes, place in refrigerator to cool.

Meanwhile, cook your bacon.  You can cut it prior to cooking, as I have done here, or cook the strips and crumble them later (it's up to you).  Once cooked, crumble each bacon strip and set aside.  

Add mayonnaise and sour cream to a large mixing bowl and combine.  Then add green onions (or chives, if you prefer), celery, bacon, and salt and pepper.  Finally add your cooked, cooled potatoes (don't worry if they aren't totally cooled - that's ok) and fold ingredients together to combine.  Taste and then adjust seasoning.  

Place potato salad in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to come together.  This is definitely a great make ahead dish, so feel free to make this the day before your party or event! 

Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  If it doesn't taste quite right to you, it probably needs more salt.  I find that salt can make or break a potato dish - just the right amount and you can hit it out of the park, too little and your flavor will fall very flat.  Keep tasting and adjusting as you see fit.  Remember you can always add more salt, but you can't take it out.

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Marinated Fresh Mozzarella

I love fresh mozzarella.  There really is no comparison to the stuff you buy in a brick or pre-shredded.  I love a good piece of crusty bread with sliced mozzarella, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic salt - Yum!

When I want to take fresh mozzarella to the next level, I love to marinate them in herbed olive oil.  Have you seen the marinated mozzarella in the store?  It's pretty expensive in comparison to the regular un-marinated variety - usually about 2 times the price (if not more).  Marinated mozzarella is so simple to do at home at the fraction of the cost.

Marinated Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients:

1 package medium size, fresh mozzarella balls

3/4 cup good olive oil

Herbs (fresh or dried) - oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, ect..

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Optional: Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

Drain fresh mozzarella.  Place cheese in a small container.  Sprinkle herbs on top.  This is where you can get creative - use what you like (fresh or dried).  If you have an herb garden go to town with fresh, if you don't, just use what's in your cabinet - it will be good either way.  If you like spice, add some red pepper flakes.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper (about a 1/4 teaspoon).

Fill container so mozzarella is covered.  You may use more or less olive oil depending on your container size.

Cover container with a tight lid and let sit overnight.

Antipasto platter from Matilda's Garden Party with Marinated Fresh Mozzarella

Cottage Mama's Note: Use this mozzarella on a beautiful antipasto platter (as seen above).  Or cook some pasta, let it cool and add the marinated mozzarella (with oil and herbs) to make a delicious pasta salad.  Or simply place cheese on a crusty piece of Italian bread and enjoy!

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Asian Slaw

Several weeks ago, I shared my recipe for Jambalaya Egg Casserole that I served at my most recent playgroup.  With the casserole I served an Asian slaw and a pineapple salad - I shared the pictures, but not the recipes (I know, how rude of me!).  A couple people emailed asking for the recipe for the Asian slaw, so I thought I would share it with you all.

I love almost all Asian food (unless I can see the eyeballs) and I especially love things with peanuts.  This is a great dish to take to a potluck or for entertaining because you can make it ahead of time and it tastes great at room temperature.

Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

1 package Ramen noodles - Oriental Flavor

2 tablespoons peanut butter

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

4-6 cups shredded cabbage (regular green or napa) or 1 bag coleslaw mix

1/2 cup grated carrots

1 handful of roasted peanuts

2 green onions, sliced

Optional:  

Chopped cilantro

Sesame Seeds

Directions:

Crush Ramen noodles.  Use this time to take any aggression you may have in life out on your noodles. 

Mix oriental seasoning packet (from Ramen), peanut butter, vegetable oil, sesame oil and vinegar in a large mixing bowl - use a whisk or a fork.  I find everyone likes a little different consistency.  I like it to look like a salad dressing, so a little bit on the thin side.  If you need to thin it, add some hot tap water.  If you would like it thicker, add some more peanut butter.  

Add crushed Ramen noodles, shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, peanuts, cilantro (optional) and a sprinkle sesame seeds (optional) to the dressing mixture.  Toss to combine.  Garnish with cilantro.

Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Slaw can be made a day in advance (it actually gets better as it sits).

Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  This salad is also great without the peanut butter for a lighter slaw.  Substitute sliced almonds for the peanuts if you have someone with a peanut allergy.  Or omit the nuts all together.

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Ginger Salad Dressing

image via anniesnaturals.com

I just tasted this salad dressing two minutes ago and I am so excited that I had to sit down immediately at my computer to share!  

Do you ever go to those Japanese restaurants where they cook at your table?  You know......i.e. Benihana's or Kobe.  If not, they usually give you this delicious salad to start your meal with this amazingly delicious ginger dressing. 

Well, this is it - it's that amazing salad dressing!!

I almost lost my mind when I tasted this and even better yet - it's a "lite" dressing.  Wooohooooo!  I'm not much of a salad girl, unless it has buttermilk ranch dressing, lots of cheese, bacon and croutons and then what's the point, right?  But this stuff is great and would be so, so, so tasty as a marinade for grilled shrimp, chicken or veggies.  If you are at the store and you feel the same way about the Japanese salad dressing as I do, you must give this a try!

YUM!

Cottage Mama's Note:  If you don't live in an area that carries the "Annie's" products, click here to visit their website.

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Cheesy, Delicious - Hash Brown Casserole

Hash brown casserole is SO yummy!  I'm sure many of you have a version of this recipe, but if you don't I think this is a tried and true dish that should be in everyone's cooking repertoire.

Hash brown casserole is a perfect side dish for any steak, chicken or fish dinner.  It is incredibly easy to make and can be made up to a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge until it is time to bake.  If you are looking for a dish to take to a pot-luck, this one is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  This is also a wonderful brunch dish as well! 

If for some reason you have never tried this dish, please, please give this recipe a try - you will love it!!

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen, shredded or diced hash brown potatoes (2 lbs.), thawed

1 onion, chopped

1 can cream soup (cream of chicken, mushroom, celery.....whatever you have)

1 8 oz. container sour cream (I use light sour cream)

1 lb. shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups crushed corn flakes or 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grate cheese (or you can use already shredded bagged cheese) and chop onion.

Then add your hash browns, cream soup, sour cream, cheese, onions, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined.

After all ingredients are combined, spoon hash brown mixture into a greased, glass baking dish.  Top hash browns with crushed corn flakes or seasoned bread crumbs (I used bread crumbs here) and drizzle melted butter evenly on top.

Bake for 35 minutes, covered.  Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.

Hash Brown Casserole - hot out of the oven!!

Serve with salad and Honey-Dijon Pecan Crusted Salmon (recipe to come!!)

Cottage Mama's Note:  To make hash brown casserole into a main dish entree, consider adding cubed ham or chicken and adding additional vegetables such as diced bell peppers, peas or broccoli.

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Bacon, Onion, and Sweet Pea Risotto

I love making risotto.  I'm not sure why I don't make it more often, I guess I just forget about how delicious it is.  People seem to think that risotto is a fancy, complicated dish, but it is quite the opposite.  Risotto is a wonderful dish because you can combine it with many different things such as; mushrooms, butternut squash, shrimp, and in this case, bacon, onion or peas.  If you've never made risotto at home, give this recipe a try - here I'll take you through step-by-step!

Bacon, Onion, and Sweet Pea Risotto

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio Rice

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 onion, chopped (red or yellow)

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup parmesan + more for garnish

Directions:

 Ingredients

Get out two saucepans - one to heat your chicken stock and one for everything else.  Add stock to one saucepan and heat on medium-high.  Heat the "everything else" saucepan on medium and add bacon and saute.  Cook bacon to desired consistency and just when it is about ready add your onion.  Saute onion until translucent.  About 4 minutes. 

 Bacon and Onion cooking

Add white wine and scrape all the brown, delicious bits off the bottom of the pan.  Then add rice and mix with bacon, onion and wine mixture.

 Rice, Bacon, Onion and Wine

Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add one ladle of stock to the rice mixture.  Once that liquid has cooked down, add another ladle, and do this until you have used all of your stock and your rice is cooked through.  Turn off the heat and add frozen peas and parmesan (stir together) - the heat from the risotto will cook the peas so they are perfectly green.  Sprinkle with more parmesan and enjoy!!

Completed Risotto

Cottage Mama's Note:  If you run out of liquid, but your rice is not finished, add additional stock or water.  Also, make sure the wine you use is a wine you enjoy drinking......"cooking wine" will not do for this recipe.

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Olive Cheese Bread

I feel the need to shout this from the roof-top - I LOVE OLIVE CHEESE BREAD!  This recipe is out of my Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook that I got about a month or so ago.  I've been dying to try this recipe and I decided Christmas Eve would be the perfect opportunity.  And, oh my gosh, was it good!

Now this is definitely not a figure-friendly recipe, but when you are looking to indulge a little bit (such as around the holidays), you cannot go wrong with this bread.  I served this with our Christmas Eve meal - we had a barbequed turkey, potatoes gratin, cornbread stuffing with bacon, and sauteed garlic spinach.  In retrospect, the bread would probably be better served as an appetizer or a meal by itself as it is so filling, but I am in love and so is everyone else who tried it.

I apologize in advance - I do not have a picture of my completed bread.  I wasn't a hundred percent sure it would be "blog-worthy" (as my husband and I say) so I didn't snap a shot.  And then before I knew it - poof -  the bread was gone.  That's the magic of this recipe - it is so delicious that you will blink and it will disappear!

So here is the Olive Cheese Bread recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks :

Olive Cheese Bread

Ingredients:
One 14.5 ounce can black olives, drained
One 6 ounce jar pimento-stuffed green olives, drained
2 green onions
1/4 pound (1 stick) of butter, softened
1/2 cup mayo (real mayo, no substitution)
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 loaf crusty French bread

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Roughly chop black olives.
3.  Roughly chop green olives.
4.  Slice green onions, then roughly chop.
5.  In a large bowl, combine the butter, mayo, cheese, olives and green onions.
6.  Stir until thoroughly combined.
7.  Slice French bread in half, lengthwise.
8.  Spread the olive-cheese mixture in an even layer on each half.
9.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese mixture is thoroughly melted and beginning to turn light brown and bubbly.  Cut into diagonal slices and serve immediately.

Cottage Mama's Note:  The Pioneer Woman says you can make this bread a head of time and freeze it for up to 6 months.  Also trying substituting other ingredients for the olives and Monterey Jack - for example, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella or artichoke hearts and parmesan.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is an amazing cookbook with beautiful photography and a wonderful story.  If you like good southwestern, southern comfort food, you must check it out.  It is available on Amazon  right now for only $11.50 (regularly $27.50)! Pin It

Thanksgiving 101: Side Dishes

So far we have covered all of the basics for our Thanksgiving celebration: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.  Now it's time for side dishes - yipee!!  Now this is where you can really get creative - the options are endless.  Many of you may opt. for you basic green bean casserole (a classic and very good) and/or some form of baked sweet potatoes (perhaps with marshmallows), but I'm going to skip those two oldies, but goodies and give you several other ideas that you may want to add to your Thanksgiving table this year.

This first recipe comes to you from Martha Stewart herself:  Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.  I saw this recipe prepared last year on the Martha Stewart show and thought it just looked so easy and delicious that I had to give it a try.  I served this last year on Christmas Eve with Prime Rib, but I think it would make an awesome addition to Thanksgiving.  It's also something that would be unexpected, but extremely appreciated by all your fellow guests.  Trust me.......if you like artichoke hearts, it is divine!  Click here to check out the recipe for Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts.


My second side dish I would like to share with you is Creamed Spinach Gratin.  To me this is one of the world's best comfort foods and mixes perfectly with turkey, stuffing, and potatoes.

Creamed Spinach Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cook bacon in heavy bottom saute pan.  Remove bacon and crumble.  Melt the butter into bacon grease over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes (make sure this are fully cooked). Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Cottage Mama's Note:

-This recipe will serve 10 people easily - probably even more!

-Another great idea for this recipe (not for Thanksgiving).  Cut the recipe in half and toss with a pound of cooked pasta, then add to casserole dish and bake.  YUM!

Ok and my final recommendation for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish is a recipe I have already posted previously: Ruthie's Spinach Salad.  I brought this to my in-laws last year for Thanksgiving and it was a definite hit.  This recipe would be a fresh addition to your thanksgiving table - with the cranberries, toasted almonds, sliced red onion, feta cheese and a delicious sweet and spicy vinaigrette - it would be the perfect contrast to all of your other creamy and delicious side dishes.

Ruthie's Spinach Salad

Dressing

3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad

8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled 

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing--combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad--combine all ingredients--toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Thanksgiving 101: Cranberry Salad

Now cranberry salad may be just an after-thought in your home, but it is an integral component of our Thanksgiving table.  Maybe you realize last minute "oh yeah, the cranberries.......I better buy a can."  There are no cranberries out of a can for this cottage Mama, no sir, my Grandma Marge's Cranberry Salad has been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember and it is one of the centerpieces of our feast!

My family loves to cook; therefore, we love to try new recipes, however, there are some recipes that just aren't worth messing with and this is one of them.  Try Grandma Marge's Cranberry Salad at your next Thanksgiving celebration.  Make your cranberry salad a centerpiece and bring it into the forefront of your feast - I guarantee people will notice!!

Grandma Marge's Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup ground cranberries (buy fresh - put into blender or food-processor)

1 package cranberry jello (or raspberry if you can't find cranberry)

1 cup hot water

1 cup crushed pineapple in syrup (drain and reserve syrup)

1 cup pineapple syrup (from crushed pineapple)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup grapes (halved)

Directions:

Combine ground cranberries and sugar.  Dissolve jello in hot water   Add pineapple syrup.  Chill until partially set.  Add sugary cranberries, pineapple and grapes.  Pour into dish.  Chill over night.  When ready to serve, spoon cranberries into serving bowl.  Enjoy!

Cottage Mama's Note:  This can be made 1-day ahead of time and place in serving dish immediately before serving.

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Thanksgiving 101: Mashed Potatoes

The next topic on my Thanksgiving 101 series:  Mashed Potatoes.  Now I seriously don't believe it would be a REAL thanksgiving dinner without mashed potatoes.  Next to turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes are an absolute must!  


When it comes to mashed potatoes on Thanksgivng I am a purist.  Don't get me wrong, I love garlic mashed potatoes, loaded mashed potatoes, chive mashed potatoes and the list goes on, but on Thanksgiving, I believe, the simpler the better.  


One of my absolute musts for classic mashed potatoes is using Yukon Gold potatoes.  If you have never tried using Gold potatoes, you are really missing out.  You just cannot even compare the taste to your basic russet - Golds are in a league of their own (in my opinion).  They have a naturally buttery taste, are a beautiful yellow/gold color, and have a really thin skin (for those of you that like to keep the skins on your potatoes - these are perfect!).  


So today I would like to share an amazingly delicious recipe for classic mashed potatoes that comes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  This recipe is great because you can prepare it several days in advance.  If you have ever hosted a big Thanksgiving before, you know that "do ahead" recipes are a Godsend when trying to get all of your courses prepared and ready to serve at the same time.  Give this recipe a try this and believe me, you will be in complete mashed potato heaven!!

Creamy Classic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups (to 3/4 cups) Half-and-Half
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

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Thanksgiving 101: Stuffing

Have you thought about Thanksgiving yet?  What types of dishes will you be preparing?  Maybe you are the big host(ess) this year or perhaps someone else is hosting and you were asked to bring a dish to share.  Whatever your role is this year for Thanksgiving, I would imagine there is at least a little bit of cooking in your future.  


I thought I would do a series of posts dedicated to Thanksgiving dishes - I'm calling it Thanksgiving 101.  If you have been struggling with what to make for Thanksgiving, perhaps one of these dishes will inspire you.  I will try to cover all of your basics: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and maybe a few additional side-dishes.


Today I am going to start with stuffing or as others may call it, dressing.  Stuffing is a very sensitive side dish.  Some people have a stuffing recipe that has been in their families for years - some put it in the bird, some bake it in a casserole dish, some like sweet things like raisins and cranberries, while others prefer a more savory stuffing, some like a sourdough bread stuffing, while others believe there is nothing better than a good cornbread stuffing.  


Growing up, my family changed our stuffing recipe every couple years; however recently we have come across a stuffing that may be here to stay.  Try Chef Paul Prudhomme's Cornbread Dressing this holiday season and let me know what you think - do you think it might become a permanent part of your Thanksgiving repertoire?  I have a feeling it might!

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients: 

2 tsp. salt

1.5 tsp white pepper

½ tsp. ground red pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 lb. butter

4 Tablespoons margarine

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 bay leaves

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 cup chicken stock

1.5 tsp. tabasco sauce (up to 1 tablespoon depending on your love of spicy food)

3 Jiffy Cornbread mixes (prepared according to package directions), crumbled

1 can evaporated milk

3 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Make cornbread at least a day ahead. Mix seasoning ingredients and set aside. In large skillet, melt butter and margarine. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook over high heat for two minutes, stirring. Add seasoning mix.  Cook, stirring, two minutes. Stir in stock, mushrooms and tabasco. Cook five minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in cornbread, eggs, milk. Spoon dressing into 13"x9" pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. 

Enjoy!

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