Award-Winning Rolls

 

courtesy of google

Julie has made these rolls a couple of times and they are so amazing.  Perfectly salted, texture and taste are perfect.  She says this came from Jennefer Tasker's ward cookbook.  So, here you go...just in time for Thanksgiving!

Award-Winning Rolls

Lynette Wettstein

2 Tbs. dried yeast

1 1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

5 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in the warm water by stirring slowly with a mixer. Add to the yeast mixture, the melted butter (make sure it's not too hot!), sugar, and eggs.  Mix well in mixer.  Add salt.  Add flour, one cup at a time.  Dough will be sticky.  Scrape dough from sides into the middle and sprinkle with approximately 1/4 cup of flour.  Cover mixer bowl with towel and rise until double in size.  

Roll on well-floured surface and cut into shapes.  I usually use a regular drinking cup with a rounded top to cut the rolls.  Place on greased pan and let rise again 15-25 minutes.  Melt additional butter and brush rolls with butter.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until rolls are slightly browned.  Brush with additional butter after removing from oven.  Makes about 24-30 rolls.

Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

courtesy

Amy made this for our Thanksgiving dinner this year and while I'm not a huge fan of corn, I was smitten with this. It was probably one of my favorite dishes on the table, so much so that I made it again for Christmas dinner.  It could be eaten any time of the year though... it is seriously delicious.

Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 8 slices bacon, chopped
 2 12-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
 1/2 cup chopped onion, white, yellow or red
 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, light or regular, cubed
 1-2 tablespoons milk
 1 teaspoon sugar
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon pepper
 4 green onions, green parts finely chopped (white parts discarded)

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the chopped bacon until golden and crisp. Scoop the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and discard all the bacon grease except for a thin coating on the pan, maybe a teaspoon or so.

Add the corn, onion, and red pepper, and cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the vegetables are tender and the corn is heated through, 6-8 minutes. Add the cream cheese and milk, stirring until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is evenly combined.

Stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper. Add more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the green onions.

Serve warm topped with the reserved bacon.

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

courtesy

So, we bought an air fryer and we are not looking back any time soon.  We've made burgers, fries, vegetables, diced potatoes and now this.  Brian said he'd rather have this turkey in the air fryer on Thanksgiving than the traditional oven-cooked method.  It was really juicy and perfectly crispy on the outside. And, it cooked up super fast.  We served it with cauliflower mashed "potatoes" and it was delicious!

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

Skinnytaste

• 4 pound turkey breast, on the bone with skin (ribs removed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher
• 1/2 tablespoon dry turkey or poultry seasoning

INSTRUCTIONS

• Rub 1/2 tablespoon of oil all over the turkey breast. Season both sides with salt and turkey seasoning then rub in the remaining half tablespoon of oil over the skin side.
• Preheat the air fryer 350F and cook skin side down 20 minutes, turn over and cook until the internal temperature is 160F using an instant-read thermometer about 30 to 40 minutes more depending on the size of your breast. Let is rest 10 minutes before carving.

Best Stuffing Ever

You guys. This stuffing is the BEST stuffing ever!!! My SIL made it last year and this year it was my turn. And seriously, everyone was raving (both last year and this year). It's take stuffing to a whole new level. 

Best Stuffing Ever

from Linda (my SIL's friend???)

Fresh bread crumbs from one big loaf of French bread (you want this to be high-quality artisan French bread), chopped in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup), divided

6 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 box of mushrooms (fresh, not canned) cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3/4 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

3/4 garlic powder

12-16 oz package of mild or hot Italian sausage (ground)

2 cups Romano cheese, shredded

1/2 can chicken broth (about 7-8 oz)

3 eggs

Sautee 1 stick butter, celery, onion, and garlic. Pour over bread crumbs in a bowl. Sautee 1/2 stick of butter in mushrooms. Add seasonings, parsley, and basil. Then add cheese and mix. Mix eggs and chicken broth in separate bowl and add to mushroom mixture. Pour over bread crumbs and mix. Sautee sausage to release oil, strain, and mix in with bread crumbs. Lightly spray a large casserole dish and pour stuffing in. Cover tightly with foil and store in fridge over night. Bake, covered, at 350 for one hour. Remove foil for last 15 minutes if you'd like a little crunch.

Perfect Fall Salad

This was gone before I even had a chance to take a picture of it, so this stock one will do and its pretty dang close.  But, while I was preparing it, I did think "this is the prettiest salad I have ever made" because the colors are so gorgeous and perfect for Thanksgiving (or anytime!).  It was absolutely delicious too!  You could easily add chicken to make it a full meal.

google images

The Perfect Fall Salad

8-10 cups assorted greens (kale, romaine, mixed greens)

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (could sub goat cheese)

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1 large red-skinned apple, diced

1 large sweet potatoe, peeled, diced and roasted with EVOO,salt, and pepper

Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

dash Tabasco sauce

2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Whisk together dressing ingredients.

Spiced Pecans: 

3 Tbs. butter

1 1/2 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped pecans

Over medium heat, melt butter in a pan and add sugar, spices, and salt.  Add pecan pieces and stir until well-coated.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar caramelizes and pecans darken slightly in color.  Transfer mixture to a paper bag or parchment paper to cool.  Toss or shake occasionally to break up pieces.

Assemble salad ingredients.  To avoid browning, apples can be added directly to dressing or dice just prior to serving.  Toss salad altogether and serve.

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

(pic courtesy Mel's Kitchen Cafe)



I think Christian consumed 3,000 calories of these. He literally ate half the pan. They were soooo yummy! Oh, and I didn't have all of the cheeses she called for, so I just used medium cheddar and parmesan cheese (shredded) and it was delish!

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Note: the key to this dish is the evenly sliced potatoes. It will be nearly impossible to accomplish this feat by hand, since the potatoes need to be sliced 1/8-inch thick. I don’t have a mandoline, which would work perfectly, however, a slicing disk on a food processor/shredder works great and in a pinch, I’ve used the slicing side of my box grater.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. In a large bowl, toss the cheeses and cornstarch together until evenly coated.
2. In a large gratin dish (about a 2- to 3-quart dish), shingle half of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with the remaining potatoes, shingling them neatly and evenly. Sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper evenly over the top.
3. Combine the cream and the broth in a large measuring cup and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Top with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden brown and a fork inserted into the center slides in easily with little resistance, 75 to 85 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Matooz' Rolls

I have never cooked rolls (or even bread for that matter) in my life but I was really craving some yummy homemade rolls so I stole this recipe from my sis-in-law Suzanne's blog. She has made these rolls for lots of family occasions including thanksgiving and christmas and they never disappoint and are requested often. I was nervous to try them because last time I tried baking bread it ended horribly but I'm happy to say these were a success! Even I (the baker) was raving about how good they turned out :) I halved this recipe and got about 2 pans worth of rolls which was plenty for us but it is a great amount if you're cooking for a large group.  Taken from http://www.suzmatooz.blogspot.com/2009/02/for-jo-ive-been-promising-bryans-very.html

My Family's Roll Recipe
In a medium/small bowl combine 2 Tbsp. yeast and 1 Tbsp. Sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Set in a warm place. The yeast needs time to rise and become active. (maybe 10-15 mins.)

In a large bowl combine:
1 Cup butter (melted)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Boiling Water

Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the ingredients from the first bowl (yeast, etc) to this mixture.

Add: 4 eggs, beaten
1 cup cold water
2 tsp. salt
7 1/2 cups Flour  ( I needed more flour at sea level, dough should be a little shiny and just barely too sticky to roll out)
in the order they are listed and mix with a spoon.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. About 2 to 3 hours before baking remove from fridge and form rolls.

For crescent rolls, divide dough into fourths and roll each part out into circle and spread with melted or softened butter. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter and roll up each piece, beginning at wide end of triangle.

Cover (we just usually use a clean dish towel) and let rise for 3 hours.

 

Bake at 425 for 8 to 12 minutes. Altitude and humidity seem to affect these a lot, so check them often to see how long it takes where you live! (I barely needed 8 min at sea level)

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

Mom sent me this recipe- they made it for Thanksgiving dinner. It sounds delicious and looks amazing. You can't go wrong with pumpkin and cream cheese.

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

1st Layer:

1 pkg. spice cake

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. water

3 large eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and blend with electric mixer on low for one minute. Scrape down bowl and blend at medium for two minutes. Spray 9X13 pan and pour batter into it. Bake for 32-39 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool completely. When ready to assemble trifle, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Second Layer:

1 large pkg. instant cheesecake flavored instant pudding

2 cups cold milk

2 cups freshly whipped cream (unsweetened)

1 bag Heath Toffee bits (by chocolate chips in grocery store)

Combine pudding with milk and blend with whisk until it starts to thicken. Fold in whipped cream.

To assemble the trifle: Place 1/3 of cake into large bowl, followed by 1/3 cream mixture and then 1/3 toffee bits. Repeat two more times. Refrigerate.

Thanksgiving Dressing

I'm not a big fan of stuffing a turkey. I like mine a little on the drier side rather than a big ball of mush. So I tried this recipe last week for our feast, and I loved it! I couldn't find Mrs. Cubbison's herb dressing in the store, so I used the entire box of seasoned dressing and added my own herbs--sage, thyme, and celery salt.

Thanksgiving Dressing

Jessica Sedgwick

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups chopped celery, include leaves

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 box Mrs. Cubbison Herb Dressing

1/2 box Mrs. Cubbison Seasoned Dressing

3/4 cup cooked wild rice

3/4 cup dehydrated cranberries

3/4 cup chopped peeled apples

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Melt butter in 8-12 quart pot. Saute the celery and onions until limp. Add the herbed and seasoned dressings, rice, cranberries, and apples. Toss to mix well. Pour the chicken stock over the dressing evenly and toss to stir. Spray a 9x13 dish with non-stick vegetable spray. Lightly fill pan level. Do not pack. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Serves 8-10.

Pumpkin Streusel Bars

Pic courtesy Google images

My SIL, Macy made these for dessert a few weeks ago and I fell in love with them. So much so, that I made them a week later for a dinner party we went to. I'm not usually a huge fan of pumpkin, but these were amazing. Seriously. I think I'm going to forgo the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving this year and go for these instead.

Pumpkin Streusel Bars

Macy Bell

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

Stir together cake mix, melted butter, and egg until well combined. Reserve one cup for topping. Press remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 egg

2/3 cup sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

Whisk together pumpkin, egg, sugar, vanilla, salt and spices. Spread filling over pressed crust.

1 cup reserved cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. cinnamon

3/4 cup old fashioned oats (I used quick oats with great results)

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

whipped cream , for serving

Stir together reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, and old fashioned oats. Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over filling and bake in a 325 oven for 35-40 min.* , or until topping is lightly browned (do not over bake). Serve with whipped cream.

*Mine took more closer 50 minutes to bake.

Slow-Cooker Stuffing

For any of you that haven't yet picked a stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving, look no further. I grew up on Stove Top and though it was good (How can stuffing be bad?) I have recently been converted over to the homemade stuffing. I'm bringing the stuffing this year to Thanksgiving dinner and I was kind of stressed because I've never made stuffing before. So what did I do? Allrecipes.com of course! I searched for the highest-rated and most rated stuffing recipe and this was it! I wasn't going to make this for the big day, though, without trying it out first and I'm really glad I did, because I tweaked it a little bit and it turned out fabulous. Happy Thanksgiving in 2 days!

Slow-Cooker Stuffing
adapted from allrecipes.com

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups onion, diced very small
  
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped very small
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, diced very small
  
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• up to 4 cups chicken broth, as needed
• 2 eggs, beaten

1. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.
2. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover.
3. Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

Note: The amount of broth you add totally depends on you. Add more if you like mushy stuffing and less if you like dry stuffing. If you've added too much, you can take the lid of the crock pot off for the last hour or so and if you've added too little, just slowly add a bit more. If you like a crispy top to your stuffing, throw it in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or until crispy.