Green Bean Casserole

The humble green bean casserole has always 

been a popular Thanksgiving side dish.

Did you know that more than 40 million 

Americans will be making it this year?

Why just make it at Thanksgiving? There are

 so many other soft foods that day that I 

prefer a sauted green beans almondine 

or roasted brussels sprouts. 

I like it much better throughout the year
with a roasted chicken, pork roast,
or grilled steak. It's so easy and I can
make it ahead of time.

Green Bean Casserole
2 16oz cans green beans, drained, 4 C
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C milk
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
1 t soy sauce
1-2/3 C French's fried onions
Combine: beans, soup, milk, seasonings and
2/3 onion rings. Pour into a greased 1-1/2 qt
greased casserole. Bake @350º for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir to combine. Top with
remaining 2/3 C onions. Return to the oven  for
another 5  minutes.
Serves 6

Pumpkin Cobbler ~ That Other Pumpkin Dessert

This may just replace your regular pumpkin pie

at your next holiday dinner. 

It's not a pie and it's not a cake.

It's the other pumpkin dessert.

 Pumpkin cobbler...or crunch when topped

 with chopped pecans or walnuts. 

It's warm and comforting.

 It uses regular pumpkin pie ingredients, with

 the addition of yellow cake mix and melted butter

for the streusel topping. It's easier than pie 

and will serve more people. 

 In a large bowl whisk the eggs.

 Whisk in the pumpkin, milk, sugar, and spices.

 Use the butter wrapper to grease a 9x13 dish.

 Melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. 

Stir in the cake mix and mix until crumbly.

 Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top.

Bake in a 350º oven for 1 hour until golden.

You can also sprinkle on 1 C chopped pecans on

top for a nice crunch. Sprinkle the nuts on just

half of it and see which way you like it better.

I like it both ways. 

 Let cool about 15 minutes.

 Cut into squares to serve.

Use a small spatula. 

I like my slice plain and still warm

with a cup of coffee.

 Larry likes his topped with ice cream.

It's a  nice holiday dessert that will 

serve 16-24 at your next party.

Pumpkin Cobbler

1 can - 15 oz pumpkin

1 can evaporated milk

3 XL eggs

¾  C sugar

2 t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg

¼  t ginger

¼ t allspice
¼ t salt

1 t maple or vanilla vanilla

Topping

1 box yellow cake mix

1 stick butter, melted
(1 to 1 ½ C chopped pecans)

---------------

Grease a 9x13 dish with the butter wrapper. 

Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. 

Whisk in the pumpkin, milk, sugar, and 

spices. Pour into the casserole.

Combine the cake mix and melter butter.

 Mix until crumbly and sprinkle evenly over 

the top. Bake @350 for 1 hour. Let cool 

15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve using 

a metal spatula. Top with whipped cream 

or vanilla ice cream. Serves 16-24

tip: *You can use 4t pumpkin pie spice

 in place of the 4 other spices.
*You can also sprinkle on

 1 to 1 ½ C chopped pecans to the topping.
Or just do nuts on half the cobbler.

Enjoy!

Links: Facebook, Coastal Charm,
Between Naps On The Porch,
Dwellings

The Easiest Cranberry Sauce

This is so easy and yummy you'll never

serve that canned stuff again. 

 Just 2 ingredients: cranberries and sugar.

 Put the cranberries in an ungreased casserole. 

Sprinkle the sugar on top but don't stir. 

Bake @350º for 30-35 minutes.

Stir about 3 times while cooking.

A delightful sauce recipe from

 Susan Branch. 

Good hot or cold. 

The next day you can make...

CHRISTMAS JAM

Mix extra cranberry sauce

with equal parts orange marmalade.

Great on toast, biscuits, scones...

Cranberry Sauce

3 cups fresh cranberries,

about 1 bag rinsed

1 C sugar

(or 3 parts berries to 1 part sugar)

Put the cranberries in an ungreased

casserole. Sprinkle on the sugar but

 don't stir. bake in a 350º oven for 35

minutes, stirring 3 times. 

Enjoy!

Links: Designs by Gullum,
Facebook, Between Naps On The Porch,

French Canadian Tortiere

It was love at first bite!

My dear friend Cathy introduced me to this classic

 Canadian Christmas dish a few years ago and I 

have since adopted it into my traditions as well. 

I lived in Canada as  a little girl (Niagara Falls), 

so it seemed a nice nod to those Canadian 

Christmas memories from childhood. 

We didn't make tortiere, but I can now!

Tortiere is a savory pork main dish pie. 

It's traditionally served around holiday time, 

particularly in Quebec on Christmas Eve.

 It has complex flavors and fills your home with

 the most wonderful aroma.

 I needed to borrow the 1/4 t mace
from a tennis friend. It's a lot like
nutmeg, but I wanted to follow Cathy's
recipe exactly.

 Just mash the cooked potatoes adding
  nothing to them. They will go into

 the cooked pork.

 Simmer.

 I made my own pie crust, but you can
buy ready-made and use that.

 Once the meat mixture has cooled, add it
to the pie and cover the top with crust.

Cut in a vent. I have a tin of holiday shapes
 that I get to use for just such an occasion.

 Ready for the oven.

 Time to  make the mushroom gravy.
Saute seasoned mushrooms in a little butter.

Add your favorite brown gravy mix and add
 a little extra water than instructed so that
 it's not too thick. Use at least
2 packets...maybe 3 if you
are gravy lovers, (and who isn't?).

 Out of the oven when golden.

Slice into 6-8 portions.

 Serve with mushroom gravy,
scalloped potatoes (they bake along in the oven),
green salad, or vegetable.

Don't you just LOVE family traditions,

both old and new!

Here's Cathy's recipe. YUM!

French Canadian Tortiere
1-1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 C boiling water
1 can consomme soup
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 t salt
1/4 t each: mace, sage, pepper
pinch ground cloves
3 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed, boiled, mashed

In a saucepan thoroughly combine all ingredients
except potatoes. Stir frequently over low heat,
cooking until pork looses it's pink color and the
liquid is reduced by half, about 45 minutes.
Boil and mash potatoes. Add to meat mixture and
let cool. Line a deep dish pie pan with crust. Fill
with the meat mixture and cover with top crust.
Seal edges and flute. Carve a Christmas tree or star
on top to vent. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then
reduce heat to 350 and continue baking for another
45  minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.
Serve with mushroom gravy and scalloped or
mashed potatoes, vegetable and/or salad.

You can use refrigerated pre-made crust or make your own.

Pie Crust

2-1/2 C flour

1/2 t salt

3/4 C shortening

4-5 T ice cold water

Combine the flour and salt in a food processor

Pulse to combine. Add the Crisco and pulse on/off

about 15-30 times, until blended.

With machine running, drizzle in

enough ice water just until it begins to

 hold together. Divide dough in half, and

shape into flatted disks. Wrap in plastic,

chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 days or

frozen for up to 1 month.

 Roll out on a floured surface.

Enough for a double crust pie or 

two shells. 

Enjoy!

Links: Facebook,
  Rattlebridge Farm, 

Between Naps on The Porch,

Coastal Charm, Dwellings,

Under The Table and Dreaming

Lemon-Herb Stuffing

Lemon herb stuffing with

with mushrooms, celery, onions, 

and lots of chopped fresh parsley.

 I usually double this recipe so that I have lots 

for Thanksgiving dinner and can put several 

bags in the freezer for roast chicken dinners

 later in the year.

I use the herbed cubed stuffing in a bag.

Chop all the vegetables and begin adding them to

the pan with hot butter starting with the 

onions and celery then adding

 the sliced mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes.

 Stir in the seasonings.

Add the stuffing and chicken broth.

 Toss well and add a good squeeze of lemon juice.

 Lots of chopped fresh parsley is a must.

 Toss well and you're ready to stuff your bird

 or refrigerate until needed.

I love having a few of these bags of stuffing in

the freezer. They turn a roast chicken 

into the perfect Sunday dinner. 

Lemon~Herb Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Cubes
• 1 C chopped onion, about 1 medium
• 1 C chopped celery, about 2 stalks celery,
• 1 C sliced fresh mushrooms, about 4 -oz
• 1/2 C chopped fresh parsley
• 2 t thyme
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 C Chicken broth (or hot water with 2t chicken bouillon or cubes)
• Juice of 1/2 large lemon about, 2 T lemon juice

Directions

Heat the butter in a large skillet until bubbly. Add vegetables and saute until tender. Add seasonings. Remove from heat. Add to the stuffing in a large bowl. Add the broth and lemon juice, add the fresh parsley tossing well. Stuff turkey cavity and nech cavity. Freeze extra stuffing in quart-size freezer bags flattened to use for your next roast chicken dinner. Find my recipe for perfect roast chicken HERE.

Enjoy!

passed down from Grandma Daisy

Links: No Minimalist Here,
Savvy Southern Style,
Between Naps On The Porch
Coastal Charm,
Confessions Of A Plate Addict