I want recipes for.....

the followinig
Sweet potatoes...
Mac N Cheese...
Stuffing

Re: I want recipes for.....

I just made sweet potatos last night...Not fancy or anything like what my mom makes for thanksgiving, but it was SOOO good anyway.
I made a baked sweet potato and put margarine on it...sooo good and sooooo easy!!!!

Message edited 10/24/2008 12:54:44 PM.

Re: I want recipes for.....

Mac & Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar

Cook the macaroni in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain well and set aside.
In a deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, to remove any lumps. Pour in the milk and cook until the mixture is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Cheddar and continue to cook until melted. Add the cooked macaroni and stir. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 20 minutes.

I sprinkle Italian bread crumbs on top before I bake it. I usually serve it with a side of broccoli.

Re: I want recipes for.....

Cornbread Stuffing:

Found this on FoodNetwork.com about 5 years ago and have been making it ever since: (and it smells sooooooooooo good!) -- Also, I prepare this the night before so all I have to do is cook it. I find the longer it soaks though the better!

I make the cornbread (from a box!) about 5 days before then I cut it into cubes and let it dry out for 2 days.

1 1/2 loaves cornbread
2 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 shallots (about 1/2 pound), cut lengthwise into sixths
5 leeks (about 1 pound), white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 pound vacuum-packed or canned whole chestnuts
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cut cornbread into 1/2-inch cubes and in 2 large shallow baking pans bake in middle of oven until just dry, about 20 minutes.

In a large heavy skillet cook red onions, shallots, leeks, celery, herbs with salt and pepper to taste in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion mixture is golden brown, softened, about 25 minutes.

If using canned chestnuts, rinse and drain. In a saucepan simmer vacuum-packed or canned chestnuts in 2 cups broth 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss together bread, onions, chestnut mixture, remaining 1 1/2 cups broth and salt and pepper to taste and cool completely. Stuffing may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.

To cook all or part of stuffing outside poultry: In a shallow baking dish bake stuffing in preheated 325 degree oven 45 minutes (for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover halfway through baking time).

Re: I want recipes for.....

By FAR the best Mac and Cheese Ive ever made, it's from allreciples.com. I do not do the breading on top...

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Keep in mind that most pasta boxes are 16oz.. the recipe saying 1 box (8oz) is a bit misleading

Message edited 10/24/2008 2:29:31 PM.

Re: I want recipes for.....

I made these for Thanksgiving last year and they are now our families' favorite. My MIL makes them now too.

Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins
Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: hr min
Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Serves:12 muffins
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 stick butter, softened
1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department
4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle



Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.

Butter 12 muffin cups, 2 tins, liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin' muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature.

Re: I want recipes for.....

My Southern Version-Cornbread Stuffing.
This is the Stuffing I grew up with in Texas.

Crumbled Corn Bread (recipe to follow)
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green Bell pepper, Chopped
7 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sage seasoning
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon thyme
1 sleeve of saltine crackers (optional...my mother doesnt use it)
5 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, and saltines; set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, bellpepper and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage,thyme and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Cornbread Recipe:
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.


Note: For a short cut and if you do not have that much time.....I have used Store bought 8 Corn Muffins from the bakery. I did this once when we flew in and spent thanksgiving at the IL's. I didnt want to take over the whole kitchen for many hours. It tasted just as good!

Another Note: I have also used Muffin Pans to bake the cornbread dressing. The top comes out crispier but yet the inside is moist. Picked this tip up from Rachel Ray.

Message edited 10/24/2008 8:58:01 PM.

Re: I want recipes for.....

Candied Sweet potatoes:

I make a lot of potatoes since i cook for 25 people. I buy them loose usually, so i don't have any idea how many to tell you to make. I will just tell you that i make a big tray of them, so i guess you would probably need 10 or 12.
a bag of mini marshmallows
butter
dark brown sugar
There are no amounts because the way i do it, is by eye. You could try making a smaller portion before Thanksgiving with chicken or something and see how it comes out.


Anyway, its very easy.

Boil the sweet potatoes.
After they cool peel them
Cut them long ways into medium size slices.
Start with a layer of potatoes on the bottom of either a foil pan or roasting pan ( I use foil so the cleanup can't be easier, just throw out when done!)
then put pats of butter all over sweet potatoes.
Sprinkle brown sugar on top of that.
Continue with two more layers. After you get to the top layer, sprinkle mini marshmallows all over the top.
Cover, bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. Then take the cover off slowly, so the potatoes don't stick, and let the marshamllows brown for about another 10 or 15 minutes.
They are delish and biggest hit at my Thanksgiving dinner!

Message edited 10/25/2008 7:03:53 AM.

Re: I want recipes for.....

ok, this is my mid-week recipe for mac-n-cheese... we're impatient, so it's a no-bake recipe. if you want to bake it, just cut a min off the pasta boiling time, and add a bit more milk to the sauce recipe, then bake at 375 for about 25-30 min.

I don't measure the stuff, so I have to guestimate them... but the recipe is rather forgiving.

1 brick cracker barrel 2% sharp cheddar- cut into cubes
about 3T flour
1/4t pustard powder
2T butter
1 small onion, minced
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper

1 pack mac- cooked and drained

melt butter in pan, and sautee onions until clear and fragrant. stir in flour and mustard powder. make sure there are no lumps. add milk and stir. make sure lumps are not around. once simmering and thickened, gradually add cheese while stirring constantly. S&P to taste.

stir in pasta and serve

Message edited 10/25/2008 2:09:11 PM.