As I mentioned in a quick aside on my last post, Thanksgiving dinner was a huge success. Given that I’ve never made mashed potatoes from scratch, or gravy or stuffing for that matter, oh…or pumpkin pie either, I was anticipating a plethora of culinary catastrophes. I don’t know if it was luck, the direct intervention of God, or if my cooking abilities truly have improved, but everything turned out edible!
Three of the dishes turned out not only edible, but also delicious, and those are the recipes I’ve elected to share. Be wary of the potato dishes though. I did a up a double batch of the mashed potatoes and it’s having disastrous consequences on my recent attempts to be healthier. Yes, potatoes are a vegetable, but there’s nothing healthy about this dish!
Bon Appetit!
BAKED MASHED POTATOES
8-10 med. potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed (I used a stand mixer to whip mine up)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
1/2 c. melted butter
2 tsp. salt
Dash of garlic powder
Put in greased casserole. Sprinkle with paprika on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. May be made day ahead and refrigerated then baked.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter
TOPPING:
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted
Combine all above ingredients until smooth. Pour into 2 qt. casserole dish. Mix all topping ingredients and spread over sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
RUSTIC BREAD STUFFING WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES and HAZELNUTS
Here’s a hearty stuffing recipe, excerpted from the November 2008 issue of Fine Cooking magazine, courtesy of Tom Douglas at Seattle’s Dahlia Lounge.
3 tablespoons (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup (150 mL) dried cranberries
Loaf of rustic bread (1 to 11/4 pounds, 500 to 625 g)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup (150 mL) toasted, chopped hazelnuts (see Cook’s Notes) (I left these out as Neil’s allergic)
1/4 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/8cup (50 mL) thinly sliced fresh chives
2 tablespoons (25 mL) chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons (10 mL) finely grated orange zest
2 cups (500 mL) turkey or chicken broth (I substituted some turkey drippings for some of the broth)
Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Oil a 9- by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) baking dish. Put the cranberries in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let stand 15 minutes; drain.
Remove the crust from the bread and cut the bread into 3/4-inch (2 cm) chunks. In a large bowl, combine the bread, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt and 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C).
In a large bowl, mix the bread, cranberries, hazelnuts, parsley, chives, thyme and orange zest. Stir in the broth. Toss well to combine; the bread should absorb most of the broth.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing in the prepared dish and cover with foil. Bake for 5 minutes; then remove the foil and bake until crusty and golden, about 35 minutes more.
Cook’s Notes: To toast hazelnuts, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 14 to 18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until lightly browned. While still warm, rub them against each other in a clean dishtowel to remove the papery skins.
Stay tuned for tales of my 37 step recovery program (12 just isn’t going to cut it). Thank heaven for the three hour walk on Monday. I’m back to pre-Thanksgiving weight already. Cleaning out my arteries is going to take a bit more effort though. Oi.
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28 Comments
sounds super yummy kim! I’m gonna steal that dressing recipe fo’ sure.
Abra´s last blog post..I Know What You Did Last Summer…. Fall…
nom nom nom.
I’m salivating over here.
MomBabe´s last blog post..One More Reason Men Have It Easier Than Women
And now I’m hungry. Thanks a whole heap. :)
Sarah´s last blog post..Untitled
Ohhhhh Kim’s gettin’ all fancy on us, watch out!! ;)
Sounds SO good!
Shanna´s last blog post..Cop a Squat
Anyone who makes their own stuffing is amazing! I bust out the Stove Top every year. Having said that, I feel like I have to defend myself, because I do make the pies, rolls, potatoes, etc. from scratch.
I’m going to try to do my own cranberry sauce this year, though. Man, I love Thanksgiving!
Becky´s last blog post..No fashionista here
I knew you could do it. Delish.
Lisa Milton´s last blog post..hark! it’s the Great Pumpkin Patch
Potatoes are my absolute favorite comfort food of all time. No matter what restaurant I go to and however many fancy side dishes they have, I’m a sucker for mashed potatoes every time.
Steph @ Diapers and Divinity´s last blog post..Why I should not be a minivan mom
Wow. Are you sure your fatigue on the lake walk wasn’t directly related to doing a kitchen marathon? What a woman! And this was only three of the things you made…
Jen´s last blog post..Sister For Sale
Yummers Kim. I never knew the chef in you. Love the look of these recipes.
Jan´s last blog post..Okay, sure, yes, no problem
Wow! These look amazing. I love winter cooking. Too much, really.
JustRandi´s last blog post..Followers
Oh my! Those potatoes sound to die for. Or to die OF, more likely. YUM!!!
Lisa´s last blog post..How to Have an Unforgettable Weekend
Ooooh! I’m SO making those potatoes! And the casserole! YUM!!! Thanks!
Blogget Jones´s last blog post..Tragedy at a distance
You are so good!
Using “rustic” in a recipe title is so smart. Who could keep themselves from making them?
Heather of the EO´s last blog post..And in other news…
Oh wow, you’ve got my mouth WATERING. I can’t wait for our Thanksgiving!
Jaina´s last blog post..100 and going strong…
Those all sound yummy! Good thing I’m not there, or I’d eat your cookies and ruin my good intake run today!
Rebecca´s last blog post..Tag! You’re It!
And suddenly I’m starving…
Yum!!!!
Brillig´s last blog post..Can You Pick Just One?
NOM! :)
Kate´s last blog post..Telling Our Families
all of those recipes sound delectable, but the rustic stuffing? divine. i’m so glad you canadians have thanksgiving ahead of us so we can steal your best recipes. most thoughtful of you.
nic´s last blog post..autumn and jewels and the warmest of thanks
Thanksgiving dishes are NEVER supposed to be healthy! What’s the point of having a holiday to celebrate food if you can’t eat any GOOD food? Isn’t that why we have Thanksgiving?? ;) Your dishes do sound soooo good! I’ve never tried to make my own stuffing. Usually my mother in law or my grandma does that (depending on which family we’re with for the holiday) But this year we’re probably not going home. Sigh… it should be…um… interesting. Maybe we’ll make pizza and eat ice cream for dessert!
Melissa´s last blog post..
Yummmm…that stuffing sounds good! And I’m coming to your house for Thanksgiving…no one ’round here like sweet potatoes!
Amber’s Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck´s last blog post..Which Witch is Which (and other Salem findings)
I think mashed potatoes could jolly me out of the worst of moods, especially if it’s garlic mashed!
Whoo hoo!
I once had a boyfriend show up at my house with a take out carton of garlic mashed potatoes and when his brother witnessed my reaction to this gift, he wondered aloud if he’d wasted several years by bringing girls flowers.
Yay, potatoes!
Melanie J´s last blog post..Gifts My Father Gave Me
Looks like your Trial and Error paid off! These sound truly fabulous! My compliments to the chef!
charrette´s last blog post..I have a complex, but I can do this!
LOVE IT! Cannot wait to try your mashed potato recipe… Looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing,
J
Potatoes. Yum. They make me go all drooly like Homer. Painting pictures with words, sighhhh.
Jo Beaufoix´s last blog post..It’s just criminal
Oh, man. You’re making me hungry.
Karlene´s last blog post..If you ever eat sugar free goodies, READ THIS!
Ahh! A secret ingredient- cream cheese! I’m going to be giving that a shot.
Amber @ Soggy Cheerios´s last blog post..Beep!
I have a mashed potato weakness myself…ever since I was a kid. This year our Thanksgiving is at my parent’s house and I have already claimed the making of the mashed potatoes as mine. My Mom sometimes will evilly use instant ones at Thanksgiving, and that is just WRONG. So I decided to save the potatoes and am making them this year. My recipe involves cream cheese, real butter and heavy whipping cream…I try not to think about the calories…
I also use red potatoes….MMMMMM
Heffalump´s last blog post..Holiday Tip or Dare #3
I tried the mashed potatoes at our kids’ Thanksgiving dinner last night…divine! And although I, too, made a double batch, it was gone in a heartbeat. Thanks for indulging us!