Semi-Homemade Thanksgiving Series

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Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or your homemade)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Dash ground black pepper
• 4 cups cooked cut green beans (any way you can, frozen, fresh or canned)
• 1 1/3 cups French Fried Onions (French's or Durkee or ?)

Instructions

1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.
3. Stir the bean mixture.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
5. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

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Buttery Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 medium baking potatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (or more) whole milk OR half-n-half, at room temperature or warmed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/garlic-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan.
3. Add the butter, sour cream.
4. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until the ingredients are blended.
5. Add the milk or half-n-half, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/garlic-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

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Candied Yams

Ingredients

• 2 Small or 1 Large Can of Yams (your choice on variety/brand)
• 1/2 Stick of REAL Butter, cut into slices
• 1/4-1/2 C Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/4 C Toasted Pecans, Chopped Fine (If you like-sometimes I put them in, sometimes not, my oldest daughter detests nuts!)
• 1 Bag LARGE Marshmallows (I am brand picky...I choose Kraft, your choice)

Instructions

1. Dump yams in casserole dish
2. Dot all over with butter slices
3. Sprinkle brown sugar (and pecans if using them) on top
4. Cover with foil and bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes till bubbly
5. Remove foil, top completely and tightly with marshmallows
6. Return to oven and bake till marshmallows puff and get golden brown. WATCH THEM! They burn and deflate quickly!

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Kat's Stuffing

Ingredients

• 8 – 9 cups of your favorite cornbread (mine is homemade)
• 1 pound bulk sausage
• ½ cup butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1½ cups diced celery
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1/4 C apple cider vinegar (Braggs)
• 1/2 C dried cranberries
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken (or turkey) broth (homemade preferred-yes, mine is...canned if you don't have it)

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Break up the sausage into the hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until done.
2. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside in a medium bowl.
3. Add the ½ cup of butter to the skillet. When it has melted, add the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened a bit.
4. Add the cider vinegar to the pan. Cook for a minute or so, stirring up any bits of sausage or vegetables on the bottom of the pan.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
6. Add the mixture in the pan to the bowl with the cornbread, add cranberries, stir to combine.
7. Add the cooked sausage and the chicken broth and stir to combine.
8. Butter a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Spoon the mixture into the dish.
9. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350˚ for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes.

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Tipsy Giblet Gravy

Ingredients

• Giblets (neck, gizzard, heart, liver) from a turkey(check in all the cavities)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 C Beer (your favorite)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 cups liquid (Turkey, chicken, beer, water)
• Drippings from the turkey
• 2-3 tablespoons flour (or 2-3 Tbsp of corn starch, dissolved first into 1/4 cup of water)
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons of Spicy Brown Mustard

Instructions

1. Heat the butter in a 2-quart saucepan on medium-high heat.
2. When hot, add beer & the giblets to the pan.
3. Brown them on all sides.
4. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté until the onions turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
5. Add the bay leaf, thyme and water.
6. Bring to a simmer.
7. Lower the heat, partially cover so that some steam escapes, and cook on a low simmer for several hours, while the turkey is cooking.
8. Once the bird is close to being done, strain the giblets and stock through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl.
9. Set aside the stock.
10. Remove the giblets from the sieve.
11. Finely mince the giblet meat. If you want, you can pull some of the meat off of the neck and mince that as well.
12. Once the bird is done, move it to a cutting board to let it rest. Pour off the excess fat (all but a tablespoon or two) from the roasting pan.
13. Set the roasting pan over two burners of the stove top set over medium heat.
14. Add the flour (or corn starch slurry) and whisk it into the drippings.
15. Stir in the minced giblets.
16. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring while cooking.
17. Add the strained giblet stock to the pan drippings and giblets and mix well to combine.
18. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until the gravy thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
19. Add 1-2 teaspoons of mustard (to taste).
20. Check for salt and add more salt to taste if needed.
21. Serve it as-is, or purée the gravy in a blender for a smoother texture.

Notes